Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM Lens

The Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM is a compact, versatile wide-angle prime lens designed for Canon’s full-frame RF-mount mirrorless cameras, offering an unusual combination of an ultra-wide focal length and genuine macro capability. It’s aimed at photographers who want a lightweight, all-day lens capable of capturing a broad sense of space alongside impressively close-up detail, making it a powerful and affordable way to expand an EOS R system.

Optically, the lens offers a 24mm focal length with a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture, giving photographers strong control over depth of field and bokeh, along with solid low-light shooting and video capability. The optical design includes an aspherical element and an Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) glass element for high image quality from center to corner, along with Canon’s Super Spectra Coating to minimize ghosting and flare. A standout feature is its 0.5x (1:2) macro magnification with a minimum focusing distance of just 5.5 inches (about 10cm), letting photographers combine a wide-angle perspective with close-up detail in a way few other lenses can achieve, producing an interesting and more unique perspective compared to conventional telephoto macro optics.

Canon’s built-in Optical Image Stabilizer provides up to 5.5 stops of shake correction on its own, extending to up to 6.5 stops when paired with an EOS R-series camera that includes in-body image stabilization (Coordinated IS), helping photographers achieve reliable handheld performance and clear detail in low light without raising ISO or lowering shutter speed. Autofocus is handled by Canon’s STM (stepping motor) system, delivering smooth, quiet focusing well suited to video work, with manual focus operating by-wire; the lens’s inner elements extend toward shorter focus distances as part of its macro design. A customizable control ring allows direct adjustment of settings like ISO, aperture, or exposure compensation from the lens barrel.

Build quality is in line with Canon’s other consumer-grade RF primes, using engineered plastics over a metal mount, with a small, smoothly turning rubberized focus ring. The lens is notably light and compact at approximately 9.5 oz (270g), making it easy to carry all day for landscape, street, or everyday photography without added bulk. It is not weather-sealed, and the lens hood (Canon EW-65B) is sold separately.

As a full-frame RF-mount lens, the RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM delivers its full wide-angle field of view on Canon full-frame RF-mount bodies while remaining compatible with Canon APS-C RF-mount cameras at a narrower, telephoto-equivalent effective field of view.

Key Features
– 24mm f/1.8 wide-angle prime lens with macro capability for Canon RF mount
– 0.5x (1:2) maximum macro magnification; 5.5″ minimum focusing distance
– Aspherical and Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) glass elements
– Canon Super Spectra Coating
– STM autofocus (by-wire manual focus)
– Optical Image Stabilizer, up to 5.5 stops (up to 6.5 stops with Coordinated IS)
– Customizable control ring
– Compact, lightweight design (approximately 270g)
– Not weather-sealed; lens hood sold separately
– Compatible with Canon full-frame and APS-C RF-mount cameras