The Canon RF 28-70mm f2 L USM is a lens in a league of its own. It’s not the first f2 zoom of its kind. That honor went to Sigma’s 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens (currently discontinued). However, Canon’s is the only such lens currently available for mirrorless cameras. Producing legendary results, the sharpness you get with this is one of the best we’ve seen in zoom lenses. Understandably, fans and users would have been craving another f2 zoom lens from Canon. If recent reports are correct, they may not have to wait too long for this.
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Why The RF 28-70 f2 Lens Is Amazing
Released in late 2018, the Canon RF 28-70mm f2 L USM is one of the best mirrorless zoom lenses we ever tested. It didn’t just get a full five-star rating; it won our Editor’s Choice Award when we tested it out soon after it launched. In our review, we noted:
“Although the Canon RF 28-70mm f2 L USM is a massive lens, it’s also understandably so. The photographer who will spring for this lens really needs the extra stop of light and genuinely wants super high-quality images. That’s what you’re going to get with the Canon RF 28-70mm f2 L USM. Couple this with better autofocusing abilities that have come out recently and the exemplary build quality, and you’ve got an excellent lens–on paper”
This Canon lens set a new benchmark for standard zoom lenses, which arguably still hasn’t been matched by other brands. Even if you aren’t a fan of the weight and size, there’s no denying the benefits that the f2 aperture gives you when you need it the most. Seeing how popular this lens is, it looks like Canon might be bringing another f2 zoom lens to their lineup soon, according to a report by CanonRumors. It goes without saying that any f2 zoom lens they might release will be both chunky and heavy. But that’s not to say it can’t produce incredible images like their RF lenses are currently capable of. And if Canon can do it once, they can definitely ace it again. We look at some of the imaginative, even ergonomically outrageous options this lens might turn out to be.
What Could Canon’s Next f2 Zoom Lens Be?
Here are our thoughts on what might be coming soon!
An Ultrawide f2 Zoom
We’re familiar with ultrawide f2.8 zooms and their landscape and astro photography benefits. I remember an era when even Canon photographers would adapt the F mount version of Nikon’s 14-24 f2.8 lens because of its edge-to-edge sharpness capabilities and the extra 2mm field of view over Canon’s 16-35 f2.8 series. Canon then made a fantastic lens for its mirrorless users in the RF 15-35mm f2.8. What if they decided to one-up that, at a significant price point, and introduce a 14-24 f2 lens. Not only would this be wider (every mm counts when you’re a landscape photographer), but it would also be excellent for low-light and night sky photography. It would probably be able to take screw-on filters too. A lens option for those incredibly committed to these genres could be one of the possibilities coming from Canon early next year.
A Short Focal Range Zoom Lens
Canon has a 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS lens in their lineup already. This is a relatively inexpensive and small lens; frankly, it isn’t something we’d sing too many praises about. We would have probably had some good words had it been a fixed-aperture lens. And maybe that’s what Canon can do to redeem themselves in this focal range – bring out a newer edition of this at f2.
A Macro Zoom Lens
Dedicated macro zoom lenses aren’t terribly familiar these days. Most manufacturers prefer specializing in macro prime lenses over having a zoom lens capable of macro photography. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that such zoom options have not been entirely absent from the scene recently.
Regarding macro lenses, the consensus often leans towards focal lengths between the 50mm and 100mm range. Could Canon, with its penchant for crafting unique and hyper-specialized lenses for the RF mount, venture into creating something like a 50-100mm f/2 macro lens? A bit too optimistic, you say? Would it be too heavy for anyone to want to use it? So is every f1.2 lens made in recent years, and no brand has complained about low sales for those models.
A Specialized Portrait f2 Zoom Lens
We loved what Canon did with their RF 135mm f1.8 L IS USM. In our initial impressions article, we said, “Canon has really outdone themselves here. This big lens provides smooth, circular bokeh that is gorgeous. They’re also packing image stabilization into it, and it focuses to just over two feet away. What’s more, it will cost about the same as what Sony’s similar offering does.“
Now imagine if Canon came out with an f2 zoom lens aimed at portrait photographers. Imagine all that gloriously creamy and smooth bokeh behind your subject. Imagine the shallow depth of field dropping off like how the morning fog caresses the hills of Scotland in the winter. And imagine the ability to zoom anywhere between 85mm and 135mm using such a lens. Feeling dreamy already? Just spare a thought for your muscles after trying to hold it up for a few minutes. Jokes aside, this could be a lens that anyone toying with the idea of buying an RF 85mm F1.2L USM/USM DS or the 135mm f1.8 L lens might consider.
A Telephoto f2 Zoom Lens
Canon pleasantly surprised everyone with the release of the impressively compact RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens, which is quite a departure from the typical bulk associated with telephoto lenses. Even though this lens doesn’t have internal zooming, it stirred up excitement among Canon users, making it a tempting addition to their gear. Now, the question is whether Canon can take that same R&D magic and conjure up a telephoto f2 lens.
While hoping for a 70-200mm f2 might be a stretch, there’s a glimmer of hope for something like a 100-200mm f2 or even a 70-150mm f2 that could maintain a reasonably manageable size. Given Canon’s recent track record of pushing boundaries, it’s a thought I’m not entirely disregarding.
Who’d Want an F2 Zoom Lens?
I can’t quite say I’d immediately jump out and buy one if it was released, but an f2 zoom lens is a tantalizing proposition for seamlessly shooting in low light conditions. We’re used to relying on prime lenses in low light, which often means adjusting our composition by physically moving around. The idea of zooming in and out in these conditions is quite appealing. However, the potentially high price, larger size, and added weight are important factors when deciding on such a lens. It’ll be interesting to see what Canon comes up with in 2024.