Canon finally makes the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM official

Earlier this year, Canon announced that it was working on a slew of new lenses to beef up its EOS R line. Some of these optics have already been released, and now we welcome another pair, one of which is the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM.

The RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM, whose official stamp was rumored recently, becomes the widest lens in the company's RF stable, and is an evolution of the popular 16-35mm lenses the company has offered users of its EOS DSLR lines, including the most recent EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM and EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM.

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On top of its useful wide focal range and constant f/2.8 aperture, the optic arrives with the promise of edge-to-edge sharpness throughout the zoom range. SWC (Subwavelength Structure Coating) and ASC (Air Sphere Coating) lens coatings have also been applied to the elements to prevent flare and ghosting.

As an L-series lens, the new arrival also combines a dust- and water-resistant construction, together with a fluorine coating on the front element to keep water, dust and grease from adhering.

With a length of around 126.8mm when set to 15mm, the lens manages to be around a millimeter shorter than the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, despite the inclusion of an image stabilization system. This will no doubt please EOS R and EOS RP users looking to use the lens away from a tripod, given that such a system isn't present inside their camera bodies.

As with the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, the lens accepts 82mm filters. The barrel also incorporates a zoom ring towards its rear and a control ring towards the front, the latter of which can be customized to adjust exposure compensation, ISO or other settings when it's not needed for manual focus.

Autofocusing, meanwhile, is handled by a Nano USM motor, which arrives with claims of precision and high speed, as well as smooth and silent operation for the benefit of video recording. This motor also appears in the previously announced RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, together with the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM that's been announced alongside the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM.

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM sample images

The new optic arrives just a few months after the RF 85mm f/1.2L USM and the more recent RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM lenses, which leaves just the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM and RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS due to arrive before the end of the year, according to Canon's lens roadmap.

The RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM will be available in September, priced at £2,329.99 in the UK. Pricing for the US has not been disclosed yet, while pricing for the Australian market is at the retailer's discretion – the UK price converts to around AU$4,225.