Canon announces new IS-equipped L lenses for EOS R system, the RF 15-35mm f/2.8 & RF 24-70mm f/2.8
posted Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 12:00 AM EDT
Canon has announced a pair of new RF mount zoom lenses to further expand their native lens offerings for the EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera system, the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM and RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM. As you can see, both lenses feature constant f/2.8 apertures, image stabilization (IS) and Nano USM.
The RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM is Canon's first f/2.8 full-frame wide zoom lens to feature IS technology, which is rated for up to five stops of image stabilization. Taking advantage of the large diameter mount and shorter back focus of the EOS R system, Canon promises that the RF 15-35mm will deliver edge-to-edge sharpness throughout the zoom range. It will be particularly interesting to see how it compares to Canon's 17-35mm f/2.8 DSLR lens, as the new RF version does offer a wider maximum field of view. Speaking of EF lenses, Canon states that the new RF 15-35mm f/2.8 will be about the same size as the EF 17-35mm despite offering a wider field of view, image stabilization and the RF system's new control ring. The lens will also offer drip and dust resistance. The Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens is expected to arrive in stores this September with a suggested retail price of $2,299 USD.
The second f/2.8 zoom, the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM, is designed for pro-level performance and portability. It is nearly the same size as the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 lens but is equipped with image stabilization. Further, it incorporates a high speed Nano USM motor for accurate and quiet autofocus for capturing both stills and video. For recording video in particular, Canon has designed the lens to suppress focus breathing and will allow users to adjust the focus ring sensitivity when manually focusing the lens. This lens will also be available in September for $2,299 USD.
Canon has also announced that the RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens will be arriving in the second half of 2019, completing a trio of fast constant f/2.8 aperture zoom lenses. Further, Canon has announced that a new free firmware update is arriving this September for EOS R and EOS RP cameras, which will improve eye detection autofocus, AF frame display delay and subject identification performance.