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Ask any EOS R shooter which lens stays on their camera the most, and the answer is often the same one: the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM. It’s the lens Canon bundles with the EOS R5 and R6, yet calling it a “kit lens” undersells it badly. This is a full L-series optic — weather-sealed, built around 18 elements in 14 groups, and sharp enough that working photographers keep it long after the camera body gets upgraded. With a constant f/4 aperture across a versatile 24–105mm range, it’s the closest thing the RF system has to a do-everything lens.

What Makes the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Special

• True L-series construction with dust- and moisture-resistant sealing.
• Constant f/4 aperture across the entire 24–105mm zoom range.
• 5-stop optical Image Stabilizer for sharp handheld shots in low light.
• Nano USM motor — fast for stills, whisper-quiet for video.
• 18 elements in 14 groups, including aspherical and UD glass.
• 700 g and 77mm filters — compact for a lens this capable.
• Customisable control ring, plus dedicated AF/MF and IS switches.

Image Quality

A constant-aperture f/4 zoom lives or dies on edge-to-edge sharpness, and this one holds up. Canon’s optical design uses three aspherical elements and one UD (ultra-low dispersion) element to suppress spherical aberration, distortion, and chromatic aberration, plus an Air Sphere Coating to control flare and ghosting. In practice the lens is very sharp wide open at f/4, and stopping down to f/5.6–f/8 only refines the corners. The 9-blade circular aperture keeps out-of-focus highlights round and smooth, so f/4 still produces pleasant subject separation at the long end — portraits at 105mm look clean, even if they can’t match an f/2.8 prime for background blur.

Autofocus & Speed

The RF 24-105mm f/4 L was the first L-series optic to use Canon’s Nano USM motor, and it shows. Autofocus is essentially instant, accurate, and — critically for video — silent. The internal-focus design means the front element never rotates and the lens never extends while focusing, which keeps handling balanced and stops dust being pulled into the barrel. Full-time manual focus override is available at any moment, and the focus ring is smooth and linear enough for confident manual work.

Video

Nano USM was built with video in mind, and this lens rewards that focus. Focus transitions are smooth and quiet, so the lens won’t inject motor noise into your audio. The 5-stop stabilizer — which coordinates with In-Body IS on bodies like the EOS R5 and R6 for even better results — keeps handheld footage usable. And the control ring can be assigned to aperture or ISO for clickless, silent exposure changes mid-shot, a genuinely useful touch for run-and-gun filmmaking.

Design & Handling

At 700 g (1.54 lb) and 83.5 × 107.3 mm, the RF 24-105mm f/4 balances beautifully on full-frame R bodies without feeling front-heavy. The barrel is metal and tightly assembled with no zoom creep, the zoom ring is well damped, and the weather sealing lives up to the L-series promise of reliable use in light rain and dust. A 77mm filter thread is shared across a huge range of lenses, so your existing ND and polarizer filters slot straight on.

Full Specifications

How It Compares to Canon’s f/2.8 Zooms

If you need more light, Canon sells two brighter standard zooms. Both are heavier, larger, and much pricier — so the f/4 version earns its keep on value and range.

The f/2.8 lenses buy you a full stop of light and shallower depth of field, but they cost roughly two to three times as much, weigh noticeably more, and — in the 24-70mm case — give up the extra 70–105mm reach. For most shooters, the f/4 version is the smarter all-round choice.

Verdict

The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM is the definition of a workhorse. It’s not the brightest zoom Canon makes, but it’s the most practical: a constant f/4, a genuinely useful 24–105mm range, five stops of stabilisation, silent Nano USM, and L-series weather sealing in a 700 g package. For travel, events, and everyday shooting it’s hard to beat — and at around $1,299 it undercuts Canon’s f/2.8 zooms by a wide margin while covering more range. If you only buy one RF zoom, this is the one most photographers should start with.

What Amazon Buyers Say

Across 626 Amazon ratings, the RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM holds a 4.7 out of 5 average. Here’s how those ratings break down:

Read all customer reviews on Amazon

FAQ

Is the RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM weather sealed?

Yes. It carries Canon’s L-series dust- and moisture-resistant sealing, which holds up to light rain and dust. It is not fully waterproof, so avoid heavy downpours and submersion.

What’s the difference between this f/4 lens and the RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z?

The f/2.8 version is a full stop brighter, has an 11-blade aperture and a dedicated iris ring for video, but it’s roughly twice the price, nearly twice the weight, and much larger. The f/4 version is the value-and-versatility pick.

Does it come with a lens hood?

Yes. The EW-83N bayonet hood is included in the box, along with front and rear caps and the LP1319 soft pouch.