Podcast 67: Canon 28-70 Lens Experience

The Canon RF 28-70mm F2.0 L USM lens has been around for a while, but it was recently added to my lens arsenal as I update my equipment to mirrorless. It was purchased to replace the EF 24-70mm lens that I’ve used for numerous years and to this day is one of my favorite lenses.

Why did I take the plunge and spend a lot to get this lens updated?

Well… some of the events we have low lights and the lower aperture is another way to get these images to look better. Also, we’ve been using the EF-RF adapter and even though they do a great job, there always felt to be a little lag when using it on the Canon R5 mirrorless.

There are lots of videos/podcasts that go over all the specs, but I’ll do a quick and dirty.

Key specifications:

·         Full-frame format

·         Available in RF-mount only

·         Aperture range F2–F22

·         95mm filer thread

·         Minimum focus distance: 0.39m (1.28 ft)

·         Weight: 1430 grams (3.15 lbs)

The weight, which we all seem to here about is surprising at first but as I got to use this in various events I didn’t notice.  During the last few months, the camera was used in the following events

-          Cheer

-          Dance

-          Powder Sessions

-          Senior Sessions

-          Studio Images

 

After working with it and taking thousands of shots, I’m ready to go over my thoughts.

The RF 28-70 Lens takes beautiful images with great color and excellent handling of distortion at the wider end of the lens.  In action shots, zooming in and out, there was great sharpness – maybe a slight drop at 2.0 but in low light situations it seems to happen. Either way, the images came out and were what we needed.

 

RF 28-70 2.0L and focusing

Comparing it to the 24-70mm with the EF adapter, the 28-70 is lightning quick in focusing. This is important for us during live events, since we don’t get second chances during performances. When set to infinity, the RF 28-70 2.0L can focus on an object at the nearest focusing distance faster than I’m able to time it. When we were at the dance recital, I also noticed the lens was quiet and noiseless when going to electronic shutter.

Who Should/Shouldn’t buy the RF 28-70 2.0L?

This is a great action/sports photographers that need a versatile lens. It’s great in low light, clear images.  More then likely, I’d add wedding photographers into the mix as the lens will more then likely fit their needs.

Cost of the RF 28-70 2.0L

The Canon RF 28-70 is expensive. At $2899, it’s nearly twice the price of the Canon RF 24-70 2.8.

Conclusion

I love this lens, but it fit into the category of various uses that made our images better in lower light settings.  The 24-70 is also a great lens and half the cost but we were looking for a bit more pop in the lens. If you have a smaller budget, there’s nothing wrong in the

That said, if you use anything other than the EOS R (obviously), or have an EOS R but you want a wide-mid zoom lens that is incredibly sharp while not needing the extra stop of light of the 2.0 aperture, I’d recommend the Canon 24-70 2.8 instead. It retails for $1699, is much lighter, a little smaller, and takes images that are just as good.

In the end, the Canon RF 28-70 2.0L is a great lens, but it’s a little soft at f/2.0, and while it’s great at 2.8 and above, it doesn’t offer much that the Canon 24-70 2.8L II doesn’t. So while this lens is good enough, probably the best lens in its class, it’s likely not good enough to justify its $3000 price tag for most photographers. But if you’re looking for the best wide-mid range zoom lens ever made, this is it.

Pros

• Very well built

• Fast f/2.0 aperture

• Quick focus in live events

• Great image quality

Cons

• Big and heavy

• Expensive