Canon RF 24-105mm IS STM
f/4-7.1 Full-Frame Mirrorless
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
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Bodies Compared RF Lenses EF Lenses Flash
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM (67mm filters, 13.7 oz./389 g, 0.68-1.12'/0.2-0.34m close focus, $399). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or about $275 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
April 2024 Better Pictures Canon Reviews Mirrorless RF Lenses EF Lenses Flash All Reviews
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
These are just snapshots and there are many more throughout the review; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as NORMAL JPGs; no tripods, FINE JPGs or RAW CR3 files were used or needed.
Seven Palms Oasis at Last Light after Clearing Storm, 7:27 PM, 25 June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 24mm wide-open at f/4 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, -⅔ stop exposure compensation (LV 12.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
This is shot wide-open at 24mm, where this lens is softest - and it still looks great! This is an ultra sharp lens, no problems here.
Clock, 3:12 PM, 23 June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 85mm at f/20 at 1/180 at Auto ISO 100, Canon 580EX II flash, -⅔ stop exposure compensation (LV 16.1), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full resolution or camera-original © JPG file.
Two Clouds, 6:17 AM, 25 June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 63mm at f/8 at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Three Palms, 7:40 AM, 25 June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 57mm at f/11 at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Introduction top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
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Light around the neck, easy on the wallet and heavy in performance, this Canon RF 24-105mm STM lens is superb.
It's small and lightweight and a great choice with the tiny Canon EOS RP for a take-everywhere full-frame powerhouse that makes creating superb images easy.
This STM lens is half the weight and half the price of the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, and takes the same pictures. Both are super sharp. The biggest difference is that the 24-105mm f/4L is f/4 at 105mm, while this compact lens is only f/7.1 — but this compact lens has much better close focus than the f/4L. More at Compared.
I got my RF 24-105mm STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
New intro top
Canon's first inexpensive normal zoom for their full-frame mirrorless system.
Exceptional close-focus macro abilities.
Additional manual-focus macro mode at the wider settings focuses just about right up to the front of the lens.
Good intro top
Super sharp.
Exceptional Image Stabilization: it's not unusual for me to get perfectly-sharp shots half the time even at two-seconds hand-held at 24mm!
Image Stabilizer rated five stops improvement.
Exceptional close-focus macro abilities.
No distortion as shot.
Programmable front control ring.
Slide switch to select control ring function.
Inexpensive.
Lightweight.
100% U.S.A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.
Bad intro top
No AF/MF switch; sadly you have to select that at MENU > CAMERA page 7 > Focus Mode.
Trick manual-focus "Center Macro" mode may be fun, but if you use it you have to remember to reset the manual-focus distance back to normal before the camera allows you to switch back to autofocus! Worse, at least as of firmware 1.4.0 in my EOS RP it hides the MENU > CAMERA page 7 > Focus Mode option entirely!!!
Missing intro top
No AF/MF switch; sadly you have to select that at MENU > CAMERA page 7 > Focus Mode.
Optional LP1116 carry sack not included.
Optional EW-73D hood not included.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
I got my RF 24-105mm STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Compatibility specifications top
This lens only works on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.
It won't fit on, or adapt to, any DSLR.
Name specifications top
Canon calls this the Canon Lens RF24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM:
RF: Works only on Canon's EOS-R Mirrorless cameras.
IS: Image Stabilization.
STM: STepper (autofocus) Motor.
It's also model number RF24-105ISSTM, product code 4111C002 (4111C001 in Japan) and JAN code 4549292-167498.
Optics specifications top
Canon RF 24-105mm STM Internal Optical Construction. Aspherical element. Red Box: Image Stabilizer group.
13 elements in 11 groups.
One aspherical element.
"Pumper" zoom; front section moves in and out as zoomed.
Filters specifications top
Plastic 67 mm filter thread.
Coverage specifications top
Full-Frame (24 × 36mm) and APS-C (15 × 23mm).
Diaphragm specifications top
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM. bigger.
7 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Angle of View specifications top
84° ~ 23° 20' diagonal.
74° ~ 19° 20' horizontal.
53° ~ 13° vertical.
Autofocus specifications top
Screw-type Stepper Motor (STM).
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (from image plane) specifications top
At 24mm
0.66 feet (0.2 meters) in autofocus.
0.43 feet (0.13 meters) in manual focus.
At 105mm
1.12 feet (0.34 meters) in either auto or manual focus.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:2.5 (0.4 ×) at 105mm in either auto or manual focus.
1:2 (0.5 ×) at 24mm in manual focus.
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications top
No.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
Rated 5 stops improvement.
Hood specifications top
Optional EW-73D hood.
Case specifications top
Optional LP1116 carry sack.
Size specifications top
3.02" ø maximum diameter × 3.50" extension from flange at 24mm.
76.6 mm ø maximum diameter × 88.8 mm extension from flange at 24mm.
Gets longer when zoomed longer.
Weight specifications top
13.730 oz. (389.2 g) actual measured weight.
Rated 13.9 oz. (395 g).
Quality specifications top
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM. bigger.
Made in Taiwan.
Announced specifications top
13 February 2020.
Included specifications top
Lens.
Canon E-67II 67mm front cap.
Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001).
Canon's Model Numbers specifications top
RF24-105ISSTM, also called RF24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM.
Product code 4111C002 (4111C001 in Japan).
JAN code 4549292-167498.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
April 2024
$399 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.
About $275 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
July 2022
$399 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.
About $225 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
February ~ August 2020
$399.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM. bigger.
Accessories top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
I got my RF 24-105mm STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Optional Accessories
Included Accessories
Canon E-67II 67mm front cap.
Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001).
Performance top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Bokeh Distortion Ergonomics Falloff Filters
Flare & Ghosts Lateral Color Fringes
Lens Corrections Macro Min & Max Apertures
Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism
I got my RF 24-105mm STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Overall performance top
The RD 24-105 STM is a great lens: superb optics, small, light and inexpensive. It doesn't get any better than this for a take-everywhere lens.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is reasonably fast. No worries here, and with the 1.4.0 firmware in my EOS RP, flawlessly focuses on eyes all by itself (say when shot with the remote control app) even if there are closer things in the frame. Bravo!
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
How to get manual-focus override.
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.
The image from the RF 24-105 STM gets somewhat larger as focussed more closely.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is fair to neutral. Blur circles could be softer.
Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open:
Scarecrow Owl, June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 24mm at f/4 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.4). bigger or camera-original © file.
Scarecrow Owl, June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 105mm at f/7.1 at 1/160 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.0). bigger or camera-original © file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at 105mm at f/7.1 and get as close as you can.
Distortion performance top
The RF 24~105mm STM has no visible distortion as shot as JPGs on Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras, which correct for this and won't allow the correction to be turned off for this lens.
While Canon's own software probably also corrects this from RAW CR3 files, be warned that other brands of raw processing software probably won't correct the distortion, and Heaven only knows what distortion you may see then.
For more critical scientific use, use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images. No, I have no idea why my EOS RP doesn't correct the distortion completely.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
On Full-Frame at 30' (10m) |
Correction factor with JPG images |
24mm |
+1.10 |
35mm |
+0.60 |
50mm |
+0.20 |
70mm |
±0.00 |
85mm |
+0.30 |
105mm |
±0.00 |
© 2020 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics performance top
This is a great little lens; half of it is the direct mechanical zoom ring, and the other ring is a programmable control ring.
The front of the lens extends as zoomed longer:
|
|
RF 24-105mm STM at 24mm. bigger. |
RF 24-105mm STM at 105mm. bigger. |
|
|
RF 24-105mm STM at 24mm. bigger. |
RF 24-105mm STM at 24mm. bigger. |
Good is that we have slide switches for the stabilizer and the function of the control ring, but sadly missing is an AF/MF switch. You instead have to set this at MENU > CAMERA page 7 > Focus Mode.
Falloff performance top
Falloff is invisible in actual photos, as you can see at the Sample Images, Bokeh and Sharpness where I have samples shot wide-open. If anything, what little is there at 24mm adds to the impact of the images.
My EOS RP is correcting the falloff automatically by default.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Canon RF 24~105mm STM Falloff, default correction ON.
© 2020 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you go out of your way to turn the Peripheral Illumination Correction OFF (MENU > CAMERA page 7 > Lens Aberration Correction > Peripheral illum corr > OFF), this is what you get:
Canon RF 24~105mm STM Falloff, correction deliberately turned OFF.
© 2020 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Filters, use with performance top
There's no need for thin filters. I can stack about three regular 67mm filters at 24mm, and more than about half a dozen at 105mm without vignetting, so don't worry about it.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.
Be careful with polarizers at 24mm; the sky's natural polarization can appear as a dark band. This isn't from the lens; it's because the sky is polarized differently at different angles.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
There's no problem with flare of ghosts.
See examples at Sunstars.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no color fringes as shot on Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras, which correct for this by default.
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction and then go looking for problems, there is just the tiniest bit of purple/amber fringing at 24mm to 50mm, and a microscopic amount of green/magenta fringing at 105mm.
There is a little spherochromatism, which can cause color fringes on things that aren't in perfect focus. Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration in a different dimension than lateral color fringes.
This is superb performance. This is much, much better than Canon's system was ten years ago, where this as often obvious in images I'd see printed in Arizona Highways.
Lens Corrections performance top
Other cameras will vary, but my EOS RP has options to correct for falloff (Peripheral Illumination Correction) and a Digital Lens Optimizer which corrects for a suite of other aberrations. Both are ON by default.
The Distortion option is grayed-out; it's always active and you can't turn it off.
If you turn off the Digital Lens Optimizer, you are then offered à la carte ON/OFF options for Chromatic Aberration Correction and Diffraction Correction — at least on my EOS RP.
Macro Performance performance top
Macro is as good as it gets in anything other than a dedicated macro lens. When your pals flaunt and flex their L-Series zooms, all they did was pay more, have to carry more, and get only half the macro performance of this inexpensive lens.
It gets super-close at 105mm, and here's the crazy secret, if and only if you set it to manual focus mode, and only at zoom settings shorter than 105mm, this lens lets you focus even closer for weird macro special effects.
At 105mm, Auto & Manual Focus
It gets super-close, and it's sharp even wide-open. This is the full-frame shot:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance at 105mm wide-open at f/7.1, 29 June 2020. bigger or camera-original © file.
As with all lenses stop down to f/22 to f/32 at macro distances to get more depth of field, but here where I've shot at f/7.1 to show this lens at its worst and only the face is in focus while the hands and LCD displays aren't, it looks great. The blue fringes on the SNZ SIG ALM A.LIGHT text is spherochromatism on these out-of-focus items:
1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is on the watch face.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your phone, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 11 × 16" (0.9 × 1.3 feet or 25 × 40 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 21 × 31" (1.7 × 2.6 feet or 50 × 80 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 42 × 62" (3.5 × 5.2 feet or 1.05 × 1.6 meters).
Trick 24mm Manual Focus "Center Macro"
It can focus so close that you're only about an inch from the front of the lens, which means it's almost impossible to light your subject. You're closer, but because you're so wide you only get a little more magnification, but a lot of softness around most of the image other than the center. This is why Canon calls this a "Center Macro" mode; only the center is sharp.
I've had to tilt my watch to get light on it:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-manual-focus distance at 24mm wide-open at f/4, 29 June 2020. bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your phone, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 11 × 16" (0.9 × 1.3 feet or 25 × 40 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 21 × 31" (1.7 × 2.6 feet or 50 × 80 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 42 × 62" (3.5 × 5.2 feet or 1.05 × 1.6 meters).
Here's something flat and self-illuminating: my Apple Watch Series 5:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-manual-focus distance at 24mm wide-open at f/4, 29 June 2020. bigger or camera-original © file.
As you can see in this trick mode, it's sharp enough in the center, and gets soft at the sides.
This trick mode may be fun, but if you use it you have to remember to reset the manual-focus distance back to normal before the camera allows you to switch back to autofocus! Worse, at least as of firmware 1.4.0 in my EOS RP it hides the MENU > CAMERA page 7 > Focus Mode option entirely until you do!!!
For normal macro, stick to 105mm. This crazy manual-focus trick is just for special effects.
Minimum & Maximum Apertures performance top
Maximum Aperture |
Minimum Aperture |
|
| 24mm | f/4 |
f/22 |
| 35mm | f/4.5 |
f/22 |
| 50mm | f/5 |
f/22 |
| 70mm | f/6.3 |
f/32 |
| 85mm | f/7.1 |
f/36 |
| 105mm | f/7.1 |
f/40 |
Mechanical Quality performance top
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM. bigger.
This is a very well made lens, mostly of good plastic, with glass glass and a metal mount:
Finish
Black plastic.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Front Barrel
Plastic.
Front Diamond-Knurled Control Ring
Molded plastic.
Zoom Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Slide Switches
Plastic.
Identity
Printed around front of lens, also printed on top of barrel.
Internals
Seems like all plastic.
Dust Gasket at Mount
No.
Mount
Chromed metal.
Markings
Paint.
Serial Number
Laser engraved in black-on-black on bottom of barrel.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Mild clattering.
Made in
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM. bigger.
Made in Taiwan.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 at ISO 1,600 at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
This caution aside, this is a super-sharp lens at every setting. Here's a shot at its weakest: wide-open at 24mm, at which setting it's just a hair softer in the corners, which cleans right up stopped down. Even wide-open it's still super sharp out to the corners as you can see in these next two shots:
Seven Palms Oasis at Last Light after Clearing Storm, 7:27 PM, 25 June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 24mm wide-open at f/4 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, -⅔ stop exposure compensation (LV 12.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Cloud, Mountain and Golf Course, 8:15 AM, 25 June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 24mm wide-open at f/4 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.0), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
The two shots above are shot wide-open at 24mm, where this lens is softest - and it still looks great! This is an ultra sharp lens, no problems here.
At 105mm it's super sharp even wide-open out to the corners:
Palms and Mountains, 8:19 AM, 25 June 2020. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM at 105mm wide-open at f/7.1 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14¼), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Canon RF 24-105mm STM MTF wide-open at 10 cyc/mm (black) and 30 cyc/mm (blue). Sagittal (solid) and meridional (dashed).
Guess what? As I said at the introduction, it's just as sharp as the RF 24-105mm f/4L; compare the MTF curves which are quite similar.
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration. It happens in fast lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has relatively little spherochromatism, which makes sense as it's very slow, but is still has some, with blue fringes on background out-of-focus highlights and warm fringes on foreground out-of-focus highlights:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance wide-open at f/7.1 at 105mm, 29 June 2020. bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your phone, then the complete image printed at this same high magnification would be about 11 × 16" (0.9 × 1.3 feet or 25 × 40 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same very high magnification would be about 21 × 31" (1.7 × 2.6 feet or 50 × 80 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 42 × 62" (3.5 × 5.2 feet or 1.05 × 1.6 meters).
Image Stabilization performance top
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) is astonishing! I can hand-hold and get perfect sharpness about half the time at even 2 seconds at 24mm, a half second at 50mm and an eighth of a second at 105mm. I get perfectly-sharp shots almost all the time at 1/4 at 24mm, 1/8 at 50mm and 1/15 at 105mm. BRAVO!
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while standing with no support. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp all the frames are:
At 24mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
| Stabilization ON | 50 |
50 |
67 |
83 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
17 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
This is nuts! Even at two full seconds half my shots are still perfectly sharp! It's hard to say, but I see about a 5-stop real-world improvement here. Bravo!
At 50mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
| Stabilization ON | 17 |
30 |
75 |
86 |
86 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
33 |
17 |
100 |
100 |
Again, about a five-stop real-world improvement. I can get perfectly sharp shots often at 1 full second, and almost every shot at 1/4. Bravo!
At 105mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1 |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 17 |
17 |
25 |
40 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
43 |
43 |
82 |
100 |
100 |
At 105mm I see "only" about two real-world stops improvement, but so what: I'm still getting some perfectly sharp shots hand-held at a full second, and everything I shoot is perfectly sharp hand-held at 1/15 at 105mm. Bravo!
Sunstars performance top
Even with a 7-bladed rounded diaphragm I get pretty good 14-pointed sunstars on brilliant points of light mostly at most apertures.
Ignore the vertical smear at f/4; that's a sensor artifact called interline transfer smear; it's not a lens defect.
Here is it at 24mm. It's about the same at 50mm. At 105mm it's somewhat similar, but at smaller apertures because it goes from f/7.1 to f/40 at 105mm. Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Compared top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
I got my RF 24-105mm STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Versus the RF 24~105mm f/4L IS USM
Canon RF 24~105mm f/4L IS USM.
The RF 24-105mm f/4L isn't any sharper than this inexpensive STM lens; compare the MTF curves.
While the RF 24~105mm f/4L is built tougher and stays at f/4 all the way to 105mm, this STM f/4-7.1 lens is much lighter, has closer macro focussing and is less than half the price.
The RF 24-105mm f/4L is a little sharper in the corners wide-open at 24mm, but not enough to notice. Both lenses are super sharp all over at all settings — and this inexpensive STM lens gets much closer in macro.
Versus the EF 24~105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF 24~105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.
Forget the EF 24~105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM: it's a DSLR lens and needs an adapter to work on the mirrorless cameras.
This EF DSLR lens is 50% more expensive, 35% heavier, and bigger and longer — and this is all before you add the required adapter to let it work on mirrorless cameras.
Once you add the adapter it performs well, but still not as sharp as the basic RF 24-105 STM I'm reviewing here.
Forget this EF lens on mirrorless now that have the new lightweight champion I'm reviewing here.
Versus the EF 24~105mm f/4L IS II
Canon EF 24~105mm f/4L IS II.
The EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS II a DSLR lens and needs an adapter to work on the mirrorless cameras.
This EF DSLR lens is almost three times the price, twice as heavy and bigger and longer — and this is all before you add the required adapter to work on mirrorless cameras.
Once you add the adapter it's only about as sharp as the basic RF 24-105 STM I'm reviewing here.
Forget this EF lens on mirrorless now that have the new lightweight champion I'm reviewing here; if you want faster or tougher don't use this EF lens on mirrorless; use the RF 24-105mm f/4L which is native to the full-frame Canon mirrorless system.
User's Guide top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
I got my RF 24-105mm STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
AF - MF Switch user's guide top
There's no AF/MF switch; you have to select this at MENU > CAMERA page 7 > Focus Mode, at least in the EOS RP.
I set this menu option to my My Menu so I can get to it easily.
Manual-Focus Override
By default, there is no always-responsive instant manual-focus override as we take for granted in our DSLRs.
EOS R cameras need a menu setting changed for manual-focus override, otherwise the focus ring is always ignored in AF.
Find the "Lens electronic AF" option in your AF menu (AF 4 in EOS R5 or CAMERA 8 in EOS RP), and set it to either "One‑Shot‑>enabled" or "One‑Shot‑>enabled (magnify)."
Now manual focus override works if you turn the ring while continuing to hold the shutter halfway, but only after focus locks in ONE SHOT.
Macro Modes user's guide top
There is no marked "macro" mode.
You can focus more closely at the wide end compared to the long end, but you get the best macro results (and better magnification) at 105mm.
A trick "Center Macro" focus mode is that you can focus even more closely if you switch to manual focus and zoom wider than 105mm. This is a trick mode; it's not very sharp anywhere but the center and ultimately doesn't get much more magnification than in the regular modes at 105mm.
This trick mode may be fun, but if you use it you have to remember to reset the manual-focus distance back to normal before the camera allows you to switch back to autofocus! Worse, at least as of firmware 1.4.0 in my EOS RP it hides the MENU > CAMERA page 7 > Focus Mode option entirely until you do!!!
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Accessories Performance Compared
I got my RF 24-105mm STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This little lens is just as sharp as the big L models, focuses closer and sells for a lot less.
This RF 24-105 STM is the perfect full-frame lens for anything, and especially if size and weight matter. Most people will never miss having f/4 at the telephoto end as the L models do. It's not 1978 anymore; this inexpensive lens takes exactly the same pictures as the more expensive lenses.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the Hoya multicoated HD3 67mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, the B+W 67mm 010 is an excellent filter, as are the multicoated version and the basic multicoated Hoya filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece.
I got my RF 24-105mm STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used lens. I use the stores I do because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new camera before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
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Ken Rockwell
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