The Canon RF 28-70 F/2 is the ‘jack of all trades’ lens you need in your kit if you’re a Canon shooter. In October I’ll have owned this lens for 2 full years and as it has been my “daily driver” for that time period I thought it would be a good time to do a shallow dive into why this is my favorite lens I have ever owned.
Let me start out by saying that I have owned a Leica and I did own a Leica 35mm Summicron lens considered by many to be the best lens of all time. While I enjoyed my time thoroughly with this lens, to me the 28-70 F/2 still beats it in terms of my favorite lenses of all time. I’m about to make a strong case for my affinity of this lens so I may acknowledge the glaring drawback of this lens, it weighs a TON. 3.15lbs to be exact but when you’re out all day shooting, that weight begins to add up. But what you get with that lens I think more than makes up for the drawback in weight.
This lens is basically four primes in one. Sure, at 70mm you wouldn’t entirely call that focal length an 85mm portrait lens but to me, if you take a step or two closer, the images are almost identical. Couple that with the creamy bokeh of F/2 throughout the entire 28-70mm range and you have a lot to like about this lens. With my use of it I’m usually constantly floating somewhere between 30mm and 70mm and I’ve been very happy with the results. I’ve found that this lens just makes sharp pictures no matter the F-stop and no matter the conditions. I’m constantly satisfied with what this lens can give me.
At the end of the day, gear is a personal choice and there are a myriad of factors that go into the purchasing of a new lens or new body. There are a myriad of reasons for a manufacturer decision or a lens decision and those are all completely personal. But to me, when you marry the fact that there are basically 4 prime lenses in one, beautiful bokeh, and sharp crisp images almost always, it was an easy decision for me to pick up this lens. At the bare minimum it’s something I recommend you rent and try out for a shoot or two just to see if you like it. Oh and skip arm the day before you do.