Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens

The first eye-catching attribute of the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens lies right in the product name. The 10x 24-240mm focal length range in a single lens is simply awesome, ready to ideally frame a very significant percentage of opportunities availed.

That this lens also provides high-performing image stabilization, has also-high-performing Nano USM AF, and has a nice, relatively compact design while bearing an entry-level price tag is equally awesome.

My standard reaction to a lens featuring a long focal length range, 10x in this case, is to question the image quality it delivers. As always, we’ll discuss image quality in depth in this review and while most of us place a very high value on image quality, image quality is not everything. For example, you are using the RF 24-240mm lens while your friend has chosen a 24-70mm lens because he/she argues that it delivers better image quality.

Then a fleeting 200mm opportunity shows up. Perhaps an eagle carrying a bright red salmon lands 30′ (10m) in front of you in perfect light. You immediately capture the first shot before your friend has his 24-70mm lens removed. In this case, the 24-240mm lens delivered much better image quality than the 24-70mm lens.

Fun is another factor that plays into this discussion. Most of us define photography as fun. . Most of us do find it fun to go out with a single lens and be able to photograph a wide range of scenarios.

This lens has a lot of convenience and fun built into it. This is a superb travel lens. This is a great lens for video recording. This lens is great  for a less-seriously-photographing spouse or child. There are a lot of additional reasons to acquire the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens.

All Canon RF mount lenses require a Canon EOS R-series camera behind them. The Canon RF lens series provides a significant number of reasons to desire one of these cameras.

Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens

 

Focal Length Range

This lens’ huge 10x focal length range, covering a range otherwise requiring at least 2 zoom lenses, does not narrow this selection funnel very much. This lens is suitable for an extremely long list of photography needs with ideal perspectives able to be covered in a large percentage of encountered scenarios.

At this moment, it seems easier to list what uses these focal lengths are not optimal for. With the ultra-wide-angles missing, interior architecture and some landscape uses may require a panorama technique when using 24mm. This lens will likely be found short for large field sports with significant cropping needed from 240mm captures. The 240mm full frame focal length is only marginally useful for wildlife photography, though large and/or close animals are fair game for this range. Your pets likely qualify.

Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens

The 24-240mm focal length range is especially superb for family and travel needs. I carried this lens on several of my workshops. One use that I found was at a car show I visited in Estes Park during some time between my Rocky Mountain National Park workshops (I was homeless for an afternoon).

This lens and the color it captured during that event was very entertaining.

I could zoom out and capture the entire vehicle or zoom in for details void of people.

That amazing grill is on the front of a 1942 Chevrolet truck. Below is the back end of a sweet Ford Shelby GT500, the view you are likely to have when on the track when racing against it.

This lens was equally entertaining in the harbors near Acadia National Park.

It also worked great inland at locations such as the Sommesville Bridge.

 

Max Aperture

The f/4-6.3 in the name refers to the maximum aperture, the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of the entrance pupil, available in this lens. Wider apertures (lower numbers) are always better to have available — until the price, size, and weight penalties are factored in. Want a long focal length range that includes telephoto lengths in a zoom lens without a large size, heavy weight, and high price? You are likely looking at a variable max aperture lens and the apertures in the variable range will not be too wide. That is what we have in the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens.