Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Full Frame RF Mirrorless

Sample Images   Intro   Compatibility

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Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (77mm filters, 24.5 oz./695g, 1.5'/0.45m close focus, $1,299). bigger. I'd get mine at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This 100% content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally-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. Get yours only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.

 

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Sample Images

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These are all shot hand-held as NORMAL JPGs; no RAW CR3 files or FINE JPGs or tripods were used or needed.

Canon EOS-R Sample Image

Sophia, Maui. Canon EOS-R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 105mm, 1/160 at f/5 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation, auto WB, Standard Picture Style at +2 saturation. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS-R Sample Image

Girl on Rock at Beach, Kapalua, Maui. Canon EOS-R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 105mm, 1/640 at f/5.6 at Auto ISO 100, auto WB, Standard Picture Style, -4 contrast, exactly as shot as NORMAL JPG. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS-R Sample Image

Girl in Waves at Sunset, Lahaina, Maui. Canon EOS-R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 91mm, 1/500 at f/10 at Auto ISO 100, SHADE WB, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, exactly as shot as NORMAL JPG. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS R Sample Image

Hawaiian Tiki Torch at Sunset, Lahaina, Maui. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 77mm, f/8 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100, SHADE WB, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, exactly as shot as NORMAL JPG. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS R Sample Image

Fruit, Kapalua, Maui, 05 September 2018. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 67mm, f/7.1 at 1/30 at Auto ISO 250, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS R Sample Image

Girl in Flowing White Dress, Kapalua, Maui, 05 September 2018. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 53mm, f/10 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Rainbow over Lahaina

Rainbow over Lahaina, Maui. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 105mm, f/7.1 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Red Life Preserver

Red Life Preserver, Lahaina, Maui. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 63mm, f/6.3 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Red Life Preserver

Sunset, Lahaina, Maui. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 63mm, f/6.3 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Hawaiian Fire Dancer

Hawaiian Fire Dancer, Kapalua, Maui. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 80mm, f/4.5 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 10,000, 2,500K white balanced, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS-R Sample Image of Torrey Pine Tree

Torrey Pine Tree, 13 September 2018. Canon EOS-R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 42mm, 1/100 at f/5 at Auto ISO 100, Standard Picture Style, +4 saturation, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution.

 

Tree With Arm, Eastern Sierra

Tree with Arm, October 2018, 12:07 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 56mm, f/8 hand-held at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

 

Yellow Aspen Against Deep Blue Sky, Eastern Sierra

Yellow Aspen Against Deep Blue Sky, October 2018, 1:26 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 39mm, f/10 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger or full-resolution.

 

The Moon as Seen from the Surface of Mars

The Moon as Seen from the Surface of Mars, October 2018, 5:51 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 56mm, f/9 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger or full-resolution.

 

Virginia Creek Settlement at Dusk

Virginia Creek Settlement at Dusk, October 2018, 6:35 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 24mm, f/4 hand-held at 1/60 at Auto ISO 2,000, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger.

 

Vampire's Lair, Bridgeport, California

Vampire's Lair, Bridgeport, October 2018, 9:01 A.M. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 50mm, f/4.5 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 640, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

 

American Flag in Wood and Light

American Flag in Wood and Light, October 2018, 4:09 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 24mm, f/6.3 on a tripod for 30 seconds at ISO 50, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger or full-resolution.

 

Granite, Green and Yellow, Yosemite Valley

Granite, Green and Yellow, Yosemite Valley, October 2018, 5:10 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 65mm, f/4 hand-held at 1/80 at Auto ISO 320, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger or full-resolution.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Final Resting Place of Louis Hymel, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 24mm, 1/400 at f/10 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Cross and Clouds, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 39mm, 1/400 at f/10 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Cross and the Sky, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 105mm, 1/640 at f/9 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Perforated Metal Bench, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 58mm, 1/25 hand-held at f/10 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Crazy Craw, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 77mm, 1/100 at f/4.5 at Auto ISO 1,600, Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Satan, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 56mm, 1/60 at f/4.5 at Auto ISO 800, Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Crazy Monkey, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 33mm, hand-held at 1/8 at f/11 at Auto ISO 1,600, Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Crazy Chandeliers, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 24mm, hand-held at 1/8 at f/4.5 at Auto ISO 800, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Ocre Walls, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 24mm, hand-held at 1/8 at f/4.5 at Auto ISO 1,250, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution.

 

Canon EOS RP Sample Image

Le Pavillion Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 24mm, hand-held at 1/8 at f/4.5 at Auto ISO 250, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution

 

Introduction

Top   Sample Images   Intro   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

New   Good   Bad   Missing

Adorama Pays Top Dollar for Used Gear

Amazon

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Crutchfield

I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below.

This is Canon's first general-purpose zoom for its mirrorless system.

It offers stellar image quality at every setting, along with fast, close focus and image stabilization.

The Sample Images should say it all; I shot these myself.

It's the best general-purpose do-everything lens you can get for the Canon EOS-R system.

I'd get my RF 24-105L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

New

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com All new lens mount.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com THREE control rings: zoom, focus and a third programmable ring.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Manual focus is by wire and works great.

 

Good

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Superb optics.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Optical Image Stabilization (IS).

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Reasonable price.

 

Bad

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Nothing, except for size, weight and price.

 

Missing

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No scales other than the zoom ring; everything is read-out, including distance and depth-of-field, in the camera.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS. bigger.

 

Compatibility

Top   Sample Images   Intro   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

I'd get my RF 24-105L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

This lens only works on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.

It won't fit on any DSLR.

 

Specifications

Top   Sample Images   Intro   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

 

I'd get my RF 24-105L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Name

Canon calls this the Canon Lens RF24-105mm f/4 L IS USM.

    RF: Works only on Canon's EOS-R full-frame mirrorless cameras.

    L: Expensive as L.

    IS: Image Stabilization.

    USM: Ultrasonic Autofocus Motor.

 

Optics

Canon RF 24-105mm MTF

Canon RF 24~105mm f/4L IS USM internal optical construction. Aspherical and UD elements. Air-Sphere Coating and IS section.

18 elements in 14 groups.

Three Aspherical elements.

One UD element.

Air-Sphere Coating on one surface.

 

Coverage

Full Frame.

 

Diaphragm

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS. bigger.

9 rounded blades.

Electronically actuated.

Stops down to f/22.

 

Focal Length

24~105mm.

When used with an APS-C crop, it sees the same angle of view as a 39~170 mm lens sees when used on a full-frame or 35mm camera.

See also Crop Factor.

 

Angles of View on Full Frame

84º ~ 23.3º diagonal.

74º ~ 19.3º horizontal.

53º ~ 13º vertical.

 

Autofocus

Nano USM.

Internal focus; no external movement as focused, so no air or dust is sucked in.

 

Focus Scale

No, but Canon EOS-R cameras can display this in the finder.

 

Infinity Focus Stop

No.

 

Depth of Field Scale

No, but Canon EOS-R cameras can display this in the finder.

 

Reproduction Ratio Scale

No.

 

Infrared Focus Index

No.

 

Close Focus

1.5 feet (0.45 meters).

 

Maximum Reproduction Ratio

1:4.2 (0.24 ×).

 

Optical Image Stabilizer

Rated 5 stops improvement.

 

Caps

Canon E-77II front cap, included.

Canon Lens Dust Cap RF rear cap, included.

 

Filters

Plastic 77mm filter thread.

 

Hood

Canon EW-83N Hood

Canon EW-83N Hood. bigger.

EW-83N plastic bayonet hood included.

Made in Japan.

Spring-loaded latch on left.

 

Case

LP1319 drawstring soft pouch included.

 

Size

3.29" maximum diameter × 4.22" extension from flange.

83.5 mm maximum diameter × 107.3 mm extension from flange.

 

Weight

24.500 oz. (694.6 g) actual measured weight.

Canon specifies 24.7 oz. (700 g).

 

Quality

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS. bigger.

Made in Japan.

 

Announced

3 AM Wednesday, 05 September 2018, NYC time.

 

Promised for

10 December 2018.

 

Included

RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.

E-77II front cap.

Rear Lens Dust Cap RF.

EW-83N bayonet hood.

LP1319 drawstring soft pouch.

 

Canon's Model Numbers

RF 24 - 10540 LIS.

Product code 2963 C001 AA in Japan, 2963 C002 AA in USA.

JAN 4549292-115611.

 

Price, USA

July 2022

$1,299 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.

About $1,000 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

February 2019

$899 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.

 

September 2018 ~ January 2019

$1,099 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.

(155,000 yen in Japan at introduction.)

 

Performance

Top   Sample Images   Intro   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

 

Overall   Autofocus   Manual Focus   Breathing

Bokeh   Coma   Distortion   Ergonomics   Falloff

Filters   Flare & Ghosts   Lateral Color Fringes

Macro   Mechanics   Noise & Vibration

Sharpness   Spherochromatism

Stabilization   Sunstars

 

I'd get my RF 24-105L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Overall

Performance          top

This is a 24-105 we can all love, and its optics are beyond any other 24-105mm.

 

Autofocus

Performance          top

Autofocus is fast and super accurate on my EOS-R.

 

Manual Focus

performance          top

Manual focus is by wire.

Just move the focus ring at any time that the AF system is active for instant manual-focus override, or move the switch to MF to have it respond to the ring all the time the camera is on.

 

Focus Breathing

Performance          top

Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers 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.

This lens seems to be immune to focus breathing, making it ideal for video where you have to focus back and forth between actors.

 

Bokeh

Performance          top

Bokeh, the feel or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is very good:

Canon RF 24-105mm Bokeh

Davis 6250 weather station, 10 September 2018. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm Bokeh

Davis 6250 weather station, 10 September 2018. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm Bokeh

Davis 6250 weather station, 10 September 2018. bigger or camera-original © file.

As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/4 at 1.5mm and get as close as you can.

 

Coma

Performance          top

Coma, or sagittal coma flare, is often seen with fast normal to wide lenses as weird batwing shapes on bright points of light in the corners at night.

I see nearly no coma in this lens, which is excellent.

 

At 24mm

Canon RF 24-105mm Coma performance

Nightfall, 27 February 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 24mm, 30 seconds at f/4 at ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm coma performance

1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

No coma here; what you're seeing are some mild sunstar effects from the diaphragm. The noise (grain) you're seeing is because I lightened this image and crop so you can see coma better. The stars in the sky are supposed to be blurred from the 30 second exposure.

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).

 

At 50mm

Canon RF 24-105mm Coma performance

Nightfall, 27 February 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 50mm, 30 seconds at f/4 at ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm coma performance

1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

The white outlines are because I have the Sharpening set way too high for a lens this sharp; it's not a lens artifact.

There might be just the slightest coma here, but its so mild as not to be worth worrying about. Lenses that have visible coma have far more than this! The noise (grain) you're seeing is because I lightened this image and crop so you can see coma better. The stars in the sky are supposed to be blurred from the 30 second exposure.

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).

 

At 105mm

Canon RF 24-105mm Coma performance

Nightfall, 27 February 2019. Canon EOS RP, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 105mm, 30 seconds at f/4 at ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm Bokeh

1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

I'm seeing more sunstar effects from the diaphragm than any coma. The noise (grain) you're seeing is because I lightened this image and crop so you can see coma better. The stars in the sky are supposed to be blurred from the 30 second exposure.

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).

 

 

Distortion

Performance          top

The EOS-R system corrects distortion by default. There is no visible distortion unless you go out of your way to turn this correction OFF in your camera.

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 10' (3m)

Correction factor with corrected images (default)

Correction factor with uncorrected images (if you turned off the correction)

24mm
±0.00 -2.90*
35mm
-0.40 -2.00
50mm
±0.00 -3.00
70mm
±0.00 -2.50
85mm
±0.00 -2.50
105mm
-0.50 -3.00

© 2018 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

* A little waviness remains after this correction, so use the camera's correction which is on by default unless you boneheadedly turn it off.

 

Ergonomics

Performance          top

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Canon 24-105mm at 24mm. bigger.
Canon 24-105mm at 105mm. bigger.

The biggest ergonomic gotcha is now learning to tell the three control rings apart by feel.

The front knurled ring is set in your camera to control ISO or exposure compensation or whatever you like. It has clicks.

The second flat rubberized ring is a manual focus encoder. It talks to the camera's computer for manual focus. It works great.

The zoom ring is a mechanical ring as usual. It takes two fingers to move. My zoom is stiff enough that I don't need the LOCK switch.

The AF/MF and STABILIZER switches lay right under my thumb where I want them.

 

Falloff

Performance          top

Falloff is corrected automatically in the camera. You'll never see any unless you go out of your way and turn it off (MENU > CAMERA > Lens aberration correction > Peripheral Illum corr > OFF).

I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background:

 

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS Falloff on Full Frame at infinity, default correction.

 
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
24mm Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff
50mm Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff
105mm Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff

© 2018 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

And here's how it looks if you turn off correction:

 

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS Falloff on Full Frame at infinity, no correction.

 
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
24mm Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff
50mm Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff
105mm Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff Canon RF 24-105mm falloff

© 2018 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Filters, use with

performance          top

There's no need for thin filters. I can stack at least two standard filters and not even come close to any vignetting on full frame at any setting.

Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.

 

Flare & Ghosts

Performance          top

It has very good resistance to flare and ghosts. See samples at sunstars.

 

Lateral Color Fringes

Performance          top

There are no color fringes; Canon cameras correct these by default.

 

Macro Performance

Performance          top

Macro is typical, it gets close and it's sharp. It gets sharper as stopped down a little since it's not at its optimum at the closest distances wide-open.

Compared to DSLR shooting, it's so much better to have in-finder magnification to see what I'm doing when focusing. This alone may help people get much sharper macro shots. I know it helps me; now I can make one shot and I've got it, while with DSLR viewfinder shooting I'd have to make a focus-bracketed series and select one to get the results I need at large apertures.

Csnon RF 24-105mm macro performance

Kienzle Flieger Automat 800/2843, 10 September 2018. Canon EOS-R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 105mm at f/4 at close-focus distance. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Csnon RF 24-105mm macro performance

1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above 30MP image. bigger or camera-original © file.

If this crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 22 × 34" (57 × 85cm).

If this crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 45 × 67" (1.15 × 1.7 meters).

 

It's even sharper stopped down a bit:

Csnon RF 24-105mm macro performance

Kienzle Flieger Automat 800/2843, 10 September 2018. Canon EOS-R, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at 105mm at f/9 at close-focus distance. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Csnon RF 24-105mm macro performance

1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above 30MP image. bigger or camera-original © file.

If this crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 22 × 34" (57 × 85cm).

If this crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 45 × 67" (1.15 × 1.7 meters).

 

Mechanical Quality

Performance          top

 

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS. bigger.

Hood

Plastic bayonet.

 

Front Bumper

None.

 

Filter Threads

Plastic.

 

Hood Bayonet Mount

Plastic.

 

Front Barrel Extension

Plastic.

 

Front Barrel

Plastic.

 

Front Control Ring

Plastic.

 

Focus Ring

Rubber-covered plastic.

 

Zoom Ring

Rubber-covered metal.

 

Rear Barrel Exterior

Plastic.

 

Identity

Printed around front of lens, also printed on top of barrel.

 

Internals

About 60/40 plastic and metal.

 

Dust Gasket at Mount

Yes.

 

Mount

Dull chromed metal.

 

Markings

All paint, except for engraved and filled "24-105" on top of lens.

 

Serial Number

Laser engraved in black-on-black on bottom of barrel.

 

Date Code

None found.

 

Noises When Shaken

Mild to moderate clunking.

 

Made in

Japan.

 

Noise and Vibration

Performance          top

It's nearly silent; you have to get your ear to within about an inch to hear anything even if you're in a very quiet place.

 

Sharpness

Performance          top

The only limitation to picture sharpness will be your skill as a photographer. This lens is completely sharp from full-frame corner-to-corner at every setting.

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 because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land like this 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 through heat shimmer of rapidly moving subjects at differing distances in the same image.

Here are boring photos shot wide-open that you may explore at 100% to your heart's content. This lens is super-sharp corner-to-corner, even on this hot and hazy day, and it only gets sharper as stopped down:

Canon RF 24-105mm Sharpness

Bigger, full-resolution or camera-original ©  file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm Sharpness

Bigger, full-resolution or camera-original ©  file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm Sharpness

Bigger, full-resolution or camera-original ©  file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm MTF

Canon RF 24-105mm MTF wide-open at 10 cyc/mm (black) and 30 cyc/mm (blue). Sagittal (solid) and meridional (dashed).

 

Spherochromatism

Performance          top

Spherochromatism, also called "color bokeh" by laymen, can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds with fast, long lenses shot wide open.

It is an advanced form of chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral color. Spherochromatism is most commonly seen in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.

Oddly there is reasonably strong spherochromatism on this lens at 105mm and f/4; we usually don't see it at apertures this slow. It's blue in the background and red in the foreground:

Canon RF 24-105mm Spherochromatism

Kienzle Flieger Automat 800/2843, 11 September 2018. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm Spherochromatism

1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

If this crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 22 × 34" (57 × 85cm).

If this crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 45 × 67" (1.15 × 1.7 meters).

 

Image Stabilization

Performance          top

Optical Image Stabilization (IS) works great. I get about three real stops of improvement compared to switching it off, or about five stops over 1/focal length as advertised:

 

Image Stabilization (IS) ON

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
24mm
0
30
100
100
100
100
100
100
50mm
20
40
40
100
100
100
100
100
105mm
40
40
40
75
80
100
100
100

 

Image Stabilization (IS) OFF

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
24mm
0
0
5
20
50
100
100
100
50mm
0
0
0
0
7
60
100
100
105mm
0
0
0
0
15
20
70
100

 

Sunstars

Performance          top

With a rounded diaphragm at large apertures that becomes nonagonal at the smallest apertures, I get 18-pointed sunstars on brilliant points of light at moderate to small apertures.

Ignore the weird flare around the disc of the sun. This extreme case is my fault for pointing the camera directly at the sun and then exposing for underneath the tree.

You'll probably never see any ghosts in actual use.

Click any to enlarge:

Csnon RF 24-105mm flare, ghosts and sunstars

Csnon RF 24-105mm flare, ghosts and sunstars

Csnon RF 24-105mm flare, ghosts and sunstars

Csnon RF 24-105mm flare, ghosts and sunstars

Csnon RF 24-105mm flare, ghosts and sunstars

Csnon RF 24-105mm flare, ghosts and sunstars

 

Compared

Top   Sample Images   Intro   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

 

I'd get my RF 24-105L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Versus Canon

It's smaller and lighter than the EF 24-105 L II, but heavier than the original EF 24-105L or EF 24-105 STM.

It's certainly lighter than any of them when you realize that you'd have to add an adapter along with any of the EF lenses.

Otherwise any other comparisons are academic; this is the only practical native RF zoom. The RF 28-70mm f/2 L is more of a conversation piece with a more limited and less useful zoom range - but if you need f/2 and don't mind losing stabilization, by all means get the huge RF 28-70mm f/2 L.

Check back in 10 years when Canon has fielded a lot more RF lenses.

 

Versus Sony

The Sony 24-105 is also optically great. No differences here, both autofocus about as fast and are about the same size and weight. The Sony focuses a little closer.

The Sony is made mostly of metal, with a metal filter thread, but offshored to China for the cheapest labor.

This Canon has less metal on the outside, but feels more precisely made overall, and is made domestically in Japan to ensure the highest quality.

The Canon has an extra programmable control ring on the front, the Sony does not.

 

Versus Nikon

This is certainly a far more useful lens than Nikon's lame 24-70mm f/4; 105mm is 50% longer than 70mm and the difference between the great shots I got at the top (all shot between 91 and 105mm) and dullsville.

The Canon has an extra programmable control ring on the front, the Nikon does not.

 

User's Guide

Top   Sample Images   Intro   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

 

I'd get my RF 24-105L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS. bigger.

AF - MF

AF: Auto Focus. You have instant manual focus override by turning the focus ring at any time the AF system is active.

MF: Manual Focus only. The focus ring works any time the camera is on.

 

STABILIZER

Leave it ON unless you're on a very sturdy tripod, or if you're making exposures longer than a second on any kind of tripod.

 

Recommendations

Top   Sample Images   Intro   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

I'd get my RF 24-105L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This is easy: this is by far the most useful native RF lens available for Canon's EOS-R cameras.

I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap. I only use a cap when I throw this in my bag, otherwise I leave a clear protective filter on my lens at all times so I'm ready to shoot instantly.

The best protective filter is the 77mm Hoya multicoated HD3 UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.

For less money, the B+W 77mm 010 is an excellent filter, as is the multicoated version and the basic multicoated Hoya filters or the 77mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV), 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, and will outlast this lens.

I'd get my RF 24-105L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This all-content and 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. 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.

Thanks for helping me help you!

Ken Rockwell

 

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25 July 2022, Feb 2019, 03 October 2018, 10-11 September 2018