Brilliance in a Small Package

Canon RF 35 mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM

- Sujith Gopinath & Rohinton Mehta

Inside the Box

Canon RF 35 mm lens

Front and back cap

The RF 35 mm f/1.8 Macro is Canon’s first Macro lens for the R-series full-frame mirrorless cameras. Initially, I was excited to pair a macro lens with the new EOS R6 body. The more time I spent with this lens, I discovered its real quality. Read on, while we unravel the hidden gems in this small and lightweight package.

Design & Build Quality

The Canon RF 35 mm lens is compact and lightweight, measuring 74.4 (dia) x 62.8 mm and weighing 305 g. The lens has a polycarbonate exterior with a metallic silver finish at the base and a silver ring at the front. The mount is metal. The lens is threaded for 52 mm filters.

It features two rings, the focus ring with a straight knurled finish and a control ring with a diamond knurled finish. The AF/MF and Stabiliser On/Off switches complete the design. The lens is made in Taiwan.

Key Features

The RF 35 mm is an everyday lens for Canon R-series mirrorless cameras. It provides some close-up capabilities (though not true macro) at 0.5 magnification (magnification ratio 1:2). A wide aperture of f/1.8 provides better low-light capabilities. The lens focusses as close as 17 cm. The lens does not feature internal focussing and hence the front element extends almost up to 2 cm during focussing. But it does not cause any inconvenience, thanks to the longer working distance.