Canon RF 28‑70mm f/2.8 IS STM
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Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM (67mm filters, 17.3 oz./491g, 0.8'/0.25m close focus, 0.24× macro ratio, $1,199). bigger.
I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these stores since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
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Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Sharpness, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as 45 MP Quality 1 (lowest quality, smallest file size) JPGs; no tripods, NORMAL (quality 4) or FINE JPGs or RAW CR3 files were used or needed.
Bird of Paradise, 8:54 AM, Saturday, 05 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 70 mm at f/3.5 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 10.6), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 3 MB JPG quality 1 file.
Tower 23 Restaurant, Pacific Beach, San Diego, California, 6:42 PM, Thursday, 10 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 70 mm at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/13 at Auto ISO 250 (LV 5.3), amped-up in Skylum Luminar Neo software. bigger.
Of course at f/2.8 the foreground is out of focus — so don't look there.
Garnet Avenue at Night, Pacific Beach, California, 6:56 PM, Thursday, 10 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 28mm wide-open at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 640 (LV 3.7), amped in Radiant Photo software, perspective correction in Photoshop CC. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 4 MB JPG quality 1 file.
Pacific Beach Pier under Moonlight, San Diego, California, 7:02 PM, Thursday, 10 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 37mm at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/8 of a second at Auto ISO 5,000, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 0.4), amped-up in Skylum Luminar Neo and Radiant Photo software. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 12 MB JPG quality 6 file.
Lifeguard Junk, Moonlit Dusk, Pacific Beach, California, 7:10 PM, Thursday, 10 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 33mm at f/3.2 hand-held for 0.4 seconds at Auto ISO 5,000 (LV minus 0.9), amped-up in Skylum Luminar Neo software. bigger.
Handheld for half a second under moonlight? LOVE IT!
Cardiff Farmer's Market, 10:00 AM, Saturday, 12 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 60 mm at f/7.1 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14¼), slight perspective correction in Photoshop CC, otherwise as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 9 MB JPG quality 1 file.
How sharp is it? Let's zoom into just right of center:
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 60 mm at f/7.1 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14¼), as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 9 MB JPG quality 1 file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
Introduction top
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Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This inexpensive, ultralight lens astonishes me with how sharp and handy it is. It's ultrasharp even wide open, corner to corner, and handles very well. It has Optical Image Stabilization and collapses for carrying. Don't worry about the low price; this is a premium lens as good as any of Canon's more expensive offerings, and is superior to the much heavier versions from Nikon and from Sony, which lack stabilization and cost twice as much.
I love working for myself and not taking money or favors from camera makers so I can say it like it is: for half the price, half the volume and half the weight, this RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM is just as sharp as the others. This new lens also has superb bokeh and sunstars.
It's got the extreme sharpness and f/2.8 speed of the big lenses, without the price, weight or size of the older models. Time and science march on, bravo!
I don't sweat 24mm versus 28mm. It's much tougher to design a zoom that goes to 24mm rather than 28mm, while in practical use they're the same as far as I'm concerned.
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
New intro top
Canon's first ultralight high-speed bargain-priced zoom.
World's first pro mirrorless ultralight, bargain-priced zoom with Optical Stabilization.
Good intro top
Low-priced ultralight lens with expensive, heavy image quality.
Ultra sharp at every setting, especially wide-open at f/2.8.
Fast f/2.8 without the weight or expense.
Optical Image Stabilization rated 5½ stops improvement on its own and 7½ stops with in-body stabilization. I get about 4 - 4½ stops improvement in real-world shooting along with in-body stabilization.
Stabilizer switch.
AF/MF switch.
Focus ring becomes a programmable control ring at middle setting of the AF switch.
Stops down to f/22.
Claimed dust and moisture resistance.
100% U.S.A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.
Bad intro top
Plastic filter threads and plastic exterior (metal mount).
Missing intro top
Optional LP1116 carry sack not included.
Optional EW-73D hood not included.
Mounting index dot not raised so it can't be found by feel in the dark.
No aperture ring.
Manual-focus override doesn't work in SERVO AF mode.
No focus or depth-of-field scales.
No infra-red focus indices.
No focus lock buttons.
Will not work with any teleconverters.
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM. bigger.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
See also Canon's own specifications page.
Camera Compatibility
This lens only works on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.
It won't fit on, and cannot be adapted to, any DSLR because a DSLR has too much distance between its sensor and its lens mount flange.
This is a full frame lens and I'm reviewing it as such. Use this lens on full-frame cameras for the results I show here and that you deserve.
It won't work with any teleconverters.
While it works fine on APS-C cameras, you're paying a premium for the privilege of covering full frame, which is wasted with APS-C cameras.
Using it on an APS-C camera throws away more than half of the image from this exotic lens. For APS-C cameras I don't mind the slower speed and prefer the longer range of the RF-S 18-150mm IS STM instead, but we all have different needs.
Name specifications top
Canon calls this the RF28-70mm F2.8 IS STM:
RF: Works only on Canon's EOS-R Mirrorless cameras.
IS: Image Stabilization.
STM: STepper (focus) Motor.
Optics specifications top
Internal Optical Construction. Optical Glass, Aspherical and UD elements. IS section.
15 elements in 12 groups.
2 UD extra-low dispersion elements, which help reduce secondary axial chromatic aberration.
2 Aspherical elements.
Pumper zoom gets longer at 70mm.
Super Spectra multicoating.
Diaphragm specifications top
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM. bigger.
9 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/22.
Filters specifications top
Plastic 67mm filter thread.
Focal Length specifications top
28 ～ 70mm.
When used on an APS-C camera, it sees the same angle of view as a 45 ～ 115 mm lens sees when used on a full-frame or 35mm camera.
See also Crop Factor.
Angles of View, Full Frame specifications top
75º ～ 34º diagonal.
65º ～ 29º horizontal.
46º ～ 19½º vertical.
Autofocus specifications top
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane inside camera) specifications top
At 28mm Canon specifies 0.9 feet (10.6" or 0.27m) in AF and 0.8 feet (9.4" or 0.24m) in manual focus, with no specification for 70mm.
My actual measured values are:
Auto Focus
0.85 feet (10" or 0.26 meters) at 28mm.
1.1 feet (13⅓" or 0.34 meters) at 70mm.
Manual Focus
0.7 feet (8¼" or 0.21 meters) at 28mm.
1.1 feet (13⅓" or 0.34 meters) at 70mm.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:4.2 (0.24×).
Minimum Subject Field specifications top
Auto Focus
141.6 × 94.4mm at 70mm.
219.6 × 146.4mm at 28mm.
Manual Focus
141.6 × 94.4mm at 70mm
182.2 × 121.5mm at 28mm.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
Rated 5½ stops improvement on its own and 7½ stops with in-body stabilization.
I get about 4 to 4½ stops improvement in real-world shooting along with in-body stabilization.
Caps specifications top
Canon E-67II 67mm front cap, included.
RF Rear Cap (p/n 2962C001), included.
Hood specifications top
Optional EW-73D hood not included.
Case specifications top
Optional LP1116 carry sack not included.
I love my Think Tank Retrospective bags for carrying this with my other items.
Size specifications top
3.0" (76.5 mm) ø maximum diameter
3.6" (92.2 mm) extension from flange, collapsed.
4.4" (112.4 mm) extension from flange at 28mm.
5.5" (138.9 mm) extension from flange at 70mm.
Weight specifications top
17.315 (490.9 g) actual measured weight.
Rated 17.5 oz. (495 g).
Quality specifications top
Made in Japan. bigger.
Made in Japan.
Announced specifications top
12:06 AM, Thursday, 12 September 2024.
Promised for specifications top
September 2024.
Included specifications top
Lens.
Canon E-67II 67mm front cap.
RF Rear Cap (p/n 2962C001).
Packaging specifications top
Microcorrugated cardboard box with formed pulp top and bottom internal supports:
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Box. bigger. |
Box end. bigger. |
Box dimensions: 9.8 x 5.5 x 5.3 inches (249 x 140 x 135mm).
Box weight: 43.1 oz. (1,222g).
Model Numbers specifications top
Product code: 6535C002 (6535C001 in Japan).
Model number: RF28-70ISSTM.
JAN code: 4549292-229134.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
24 June 2025
$1,199 at B&H, at Adorama, at Crutchfield, at Amazon.
About $875 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
October ~ November 2024
$1,099 at B&H, at Adorama, at Crutchfield, at Amazon and new at eBay (How to Win at eBay). (no used ones have sold yet.)
188,100 yen in Japan.
Optional Accessories top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Optional LP1116 carry sack not included.
Optional EW-73D hood not included.
Getting a Legal U. S. A. Version top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This section applies in the U. S. A. only.
Your lens must include a U. S. A. warranty card like the ones shown above from Canon U.S.A., Inc. Both cards are included on top inside your box as you open it. The serial number on the card must match the serial number on the bottom of your lens.
If you have no card or the serial number doesn't match, you got ripped off with a gray market version intended to be sold in another country. This is why I never buy from any place other than my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store where strangers have probably opened your completely unsealed box and played with your camera, because non-U. S. A. versions have no warranty in the U. S. A., and you probably won't be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Shifty dealers may include color copies of a card from a legitimate U. S. A. product in a gray-market box, hoping you won't check serial numbers and catch their fraud. A card with the wrong serial number means nothing other than that you have no warranty coverage.
The serial number on the box doesn't have to match, but it should. It will be hidden someplace on the sticker with all the bar codes. If not, it means a shady dealer took things out of boxes and was too sloppy to put them back correctly — and it means you got a used lens if anyone other than you took it out of the box.
If a gray market version saves you $500 the risk might be worth it, but for $200 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Always be sure to check yours while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources and never at retail so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed. Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem.
Performance top
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Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Distance Recording Bokeh Coma Distortion
Ergonomics Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts
Lateral Color Fringes Lens Corrections Macro
Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Overall performance top
I love this lens.
While I prefer the longer reach of the RF 24-240mm IS USM which lets me carry just one lens instead of also having to carry a dedicated tele, I'm overjoyed at how this lens is so good, light and inexpensive — and you don't hear me complaining about the fast, constant f/2.8 aperture.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is fast and silent.
It's not instantaneous, but zips from one end of the range to the other in just a moment of silence.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
You may need to set some menus in some cameras to get manual-focus override, and no matter what you do, in SERVO AF mode all Canon EOS-R cameras, at least as of October 2024, will continue to autofocus as soon as you stop turning the manual focus ring. Sadly only Nikon has this all figured out today.
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size (growing and shrinking slightly) as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe (change size) as focus gets pulled back and forth between different actors as they speak. The image is said to breathe because it expands and contracts as the focus follows the dialog back and forth.
The image from this lens shrinks as focused more closely at all focal lengths.
Focus Distance Recording performance top
The focused distance is recorded in the EXIF data.
I read this in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is excellent!
Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click either for the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), 11:30 AM, Wednesday, 02 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 1/4,000 and 1/3,200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6 and 15.0).
Click either for the © camera-original file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at 70mm at f/2.8 and get as close as possible.
Coma performance top
Pacific Beach Pier under moonlight, San Diego, California, 7:02 PM, Thursday, 10 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 37mm at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/8 of a second at Auto ISO 5,000, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 0.4), amped-up in Skylum Luminar Neo and Radiant Photo software. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 12 MB JPG quality 6 file.
Coma, or sagittal coma flare, is often seen with fast normal to wide lenses as weird batwing shapes on bright points of light in the corners at night.
I see no coma in this lens, which is excellent.
Distortion performance top
Even with distortion correction at its mandatory ON setting, there is always a mostly invisible amount of easily correctable barrel distortion:
On Full-Frame at 30' (10m) |
Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON in R5 II |
28mm |
+1.00 |
35mm |
+0.70 |
50mm |
+1.40 |
70mm |
+1.50 |
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
I doubt it will ever be visible in normal use. For more critical scientific use, use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images. No, I have no idea why my R5 II doesn't correct the distortion completely.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct the distortion as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
While Canon's own software probably also corrects this from RAW CR3 files, be warned that other brands of raw processing software probably won't correct the distortion, and Heaven only knows what distortion you may see then.
Ergonomics performance top
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Collapsed for Carrying. bigger. |
At 28mm. bigger. |
At 70mm. bigger. |
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Collapsed for Carrying. bigger. |
At 28mm. bigger. |
At 70mm. bigger. |
This is a small, handy lens, half of which is a big, rubberized mechanical zoom ring.
Just twist it past 28mm to the ● dot to collapse it. There are clicks, but no locks, so this works perfectly.
HINT: My R5 II locks up and won't even let me use its menu system until I extend this lens out of the ● collapsed position.
There is one extra control ring which usually is manual focus, and setting the switch to CONTROL lets you program it to other things in your camera.
There may not be an always-responsive instant manual-focus override unless you enable this in a menu. Manual focus override never works in SERVO AF; while the lens will focus manually as you turn the ring, as soon as you stop the AF system takes over again.
Falloff performance top
Falloff is invisible with Peripheral Illumination Correction at its default of ON, and I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, correction at its default of ON:
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you save only raw data rather than create JPG images in-camera, whatever software you use to create visible images from that raw data later may or may not correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction, or possibly in some raw software, this is what you get:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, correction deliberately turned OFF:
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Even with correction OFF this isn't that bad, and won't be visible in actual shooting except possibly at f/2.8.
Filters, use with performance top
There's no need for thin filters.
I can stack two standard 67mm filters with no vignetting, but I will start to get vignetting at 28mm on full-frame with three filters. There's no problem as you zoom to longer settings.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters, but you'll probably be limited to just one at 28mm before you get a little vignetting at 28mm on full frame. There's no problem as you zoom to longer settings.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
Flare and ghosts are well controlled.
See examples at Sunstars.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no lateral color fringes when shot as JPG with the default Chromatic Aberration Correction left ON.
if you go out of your way to turn this OFF (or shoot raw and then use non-manufacturer software to process that data into images) then there is the tiniest bit of red-cyan at 28mm through 45mm, and none at 70mm. This is marvelous performance
There is some spherochromatism which can cause color fringes on things that aren't in perfect focus at f/2.8. Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration in a different dimension than lateral color fringes.
Lens Corrections performance top
Other cameras may vary as the years roll on, but my EOS R1, R3, R5 II, R5, R5C, R6 II, R6, R, R8, RP, R7, R10, R50 and R100 all have options to correct for falloff (Peripheral Illumination Correction), Distortion and a Digital Lens Optimizer which corrects for a suite of other aberrations.
These are all ON by default.
This lens integrates electronic distortion correction as part of its design, so the Distortion setting is grayed-out because it can not be turned off.
You can turn off falloff correction and/or the Digital Lens Optimizer.
If you turn off the Digital Lens Optimizer, you are then offered à la carte ON/OFF options for Chromatic Aberration Correction and Diffraction Correction.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct these as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
Macro Performance performance top
It gets reasonably close, and it's sharp.
Wide-open at f/2.8
It's sharp if you're in perfect focus. If not, spherochromatism becomes visible:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 4:05 PM, Thursday, 10 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 70 mm at f/2.8 at 1/3,200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is on the watch face.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
At f/8
Like every lens, it's ultrasharp at f/8:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 4:06 PM, Thursday, 10 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 70 mm at f/8 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is on the watch face. Yes, I have my camera's sharpening craned to 7,1,1 and with a lens this sharp, as well as the subsequent broadcast processing putting it online, greatly exaggerates the texture of the solar cell.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
Mechanical Quality performance top
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM. bigger.
It has a metal mount and otherwise is mostly plastic.
Finish
Black plastic.
Hood
Optional plastic bayonet EW-73D hood.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Zoom Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Focus/CONTROL Ring
Hard plastic.
Slide Switches
Plastic.
Identity
Printed around front of lens in almost invisible dark grey on black (my photo makes it more visible than it actually is), also "28-70" printed on top of barrel.
Internals
Seem like mostly plastic.
Dust Gasket at Mount
Yes.
Mount
Chromed metal.
Markings
Just paint; nothing's engraved.
Serial Number
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM. bigger.
Laser engraved in black-on-black on bottom of barrel.
It's almost completely invisible in actual use; it's visible above because this photo is enlarged and lit by lots of light in my studio.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Mild clicking.
Made in
Oddly Canon hides this on the back of the lens where no one will see it, which tends to suggest that maybe in the future they'll send it to Taiwan. Only time will tell.
Sharpness performance top
It's sharp right out to the corners wide-open at f/2.8 at 45 megapixels, bravo!
Baja La Jolla as seen from Pacific Beach, California, 6:34 PM, Thursday, 10 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 70mm wide-open at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 6.4), amped-up in Skylum Luminar Neo software. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 6 MB JPG quality 1 file.
Ceiling and Badges, Rhino's, Bridgeport, California, 7:12 PM, Thursday, 17 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 28mm wide-open at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/8 at Auto ISO 500 (LV 3.7), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 8 MB JPG quality 6 file.
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is super sharp corner-to corner at every aperture, limited by your vision as an artist and of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures. Avoid f/11 and smaller unless you really need it for extreme depth of field because diffraction takes its toll. See also How to Calculate the Sharpest Aperture.
MTF wide-open at f/2.8 at 10 cyc/mm (black) and 30 cyc/mm (blue). Sagittal (solid) and meridional (dashed).
These MTF curves agree with what I've seen: superb sharpness from corner to corner, even wide-open Bravo!
Cardiff Farmer's Market, 10:00 AM, Saturday, 12 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 60 mm at f/7.1 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14¼), slight perspective correction in Photoshop CC, otherwise as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 9 MB JPG quality 1 file.
How sharp is it? Let's zoom into just right of center:
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 60 mm at f/7.1 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14¼), as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 9 MB JPG quality 1 file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has a reasonable amount spherochromatism:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, 11:30 AM, Wednesday, 02 October 2024. Canon EOS R5 II, RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at 70 mm at f/2.8 at 1/5,000 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 15.4). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
Image Stabilization (VR) performance top
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) works very well, with a 4- to 4½-stop real-world improvement on my stabilized R5 II.
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of hand-held, free-standing with no support or bracing, frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness as viewed at 300%. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed.
This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
At 28mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized R5 II | 4s |
2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
20 |
30 |
20 |
70 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
90 |
100 |
100 |
I see a 4-stop real-world improvement.
At 45mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized R5 II | 4s |
2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
60 |
80 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
40 |
70 |
100 |
I see a 4½ stop real-world improvement.
At 70mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized R5 II | 4s |
2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
90 |
90 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
40 |
50 |
70 |
100 |
I see a 4½ stop real-world improvement.
Sunstars performance top
With a 9-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get great 18-point sunstars on brilliant points of light at moderate and smaller apertures.
Ignore the vertical smear at large apertures. This is a sensor artifact called interline transfer smear and is a camera, not a lens, defect.
Likewise ignore the crazy rainbow effects at small apertures; these are sensor artifacts caused by taking a picture directly of the sun and exposing for the dark underside of a huge palm tree, and using that same palm tree to hide the sky to accentuate the stars.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Compared top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
It's smaller, much lighter and much less expensive than other midrange f/2.8 zooms from Canon, and just as sharp. It doesn't feel quite as tough at the others like the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM, but that could just as well be from its light weight. I'm serious, compare the MTF of this lens with the MTF curves of the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L; they're the same.
Don't worry about the price; this is a premium lens optically as good as any of Canon's more expensive offerings, and is superior to the much heavier versions from Nikon and from Sony because this lens is stabilized and costs and weighs half as much.
The only other lightweight midrange f/2.8 zoom is Nikon's similar Z 28-75mm f/2.8, but it lacks stabilization.
User's Guide top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM. bigger.
Collapsing and Erecting user's guide top
Just twist the zoom ring past 28mm to the ● dot to collapse it, and back past 28mm to erect it for shooting. There are clicks, but no interlocks.
HINT: My R5 II locks up and won't even let me use its menu system until I extend this lens out of the ● collapsed position.
Manual-Focus Override user's guide top
Older EOS R cameras need a menu setting changed for manual-focus override, otherwise the focus ring is always ignored in AF.
Find the "Lens electronic AF" or "Electronic full-time MF" option in your AF menu (AF 6 in R5 II, R6 II, R7, R8 and R10, AF 4 in EOS R5 and EOS R6 or CAMERA 8 in EOS RP), and set it to either "One‑Shot‑> enabled," "One‑Shot‑> enabled (magnify)" or ON.
Canon should have it set this way by default, but they didn't in older models. No big deal now that I figured it out, and it usually works by default in newer cameras.
In ONE SHOT AF mode manual focus now takes over and stays wherever you set the focus manually, however in SERVO AF mode this setting lets the lens focus manually as you turn the ring, but as soon as you stop, the AF system takes over again and keeps tracking focus! Oh well, this is still a defect in all Canon mirrorless cameras. (This works properly in the Nikon Z system, Nikon's ahead here.)
AF - MF Switch user's guide top
AF: Auto Focus, with instant manual focus override in ONE SHOT AF if set. Even though it will usually focus manually in SERVO AF, the AF system takes over the moment you stop moving the manual focus ring.
MF: Manual Focus only.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
I prefer trading a slower f/stop for the longer zoom range of a 24-105mm, or ideally my favorite lens is my RF 24-240mm IS STM, either of which cost less than this lens.
However if you want a lightweight f/2.8 midrange zoom for lower light action, cleaner shots at lower ISOs or love its excellent bokeh effects, this lens is ultralight and ultrasharp. You can't lose, so long as only going to 70mm is good for you. Personally I still love the range of my original EF 28-135mm IS USM, but that's just me. I have a steady hand and don't often shoot action, so I prefer range over a fast f/stop.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap (exactly like an iPhone) so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the nearly indestructible Hoya multicoated HD3 67mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, the Nikon 67mm NC (No Color/Neutral Clear), Hoya 67mm NXT Plus UV and Hoya 67mm UV MC are all excellent filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd use an uncoated 67mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 50 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s! The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt, and you'll be using it long after you've thrown this lens away in 50 years.
I got my RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these stores since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
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