Canon has announced four new lenses for its mirrorless cameras, three of which are called ‘hybrid’, meaning they’re designed for video and photo makers. They are the RF 24mm F1.4L VCM, RF 50mm F1.4L VCM and the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM Z.
The two professional primes and zooms are made for Canon’s full-frame cameras and join two recently announced lenses of the same ilk, the RF 35mm F1.4L VCM and RF 24-105mm F2.8L USM Z – the latter being quietly launched alongside the RF 200-800mm monstrous wildlife lens, bringing Canon’s range of hybrid lenses to five in total.
In addition to the hybrid lenses, two of which are the long-awaited 24mm and 50mm F1.4 primes that are finally getting the mirrorless treatment, Canon also unveiled a new stereoscopic lens for spatial video: the RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM DUAL for APS-C – which is currently only compatible with the EOS R7. These four new lenses increase the number of lenses in Canon’s RF system to 52 in total – that’s a super impressive achievement in six short years of the RF mount.
The RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM Z lens costs £3,449.99 (we’ll update this article with US and Australian pricing soon) and will be available from November 14 in white or black. Meanwhile, the sales start date for the RF 24mm F1.4L VCM and RF 50mm F1.4L VCM lenses is December with a specific date (subject to change) – they will cost £1,679.99 and £1,539.99 respectively. The RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM DUAL costs £519.99 and will go on sale sometime in November.
A new dawn for Canon’s professional lenses?
Canon seems to be focusing on video and is still busy making the latest lenses. It says the RF mount “reflects the changing needs of the professional, as demand for a lens without compromise pushes them to enter both worlds”, although we don’t know if this is the type of lens design we can expect in the future . are professional mirrorless cameras.
The RF 70-200mm F2.8 IS USM Z will sit alongside the existing RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM as a more expensive alternative for hybrid users, adding a smooth aperture ring, 11-blade aperture, internal zoom and minimal focus breathing. It’s compatible with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters and comes in white (with thermal barrier) or black – the latter could be popular with filmmakers who need to be discreet on set.
And like the RF 24-105mm F2.8L USM Z, which is virtually the same size and weight, weighing just over 1kg, it’s compatible with the same Power Zoom adapter for smooth, precise video zooming. Together, the two lenses cover focal lengths from 24mm to 200mm.
Like the new 70-200mm, the new RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM and RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM lenses are virtually the same size and weight, forming a trio with the existing RF 35mm F1 .4L VCM. They also offer a video-friendly design with aperture ring and minimal focus breathing. However, these are entirely new to the RF mount, finally bringing the extremely popular 24mm and 50mm F1.4 prime lenses for Canon’s DSLRs to Canon’s RF mount for mirrorless cameras.
Given Canon’s research showing that 65% of professional photographers now include video as part of their work, and the changing needs of professional photographers, hybrid seems a good choice for the future. This trio of lenses could represent a new dawn for Canon’s lens design, and we’re all for that, even if the price of these lenses is expensive even by Canon standards.