Digital Photographer - UK (2020-05)

This lens is what you’ll get if you buy

the EOS R or RP in kit form, but this

is no ordinary bundled kit lens. For a

start it has the legendary L-series moniker and

retails at over £1,000.

Although announced alongside the

enormous RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM, it’s a

much smaller and lighter offering and is

more in keeping with the camera’s compact

dimensions. It’s also very nicely made, with

a mainly polycarbonate outer shell and

satisfyingly smooth zoom action.

Focusing is also very smooth, courtesy of

a newly designed Nano USM, and is very fast,

near-silent and precise, even in low light. The

stabilisation is another highlight.

Like all RF lenses to date, it also has a

customisable ring for assignment of exposure

controls, placed in front of the MF ring. While

that can’t be de-clicked by the user, it is a

thoroughly useful option. But that’s all relative

• how well does it perform optically?
  In many respects it’s similar to the EF
  version in terms of sharpness, with slightly
  better, more consistent performance across
  the frame overall. Distortion is lower too,
  particularly at the shorter focal lengths,
  though it has quite high levels of vignetting.
  It’s also not immune to fringing, which can be
  quite noticeable in the corners at 24mm.
  Like other bundled zooms it’s also more
  expensive when bought separately, but as part
  of kit there’s no denying how attractive it is.

PRICE:£1

Kevin Carter puts this full-frame standard kit lens forEOSR andRPtothetest

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM

It’sa consistentperformerthroughoutthe

zoomrange,andwhileit’snotthemost

glamorousoflenses,it isa highlypractical

optionforeverydayuse.

Overall

Left

Fringing

Opticalqualityis veryconsistent,butthere’s

occasionalfringingwide-openattheshorter

focallengthsin stronglybacklitscenes

Leftbelow

Distortion

Barreldistortionis improvedoverearlier

versions(forDSLRs)andis almostnon-

existentafterprofilecorrection

Technicalspecs

Manufacturer^ Canon

Model^ RF 24-105mm f/4 L USM

Web^ canon.co.uk

Elements/construction^ 18/14

Angle of view^ 84-23.2 degrees (diagonal)

Max aperture^ f/4

Min aperture^ f/22

Min focus distance^ 0.45m

Mount^ RF

Filter size^ 77mm

Length^ 107.3mm

Diameter^ 83.5mm

Weight^ 700g

, 119 /$ 1 , 099

LENSES