DXO tests the Canon RF 28-70mm F2.0

DXOMark has reviewed the Canon RF 28-70mm F2.0. While I'm not terribly fond of the "lens score" (or single number camera score either for that matter), DXO does actually measure a lot of data that you can use to drill into a particular lens to get a feel for its actual overall performance when matched to a specific camera body. The ability to pick and choose camera bodies against lenses is pretty unparalleled in the testing world. One thing I have to caution until we get a bigger sample size of RF lenses and also RF camera bodies, we don't know if testing and comparing against EF lenses truly shows how good the RF lenses are in comparison, as the sensor architecture plays an important role in the overall results. In other words, the RF lenses may actually be better than what we are seeing here, but are limited by the EOS R sensor.

This review compares the camera against its EF cousin, the excellent Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L II and finds the RF 28-70 2.0L excelling against that lens even when wide open at F2.0. It's an impressive achievement for Canon and certainly a halo lens worthy of the title.

DXO concludes;

With such a fast F2.0 maximum aperture at all focal lengths, the new Canon RF zoom certainly feels like it’s showcasing the potential of switching to the new RF mount. Given the possibilities for low-light shooting, when switching between primes isn’t ideal, a lens like this is sorely tempting. At a dollar shy of $3,000, though, it is a pricey proposition. Still, it has very impressive optical performance, and when viewed overall, it’s even a slightly better performer than the highly-regarded Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM. Its appeal is somewhat niche, but if you need a lens like this, there isn’t anything else on the market quite like it.

The Canon RF 28-70mm at a glance;