Canon Officially Announces Development of Six New RF-Series Lenses



While the rumors certainly left a lot the air out of this announcement of six new RF lenses for Canon’s full-frame mirrorless cameras, we at least now have a more clear picture of what is coming to the lineup.

Of the six new RF lenses, five are L-series glass while the one other appears to be an all-around budget-friendly travel lens. The lenses announced to be under development are the RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS, RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM, RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM, RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, and RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM.

In the most matter-of-fact way to describe a new lens announcement, Canon U.S.A. President and Chief Operating Officer Kazuto Ogawa said in the press release, “With this collection of new lenses, customers will have more of the tools they need, for the images they desire to create.” At least it’s spot on. Canon building up their native RF-series lens war chest quickly has obvious benefits in giving security to their customers that they are serious contenders in this space.

One obvious omission from the announcement is any further explanation as to what Defocus Smoothing (DS) means for the 85mm f/1.2L USM DS. While it can be presumed to mean an even more creamy smooth out of focus effect, there is question to how that would be achieved and if there are any negative side effects in doing it, such as a reduction in sharpness.

No prices have been given by Canon as of yet, but they did mention that all six lenses would be “available later in 2019.”

Including the RF lenses already on the market, this is what the Canon lineup will consist of by the end of the year:

What do you think of the progress Canon is making? Are there any specific native lenses that you are holding out for until making the switch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.



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