Canon RF 28mm F/2.8 STM

Canon's RF 28mm F/2.8 STM is a full-frame prime for the RF mount. It works as a slim, light companion for a camera you carry all day, adding little weight or depth to the outfit.

The 28mm focal length covers street scenes, interiors and travel views with room for context. F/2.8 keeps the lens usable indoors without flash. The trade-off is simple: the focal length is fixed, so you compose by moving closer or stepping back.

Canon launched this lens in 2023, and it is still in production, so buyers get a current design.

At 4.2 oz (120 g), this is a lens you forget is attached. It measures 0.97 in (24.7 mm) long and 2.72 in (69.2 mm) wide, so it adds hardly any depth to the camera.

A screw-in filter attaches directly and must match the 55mm front thread, a widely used size.

The fixed 28mm gives a wide view that still feels natural. Streets, cafés, markets and old-town squares fit without stepping far back. In small rooms it frames groups and furniture where a longer lens would not. It also suits people photographed in their setting, where surroundings help tell the story.

The F/2.8 maximum aperture gathers light for evening streets and dim interiors, so you can hold lower ISO. The same light lets you set faster shutter speeds for people walking past at dusk. At ordinary distances, depth of field stays generous, so backgrounds remain in context. Expect gentle separation of a near subject rather than heavy background blur.

Close focus reaches 0.8 ft (23 cm). You can lean in over a plate of food or a shop counter for a quick detail shot. Maximum magnification is 0.17x, so subjects stay modest in size. For most street and travel work, you focus at ordinary distances anyway.

The optics score here is 77 out of 100.

This lens takes a plain approach to features. There is no in-lens image stabilisation. In low light, handheld stills and video rely on a fast enough shutter speed, a higher ISO, or on any stabilisation the camera body provides.

There is no weather sealing either. For days out in changeable weather, carry a cover or wait out the rain. The front element also lacks a fluorine coating, so there is no extra layer to help shed water and oil. Keep a cloth handy for smudges.

None of this rules out everyday street work. It points to fair-weather shooting with steady handheld technique, rather than rough conditions or long exposures in failing light.

The optical design is simple: eight elements in six groups, with aspherical surfaces included. Aspherical surfaces are specially shaped to help correct optical faults, including distortion, which can make straight edges look curved. Wide frames of streets and interiors often include straight edges, so that correction is relevant. The construction score sits at 15 out of 100.