Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 Assessment

The Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM got here out concurrently the Canon EOS R8, designed as a super-compact package lens for that digital camera but in addition offered individually. It’s labeled by Canon as a ‘newbie’ lens, so it is also a great match for the Canon EOS RP. At $299 / £359, it’s the most affordable zoom within the RF line-up.

Canon RF 24-50mm f4.5-6.3 at a look:

$299 / £359
2x 24-50mm zoom vary
f/4.5-6.3 most aperture
Retracting mechanism for compactness
4.5-stop IS
Solely 58mm lengthy and 210g
Canon.com

This prime view exhibits how quick the RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS is when retracted, however what it doesn’t present is simply how mild it’s too. © Rod Lawton

Nonetheless, it’s not the one reasonably priced package lens possibility for full-frame Canon mirrorless cameras. There’s additionally the very competent Canon RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM lens, which is an enthusiast-orientated lens that’s each cheaper and rather a lot lighter than Canon’s L-series RF 24-105mm f/4.

The Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM is especially attention-grabbing, although, for its ultra-compact dimension and light-weight, particularly at a time when full-frame mirrorless lenses appear to be getting greater and heavier. It follows the identical thought because the Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 and Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 lenses, which sacrifice zoom vary and most aperture for a compactness not usually present in full-frame digital camera package lenses.

Options of the Canon RF 24-50mm f4.5-6.3 lens

We’re used to plain zooms or ‘package’ lenses having a zoom vary of no less than 3x and sometimes longer. The Canon RF F24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM goes in the wrong way, shrinking the zoom vary to little greater than 2x. Nonetheless, with a focal size of 24mm on the wide-angle finish of the vary and 50mm on the different, it’s nonetheless a reasonably versatile optic.

One very clear signal of value saving is the plastic rear lens plate. It does make this lens really feel cheaper, however its optical efficiency is definitely fairly good. © Rod Lawton

The opposite compromise wanted to make a lens this small is the most aperture, which is f/4.5 at 24mm and f/6.3 at 50mm. That’s fairly limiting, and implies that you’ll in all probability find yourself utilizing slower shutter speeds or larger ISO settings in low mild. It additionally reduces the usefulness of the lens aperture for publicity or depth-of-field management.

Low mild capturing needs to be aided, nevertheless, by this lens’s 4.5-stop IS system, which will increase to a most of seven stops of mixed IS with a stabilised digital camera physique. That’s the official score, although as our personal checks present, you won’t at all times obtain that.

It’s straightforward to put in writing off the RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS as being too restricted, however whenever you truly use it you begin to see its benefits and its attraction. © Rod Lawton

Different options embody Canon’s STM autofocus mechanism, which the corporate claims affords near-silent autofocus, plus the power to focus manually utilizing the management ring on the entrance of the lens. This may also be customised to regulate publicity compensation, shutter pace, aperture, ISO, white steadiness and extra, both straight or whereas half-pressing the shutter launch.

Canon RF 24-50mm f4.5-6.3: Construct and dealing with

For a full body normal zoom, the Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM is impressively small and light-weight. You do have to recollect to show the zoom ring proper previous its ‘parked’ place to increase it to be used. There aren’t any buttons to press because it’s only a easy click on detent. It seems like a plastic mechanism slightly than a steel one, however labored effective all by my testing and exhibits no indicators of loosening or sloppiness.

At simply 210g, this can be a actually mild lens that will make a terrific walkaround companion for the equally light-weight EOS R8 – or another EOS mannequin. © Rod Lawton

This lens additionally makes use of a plastic mounting plate slightly than a steel one, and this has a lighter nearly friction-free really feel as you connect it to the digital camera physique.

As soon as the lens is prolonged to be used, the zoom ring has a lightweight and fairly easy motion. The quick zoom vary implies that this zoom ring and increasing interior lens barrel don’t have far to journey anyway.

In its retracted state, the RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS could be very compact for a full body normal zoom, and that’s a key a part of its attraction. © Rod Lawton

The entrance focus/management ring has a really easy, fluid really feel with simply the correct amount of damping. It’s very straightforward to show inadvertently whereas dealing with the digital camera, although, so the customized features work greatest for those who allow them just for when the shutter launch is half-pressed within the digital camera customisation settings.The AF/Management/MF change on the aspect of the lens barrel is slightly small and fiddly to make use of, however until you’re always swapping from auto to guide focus, it’s in all probability higher this fashion than having a change that’s too straightforward to maneuver accidentally.

This can be a very fast and straightforward lens to make use of, because of the very quick zoom throw. It doesn’t do a lot when it comes to zoom vary, nevertheless it does what it does in such an easy method that it’s virtually easy. The one annoyance is the fixed reminder that you might want to lengthen the lens for capturing.

Canon RF 24-50mm f4.5-6.3: Autofocus

Canon says the RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS’s STM autofocus is near-silent, and it’s proper. Even for those who pay attention very fastidiously, it’s nearly unimaginable to listen to the motor in single-shot mode. But it surely does turn out to be audible in steady (Servo) AF mode, particularly for those who’re utilizing topic recognition and monitoring. It’s nonetheless very quiet, although, and unlikely to be audible in video.

This three-position slider affords AF and MF positions but in addition a ‘Management’ place that permits any particular customized features you assign to the entrance management ring. © Rod Lawton

Close to-to-far focus shifts for stills images are very quick and easy, with no hesitation or looking. Focus shifts in video are simply as easy however seem considerably slower, although rather a lot will rely on how you’ve got your digital camera’s AF areas and monitoring arrange.

The 2x zoom vary sounds fairly limiting, however as you possibly can see from these two photographs, the distinction between the 50mm and 24mm settings is sort of pronounced. © Rod Lawton

Canon EOS R8 · f/8 · 1/160s · 24mm · ISO100

The 0.3-0.35m minimal focus distance is fairly typical for the standard/package zoom and makes it potential to fill the body with objects just a few inches excessive. Nonetheless the restricted zoom vary means the close-up trick of utilizing the longest zoom setting to present the best magnification and an uncluttered background is much less efficient.

The 2x zoom vary sounds fairly limiting, however as you possibly can see from these two photographs, the distinction between the 50mm and 24mm settings is sort of pronounced. © Rod Lawton

Canon EOS R8 · f/9 · 1/125s · 50mm · ISO200

Canon RF 24-50mm f4.5-6.3: Efficiency

The Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM performs surprisingly properly. It’s a reasonably low-cost lens, and feels it, however for those who’re anticipating the pictures to replicate that, you’re in for a shock. This lens depends on a standard observe as of late, that of mixing optical corrections (this lens has two high-precision moulded aspherical components) and digital distortion corrections.

Quick autofocus is an enormous benefit with pets and animals like this camera-shy canine. Even with animal eye-detection, this took a few makes an attempt. © Rod Lawton

Canon EOS R8 · f/10 · 1/160s · 50mm · ISO200

In regular use you received’t concentrate on any of this. Canon cameras will apply digital corrections robotically to in-camera JPEGs, and for those who shoot uncooked then most software program, together with Canon Digital Photograph Skilled and Adobe Lightroom (and a few others) will robotically apply a lens correction profile.

The results of this mixed optical/digital correction strategy is aberration-free pictures with unexpectedly good edge-to-edge sharpness. It’s actually surprising in an affordable, retracting lens design like this.

The restricted most aperture suggests you received’t get a lot background blur, however in reality you do for those who get shut sufficient to your topic. © Rod Lawton

Canon EOS R8 · f/6.3 · 1/400s · 50mm · ISO100

The one time you’ll see how arduous the digital corrections are working is for those who open a uncooked file in software program that doesn’t have an identical profile. On the time of writing, Seize One (for instance) doesn’t have a profile for this lens, and the result’s that pictures shot at 24mm have an nearly fisheye-like distortion impact and have such excessive vignetting that the picture corners are black.

In any other case, for those who shoot JPEGs, or shoot uncooked recordsdata and use Lightroom, you’ve nothing to fret about. You received’t see what the corrections are doing, however you will notice a outstanding stage of picture high quality from such a low-cost lens.

The RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS can focus right down to 0.3-0.35m, which is shut sufficient for close-up photographs like this one. @ Rod Lawton

Canon EOS R8 · f/8 · 1/160s · 50mm · ISO3200

The picture stabilisation is much less spectacular. Canon claims a 4.5-stop benefit, however I couldn’t get near that. With repeated handheld checks with the IS enabled and disabled, I discovered I bought at greatest a 2-stop benefit at 24mm and 50mm. Past that, the IS does cut back blur however doesn’t assure full sharpness. The IS efficiency is disappointing, however there’s typically a substantial hole between claimed picture stabilisation figures and real-world outcomes.

Canon RF 24-50mm f4.5-6.3: Verdict

The Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM has a few key traits that might immediately rule it out for a lot of photographers. The 2x zoom vary is one, and implies that you successfully lose any sort of quick telephoto functionality, or longer ‘portrait’ focal lengths and views. The opposite is the very small most aperture, which is able to place extra emphasis on the in-built picture stabiliser or pressure you into larger ISO settings in low mild.

This is likely to be an affordable and fundamental ‘package’ lens, however the RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS can ship impressively crisp and textured element. © Rod Lawton

Canon EOS R8 · f/8 · 1/100s · 50mm · ISO320

The in-built IS is actually price having and makes a visual distinction – simply not as a lot as Canon’s claimed 4.5 cease benefit would possibly lead you to hope. The STM autofocus, although, could be very spectacular, with quick and easy focus transitions for stills and equally easy transitions in video – thought the autofocus turns into extra audible when monitoring is enabled.

The quick zoom vary and restricted most aperture are simpler to adapt to than you would possibly assume in precise on a regular basis use, and the important thing profitable characteristic for this lens is its light-weight and compact, retracting design. For full-frame Canon RF digital camera homeowners, there is no such thing as a different lens like this, until you’re blissful to make use of primes. Sure, it’s low-cost. Sure, it’s restricted. But it surely turns your digital camera into a transportable, easy-to-pack go-anywhere outfit.

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