Interviewer: Is the RF lens really that fragrant?

From September, 20 18 to now, in less than three years, the RF card port lens has released 10 zoom lens,1fixed focus lens and two range extenders, which are excellent. Moreover, once the RF lens was launched, it received rave reviews and was in the limelight for a time.

So is the RF lens really that fragrant? Color Shadow Wuji specially invited Wang Yonghui, a human geography photographer, Chuck, a pet photographer and Su Xu, a landscape photographer, to chat with the RF lens group, which is known as "real fragrance".

Wang Yonghui

Human geography photographer, global photographer, photographer contracted by Xinhua News Agency, director of global photography in Zhong Yi.

Chuck

Pet photographer, photography lecturer, well-known cute pet blogger in Weibo, and manager of ONESHOT Image Gallery.

Su Xu

Landscape photographer, Getty images CN contracted photographer, chinese national geography co-photographer.

Mowgli: When the EOS R system was first released, some people said that "in order to use the RF lens, you should buy the EOS R body". Is the RF lens really so fragrant?

Wang Yonghui: The large bayonet diameter of 54mm, combined with the short back focusing distance of the RF system, has inherent advantages in imaging, and obviously feels the improvement of the overall image quality. Canon has greatly improved many previous lenses of the same specification. Taking 24- 105mm as an example, the most commonly used lens group has evolved from silver ring EF 24- 105 mm f/3.5-5.6 ISTM and red ring EF 24- 105mm f/4L IS II USM in the SLR era to RF24-/kloc-0 in the micro-single era. Aside from other technical parameters, the number of diaphragm blades has changed from 10 (even number) to 9 (odd number), that is to say, EF 24- 105mm has only 10 stars, while RF24- 105mm has only 18 stars.

Photography: Wang Yonghui

Kercha: If you want to pursue the best image quality and performance of camera products of the same level, you must buy new ones instead of old ones, because technology and technology are developing every year, so there is nothing wrong with this sentence in the question.

As an old user of R system, I think EOS R system and RF lens group are mutually successful and indispensable. In fact, shortly after the release of EOS R, I was lucky enough to attend a seminar organized by Canon and learned that RF lens and R system are cooperative. There is another thing that we should not know and pay attention to, that is, Canon not only considers the optical performance, but also has special design in terms of drop impact when designing R system and RF lens. I accidentally dropped my camera twice while shooting outdoors, but both survived. Since then, I have deeply planted grass on the R system and RF lens.

Personally, shortly after EOS R came out, I changed the equipment from the traditional SLR camera to EOS R system, which is also related to the animal subjects I usually shoot. Thin body and lens can make it easier for me to finish shooting.

Su Xu: It's true. In fact, the EF lens series used in my previous Canon SLR system is Canon's latest generation of EF lenses. When I use RF lens, I still have obvious feelings about the improvement of its performance and optical quality, especially after I have Canon EOS R5.

Photography: Su Xu

Mowgli: What percentage of three teachers use EOS R system because of RF lens? Can you elaborate on where the RF lens smells?

Wang Yonghui: EF lens is a SLR system with a long flange distance of 44mm and 8 electronic contacts; Radio frequency lens is a special microsystem with a short flange distance of 20 mm and 12 electronic contacts. From the optical design of the camera, shortening the flange distance is beneficial to improve the imaging quality, especially to improve the dispersion and loss of light around the picture, especially when shooting at the maximum aperture of the lens. With the increase of electronic contacts, more information can be transmitted more efficiently, which is also very important for improving performance. In addition, a multi-function control loop is added to the design of RF lens, which can be defined as adjusting exposure compensation, ISO sensitivity, autofocus mode, white balance and other functions, and the control is faster.

However, for photographers, the performance of the fuselage itself is still decisive. R system is more attractive because of its high-speed continuous shooting with high pixels, more stable anti-shake performance, improved video shooting and accurate human and bird eye recognition. R system with RF lens is of course the best combination. If you want to make it clear, what percentage of EOS R system is used because of RF lens? Personally, I think it is about 30%!

I think I will have at least 70%. The first RF lens I felt I had to buy was RF70-200mm2.8lsum. I really bought EOS R5 to match this lens. As a major element of RF series, imaging is not much to say. What attracts me most about this lens is its weight and volume, which can change my shooting experience.

Su Xu: Me too, 70%. The biggest feeling that RF brings me is that the improvement of image quality is a leap. I am a staunch fan of fixed-focus lenses. I have used several famous EF fixed-focus lenses before. Now we have replaced the corresponding RF50mm F 1.2 and RF 85 F 1.2 lenses, and the resolution improvement can be said to be very obvious. In addition, as Mr. Wang Yonghui said, the ability of lens to restrain dark role dispersion has also been greatly improved.

Photography: Su Xu

Mowgli: What are the most commonly used and favorite RF lenses used by the three teachers?

Su Xu: My most commonly used lenses are RF 35mm F 1.8, RF50mm F 1.8, RF 15-35mm F2.8 ... Because my job is to shoot short videos and pictures that need to be released quickly, the super wide angle that can quickly blend into all scenes is my favorite, because it is easier to shoot grand scenes, RF. I think the other two small fixed focus products are really worth the money. They not only have excellent picture quality, but also add macro and anti-shake features similar to RF35mm F 1.8, which is very useful when shooting videos. Compared with the EF version, RF50mm F 1.8 improves the visual quality, and adds my favorite control loop function, while keeping the price low, so let me shoot.

Photography: Su Xu

Wang Yonghui: Personally, I shoot more people and scenery during my trip. Considering the load and space arrangement during the trip, I tend to choose a lens system with thin and compact volume and wide focal length coverage, and the requirements for large aperture and fixed focus are not high. So RF 15-35mm F2.8L ISUM, RF 24- 105mm F4 L ISUM, RF100-500mm 4.5-7.1lisum are my three favorite lenses.

RF 15-35mm is an upgraded version of EF 16-35mm. Wide angle is an indispensable main lens for landscape photography, which is very important for strengthening the foreground and enhancing the visual depth and sense of space. The variable visual range of zoom lens brings great convenience to accurate composition. Moreover, the top wide-angle zoom lens like RF 15-35mm is a good choice in terms of image quality and detail performance. In addition, scenery photography often needs to install an antireflection mirror and a polarizer on the lens, and the RF 15-35mm design of plane lens can be easily realized. The aperture design of F2.8 is also more expressive for the details of weak light themes such as the Milky Way.

Rf24- 105mm F4 LISUM The focal length coverage of this lens is very suitable for travel, which reduces the frequency of lens replacement. F4 aperture is small in size and light in weight, and the landscape quality is good when the aperture is reduced. Thanks to the powerful low-light focusing performance and hand-held stability of the R system, I often use this lens to shoot some humanistic themes.

The focal length of RF100-500mf4.5-7.1lisum is longer than that of the traditional EF 100-400 100mm. When traveling, animals and birds are often photographed, and the focal length of 100mm is extended, which can be better while keeping the lens relatively small and light. At the same time, this shot also effectively simplifies the picture, eliminates the interference elements in the scenery, and is very versatile in subjects such as scenery, animals, birds, flowers and portraits.

Kercha: RF 24-105 mm F4 L IS USM is also my most commonly used one. Although this lens is a camera lens, it has strong comprehensive performance and is very convenient. At present, I use it more to shoot videos.

Also, the RF70-200mm F2.8 L mentioned above is USM, with excellent image quality and lightweight design, which makes me choose this lens more for location shooting. Lightweight design can improve the photographer's endurance.

And RF50mm F 1.8 STM. Although it is a non-red entry lens, it allows me to take a picture of a cat with a camera in one hand and interact with the cat freely with the other hand, thus taking wonderful and energetic photos. This shot is my usual choice when shooting in the shed.

Photography: Chuck

Mowgli: Do you have any impressive RF lenses that you don't use often?

Wang Yonghui: As soon as RF28-70mm F2 L USM was released, people wanted to start exploring it. The focal length of this lens covers the most commonly used viewing angles. Many classic fixed-focus lenses have been born in 28mm, 35mm and 50 mm The strongest feature of this lens is that it always has a constant super-large aperture of F2.0. At the same time, it has the incomparable flexibility of fixed-focus lens, and perfectly interprets the level of Canon's top lens in low-light shooting, Jiao Wai performance and image quality. The lens design of this specification is unprecedented. In portrait and still life photography, it is very expressive to emphasize the visual atmosphere brought by depth of field and space. It can be said that one lens replaces many top fixed-focus lenses, which is fast and flexible, eliminating the trouble of carrying multiple lenses to change lenses.

Photography: Wang Yonghui

Kercha: Like Mr. Wang, I also chose RF28-70mm F2 L USM. This shot should impress everyone. There should be no zoom lens that can achieve such a large aperture value. I have also shot many works with this lens. Although the lens itself has no anti-shake, it can achieve 8-level anti-shake on the R5 fuselage, which is why I said at the beginning that the R system and the RF lens are mutually successful. I once used this lens to shoot a short cat film with one hand, and the picture was very stable. In terms of still pictures, the picture quality is also top-notch.

Photography: Chuck

Su Xu: They are different. I definitely want to choose RF85mm F 1.2 DS. I used it seriously once, and I was impressed. The blur is invincible. Especially when the background is neon lights at night, with the soft transition of the whole picture, the blur becomes more hazy. I really like it. If I mainly shoot portraits, I must buy them. Unfortunately, I didn't have many opportunities to take portraits, so I didn't choose in the end.

Mowgli: As soon as the Canon EOS R system was released, several lenses with parameters out of the chart were introduced, such as F 1.2 large aperture fixed focus. What do the three teachers think of these shots released by Canon?

Wang Yonghui: EF50mm F 1.2L, known as "big eyes", is a legend in the SLR era and has become a mirror in the hearts of many portrait photographers. The standard focal length of 50mm has a "natural viewing angle" close to the human eye, so it will not be exaggerated like a wide-angle lens, and it is not necessary to shoot away from the model like a telephoto lens. Appropriate shooting distance is conducive to communicating with the model at any time, so that the model can enter the best shooting state faster.

The RF system reproduces this famous classic lens, which is relatively large in weight and caliber and has a powerful "mirror king" gas field. For such a lens, clear imaging, soft Jiao Wai blur, backlight and low light are excellent.

Relatively speaking, what makes people more curious will be the two lenses with the same specifications, RF85mm F 1.2 L USMD and RF 85 mm F 1.2 L USM. 85mm is also the golden focal length of portrait photography. EF 85mm F 1.2 L II USM was once named "the king of portraits" by many photographers. The lenses of this specification are often superimposed in many aspects, such as lens structure design, coating, etc., to ensure clear imaging from the center to the edge of the picture, to show the skin texture of the characters delicately, and to suppress glare under complex light. In creating a beautiful atmosphere and presenting gorgeous attractions, it can be said to be a portrait artifact.

Especially the DS (Smooth Defocusing) coated lens mentioned by Teacher Su Xu just now. It mainly makes the transmittance of the lens gradually decrease from the central part to the periphery, plays the role of smoothing the blurred outline, realizes different fuzzy effects, and has extremely soft fuzzy presentation.

Through the introduction of these three lenses, we can see that Canon recreates the classic lens with high EF voice on the one hand, and pays attention to the design changes in details at the same time, meeting more personalized needs of users, creating and leading the transformation direction of the whole industry.

Photography: Wang Yonghui

Su Xu: I think Canon is very good at laying out its own product line. As soon as it came out, the released lens series was either a portable and easy-to-use fixed-focus series of F 1.8, which made most fans affordable and comfortable to use, or it was a surprise. For example, several particularly eye-catching products such as F 1.2 and RF28-70mF2 belong to the look-up lens, which is to plant grass for consumers. I think these parameters of off the charts lens also reflect the bayonet advantage of EOS R system. Radio frequency lens is easier to design a lens with better parameters or lighter volume under the same parameters, which also leaves a lot of suspense. Will there be more surprising products for RF lenses in the future? At least I'm looking forward to it.

Photography: Su Xu

Kercha: These shots show the advantages of Canon R system, break through the bottleneck in the past and provide more choices for everyone. Although I usually don't use too heavy equipment when shooting self-media content, sometimes it involves commercial shooting, and the imaging quality of these lenses has never let me down.

Mowgli: Just now, Mr. Kercha mentioned that Canon has introduced two external zoom 70-200 lenses, which are very small and make people shout "really fragrant", but there are also voices questioning that this external zoom form will affect the image quality and even protect the lens. What do the three teachers think?

Kercha: As one of the earliest users of the RF70-200 lens, I think this external zoom design is particularly useful. As far as the space of the camera bag is concerned, it is better than the original configuration, which sets off a small bag.

Su Xu: I used the lens RF70-200mm F2.8 for a long time when traveling in western Sichuan. My own experience is very good! The excellent size allows my storage bag to make room for at least one lens. I haven't carefully compared the image quality of EF version, but as far as I'm concerned, when it is used on R5 with 45 million pixels, its performance exceeds the chart in all aspects. I'm even in a trance. This is a zoom lens with a very satisfactory focusing speed. I can't find any faults.

I think if I have to say it, maybe the face value is not as scary as the EF version, and there will be a feeling of "little fat man". I was worried about protection at first, especially in the use of western Sichuan. There is no protection at all, and there is no UV mirror protection. On rainy days, I was naked and the sand was flying all over the sky, so I pressed the shutter desperately and took it home to clean it. It's as good as new. Now a new generation of Canon high-end lenses have antifouling and scratch-resistant coatings. Generally, the front lens is not a big problem. I've never seen dust in the endoscope group myself. It still needs to be used for a long time.

After F4 RF70-200mm came out, I was shocked. It is really too small. Its size is the same as RF24-105mm F4. It does not occupy the bag space at all, and the picture quality is unstoppable. I think this may be a direction of RF. The general specifications of lenses are miniaturization and lightweight, and then heavyweight players make super-sized lenses.

Wang Yonghui: The lenses of specifications such as RF70-200mm F2.8L ISUM and RF70-200mm F4 L ISUM have a great stage in portraits, landscapes, documentaries, sports and many other subjects. As a classic focal segment, RF system best interprets the "micro" of specialized micro-system on these two lenses, making a breakthrough in designing smaller volume and lighter weight. In the past, most of the red circle lenses were internal zoom, while the two lenses of RF adopted telescopic external zoom, which realized large miniaturization.

Of course, intuitively speaking, the lens seal of external zoom is not as good as that of internal zoom. When shooting in desert, rain and snow, there will be concerns about protection and sealing. However, I think there should be many photographers who, like me, have used the lightweight telephoto lens EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II for a long time, which was once one of the main lenses in my SLR era. I took it to photograph wildebeest crossing the river in dusty Africa, photographed dancing cranes in snowy Hokkaido, and chased wild animals in high altitude areas such as Ali and Hoh Xil. These conditions are complicated and harsh. It does not fundamentally affect the imaging and protection of the lens. I believe that the new generation RF70-200mm F2.8L ISUM and RF70-200mm F4 L ISUM will only do better than EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II in these aspects.

Photography: Wang Yonghui

Mowgli: The design specifications of RF 600/800 F 1 1 two lenses are very bold. What do the three teachers think of these two shots? What's the significance?

Wang Yonghui: It's really confusing to introduce two lenses: RF600mm F 1 1 is STM and RF 800 mm f1/is STM. This is an unprecedented lens specification, which can be said to be an innovative release brought by the design of RF card port with large aperture and short flange distance combined with Canon's years of optical design experience and manufacturing technology.

I think the reference objects of these two lenses should not be the traditional heavy artillery such as 600mm F4 and 800mm F5.6, after all, the size and price are very different. I have friends around me who buy and use these two lenses. Users value small size, light weight, reliable image quality and the flexibility of hand-held shooting. As far as scenery is concerned, the snow-capped mountains, the sun and the moon in the distance bring unprecedented visual shock under the telephoto of 600mm and 800 mm. For bird and beast photography, although the blur effect is difficult to match that of heavy artillery, it is light, flexible and cheap, which makes more people realize their dream of super telephoto. Many used scenes, under the super telephoto, will bring unprecedented surprises to users, both in detail performance and space compression.

Photography: Wang Yonghui

Su Xu: I think the launch of these two lenses is really a good opportunity for enthusiasts who have always wanted to try telephoto photography. When it comes to telephoto lenses, they are all "white guns" of 60,000 to 70,000. Most people have limited financial resources or physical strength, but the choice of telephoto zoom and extended-range lens really can't guarantee the image quality and focusing speed. The introduction of these two portable lenses has really made many people try the fun of ecological photography and even primary celestial photography.

Chuck: A friend who attended our seminar this year started shooting with an RF600mm lens, especially when shooting birds. The advantages of this lens are reflected. Although the aperture is only F 1 1, the long focal length can still be blurred well, and on the fuselage of EOS R5/R6, it can achieve level 5 anti-shake. Lightweight size and cheap price make more people feel the fun of telephoto shooting, which is the significance of these two lenses.

Mowgli: The two lenses mentioned above are completely different from Canon's design ideas in EOS era. So what do the three teachers think of Canon's diversification in the direction of lens design?

Kercha: I think the diversity of RF lens design benefits from the increasingly powerful functions and performance of R series fuselage. For example, if there is no anti-shake blessing, the two lenses mentioned above may only be used as telescopes, and with the emergence of EOS R system, the anti-shake performance is getting better and better, making many things that were thought impossible in the past possible. Now, you can enjoy the fun of "shooting birds" without spending a lot of money.

Su Xu: I agree with Mr. Kercha. The new EOS R system and bayonet give RF more imagination, which makes it possible for many designs that EF lenses could not have imagined before. I think this is the key to the differentiation of lens products.

In the past, it was nothing more than the image quality comparison and price comparison of different manufacturers under the same specifications. Now that we have completely different lens product specifications from other manufacturers, we can have absolute advantages in this segment. For consumers, Canon's attempts are also an opportunity to expand the direction of photography. More gameplay has been developed, and players who are tired of playing in previous decades can find new things.

Photography: Su Xu

Wang Yonghui: Nearly 20 years have passed since Canon launched the first digital SLR camera EOS 300D in August 2003. The progress and update speed of digital technology is extremely fast. Twenty years ago, no one could have predicted the technical height and market demand that can be achieved today. Limited by the inherent structural design of SLR cameras, Canon's more than 60 EF lenses can be said to have covered customer needs as comprehensively as possible. R system opens a new era, with brand-new bayonet and structural design, which opens a new window for RF lens and provides more possibilities to meet customer needs. Diversification gives users more choices in performance, price, volume and weight, which can better meet the needs of different travel routes and uses.

Wuji: In the last issue, when talking about RF bayonet, I mentioned that "compared with EF bayonet, the new bayonet makes the lens design more comfortable". So when teachers use RF lenses, do they feel that there are some performance improvements compared with EF lenses?

Kercha: The real improvements are:

1. Better anti-shake performance and focusing speed. Because the RF lens has more electronic contacts and transmits more information;

2. Smaller size and better picture quality. This is because the large bayonet and shorter flange distance design of RF make these possible;

3. A control ring is added to the RF lens. This makes the manipulation level more possible and can change the photographer's shooting habits and experience.

Photography: Chuck

Su Xu: The first thing is the improvement of resolution, from several hundred pieces of RF50mm F 1.8 to 1 10,000 to 20,000 pieces of RF50mm F 1.2 and 85mm F 1.2 lenses, which is really an all-round improvement. The shorter flange distance greatly improves the edge image quality of the lens. At the same time, the new bayonet has more electronic contacts, and the communication between the lens and the fuselage is better, which greatly improves the performance of real-time tracking and focusing.

Mowgli: Speaking of RF lens group, from September 20 18 to now, in less than three years, we have handed over 10 zoom lens,1fixed focus lens and two range extenders. Are the three teachers satisfied with this? How to treat the construction speed of RF lens group?

Wang Yonghui: It can be seen from the launching speed of RF lens that Canon has been in RF system for a long time. In a short period of time, not only the amazing compact and lightweight high-quality lenses such as RF70-200mm have been introduced, but also the ultra-conventional, lightweight and affordable telephoto lenses such as RF 600mm f1istm, and professional heavy artillery such as RF 400mm F2.8lsum and RF 600mm F4 L. Compared with any previous period, the RF lens group's.

Photography: Wang Yonghui

Kercha: As a Canon user, I have never complained about the lens group. After all, even without RF, there is a powerful EF lens group that can be used. Up to now, all my lenses have been upgraded to RF lenses, and the next one I plan to buy is a 100 micron lens with RF card port. The construction speed of RF lens group is so fast, which also brings me trouble. In the past two years, I spent a little more money.

Su Xu: I think as far as the existing lens is concerned, it meets the needs of ordinary consumers and professional photographers to a great extent. At present, Canon's RF product line is actually laid out at both high-end and low-end, but in fact, as the middle-end F4 zoom series and the fixed-focus F 1.4 series have not been launched yet, and RF70-200mm F4 is the beginning. I think Canon should make these two series in the mid-range next.

Photography: Su Xu

Mowgli: But many people still find fault with eggs. They think that there are too many lenses with repeated focal lengths in the RF lens group, such as four standard zoom lenses and three 85mm fixed-focus lenses. What do the three teachers think of this situation?

Su Xu: Actually, we look back at the product line of EF lens, which is also positioned in this way. There are many lenses with the same focal length, but in fact, these lenses correspond to different product positioning, price range and professionalism. Consumers can choose the appropriate lens according to their budget. In fact, lenses with the same focal length, different apertures and different prices will come out sooner or later. Canon only made a choice in priority, but did not choose all focal length lenses first.

Kercha: I think it's good to have more choices to meet people with different shooting needs, because not everyone needs to spend a lot of money to buy a top-level lens like Da Sanyuan. Light, heavy, cheap and expensive, there is always one for you. For example, I usually use RF50mm F 1.8, mainly because I like its portability. More choices are better than no choice.

Photography: Chuck

Wang Yonghui: Yes, this is definitely a good thing for users. Repetitive focal length means that you can choose it accurately according to your budget, size, weight and purpose. It is the manufacturers who should be worried about this problem. If so many lenses with repeated focal lengths are produced, they can meet the sales expectations, indicating that they have complied with the voice of users and met the individual needs of more users. If the market feedback is not ideal, there will naturally be some lens production cuts until they disappear from the market. In fact, for individuals, shots that they feel completely useless are likely to be "really fragrant" in the eyes of others! I believe that when designers and manufacturers launch a lens, they have conducted extensive market research and rigorous calculation. For manufacturers, there is no need to worry about this at all.

Photography: Wang Yonghui

Mowgli: It takes time to set the lens group of each system, and so does Canon RF. So what are the shots that the three teachers are most looking forward to joining the RF lens group?

Wang Yonghui: It's rumored that the RF lens will have two autofocus shift lenses, and the shift lens is the one I've always wanted to shoot. TS-E 17mm f/4L lens, as the shift lens with the widest focal length in 135 system, has become the leader among L lenses with its excellent lens quality, powerful shift control system and excellent workmanship.

For commercial building photography, shifting the axis lens can make the building not be distorted by short shooting distance, large pitching angle or wide lens focal length, making the shooting more rigorous. For landscape photography, we can easily change the perspective relationship in space, and control the depth of field through the clever control of the axis displacement system.

In 20 18, it has been rumored that there will be an updated version of TS-E 17mm f/4L lens, but it has never landed. Now it has entered the RF era, and it is rumored that autofocus has moved its axis. I especially look forward to these two special specifications of the lens.

Kercha: What I am most looking forward to is the 100 micron lens in the RF lens group, which should be available soon. It allows me to take photos of cats at close range, such as claws and eyes, especially cat eyes, which are as beautiful as the universe. I once took a close-up photo of a cat's face with EF mount's 100 micron lens, and the imaging quality was very good, so I am looking forward to a new generation of RF mount products.

Photography: Chuck

Su Xu: I'm actually looking forward to RF launching more options that EF lens group didn't have before. On the one hand, it will increase the freshness, on the other hand, it will realize more possibilities in photography. For example, the ultra-wide aperture of 14mm F 1.8 provides a reliable guarantee for starry photography or dark environment, and another example is the ultra-large aperture of1.4 or 200mf1.8 telephoto fixed focus, and the f2 zoom product line of 28-70 f2.

Photography: Su Xu

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