Buy this lens!
By Kathy
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2025-06-25
.I didn't know this lens was available for about 8 months after its release and, boy oh boy, do I wish I would have owned it far longer than I have — which is about 2 weeks as of this writing.
When I switched to mirrorless in 2022 with the purchase of a Canon R7 on the first day B&H put the model online, I also bought the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, which was a fairly new model at the time.
I'm a sports photographer who leans hard on the crop-factor aspect of APSC camera bodies; a 70-200mm lens is a workhorse for me.
From the moment I received the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, (white), I hated it. Left out of the description of the lens was the fact that it telescopes from 70mm to 200mm (the barrel moves in and out).
Sometimes in sports photography — particularly for some youth and high-school sports (which is what I do) — shooting through a fence (baseball, softball, tennis) has to be done. A telescoping lens is very difficult to use when pressed against a chain-link fence.
The RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM is also a 'long-throw' — two twists needed to get from 70mm to 200mm — for most people, and most especially if one has small hands, which I do. The twist doesn't execute quickly, either — often making me miss parts of the action on the gym floor, field or outdoor court.
My trusty EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, which I've had for years, is both faster and sharper than the RF equivalent.
After about a dozen outings. I gave up using the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS. I just left it sitting on the cabinet shelf and, with an adapter, returned to using my favorite EF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS II on the R7.
Now, for the meat of this review: BUY THIS LENS.
After receiving an RF 24mm-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z (black) as a Christmas gift and then using it for indoor sports including wrestling, swimming and basketball, I fell hard for Canon's vastly improved Z lens series.
The shorter lens is perfect for the dimensions of gym floors and swimming pools. It's fast and has the same smooth, short 'throw' from 70mm to 200mm as my 'old reliable' EF 70mm-200mm F2.8 lens.
And I am happy to report that the same joy of shooting with a superior lens is available with the RF 70mm-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z lens.
The Z lens is noticeably sharper than the original RF 70mm-200mm F2.8 L IS that I bought in 2022.
The new Z version (I chose black) is reasonably light for its size and, in fact, weighs about 9 ounces less than the RF 24mm-105mm F2.8 L IS Z — which is surprising to me. It's also about 1/8th-inch shorter, front to back.
The RF 70mm-200mm F2.8 Z also has the same internal zoom as my trusty EF 70mm-200mm F/2.8L IS II and the RF 24mm-105mm F2.8 L IS Z lenses. Moving from 70mm to 200mm is a short, fast 'throw' using a single thumb maneuver — with no telescoping.
If 'sharp and fast' is what you seek, you cannot miss with this lens.
For action photos, there's no comparison with the original RF 70mm-200mm lens. Autofocusing is amazing and bokeh (if you want it) is good.
Some have noted that they don't care for the fact that only the ring part of the tripod collar is removable. I haven't found that to be a problem; I've simply moved the 'knob' to the top of the lens, where it's out of the way of my left hand.
You will not be sorry you spent the $$$ to buy this one. And of course, it's B&H's super-speedy service, attention to detail and friendly customer assistance that make the buying experience the best it can be. When I'm spending literally thousands of dollars, all of those are important to me and to most photographers, I'm sure.
B&H is great at ringing those bells!
Fast, sharp, incredible!
By Zachary
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2025-06-20
I’ve been shooting only with the Canon RF 70–200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z for a few weeks now, and it’s the sharpest zoom I’ve ever used. The internal zoom design keeps the lens balanced and sealed, which has been great for both handheld work and rougher conditions. The short throw on the zoom ring is a huge quality of life improvement vs. the non-Z version of this lens. As expected, autofocus is fast and silent and image stabilization is solid. The price is high, but if you've got the money to spend I don't think you can do much better than this lens.
Only negatives to me are the high price and, to a lesser degree, size and weight. It's a little heavy and takes up a bit of space in the camera bag, but all these zooms are like that.
