It’s not an overstatement to say that Canon has built its reputation on its expertise in lenses. Since the company began producing its own lenses for Canon cameras in mid-1947, it has pioneered many innovations, including the world’s first 10X zoom lens, the first lenses to include optical image stabilization, and the first super-telephoto lens to include a built-in tele-extender.

Indeed, it’s not widely known that Canon was one of the very first companies to offer autofocus lenses, even before the EOS system was introduced. The company produced a total of four AF lenses for its FD-mount cameras. Only one, the FD 35-70mm f/4 AF, worked on all Canon FD cameras; the other three (a 50mm f/1.8, a 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5, and a 75-200mm f/4.5) were compatible only with the Canon T80 camera.

Of course, in the ensuing years Canon has also developed even more advanced camera technology, too, combining its proficiency in both optical and digital arenas to produce the new EOS R and EOS RP mirrorless cameras and RF-series lenses. Because of the quality of Canon optics, photographers who started out using Canon camera bodies and lenses have tended to hang onto their lenses for many years, even as they upgraded to newer camera bodies with more features. Indeed, many of us have stuck with the Canon brand at least partially because we were able to use our existing kit of lenses with our latest and greatest camera. After all, an enthusiast’s optics collection can easily have cost many times the price of the body itself.

Potential compatibility with older EF and EF-S lenses is part of what makes the EOS RP’s all-new RF mount so interesting and exciting. Canon has sold more than 140 million EF lenses, and millions more are available from third parties like Tamron, Sigma, and Tokina. A large number of them are compatible with your new camera, thanks to the three mount adapters I’ll be discussing later in this chapter.

So, introducing the brand-new RF-mount for Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera could have been a risky proposition, and perhaps not worth the possibility that current Canon owners might migrate instead to a different mirrorless platform, including current industry leader Sony and full-frame rivals Nikon, Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma. Fortunately, Canon anticipated this possibility, and announced the three Canon mount adapters at the same time as the EOS RP camera. The availability of these adapters was essential to the success of the R and RP cameras for these reasons:

• Dearth of native lenses. The adapter compensates for the tiny number of native RF-mount lenses available for the EOS RP at introduction. Only four lenses were available, all previously introduced with the RP’s upscale sibling, the EOS R: the RF 28-70mm f/2L, RF 24-105mm f/4L, RF 50mm f/1.2L, and RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM. (I’ll decipher Canon’s lens nomenclature later in this chapter.) In February 2019, with the unveiling of the EOS RP, six additional lenses were slated for availability by the end of the year: the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM, RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM, RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM, RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, RF 85mm f/1.2 USM DS (“defocus smoothing”), and RF 85mm f/1.2L USM. Scheduled for 2020 are an RF 24mm f/1.4L USM and RF 135mm f/1.8L.

  Note that most of the announced lenses have L (Luxe) designations, showing that Canon is serious about producing the highest-quality lenses for the new RF mount. However, even though native-mount lenses for the EOS RP are scarce, the huge number of legacy EF/EF-S-mount lenses—which many early EOS RP owners will already possess—allows Canon to introduce its additional RF-mount optics at a reasonable pace. Meanwhile, most of us are delighted we can use our favorite EF-mount lenses on the EOS RP or can purchase and use specialty lenses that may not be introduced in RF mount for some time.

• Current owner loyalty. Many current Canon dSLR owners have been coveting the lighter weight, compact size, and other advantages of mirrorless cameras, and while there have been some defections, a large number of us have been waiting for an alternative from Canon more suited to the enthusiast’s needs than the current EOS M line. (Although the EOS M5 is one of the most popular cameras in Japan, buyers in other countries have not been so quick to buy into the M-series.) Canon expects current Canon dSLR fans to make up the bulk of purchases for the EOS R and EOS RP. The three adapter options makes the adoption of either new RF-mount camera much more seamless and less painful.
• Technical innovations. Canon could have, perhaps, provided the EOS R/RP cameras with a lens mount that would accept EF- or EF-S-mount lenses without an adapter. However, that would have meant larger lenses, and the submitting to the technical restrictions imposed by the 1987-era legacy lens system. The EF-mount, designed for film cameras, has a 54mm “throat” and a flange to focal plane (registration) distance of 44mm. These dimensions impose severe restrictions on lens design, including the maximum size of the largest aperture, and the angles at which photons can approach the sensor.

  The RF-mount’s diameter is also 54mm, and the flange/registration distance a mere 20mm. The reduced flange dimension means there is plenty of room between the sensor and the rear mount of many lenses designed for other camera platforms to be accommodated by additional adapters.

• EF-S lenses on a full-frame Canon! Until the introduction of the original EOS R, it was impossible to use an EF-S lens (designed for the smaller APS-C format) on a full-frame Canon dSLR. Although EF-S lenses use the same lens mount, the rear elements of some lenses extend backward into the mirror box. All Canon’s APS-C cameras use a “half” mirror that accommodates this, but its full-frame dSLR cameras do not.

  Since the EOS R/RP have no mirror, all three mount adapters allow safely attaching an EF-S lens. The cameras automatically switch into 1.6X “crop” mode that captures only an APS-C-sized area of the sensor, as no EF-S lens will cover the full frame at all focal lengths. As a bonus, this automatic crop means your EF-S lens gets a 1.6X magnification boost, extending your telephoto “reach” (while reducing your wide-angle perspective, too). However, you end up with a 3888 × 2592 pixel, 10 MP image as a tradeoff. (See Figure 7.1.)

The current hybrid situation, in which there are not many RF-mount lenses for the EOS RP—but plentiful compatible lenses in the existing EF and EF-S mount lineup—means that this chapter will be a hybrid, as well. For this book, at least, I’m going to embrace both RF-mount and EF/EF-S-mount products, so that I can explain the real-world options—especially to those who may be new to the Canon world. After all, even if you did not own any Canon lenses when you purchased your EOS RP, you probably will consider both types as you expand your optical horizons, because RF mount and legacy lenses work seamlessly with your camera. A vast number of affordable pre-owned EF/EF-S-mount lenses are available from sources like www.keh.com.

Figure 7.1 The EOS RP’s 1.6X crop option yields a magnification boost, but only a 10-megapixel image.

Later in this chapter, I’ll have more details on how adapted lenses work with the EOS RP and the three mount adapters. It’s true that there is a mind-bending assortment of high-quality lenses available to enhance the capabilities of your camera. These lenses can give you a wider view, bring distant subjects closer, let you focus closer, shoot under lower-light conditions, or provide a more detailed, sharper image for critical work. Other than the sensor itself, the lens you choose for your EOS RP is the most important component in determining image quality and perspective of your images. This chapter explains how to select the best lenses for the kinds of photography you want to do.

Your First Lenses

Back in ancient times (the pre-zoom, pre-autofocus era before the mid-1980s), choosing the first lens for your camera was a no-brainer: you had few or no options. Canon cameras (which used a different lens mount in those days) were sold with a 50mm f/1.4, a 50mm f/1.8, or, if you had deeper pockets, a super-fast 50mm f/1.2 lens. It was also possible to buy a camera as a body alone, which didn’t save much money back when a film SLR like the Canon A-1 sold for $435—with lens. This explains why, during my photojournalist days, I owned 12 film camera bodies and eight 50mm f/1.4 lenses.

Today, your choices are more complicated, and Canon lenses, which now include zoom, autofocus, and, more often than not, built-in image stabilization (IS) features, tend to cost a lot more compared to the price of a camera. (Adjusted for inflation, that $435 A-1 costs more than $1,000 in today’s dollars.)

The Canon EOS RP is frequently purchased with a lens, even now, usually the new Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens introduced with the camera in 2018 (see Figure 7.2). It has image stabilization, almost no vignetting in the corners, a 9-blade circular aperture with incredible bokeh (creamy background blur), and a coating that does a better job of reducing flare and ghost images.

Figure 7.2 The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens is often packaged with the EOS RP in a kit.

It compares favorably with Canon’s EF-mount version with roughly the same optical and mechanical specifications, but it is significantly smaller and lighter.

However, the EOS RP can also be purchased with other lenses or in a body-only configuration, because advanced shooters and professionals may buy several bodies in order to have a backup, and don’t need a kit lens for every body they purchase.

If you are switching platforms and don’t already own a lens compatible with your EOS RP, you can’t go wrong with the 24-105mm optic. Many photographers, especially old-school film shooters, prefer working with prime (fixed focal length) lenses as much as they can, and may prefer a “normal” lens, like the RF 50mm f/1.4L ($2,299 MSRP).

So, depending on which category you fall into, you’ll need to make a decision about what lens to buy, or decide what other kind of lenses you need to fill out your complement of Canon optics. This section will cover “first lens” concerns, while later in the chapter we’ll look at “add-on lens” considerations. When deciding on your initial lens purchases, there are several factors you’ll want to consider:

• Cost. You might have stretched your budget a bit to purchase your EOS RP, so you might want to keep the cost of your add-on lenses fairly low. Even if you already own many EF/EF-S optics, I don’t recommend buying only a body and trying to work only with legacy lenses and a mount adapter, even though that would be the lowest-cost way of building a fledgling EOS RP system. The RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens will set you back only $450, and some retailers are packaging it in an EOS RP kit. But if you need multiple focal lengths and want to cut costs, the 24-105mm lens is the best way to go.
• Zoom range. If you have only one lens, you’ll want a fairly long zoom range to provide as much flexibility as possible. As I write this, only two RF-mount zooms are available. Again, the 24-105mm has been the best bet since the EOS RP was introduced; the awesome RF 28-70mm f/2L has a useful, but much more limited zoom range, and is saddled with a $3,000 price tag. By the time this book is published, prices for the other zooms slated for introduction may be known, but the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM and RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM seem like the best bets for everyday shooting, people pictures, and some types of sports. The RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM has the longest zoom range among announced lenses.
• Adequate maximum aperture. You’ll want an f/stop of at least f/3.5 to f/4 in any lens you buy to allow shooting under fairly low-light conditions. The thing to watch for is the maximum aperture when the lens is zoomed to its telephoto end. You may end up with no better than an f/6.3 maximum aperture. That’s indeed the case with the RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 optic. That’s not great, but you can often live with it.
• Image quality. Your starter lens should have good image quality, befitting a camera with 26 MP of resolution, because that’s one of the primary factors that will be used to judge your photos.
• Size matters. A good walking-around lens is compact in size and light in weight. My favorite, the 24-105mm f/4 isn’t tiny, but having it mounted on the camera most of the time isn’t a burden, either. Considering its image quality and zoom range, I think it’s worth every ounce.
• Fast/close focusing. Your first lens should have a speedy autofocus system (which is where the ultrasonic motor/USM or STM found in nearly all current moderately priced lenses is an advantage). Close focusing (to 12 inches or closer) will let you use your basic lens for some types of macro photography.

Canon RF-Mount Lenses

If you don’t own many EF/EF-S lenses, or want to use RF-mount optics as much as possible, you should pay attention to Canon’s RF “lens road map,” which lists current and announced lenses that are available or in development (and expected for delivery between now and 2021). Here’s a quick overview, based on what we know now:

• RF 28-70mm f/2L USM. This $3,000 lens has a useful focal length from modest wide-angle to short telephoto and a fast f/2 constant aperture, which means you can use it for everything from architecture and street photography to indoor sports and portraiture. It focuses down to about 1.28 feet and has nine rounded diaphragm blades for excellent bokeh (defocused highlights). This lens’s customizable Control Ring is built-in, so you can adjust exposure settings, including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation without removing your hands from the lens. It’s hefty at more than three pounds, and that wide aperture calls for expensive 95mm filters. There’s no image stabilization, which can be a drawback in low-light situations where you’ll be using longer shutter speeds.
• RF 24-105mm f/4L. This all-around lens costs about $1,100 if purchased separately, and does feature five-stop image stabilization to minimize the effects of camera shake. Its hybrid autofocus system (which includes both USM and STM components; see my explanation later in this chapter) allows near-silent AF and full-time manual focus adjustments in One-Shot mode. It focuses down to roughly 18 inches for close-up work, uses “standard” 77mm filters, and has the configurable Control Ring.
• RF 50mm f/1.2L USM. At $2,300, this lens is pricey for a fixed focal length (“prime”) lens, but it has exquisite image quality, even wide open at f/1.2. It has the customizable control ring and weather-resistant sealing found in typical Canon L-series lenses. While this normal lens has no image stabilization, its fast f/1.2 maximum aperture allows you to use faster shutter speeds in many situations. It weighs about 2 pounds, and uses the standard 77 filter size.
• RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM. This is the least expensive RF-mount lens available as this book is written, at about $500, and it’s not an L lens, but it has a lot to offer, including a fast maximum aperture which, combined with five-stop image stabilization, makes it a great lens for low-light street photography. You’ll find the Control Ring especially useful for changing exposure settings on-the-fly in stealth shooting situations. As a macro lens, it has close focusing down to about 6.7 inches for half life-size reproduction. The quiet STM motor is smooth and accurate, making it especially suitable for video. It’s a lightweight lens, too, at about 11 ounces and measuring about 3 × 2.5 inches when mounted on the EOS RP.
• RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM. This lens is likely to be one of the first of the additional RF-mount optics to be introduced, probably not long after this book is published. Price and other details are unknown at this point, but its 15-35mm focal length and f/2.8 maximum aperture are likely to be perfect for landscape and architectural photography (particularly interiors). Those engaged in street photography may find it to be their ideal walk-around lens.
• RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM. I’m always wary of extreme zooms, which tend to embrace a broad range of focal lengths, while being a master of none. But given the optical design flexibility the new RF mount offers, this lens could be a winner. It’s likely to be very heavy, and obviously is quite slow (f/6.3) at the 240mm zoom setting. Other vendors have positioned lenses with these specs as moderately priced walk-around optics, while some have designed them as more upscale lenses for video production. We’ll see.
• RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM. This lens looks as if it may be a moderately priced general-purpose zoom. (I’ve got my fingers crossed for a price in the $1,800–$2,200 range.) However, it is an L lens and includes the image stabilization that its 28-70mm f/2 sibling lacks, and so may be more expensive than I expect. It should be smaller, though, and more suitable for everyday use with a compact camera like the EOS RP.
• RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. In the Canon EF realm, there are three lenses that are considered the “holy trinity” of must-have optics. The set generally includes the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II USM, and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lenses. The more compact RF version of the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is likely to be one of the most popular among working pros, who will use it for everything from portraits to sports. Expect it to cost from $2,200–$3,000, and be worth every penny.
• RF 85mm f/1.2L USM. Every Canon photographer I come in contact with who does fashion or portrait photography owns the EF-mount 85mm f/1.2 lens. This version for the EOS RP should be a virtual cream machine in terms of background bokeh, is sharp enough wide open to allow stunning selective focus effects, and focus close enough for tight face-only portraiture. I know early adopters of the EOS RP are already drooling over this one, which was introduced early in May 2019, and priced at $2,699. It’s the first RF lens to feature Canon’s Blue Spectrum Refractive (BR) optics, which are elements placed between concave and convex elements to eliminate longitudinal chromatic aberration (the leading cause of purple and green fringing). It also has Canon’s Air Sphere Coating (ASC) to minimize flare and ghosting.
• RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS. Price is likely to be no object for this upscale version, too, which is promised to include Canon’s defocus smoothing technology, which will provide even better bokeh, and, possibly, the ability to adjust the effect as you shoot. Expect well-heeled portrait photographers to snap this one up as soon as it appears. Canon said in May 2019, that this lens is still under development.

Using Adapted Lenses

As I noted at the beginning of the chapter, Canon wisely elected to provide the ability to use legacy EF and EF-S lenses on the EOS RP, with full compatibility with image stabilization, autofocus, and autoexposure. The key to using your existing lenses (or new EF-mount optics you decide to purchase because no RF equivalent is available) are three mount adapters, which I’ll describe shortly.

The adapters are your entry to relatively inexpensive, high-quality EF lenses, which have been in production since 1987 and are easily found in excellent condition on the used market. (I own a large number of EF lenses that I bought from keh.com in Smyrna, Georgia.) Perhaps you need a fast 50mm lens and aren’t ready to pay the $2,000 tariff on the RF model. The 50mm f/1.8 II EF lens pictured in Figure 7.3 is available in Excellent-Plus condition at keh.com for $89. I purchased the 100-300mm f/5.6 Macro EF lens seen in Figure 7.4 for only a few hundred bucks. Lenses that don’t date back to the EOS dark ages, like the current model 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III lens pictured (at the 75mm zoom position at left, and extended to 300mm at right) in Figure 7.5 are available brand new for less than $200. Usable lenses don’t have to empty your wallet.

Even if you currently own no Canon lenses at present, you can’t ignore the value of using adapted lenses. It’s certain that lenses that some photographers absolutely must have will be slow in coming to the RF system, or may be prohibitively expensive. So, you may want to purchase an EF lens to get the features you need, or because the EF equivalent can be had for much, much less in the used equipment market. For example, Canon’s array of perspective control (TS-E) tilt-shift lenses may be moderately easy to release in RF-mount configurations, because those lenses are manual focus and would not require re-engineering to incorporate AF features. However, demand for such specialized optics among EOS RP owners is likely to be low enough that any RF perspective control optics may be very slow in coming. While TS-E lenses are not cheap, they are available from time to time in excellent condition, used.

Figure 7.3 Canon’s EF 50mm f/1.8 lens is an affordable “normal” lens.

Figure 7.4 A legacy lens like this 100-300mm zoom can offer an affordable telephoto option.

Figure 7.5 Canon offers affordable current telephoto zooms like this 75-300mm lens, shown in retracted (left) and extended (right) positions.

Another example might be Canon’s EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM zoom lens. This autofocus lens would be more difficult to convert to RF-mount, would probably enjoy only modest popularity, and is readily available as an EF lens for $1,250 or less (used). If you need one of these, why wait for an RF version—just grab the EF fisheye zoom, mount it with an adapter, and start shooting.

As I mentioned earlier, the three mount adapters also let you, for the first time, safely attach an EF-S lens to a full-frame EOS RP model. The rationale is flawed—you end up with a low-resolution (in these days) 11.6 MP image—but if you already have a large collection of EF-S lenses, you can use them with your EOS RP for as long as you decide to keep them.

Because the EOS RP’s registration distance is a scant 20mm, there is plenty of room to insert other third-party adapters aft of other vendors’ zoom and prime lenses, too. You’ll probably find an abundance of these by the time this book is published, allowing you to use Nikon, Sony A-mount, and even pre-EF-mount Canon lenses on your EOS RP with ease.

Canon RF-Mount Adapters

Canon announced three mount adapters at the same time as the EOS RP, each with different attributes. Your choices are as follows:

• Mount Adapter EF-EOS R. This bare-bones adapter costs just $99, and it has several useful characteristics. It’s lightweight (four ounces), but made of metal and its exterior design matches that of EF lenses. (Third-party adapters may include plastic or poorly machined parts, and look ugly.) It’s dust- and water-resistant, and like the other mount adapters, has all the electrical contacts you need for smooth operation of your EF and EF-S lenses.
• Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R. Priced at a modest $199, this version is the one you should definitely opt for, as it includes a Control Ring like that found on RF-mount lenses. Once you use the Control Ring, you won’t want to do without it. It’s only a fraction heavier than the basic adapter at 4.6 ounces.
• Drop-in Filter Mount Adapter EF-EOS R. You can purchase this adapter with either a circular polarizing filter ($299) or a variable neutral-density (ND) filter ($399). A thumb wheel on the filter holder allows rotating the filter to achieve the desired amount of polarization or neutral density. The ND filter can reduce light reaching the sensor by 1.5 to 9 f/stops (ND3 to ND500), although, like all the variable neutral-density filters I’ve used, color tinges and density irregularities can be a problem. Canon says these effects are noticeable at ND250 settings or higher. The advantage of using drop-in filters is clear (so to speak): while a large number of EF lenses take standard 77mm filters, some require 82mm or 95mm filters (or larger), or may not accept filters at all. With this adapter every legacy-mount lens you use can work with the same polarizer or ND filter.

Legacy Options

Any of the mount adapters will allow you to use the EF or EF-S lenses you already own, so you can shoot now, and expand later. Because this chapter is necessarily a hybrid—due to the current lack of RF-mount optics—I’m going to devote some space to summarizing some of your options.

One important thing to re-emphasize is that Canon has been producing EF lenses for a very long time, and some excellent lenses have been replaced with newer models, or dropped from the Canon lineup entirely. If you want to choose from the broadest variety of lenses at reduced prices, you definitely should consider buying gently used optics.

As I mentioned earlier, I highly recommend KEH Camera in Smyrna, Georgia, as a source for affordable used gear. I’ve purchased many lenses from their website (www.keh.com). Their prices may not be the lowest available, but you’ll save significantly from the new price for the same lens, and the company is famous for exceeding their own lens grading standards: the lenses I’ve purchased from them listed as Excellent were difficult to tell from new, and their “Bargain” optics often show only minor wear and near-perfect glass. For each lens you’re considering, you can usually select from three or more different grades, plus choose lenses with or without hoods and/or front and rear caps. Because of the ready availability of used and discontinued lenses for Canon full-frame models, I’m going to cast a broad net when making my recommendations for lenses you should consider. Canon’s best-bet lenses are as follows:

• Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens. Not everyone needs a wide-angle to medium telephoto lens, and this $799 optic is perfect for those who tend to see the world from a wide-angle perspective. It provides a broader 104-degree field of view than your typical walk-around lens (which usually starts at around 24mm), and zooms only to a near-normal 40mm. Its f/4 constant maximum aperture (it delivers f/4 at every zoom position) is large enough for much low-light shooting, particularly since it is sharp wide open. It focuses down to about 11 inches.
• Canon Zoom Wide-Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens. I couldn’t leave the latest version of this premium lens out of the mix, even though it costs $1,899. As part of Canon’s L-series line, it offers better sharpness over its focal range than many of the other lenses in this list. Best of all, it’s fast (for a zoom), with an f/2.8 maximum aperture that doesn’t change as you zoom out. Unlike some other lenses, which may offer only an f/5.6 maximum f/stop at their longest zoom setting, this is another constant aperture lens, which retains its maximum f/stop. The added sharpness, constant aperture, and ultra-smooth USM motor are what you’re paying for with this lens.
• Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Autofocus Wide-Angle Telephoto Zoom lens. If you can get by with wide-angle to short telephoto range, this older (“classic”) consumer-grade lens might suit you. It can often be found used in the $300 price range and offers a useful range of focal lengths.
• Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Autofocus Wide-Angle Telephoto Zoom lens. Discontinued only a few years ago, this lens is a little slower than its 28-105mm L-class counterpart, but it’s priced roughly in the range of the 24-85mm lens mentioned earlier and offers more reach.
• Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Image-Stabilized Autofocus Wide-Angle Telephoto Zoom lens. Image stabilization is especially useful at longer focal lengths, which makes this lens worth its $479 price tag. Several retailers are packing this lens with the EOS RP as a kit.
• Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Autofocus Wide-Angle Telephoto Zoom lens. If you want one affordable lens to do everything except ultra-wide-angle photography, this discontinued 7X zoom lens can be found used for around $250.
• Canon EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM Telephoto Zoom lens. This one goes from normal to medium-long focal lengths. It features a desirable ultrasonic motor. Best of all, it’s very affordable at an MSRP of $349.
• Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens. This fairly fast prime lens (less than $200) has the quiet STM motor, making it perfect as a wide/normal lens for video. It’s cheap enough to keep around as a “pancake” walk-around lens for street photography.
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens. If a “normal” lens is not your cup of tea for everyday use, you can skip Canon’s f/1.4 and f/1.2 options, and add this $125 lens to your kit for less than you might pay for a high-quality 77mm polarizing filter.

Ingredients of Canon’s Alphanumeric Soup

The actual product names of individual Canon lenses are fairly easy to decipher; they’ll include the RF, EF, or EF-S designation, the focal length or focal length range of the lens, its maximum aperture, and some other information. Additional data may be engraved or painted on the barrel or ring surrounding the front element of the lens, as shown in Figure 7.6. Here’s a decoding of what the individual designations mean:

• EF/EF-S/RF. RF lenses are those designed for the EOS R and RP. They cannot be mounted on any other EOS cameras, other than future mirrorless models not yet announced. If the lens is marked EF, it can safely be used on any Canon EOS camera, film or digital, but requires a mount adapter to use with the EOS R and RP. If it is an EF-S lens, it should be used only on an EF-S-compatible camera, or an EOS mirrorless model with a mount adapter. Again, if you use an EF-S lens on the EOS RP, the camera will automatically crop the image to 10 MP.
• Focal length. Given in millimeters or a millimeter range, such as 60mm in the case of a popular Canon macro lens, or 24-105mm, used to describe a medium-wide to short-telephoto zoom.

Figure 7.6 Most of the key specifications of the lens are marked on the ring around the front element.

• Maximum aperture. The largest f/stop available with a particular lens is given in a string of numbers that might seem confusing at first glance. For example, you might see 1:1.8 for a fixed-focal length (prime) lens, and 1:4.5-5.6 for a zoom. The initial 1: signifies that the f/stop given is actually a ratio or fraction (in regular notation, f/ replaces the 1:), which is why a 1:2 (or f/2) aperture is larger than a 1:4 (or f/4) aperture—just as 1/2 is larger than 1/4. With most zoom lenses, the maximum aperture changes as the lens is zoomed to the telephoto position, so a range is given instead: 1:4.5-5.6. (Some zooms, called constant aperture lenses, keep the same maximum aperture throughout their range.)
• DS (Defocus Smoothing). This is Canon’s terminology for technology that allows improved bokeh (out-of-focus highlights).
• Autofocus type. Most newer Canon lenses that aren’t of the bargain-basement type use Canon’s ultrasonic motor autofocus system (more on that later) and are given the USM designation. If USM does not appear on the lens or its model name, the lens may use the less-sophisticated AFD (arc-form drive) autofocus system or the micromotor (MM) drive mechanism. The newer STM designation indicates a stepper-motor drive, which is quieter and especially useful for video.

• Series. Canon adds a Roman numeral to many of its products to represent an updated model with the same focal length or focal length range, so some lenses will have a II or III added to their name. The revamped EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens is an example of a series update.
• Pro quality. Canon’s more expensive lenses with more rugged construction and higher optical quality, intended for professional use, include the letter L (for “luxe” or “luxury”) in their product name. You can further differentiate these lenses visually by a red ring around the lens barrel and the off-white color of the metal barrel itself in virtually all telephoto L-series lenses. (Some L-series lenses have shiny or textured black plastic exterior barrels.) Internally, every L lens includes at least one lens element that is built of ultra-low dispersion glass, is constructed of expensive fluorite crystal, or uses an expensive ground (not molded) aspheric (non-spherical) lens component.
• Filter size. You’ll find the front lens filter thread diameter in millimeters included on the lens, preceded by a Ø symbol, as in Ø67 or Ø77. One advantage of Canon’s L lenses is that many of them use 77mm filters, so you don’t have to purchase a new set (or step-up/step-down adapter rings) each time you buy a lens.
• Special-purpose lenses. Some Canon lenses are designed for specific types of work, and they include appropriate designations in their names. For example, close-focusing lenses incorporate the word Macro into their name. Lenses with perspective control features preface the lens name with T-S (for tilt-shift). Lenses with built-in image-stabilization features, such as the nifty EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom include IS in their product names.

More Interesting Optics

There are lots of interesting lenses that belong in your camera bag, and this chapter wouldn’t be complete without me mentioning some of them. The next sections will give you a quick summary of some potential objects of your Lens Lust.

The Magic Three

As I mentioned earlier, if you cruise the forums, you’ll find the same three lenses mentioned over and over, often referred to as “The Trinity,” “The Magic Three,” or some other affectionate nickname. They are the three lenses you’ll find in the kit of just about every serious Canon photographer (including me). They’re fast, expensive, heavier than you might expect, and provide such exquisite image quality that once you equip yourself with the Trinity, you’ll never be happy with anything else.

There are actually dual versions of each focal length, and I’ve arbitrarily divided them into two groups, the (relatively) affordable versions, and the deluxe, top-of-the-line trio.

The Affordable Magic Three

Neither lens trio is cheap, but these three lenses carry relatively reasonable price tags for anyone with the means to spring for a camera like the EOS RP. All of them share a number of attributes. All are full-frame L-series lenses; all have f/4 maximum apertures; and they each cost up to half the price of their top-of-the-line stablemates.

• EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens. This lens is often used as a “kit” lens for wide-angle shooters because of its moderate $799 price tag, but it can be an integral part of anyone’s three-lens kit. When I am shooting landscapes, doing street photography, or some types of indoor sports, this lens can go on my camera and never come off.
• EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens. The f/4 maximum aperture of this $899 lens isn’t truly a handicap, because it includes image stabilization. This lens is wonderfully sharp, and well-suited for anything from sports to portraiture that falls within its focal length range. It focuses down to 1.25 feet, so you can get decent magnification by moving close to your subjects at 70mm.
• EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens. Canon offers no fewer than four EF-mount 70-200mm zooms, and this $1,099 version is your best bet among the affordable alternatives. While you can also choose one of two others with an f/4 or f/2.8 maximum aperture (for $599 and $1,249, respectively), neither have image stabilization. Unless you absolutely must have the largest possible maximum aperture (or need to save some bucks), this one is the best overall choice. It is perfect for some indoor and many outdoor sports, on a monopod, or hand-held, and can be used for portraiture, street photography, wildlife, and even distant scenics. I use it for concerts, too, alternating between this lens and my 85mm f/1.2. It takes me in close to the performer, and can be used wide-open or at f/5.6 with good image quality. Its chief drawbacks are that it focuses only down to about 4 feet, and uses 67mm filters.

The Reigning Magic Three

It’s unlikely a new EOS RP owner will have around $6,500 burning a hole in their pockets, and it makes little sense to purchase the top tier of the Canon EF line. But if you already own these primo lenses, they can work very well with the EOS RP and a mount adapter. If their 6.6-pound heft seems like a lot compared to a lightweight mirrorless camera like the EOS RP, remember that this trio of lenses embraces every focal length from 16mm to 200mm, with maximum apertures of f/2.8 over the full range. The deluxe lineup looks like this:

• EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lens. The image quality of this $2,199 lens is incredible, with very low barrel distortion (outward bowing at the edges) and very little of the chromatic aberrations common to lenses this wide. It focuses down to about 11 inches, allowing for some interesting close-up/wide-angle effects. The downside? The outward curving front element requires the use of large, expensive, 82mm filters—of course, as the use of polarizers, in particular, would be problematic at wider focal lengths. The polarizing effect would be highly variable because of this lens’s extremely wide field of view. You could always use this with the Polarizer Mount Adapter and avoid the filter expense.
• EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II USM lens. This lens, at $1,899 MSRP, provides outstanding image quality thanks to its single Super UD lens element paired with two UD elements to minimize chromatic aberrations. But if you have the cash and opportunity to purchase this newer lens, you won’t be making a mistake. Some were surprised when it was introduced without the IS feature, but Canon has kept the size of this useful lens down, while maintaining a reasonable price for a “pro” level lens. It’s another lens that uses 82mm filters, making the Polarizer or ND Mount Adapter an attractive choice.
• EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. This $2,100 optic is many photographers’ all-time favorite Canon lens. I’m a telephoto/selective focus kind of shooter. There’s an older version, also with IS, for less, and, as I mentioned earlier, an f/2.8 version with no stabilization at all. But of Canon’s three 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses (which all take 77mm filters), this one is the sharpest, focuses the fastest and closest, and is more ruggedly built. You might end up making this your workhorse, as I have.

More Winners

Although all the five or six dozen readily available Canon lenses are beyond the scope of this book, the company makes a variety of other interesting lenses. Here are some of my favorites.

• EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens. Yup, a fisheye zoom. For a mere $1,249 you can buy the coolest lens you’ll own, and start capturing some mind-bending images, or just add some interest to a simple landscape shot, like the one in Figure 7.7.

Figure 7.7 Because lines at the center of the frame aren’t bent, some fisheye shots don’t look like fisheye images on first glance.

• EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM lens. A 400mm lens really comes in handy when shooting field sports, wildlife, and other distant subjects. This $2,199 lens is long enough and fast enough to prove useful in a variety of demanding situations. And, it’s a lot more affordable than Canon’s “exotic” lenses in this range, such as the EF 400mm f/2.8L II USM lens ($9,999). Although, at three pounds, this lens isn’t really the boat anchor you might think it is; you’ll want to mount it on a sturdy tripod (for wildlife) or monopod (for sports) to get the sharpest images.
• EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens. This exquisite lens is the perfect optic for head-and-shoulders portraits, with its remarkable bokeh, excellent sharpness, and shallow depth-of-field for selective focus effects. The $1,999 MSRP lens’s huge maximum aperture means you can hand-hold it for sports, portraits, or other types of shooting. As I write this, there are rumors that Canon is about to introduce an updated 85mm f/1.4L lens. Price and other specs are unknown, but the new lens is sharper wide open and has comparable bokeh; many photographers will be willing to give up the f/1.2 versions slight maximum aperture advantage for an all-new design.
• TS-E 90mm f/2.8 lens (or any other tilt-shift lens). Manual focus won’t bother you with this lens, because the most exciting capability of any tilt-shift lens is to let you manipulate the plane of focus in useful and/or interesting ways. Whether you want to correct the focal plane for architectural images, create “miniature” special effects, or produce unusual selective focus in portraits, these lenses offer interesting capabilities. The 90mm f/2.8 optic at $1,399 is relatively affordable, but Canon also offers 17mm, 24mm, and 45mm TS-E lenses for around $1,399 to $2,149.
• A macro. Canon offers an assortment of full-frame macro lenses, priced at less than $400 to less than $1,399, including the unique MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X macro for close-up use only (it doesn’t focus to infinity). All are non-zooms and they range in focal length from 50mm to 180mm, and one (the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM) includes image stabilization for handheld work. Choose your lens based on how close you want to work from your subject, and their closest focusing distance. Everybody needs a macro, especially for a rainy day when you want to photograph your collection of salt-shakers rather than venture out into the elements.