Canon RF 24-105mm 4.0-7.1 IS STM

A verdict on the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM IS has to be a bit more varied than usual. In absolute terms, it's clearly a sub-standard lens. Its native characteristics range from good to downright terrible. The miserable vignetting and distortions have to be seen to be believed. Conversely, the resolution is actually pretty decent - which is a bit of a pity because you just won't use this lens without auto-correction. Most users will have auto-correction activated anyway but this doesn't fix everything. Yes, the distortions are gone and the vignetting is easily acceptable. Lateral CAs are not an issue in this case as well, of course. However, the distortion correction is killing the corner resolution at 24mm. On a high megapixel camera, the corners are a pixel soup at 24mm even stopped down. The quality is surprisingly high at longer focal lengths though. That being said - it is highly unlikely that you invest thousands into a high-megapixel camera and then just a few hundred on a cheap kit zoom lens. The pixel-level sharpness increases towards lower sensor resolutions and the vast majority of users have cameras featuring 20 to 30 megapixels (as of the time of this review). Within this context, the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM IS makes much more sense. The 24mm setting will still not be perfect here but it's certainly usable. However, it's still worth pointing out that this lens is underdesigned. If you allow for zooming any lens below its designed minimum focal length, you will end up with black corners because the image circle has reached its limits. And this is what happened here. This is actually not a 24-105mm lens but more like a 28-105mm. Probably few would have complained if Canon marketed it like that - and our final rating would have been substantially higher. Coming back to the less philosophical thoughts - the mechanical quality of the lens is pretty good for a kit zoom lens. The used materials are of high quality. The (extending-)inner lens tube is a bit wobbly though and this seems to be a theme across Canon consumer-grade Canon lenses. The construction is also a bit simplified with its combined focus/control ring. However, that's perfectly fine within the scope of this lens. The STM AF is pretty quick (if you avoid spot AF) and the image stabilizer does a decent job. This is also needed regarding the very slow-speed nature of the lens. Of course, everything in life is a compromise, and the RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM IS is all about making it possible to a budget. However, if you can stretch it, you'd really be better off with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 USM L IS. While more expensive, it's just a better investment.

The Canon RF 24-105 f4-7.1 STM is the budget kit zoom the EOS R system has been waiting for. Sure, it may lack the glamour of the brighter aperture and more exotic models, but every system needs a low-cost general-purpose zoom to bundle with the entry-level bodies as a starting point. Thankfully modern lens design coupled with in-camera corrections actually makes it a lot better than you’d think, especially for the size, weight and money. In my tests it delivered respectable sharpness across the frame, throughout the range and even with the aperture wide-open. By employing a variable aperture that dims to f7.1 at the long-end, Canon’s been able to keep size, weight and cost down, making it a very practical and attainable option, while the reasonably close focusing increases its flexibility further. If you’re looking for one lens that does it all, you should compare it closely to the 24-240 super-zoom and I have a full review of that model too, but as a compact and lightweight starter model, it’s hard to find anything better for the money.

The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM gives a superb performance and great handling with focusing down to macro distances.

The RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is an affordable, compact standard zoom lens for Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras, which currently comprises the EOS RP and EOS R, with the new EOS R5 due for release in late-2020. Featuring a Stepping Motor (STM) for smooth, precise and quiet continuous auto-focusing, Super Spectra Coating for minimal ghosting and flare, 7 rounded diaphragm blades for smoother bokeh, impressive macro capabilities, and built-in image stabilisation offering a claimed 5-stop advantage, the Canon RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM is a versatile all-rounder.