Canon RF 24

The Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM ($299.99) joins the RF lens library as the smallest, cheapest zoom with full-frame coverage. It's Canon's version of a lens we've already seen for Nikon cameras, the Nikkor Z 24-50mm F4-6.3, and it shares many qualities, both good and bad. The compact design and stabilized optics are nice touches for sure, but the restrictive zoom range and dim maximum aperture ultimately limit its potential. For just $100 more, we recommend the RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM ($399) for its greater versatility and better macro capabilities.

The RF 24-50mm is one of the smallest zooms you can find for a full-frame camera, a result of its modest zoom range, limited light-gathering capability, and retractable design. At just 2.3 by 2.7 inches (HD) and 7.4 ounces, it's easy to slide into a camera bag where it won't weigh you down. The inner barrel telescopes out by a little more than an inch before it can take a photo. The 13.9-ounce 24-105mm F4-7.1 isn't really heavy either, but it's still bigger than the 24-50mm with its 3.5-by-3.0-inch frame.

We already mentioned Nikon's similar Z 24-50mm ($399.95) as an alternative for photographers who use Z system cameras. Sony also has a small zoom for its popular E-mount system, the FE 28-60mm F4-5.6. Sony's take sacrifices some wide-angle coverage for a bit more zoom power and a slightly brighter maximum aperture, but it's pricier at $500.

The lens construction is certainly consumer-grade, but not shoddy. Canon uses a polycarbonate material that's similar in weight to that of high-end options like the RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM. One major difference, however, is that the RF 24-50mm omits dust and splash protection. Canon includes its basic anti-reflective Super-Spectra coating, but the glass does not include anti-smudge fluorine.

The plastic mount is a weak point—most of Canon's consumer-grade lenses use metal bayonets—but it should be sturdy enough to handle the featherweight optics. The heavier RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 uses a metal mount, for comparison.

A retractable zoom design is not exactly novel, but it still saves space in your camera bag. Extending and retracting the lens by twisting it feels easy and smooth; I'm glad there's no fiddly push-button lock to deal with here.

However, the mechanism inside the lens that tells the camera that the optical block is extended and ready to snap photos is imprecise, so you might occasionally encounter a message in the viewfinder that says "Set the lens to the shooting position," even after you ratchet the lens to its 24mm setting. If you run into this issue, a slight nudge on the zoom ring should solve it, but it's a sign that the construction tolerances here aren't as strict as with an L series zoom.

Canon ships the lens with front and rear lens caps but doesn't bundle a hood or a carrying case. If you want to add a hood, the 24-50mm is compatible with the long-running Canon EW-63C ($24.95) accessory. The front element has a thread mount size of 58mm if you want to add a protective UV filter.

The RF 24-50mm takes a minimalist approach to on-barrel controls, with just two rings and two switches. The mechanical zoom ring sets the focal length and is identifiable by touch thanks to its ridged plastic finish. The manual focus ring sits just ahead and has a knurled diamond pattern. The focus ring also serves as a multifunction control; you can configure it to adjust EV, ISO, or another exposure setting. An on-barrel toggle swaps between manual, autofocus, and exposure control functions. A second toggle turns optical stabilization on or off.

We expect most photogs who use this lens to lean on its quick, quiet, and accurate STM autofocus motor. Focus breathing, an effect in which the angle of view blooms or shrinks along with a change in focus, doesn't show up at 24mm, but we did notice it a bit at 50mm. We don't expect anyone to use the 24-50mm for professional video projects, but it's a characteristic to note if you plan to use it for even casual recordings.

In terms of macro capabilities, the lens focuses as close as 11.8 inches for meager 1:5.3 life-size reproductions. The RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 performs much better here. It focuses at distances of just 7.9 inches to net 1:2 magnification. If you want a zoom that can get photos of flowers, insects, and other tiny things, go with the latter.

The 24-50mm offers up to four-and-a-half stops of optical stabilization on non-stabilized cameras like the EOS R8 and RP, and up to seven stops in combination with the stabilized sensors in upmarket options like the R6 Mark II. In practice, I was able to get crisp 1/4-second exposures handheld with the R8.

I paired the RF 24-50mm with the 45MP EOS R5 and Imatest software to check its resolving power. Imatest reports very good resolution (around 3,500 lines) with that high-resolution sensor. Neither stopping down the aperture nor changing the focal length does anything to improve resolution near the center or mid-parts of the frame, but you can get more detail toward the edges of your picture at smaller f-stops. Landscape photographers should take note that the corners are always a little bit muddy at wide angles and that sunstars appear mushy even at the minimum aperture.

If you use your camera to snap JPG or HEIF photos, you can enjoy results that are free of barrel and pincushion distortion. Distortion correction is integral to the performance of the lens and is not something you can turn off in-camera. You can sidestep these corrections if you opt for a Raw format, but just know that the lens shows fish-eye-like barrel distortion and doesn't even cover the entire full-frame image sensor area at wide angles. You could use this lens with APS-C Canon RF cameras too, but with the RF-S 18-45mm available for the same price, we don't see the logic in doing so.

I couldn't spot any significant false color in images. JPGs are free of both varieties of chromatic aberration, and Lightroom's automatic correction option takes care of the very slight false color I spotted in Raw test images from the 24MP Canon EOS R8 in the field.

You can achieve some background blur with the lens, but don't expect the type of softly defocused highlights you get with a bright prime like the RF 50mm F1.8 or even the fixed-aperture RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM zoom. Out-of-focus highlights are at least not ugly or distracting, however.

Keep in mind that the narrow f-stop means your camera will use a higher ISO in dim light (which often leads to more noise). But that's also a concern with the 24-105mm F4-7.1.

Canon takes a page out of rival Nikon's playbook with the RF 24-50mm; it's a near-clone of the Nikkor Z 24-50mm F4-6.3, with the same benefits and drawbacks. On the plus side, the RF 24-50mm is tiny, light, and affordable (especially if you buy it along with a camera in a kit). But a reduced zoom range and a piddling maximum aperture are downsides of the optical design. Better alternatives are available at a slightly higher price, most notably the $399 RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM, which has a broader zoom range, focuses closer for macros, and draws blurrier backgrounds (especially at telephoto focal lengths).