This holiday season, we’re looking at fun and affordable lenses for your mirrorless systems. There will be both unique lenses and some overlap thanks to the vast number of third-party lenses hitting the market for all major brands. In this guide, we’re covering lenses for the Canon RF Mount. From ultra-wide-angle lenses suited for landscapes and architectural images to super telephoto ones for sports and wildlife, we’ll be covering a variety of focal lengths are variety of uses.
Venus Optics Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF Manual Focus Lens
Keeping with the ultra-wide-angle field of view, is the Venus Optics Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF lens. This lens is the world’s widest f/2.8 full-frame rectilinear lens. That’s right, this is not a fisheye lens. It delivers an impressively wide perspective with minimal distortion, making it perfect for capturing landscapes, architecture and night skies. It can even serve as a close-up lens with a minimum focus distance of just 4.7”.
Unlike many other ultra-wide-angle lenses on the market, the Laowa 10mm f/2.8 has a built-in 77mm filter thread, allowing you to attach UV, CPL, and ND filters without the need for any special adapters. And, if 10mm is too wide, Venus Optics has recently introduced a 12mm version.
Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Lens
An ultra-wide field of view paired with a portable design, the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM is a perfect everyday lens for architecture or landscape shooters. The bright maximum aperture is ideal for shooting with available light, and the 5.1” minimum focus distance adds to the versatility of this lens.
As with many of Canon’s RF lenses, the 16mm f/2.8 STM features a configurable control ring. This can be customized to adjust aperture, ISO, and a variety of other exposure settings. The STM AF motors perform quietly and smoothly, making this lens suitable for both stills and video.
Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM Lens
The RF 28mm f/2.8 STM is a pancake-style lens with a classic travel and street photography focal length. The lens has superb image quality thanks to three aspheric elements and specialized Super Spectra Coatings for clearer, shaper images. It shares the same configurable control ring as most other RF lenses and a dedicated AF/MF switch which can be toggled to determine the function of the control ring.
The RF 28mm f/2.8 STM is a great entry point for a new full frame shooter and even serves well on an APS-C sensor camera with an effective focal length of 45mm. Its compact size and attractive price point put it within reach of many Canon EOS R series photographers.
7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III Lens
When you want to slow down and appreciate everything involved in taking a photo, a manual lens like the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III is a great tool for the job. The longer effective focal length makes this a great option for portraiture and travel.
The aperture ring can be toggled between clicked or de-clicked operation for smooth control. This is an ideal feature for video shooters, making this a versatile option for any creator looking for a fun, everyday lens.
Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
The Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM is a simple, compact normal-length prime with a popular field of view and bright maximum aperture. The f/1.8 aperture and 50mm focal length combined provide greater control over depth of field for subject isolating images. Canon also implemented specialized coatings for greater contrast when working in strong lighting conditions.
Just as on the 16mm and 28mm STM lenses, the 50mm f/1.8 features the same configurable control ring. Located towards the front of the lens, this ring has a unique, textured finish for an easily identifiable surface to find while looking through the viewfinder.
Lensbaby Double Composer Pro II Lens with Double Glass II Optic
Capture stunningly blurred backgrounds while drawing more attention to your subject with the Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Double Glass II Optic for the RF mount. This updated tool is compatible with Lensbaby’s existing Optic Swap System and can use any of the various lenses available. This particular bundle features a 50mm optic with a 12-blade aperture to create a “sweet spot” of focus when tilted. The size of this spot can be changed by adjusting the aperture and moved by tilting the Composer.
7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro Mark II Lens
Designed for APS-C format Canon RF-mount mirrorless cameras, the 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro Mark II (96mm full-frame equivalent) is a great alternative for capturing close-up images. The 1:1 maximum magnification means object appear life size when projected onto the image sensor.
A floating element design means the lens is uniformly sharp throughout it focusing range. The lens also features a de-clicked aperture ring for smooth rotation, making the lens optimal for both still and video applications.
Tokina SZX 400mm f/8 Reflex MF Lens
The Tokina SZX 400mm f/8 Reflex MF lens is a manual, super-telephoto lens with a constant f/8 aperture. The catadioptric design creates unusually rendered backgrounds and a signature donut-shaped bokeh. Certainly not an everyday lens, but a creative option for shooters looking to capture interesting backgrounds.
The lens itself features a T-mount but includes an RF-mount adapter for use on any EOS R series mirrorless camera. Its compact size makes it an easy lens to through in a small bag or waist pouch for travel and any outdoor photography.
Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD Lens
For photographers who want an all-in-one lens that covers any shooting situation, look no further than the recently announced (for Canon) Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD lens. Designed for the Canon RF APS-C format cameras, this lens provides an effective focal length of 27-450mm. Pair that with its weather sealed construction and you have a great tool for bird watchers, sporting events, and even safaris.
The VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) motors deliver fast, quiet focusing that suits both still and video shooting. The lens can serve as a semi-macro lens thanks to its impressive minimum focusing distance of just 5.9” when fully zoomed out for a 1:2 magnification ratio.
Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens
The Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is one of the lightest 400mm zooms available. This is the perfect lens for wildlife, sports, and travel photographers looking to keep their kit light and portable. A combination of UD and aspherical elements with Canons Super Spectra Coating make for an impressively sharp lens. The near silent, yet accurate AF system allow this lens to keep up with the fast subject detection systems found in the current EOS R Camera line-up.
When mounted on an APS-C sized sensor, you’ll get an effective focal length of 160-640mm. It’s for this reason the lens is immensely popular among bird watchers. It’s light, compact build paired with its reach and fast autofocus make it a great choice to through over your shoulder on a hike or walk in the park.
While this list encompasses some of our picks for fun, affordable lenses for the Canon RF system, there are just too many options to list them all. Many of the lenses in this article are just one of many in a series featuring many focal lengths. If you’re interested in learning more about photography, read more on the B&H Explora page!
