Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

As a lover of prime lenses, I sometimes run into the problem that I cannot move enough to properly zoom in on a subject. That's why I recently switched to the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. With this lens, I'm sure I can zoom in enough when I'm standing next to the sports field. I also use this lens to give my portraits a calm background. At 200mm, the background is already nice and out of focus because of the telephoto lens effect, and if I open the aperture all the way, then I am no longer bothered by disturbing background elements.

Ease of use I see a zoom lens as a lens made for ease of use. You photograph from one point and can thus adopt different points of view. That is no different with this 70-200 mm lens. The nice thing about this lens is the wide zoom range. At 70mm I simply photograph a portrait with surroundings, while at 200mm I zoom in on the details. And that in an instant. The zoom ring feels smooth and responds quickly, but fortunately not so fast that you change focal length at the slightest touch.

Diaphragm I hesitated for a long time between the Canon RF 70-200 mm f/4.0 and this f/2.8 version: there is a nice price difference. The f/2.8 is a bit heavier, but on the other hand it is brighter. That is the reason I chose this lens. That one stop light makes a big difference. Because of its brightness, I use this lens in several situations and I have less problems with noise in my photos.

Image stabilization The lens has image stabilization, which I really like when I photograph concerts. This way I can shoot with a slow shutter speed, so that I catch as much light as possible. That means that my aperture is set to f/2.8 and I prefer to work with a shutter speed of 1/60 sec. A combination that guarantees motion blur with a telephoto lens, if the image stabilization is not on. Fortunately, the image stabilization absorbs all shocks well, because I have only shot a few blurry photos.

I have had this lens for half a year now and in that half year this lens has become my most used lens for portrait and animal photography.

The lens is very sharp and photos can easily be zoomed in 1:1 without loss of quality. This gives you as a photographer more leeway to crop photos. Both added photos are zoomed in 1:1.

The lens is relatively light and very compact, making it easy to carry in a camera bag. I can carry the lens + camera on a shoulder strap without getting bothered after a while.

The image stabilization does its job well. Shoot handheld at 1/10 second with the lens zoomed in at 200mm? No problem. No motion blur visible. Especially in combination with the large aperture, this means that you can still take pictures in low-light situations.

The price may be a bit on the high side compared to other 70-200 lenses that you can also use, but I think this one is worth it.

Certainly not inferior to the equally excellent EF 70-200 2.8 L IS II USM, so highly recommended.