Canon RF vs EF lenses: which should you choose and why?

The steadily growing Canon RF lens range, alongside the established, proven Canon EF lenses, gives photographers more options than ever before – and with the announcement of the thrilling Canon EOS R5, there's even more reason to switch to full-frame mirrorless. But how do you choose? Which type of lens is right for your photography? We talk to a pro photographer who uses both RF and EF lenses, and to a Canon product expert, to find out.

At the heart of Canon's groundbreaking full-frame mirrorless EOS R System, the innovative RF mount is designed to enable a new generation of optical technology, giving users new creative possibilities. For example, the range of Canon RF lenses now includes the RF 85mm F1.2L USM DS, the first lens with Canon's unique Defocus Smoothing coating, which delivers unprecedented smooth bokeh in out-of-focus areas.

But if you already have a tried-and-tested favourite EF or EF-S lens – or there isn't yet an RF lens with the particular spec you need for the job – you can use EF or EF-S lenses with your EOS R System camera with a choice of EF-EOS R mount adapters with absolutely no loss of quality or functionality.

Canon Ambassador, documentary filmmaker and 2016 Travel Photographer of the Year winner Joel Santos says adopting the lighter Canon EOS R System with RF lenses has made a big difference to his work. "I had invested a lot of money in EF lenses, and the design of the EF lenses released in the past few years has really been superb. But there are two reasons why I switched to the Canon EOS R: better performance and the unique qualities of the RF lenses. The biggest improvements for me are in Image Stabilization, control of chromatic aberration, sharpness, micro contrast, colour rendering, and – of course – the added features I didn't have before."

Joel adds: "My main concern when travelling – especially with airline restrictions – is how to reduce weight and bulk without compromising performance or a goal I need to accomplish. On a trip to cover the Voodoo Festival in Benin, for example, I could only take my main lenses – a Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM, a Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM and a Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM. But the fact that these lenses are so compact meant I could have two bodies with lenses mounted inside my bag, ready to go.

"The Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM is about a third lighter than the equivalent EF lens. It's very short when it's retracted, so it's very practical for packing, plus it attracts less attention when you are walking around, which is important for my style of photography. The Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM is a game-changing lens for me. I see it as a pack of f/2 primes – a 28mm, a 35mm, a 50mm and a 70mm – in a single zoom. If you add up the weight of all these separate prime lenses, and the time you'd spend swapping between them – not to mention the money you'd have to spend – you can see what a practical option it is.

"I was shooting a documentary in Niger during a sandstorm, so I couldn't risk swapping lenses – and one lens did it all. I ended up doing all my photography and video work almost exclusively on the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM. For me, this lens alone justifies swapping to the new system."

Using EF-EOS R mount adapters

When using EF lenses with a Canon EOS R, the standard Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and two further mount adapters bring additional functionality. The Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R adds a customisable lens control ring like the one on RF lenses, which can be programmed to adjust various settings such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation. In this sense, it gives you the potential to get even more out of your existing lenses.

The Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter EF-EOS R adds the ability to use drop-in filters, removing the need to fit filters on the front of a lens, which is especially useful for wide-angles with a large front lens element. It’s available with either a variable neutral density filter or a circular polarising filter.

"When you put an EF lens onto the adapter, the EOS R understands that an EF lens is attached," says John. "So there's no need for translation between one lens protocol and another – it speaks to the EF lens in its native language, meaning no lag in communication speed for AF, real-time Digital Lens Optimisation, and accurate real-time focus distance information, which is displayed in the viewfinder.”

All of this means you don't have to choose between lens types for your Canon EOS R System camera, but mix and match them to suit each situation. You can continue to use your existing Canon EF and EF-S lenses, and even enhance their performance and functionality with additional options such as the lens control ring and drop-in filters.

"I mainly use the Canon Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter EF-EOS R," says Joel. "The variable ND filter is fantastic when you're shooting video, but I have the polariser in place 90% of the time – even for portraits. It means I now have one polariser that fits all my lenses, and it's very easy to rotate because it's so close to the camera body.

"I often shoot in dusty environments, and standard filters can end up clogged with dust so they don't move any more. I'm always having to clean them, and this means they can get scratched, but with the adapter's drop-in filter I don't need to worry. I still fit a UV filter to the front element for protection when I know there will be a lot of dust or debris being tossed around by the wind, but I really don't like using them at all!

"Ergonomically, shooting with the adapter has been absolutely fine. Obviously it adds a little extra length – it makes my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM about 50% longer, which means it's not always as discreet. But in terms of balance there's no problem. There are some real benefits to using these adapters: I can save money, with the drop-in filter or control ring adapter I add new features to my existing lenses, and there's no drop in performance at all."