Yesterday I had the chance to play with my friend’s Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.
It’s a great kit lens, super versatile for all sort of situations. The optical quality is great, the auto focus is great, and the image stabilisation is great too. Comparing it to my EF-mount version, it actually performs slightly better; although I do miss the focus scale meter.

Like the other Canon RF-mount lenses, this lens comes with a third ring - a programmable control ring that you can assign to change different parameters.

Having used the classic EF-mount lenses, I’ve grown used to the placement of the focus ring and zoom rings being near the end of the lens. Using the control ring adapter on my EOS R, I can mount these EF lenses onto the body, whilst also gaining an extra control ring - which I personally use change the ISO. Positioned near the body of the camera, the placement of the control ring doesn’t interfere with my second nature to adjust the rings at the end of the lens. But with the RF-mount lenses, the control ring is located at the end!

Because of that, every time I reached out to try adjust the focus on the RF 24-105mm, I inadvertently touched the control ring instead of the focus ring! Being someone who doesn’t physically look at the rings or buttons on the camera when I need to change settings, this felt like a hindrance - as whilst I could train myself to locate the control ring then move one ring back, the extra time taken adds up…

Perhaps it’s just me, and I’m holding the camera lens wrong - but I don’t think I’d get along with the RF lenses. It will be interesting to see how third party manufacturers implement their RF-mount lenses, and whether they put the control ring at the front or end of the lens…