What an exciting prospect, a brand new set of lenses for a brand new range of mirrorless cameras, complete with a brand new mount. Canon are leading the pack as various marques storm into this new area of the market with competitive full frame offerings. So first up is the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM for the new Canon EOS R 30mp full frame mirrorless camera. Let's take a close look and see how this concept stacks up in terms of performance and also perhaps as an alternative to the traditional DSLR.

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Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Handling and Features

Starting our tour of the lens at the front, we have the usual bayonet fit petal lens hood. There is a release catch provided, so there is no chance that the hood will become detached accidentally. Within the bayonet is a standard 77mm filter thread. The overall exterior is very nicely finished and is weather sealed. The front and rear elements are also Fluorine coated to repel dust, grease and moisture.

Immediately behind the hood is a Control Ring. When the shutter button is half depressed this dial will change the aperture setting. There are situations where this could prove to be very convenient, perhaps reducing the amount of vibration that would ensure should the usual main dial on the camera be used during video shooting. This dial is provided with very smooth click stops.

Next we have the manual focus ring, electronically operated and beautifully damped. Just right. There is no distance scale, but in MF mode a scale is displayed in the viewfinder and on the rear monitor. There is no depth of field scale. Focusing is down to 0.45m, a maximum magnification of 0.24x, respectably close.

The final control ring is the zoom ring, clearly marked with accurate focal lengths. One excellent handling point is that towards the front of the zoom ring the diameter of the lens tapers down towards the camera body. This means that the ring can be found by touch, as can the focusing. It's a simple and clever idea.

Closer to the camera the barrel is plain apart from three switches. The lock switch prevents zoom creep whilst the camera is being carried. The AF/MF switch and stabiliser on/off switches are self explanatory.

Finally, we have the new bayonet mount. The register distance for mirrorless cameras is of course far less than for a DSLR as there is no need to design lenses with the mirror box in mind. Theoretically, lenses might be more compact and might even be better quality if retrofocus designs do not have to be used. There is little evidence of compactness here though, and the lens weighs in at a substantial 700g as well. It is a constant f/4 optic, and comprises 18 elements in 14 groups. It has a diaphragm of 9 blades. Built in IS (Image Stabilisation) is said to offer up to 5 stops advantage. The ring motor uses Nano USM focusing, which is virtually silent and very, very smooth. Zooms in video should be extremely stable.

The mount itself is very wide at 54mm and solidly retained by five fixing screws. This will enable the easier design of wide aperture lenses. The electronic contacts are within the lens throat, so well protected against accidental damage. The mount is not directly compatible with EF and EF-S lenses, but an adapter EF-EOS R is available that enables their use. It provides full electronic contact plus the necessary increase in register distance. There are no optical elements involved, so no reduction in optical quality.

The 24-105mm focal length range is a very practical one for full frame cameras, and especially as the wide end has been extended down to 24mm. It also focuses reasonably close, so all in all a very useful lens indeed, for a wide variety of applications.