Best Lenses for Canon EOS R1, R3, R5 II, R6 II, R8 and RP Cameras

In September 2018, Canon introduced the Canon EOS R as its first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a full-frame sensor and a new lens mount, called the RF-mount. The current camera models include the entry-level Canon EOS RP, the compact Canon EOS R8, the mid-range Canon EOS R6 II, the high-resolution Canon EOS R5 II, the high-speed Canon EOS R3 and the even faster Canon EOS R1. Furthermore, the RF-mount is used for professional video cameras such as the Canon EOS C70.

This page provides an overview of the growing catalog of RF-mount full-frame lenses, exclusively manufactured by Canon. These are mostly autofocus lenses, but selected manual focus lenses may also be included. Manual focus lenses are marked by an asterisk (*), purely mechanical lenses with no digital coupling to the camera by a double asterisk (**). RF-S lenses with a smaller APS-C image circle are listed separately.

For every lens, the following major characteristics are given:

  • Focal length.
  • Maximum aperture. It has a strong influence on the lighting conditions under which the lens can be used, and how shallow the depth of field can be. Fast lenses also tend to be much bigger, heavier, and more expensive. Green labels indicate fast lenses (> f/2), red labels indicate slow lenses (< f/4).
  • Filter size. It serves as a representative of the length, diameter and weight of the lens. Green labels indicate compact lenses (filter size < 60 mm), red labels indicate big lenses (> 70 mm).
  • Minimum focus distance (MFD). It has a major influence on the magnification that can be achieved, as well as the depth of field.
  • Another important point is of course the price, but it is different in every market and currency. Instead, plenty of links to independent reviews are provided to help you find the best lens for your needs.

1 Prime lenses

Lenses with a fixed focal length.

1.1 Fisheye lenses

Ultra wide angle lenses with purposeful strong distortions.

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
*Canon RF 5.2 mm 2.8 L Dual Fisheye n/a 0.20 m CL

1.2 Wide angle lenses

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 16 mm 2.8   43 mm 0.13 m CL, OL
Canon RF 28 mm 2.8   55 mm 0.23 m CL, OL, TP
Canon RF 35 mm 1.4 L VCM 67 mm 0.28 m CL, OL

1.3 Standard lenses

Lenses with a focal length around the image sensor diagonal of 43 mm, delivering very natural looking images.

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 50 mm 1.2 L 77 mm 0.40 m CL, ML, OL
Canon RF 50 mm 1.8   43 mm 0.30 m CL, OL

1.4 Telephoto lenses

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 85 mm 1.2 L 82 mm 0.85 m CL, DR, OL
Canon RF 85 mm 1.2 L DS 82 mm 0.85 m  
Canon RF 135 mm 1.8 L IS 82 mm 0.70 m TP
Canon RF 400 mm 2.8 L IS n/a 2.50 m CL
Canon RF 600 mm 4 L IS n/a 4.20 m CL
Canon RF 600 mm 11 IS 82 mm 4.50 m CL
Canon RF 800 mm 5.6 L IS n/a 2.60 m TP
Canon RF 800 mm 11 IS 95 mm 6.00 m CL, OL
Canon RF 1200 mm 8 L IS n/a 4.30 m TP

1.5 Macro lenses

Lenses with a small minimum focus distance and a high magnification.

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 24 mm 1.8 Macro IS 52 mm 0.14 m CL, TP
Canon RF 35 mm 1.8 Macro IS 52 mm 0.17 m CL, DR, OL
Canon RF 85 mm 2 Macro IS 67 mm 0.35 m CL, OL
Canon RF 100 mm 2.8 L Macro IS 67 mm 0.26 m CL, OL, TP

2 Zoom lenses

Lenses with a variable focal length.

2.1 Wide angle zoom lenses

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 10-20 mm 4 L IS n/a 0.25 m CL, OL
Canon RF 14-35 mm 4 L IS 77 mm 0.20 m CL
Canon RF 15-30 mm 4.5-6.3 IS 67 mm 0.13-0.28 m TP
Canon RF 15-35 mm 2.8 L IS 82 mm 0.28 m CL, OL
Canon RF 24-50 mm 4.5-6.3 IS 58 mm 0.30 m TP

2.2 Standard zoom lenses

Zoom range from moderate wide angle to moderate telephoto.

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 24-70 mm 2.8 L IS 82 mm 0.21-0.38 m OL
Canon RF 24-105 mm 2.8 L IS Z 82 mm 0.45 m CL, TP
Canon RF 24-105 mm 4 L IS 77 mm 0.45 m CL, OL
Canon RF 24-105 mm 4-7.1 IS 67 mm 0.13-0.34 m CL, OL
Canon RF 28-70 mm 2 L 95 mm 0.39 m CL, OL
Canon RF 28-70 mm 2.8 IS 67 mm 0.27 m  

2.3 Superzoom lenses

Like standard zooms, but with an approximately 10x zoom range.

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 24-240 mm 4-6.3 IS 72 mm 0.50 m CL, OL

2.4 Telephoto zoom lenses

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 70-200 mm 2.8 L IS 77 mm 0.70 m CL, OL
Canon RF 70-200 mm 4 L IS 77 mm 0.60 m CL
Canon RF 100-300 mm 2.8 L IS 112 mm 1.80 m CL
Canon RF 100-400 mm 5.6-8 IS 67 mm 0.88 m CL, OL
Canon RF 100-500 mm 4.5-7.1 L IS 77 mm 0.90-1.20 m CL, OL
Canon RF 200-800 mm 6.3-9 IS 95 mm 0.80-1.80 m CL

3 Teleconverters

Teleconverters extend the focal length of matching telephoto lenses by a certain factor.

Lens         Filter ⌀ MFD Reviews
Canon RF 1.4x 1.4x     n/a n/a  
Canon RF 2x 2x     n/a n/a  

Notes

In contrast to other camera companies, Canon does not seem to license its full-frame RF mount to third-party manufacturers. Autofocus lenses by Samyang and Yongnuo, which were available for a while, have now disappeared from most markets and therefore also from this overview.

The color labels should not be interpreted in a way that a lens like the RF 35 mm f/1.8 Macro with two green labels is better than the RF 800 mm f/11 with two red labels. If the telephoto lens had the same speed as the macro lens, the diameter of its front element would be at least 444 mm instead of 95 mm, so it is actually a very compact lens. Color labels are therefore comparable for similar lenses only.

References

The linked reviews are by Amateur Photographer (AP), CameraLabs (CL), DPReview (DP), LensTip (LT), OpticalLimits (OL), The Phoblographer (TP), and others. LensTip and OpticalLimits focus on laboratory testing, the others on real-world photography.