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Canon RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM
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Canon · 28-70 mm · f/2.8 · Canon RF mount

Canon RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM

From $1,249 — 1 offer
KEY FACTS
BrandCanon
Announcement dateSep 2024
Released2024
Production started2024
Production statusIn Production
What We Like
+Compact and lightweight at 1.1 lbs with fast f/2.8 constant aperture
+Excellent optical quality at wide to mid-range focal lengths (28-50mm)
+Whisper-quiet, fast, and accurate STM autofocus with minimal focus breathing for video
+Strong 5.5-stop optical IS, expandable to 7.5 stops with IBIS-equipped cameras
+Weather-sealed construction and weather-resistant sealing without L-series cost
+L-series level optical quality in compact consumer-grade package
Worth Knowing
−Corner sharpness degradation at 70mm, requiring f/11 to achieve acceptable corner resolution
−Retractable design requires manual extension before shooting
−No lens hood included despite $1100 price point
−Some moderate color fringing at f/2.8 wide aperture (though correctable)

General

Brand
Canon
Announcement date
ⓘ
Refers to the date the manufacturer publicly announced the upcoming release and general specs of this camera.
Sep 2024
Released
ⓘ
Refers to the year this camera was officially made available for sale.
2024
Production started
2024
Production status
ⓘ
Current status of lens manufacturing (e.g., in production, discontinued).
In Production
Read our notes on general
The Canon RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM is the smallest and lightest RF zoom lens with L-series level image quality. This lens offers a fast f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range, allowing photographers to work in low light and achieve creative shallow depth-of-field effects. The 5.5 stops of optical image stabilization coordinate with in-body stabilization to achieve 7.5 stops of correction, enabling handheld shooting in low-light conditions. However, at 70mm, corner quality falls apart with poor corner performance at f/2.8, making it best suited for wide-to-normal focal lengths and everyday creative work rather than telephoto detail work.

Optics

Minimum Aperture
f/22
Lens Construction
15 elements in 12 groups
Special Elements
2x UD (Ultra-Low Dispersion), 2x GMo (Glass-molded) aspherical
Min focal length
28 mm
Max focal length
70 mm
Focal range
ⓘ
Shortest to longest focal length of the lens (zoom range start - end )
28-70 mm
Zoom lens
ⓘ
Zoom allows you to vary the focal length, change between long shots and close-ups
Yes
Max aperture wide
2.8
Max aperture zoom
2.8
Blades
ⓘ
Number of diaphragm blades in aperture
9020
Closest focusing distance
ⓘ
Minimum distance for a subject to be in focus.
27 cm01500
Autofocus mode
Yes

Image stabilization

Type
Optical Image Stabilizer (IS)
Compensation (IS alone)
5.5 stops
Compensation (with IBIS)
7.5 stops at center, 7.0 stops at corners

Autofocus

Motor Type
Leadscrew-type STM (Stepper Motor)
Focus Breathing
Well controlled

Build

Length (Retracted)
92.2mm (3.6 in)
Length (Wide/28mm)
112.4mm (4.4 in)
Length (Tele/70mm)
138.9mm (5.5 in)
Design
Collapsible/retractable

Coatings

Lens Coating
Super Spectra Coating (SSC)

Physical

Front filter size
ⓘ
Diameter of attachable filters.
67 mm
Lens weight
495 g
Lens mount
ⓘ
The lens mount will tell you what type of lens range you can fit onto the camera body. Often the same camera company will have different lens ranges for different cameras.
Canon RF

Features

Weather sealing
ⓘ
Weather sealing capabilities will give you more confidence when shooting in unfavourable conditions.
Yes