The best Canon RF lenses in 2024: top lenses for the EOS R system

A Canon EOS R system camera body, sitting on a wooden outdoor surface, with a selection of Canon, Sigma, Laowa, Lensbaby, AstrHori and Zhongyi RF lenses
(Image credit: James Artaius)

When I first put together a list of the best Canon RF lenses back in 2018, when the EOS R system launched, things looked very different!   

It used to be a range with lots of missing lenses, dominated by bulky and pricey L-series glass, designed solely for full-frame camera bodies. Today, the best RF lenses span everything from pricey performance optics to cheap Chinese glass, and now includes a slew of dedicated RF-S lenses for APS-C cameras like the Canon EOS R50 and R7 – with third parties such as Sigma and Tamron now making lenses.

An RF owner and expert since 2018
Canon EOS R6 Mark II
An RF owner and expert since 2018
James Artaius

I was a day one adopter of the EOS R system, and I've used every RF lens that Canon has launched since then – as well as exotic and unusual optics from third-party brands. I've bought, sold and shot with the best Canon RF lenses for the past six years, so I can give you honest, first-hand experience of what's worth getting.

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Lensbaby Spark 2.0 (APS-C 80mm)

Lensbaby Spark 2.0 (APS-C 80mm)
Lensbaby lenses are love or hate, but this is one of my favorite creative tools. A manual tilt-shift lens, it comes standalone or with the Sweet 50 Optic – which creates areas of subtle or striking defocus with a "sweet spot" in focus. It's also an incredibly fun lens to use – the bellows system is even more satisfying to use than a manual lens! 

Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z (APS-C 38-168mm)

Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z (APS-C 38-168mm)
It's way more expensive, but Canon literally designed this to be the best RF lens for video. A previously impossible lens, it's a true dream with a constant f/2.8 aperture across the entire range, superb sharpness, 5.5 stops of compensation (up to 8 with IBIS bodies), along with power zoom functionality and incredibly well-controlled focus breathing. 

Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM (APS-C 45-112mm)

Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM (APS-C 45-112mm)
My first thought for an alternative was the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L, but since 15mm is covered by the Laowa I would point to the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L. It's a big, heavy, expensive lens, but the focal length is very versatile and the constant f/2 aperture exceeds even the 24-70mm trinity lens – this is one of the showcase optics for the RF mount. 

Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO (APS-C 144mm)

Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO (APS-C 144mm)
While almost the same focal length, Laowa's lens offers 2x magnification to double the size of your subjects! As a much cheaper option, it lacks the autofocus, electronic aperture control and EXIF data offered by Canon, but it's supremely sharp across the entire frame even at small apertures – with pleasing background blur, as an added bonus.

Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM (APS-C 38-80mm)

Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM (APS-C 38-80mm)
Want a smaller lens? Personally I'd go with a prime (the RF 35mm or RF 28mm) but if you want to keep the versatility of a zoom and you don't need crazy range, this 24-50mm lens is a good compromise. You won't be able to shoot subjects far away, but for landscapes and scenery and group shots it's absolutely perfect – and much cheaper.

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM (APS-C 136mm)

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM (APS-C 136mm)
If you've got the standard zoom covered, I'd recommend a good portrait lens – and they don't get better than this. It's razor-sharp, renders gorgeous background blur and can be used in minimal light. An alternative is the RF 85mm f/2 Macro, which is smaller, cheaper and also offers light macro capability – great for close-ups of rings and place settings.

Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 (APS-C 80mm)

Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 (APS-C 80mm)
The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L is stunning, but it's way too expensive for most people. I'm a huge fan of this Zhongyi Optics lens that's even faster, at f/0.95 – and is thousands of dollars cheaper! You sacrifice sharpness to get that speed, but it's beautiful for portraiture – and it renders bokehlicious blur that looks like it was shot on a medium format lens. 

Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM (APS-C 45mm)

Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM (APS-C 45mm)
Do you want the teeniest, tiniest lens possible to keep your street setup as stealthy as possible? The RF 28mm is a pancake lens, and a perfect dance partner for similarly svelte cameras like the R50 and R100 – but is equally at home on bigger bodies as well. This is one of my absolute favorite lenses on the system, and one of the cheapest from Canon.

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM (APS-C 24-56mm)

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM (APS-C 24-56mm)
For the ultimate in ultra-wide performance and versatility, you can't beat Canon's 15-35mm trinity lens. It's weather-sealed for all-purpose shooting, is virtually distortion-free despite the viewing angle, boasts 5 stops of image stabilization to keep shots steady… it's a powerful professional tool, through and through. 

James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.

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