Canon RF 24-105mm F/4L IS USM

This Canon zoom covers 24–105mm for full-frame RF-mount cameras. It suits travel, events and everyday photography. One lens can include a room at 24mm, then give a portrait subject more of the frame at 105mm. Canon introduced it in 2018.

The broad everyday range can reduce lens changes during a shoot. The main trade-off is aperture: f/4 remains available through the zoom, but gives less light than a larger opening. Built-in stabilization helps with camera shake when photographing still scenes.

The lens weighs 1 lb 8.7 oz (700 g) and measures 4.22 in (107.3 mm) long and 3.29 in (83.5 mm) wide. That makes it a mid-size standard zoom for a full-frame body. The front takes 77mm screw-in filters, so a polariser for landscape work is easy to add.

The 24–105mm range frames most everyday subjects without lens changes. At 24mm you can take in interiors, architecture and group shots. At 105mm the lens makes the subject larger for portraits and details. Event and travel photographers work this way, reacting to scenes rather than swapping lenses.

The f/4 maximum aperture stays available as you zoom. You can keep that opening through a framing change, though a different part of the scene may need a different exposure. Indoors, f/4 can require a higher ISO to maintain enough shutter speed, especially when people move.

Closest focus is 1.5 ft (45 cm), measured from the sensor. That suits food and tabletop details. Maximum magnification reaches 0.24x at 105mm. The front glass sits closer to the subject than the sensor does. Leave space and avoid casting a shadow on the detail you want to show.

At 105mm, f/4 can soften a background behind a nearby portrait subject. More space between the person and background strengthens the effect. Stop down when the setting matters too. At close distances, check that enough of the face or object remains sharp.

The optical stabilizer provides five stops of camera-shake correction. It helps with still subjects by a window or outdoors at dusk, where a slower shutter speed may be useful. A moving person still needs enough shutter speed for their movement.

Weather sealing helps resist dust and moisture outdoors. Use cover in persistent rain. Fluorine coating makes water and oily marks easier to wipe away, which helps during field cleaning after changing locations.

The zoom lock secures the barrel at its retracted 24mm position for carrying. It helps prevent extension while the lens hangs from a strap. Release the lock before changing focal length.

The design uses 18 elements in 14 groups. Three aspherical elements help correct distortion and spherical aberration, which can bend straight lines or soften detail. One UD element helps reduce coloured fringes at high-contrast edges, such as backlit branches or a bright window beside a dark wall.