Our Recommendation
The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L is a relatively strong lens with a highly useful range of focal lengths, making it a great “first lens” for almost any full-frame Canon mirrorless photographer. It’s not without some flaws, but it’s also ahead of many midrange zooms in areas such as vignetting and distortion performance.
The real question is whether this particular midrange zoom is the right choice for you, or if one of Canon’s many alternatives makes more sense. If you need something cheaper, there’s the RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1. If you need more focal lengths, you might want to consider the RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3. And if you don’t mind spending more on a higher-end piece of glass, there’s no shortage of options – the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L, RF 28-70mm f/2L, and RF 24-105mm f/2.8L all might be calling your name.
Still, of all these options, I see the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L as the best balance. It doesn’t compromise too much on maximum aperture, and it’s also not a $2000+ beast that will weigh down your camera bag. For most full-frame Canon photographers, I think this lens makes a lot of sense compared to the alternatives.
Pros:
- Small and portable design
- Extensive weather sealing and good handling features
- Ultra-fast and silent autofocus with excellent accuracy
- Good close-focus capabilities
- Impressive distortion and vignetting performance relative to similar lenses
- Great value of $1000-1100 when bought as a kit
Cons:
- A little on the heavy side despite the small size
- Externally-zooming lens barrel that has some wobble at 105mm
- Weaker sharpness at the longer focal lengths, especially in the corners
- Relatively strong lateral chromatic aberration
- Non-kit price of $1300 is on the high side
Conclusion
The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L is a staple of the EOS R system, and it will most likely be that way for many years. While it doesn’t reach optical perfection, it is a well-balanced lens whose weaknesses can be worked around pretty easily. Still, I hope that Canon one day releases a Mark II version with better sharpness (especially at 105mm), less chromatic aberration, and no wobble in the telescoping zoom mechanism. That’s what it would take to elevate this lens to a gold standard.
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The next page of this review has some more sample photos from the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L, followed by reader comments on the final page. Use the Table of Contents below the star rating to jump to the section you want.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
- Build Quality and Handling
- Size and Weight
- Sharpness Performance
- Other Image Quality
- Value
Photography Life Overall Rating
Table of Contents