Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens

The Canon RF 24‑240mm f/4‑6.3 IS USM is a highly versatile all‑in‑one standard zoom lens for Canon’s RF‑mount full‑frame mirrorless cameras, designed to cover an expansive focal range with a single optic. With its 24–240mm (10×) zoom range, this lens spans classic wide‑angle through short telephoto to super‑telephoto perspectives, making it an ideal choice for travel, everyday photography, landscapes, portraits, and casual wildlife or event shooting without the need to change lenses.

Optically, the zoom incorporates 21 elements in 15 groups, including one aspherical element and two Ultra‑Low Dispersion (UD) elements to help suppress chromatic aberrations, spherical aberrations, and distortion across the zoom range. A rounded 7‑blade diaphragm contributes to smooth out‑of‑focus highlights, while Canon’s Super Spectra coatings work to reduce flare and ghosting, maintaining contrast and color fidelity even in challenging lighting conditions.

The variable maximum aperture of f/4 at 24mm to f/6.3 at 240mm strikes a balance between optical performance and a compact, lightweight design. While not as fast as professional constant‑aperture zooms, this range allows the lens to remain portable and well‑suited for travel and general photography where convenience and flexibility are priorities.

A key strength of the RF 24‑240mm is its 5‑stop Optical Image Stabilizer (IS) with Dynamic IS support, which helps minimize the effects of camera shake — particularly useful at longer focal lengths and during handheld shooting in low light or while recording video. When shooting movies, Dynamic IS expands the stabilization range to provide smoother footage during panning or walking shots.

Autofocus performance is powered by Canon’s Nano USM motor system, offering fast, smooth, and quiet autofocus suitable for both still photography and video. The system supports full‑time manual focus override, allowing photographers to refine focus manually without switching out of autofocus mode. This combination ensures responsive subject acquisition and reliable tracking across a wide variety of scenes.

The lens also features a configurable Control Ring on the barrel, enabling direct adjustment of key exposure settings such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, or exposure compensation — enhancing tactile control and workflow efficiency. A zoom lock switch helps prevent unwanted extension when carrying or storing the lens.

In terms of close‑up capability, the RF 24‑240mm can focus as close as approximately 0.5 m (1.64 ft) at the wide end and 0.78 m (2.56 ft) at the telephoto end, with a maximum magnification of approximately 0.26× at 240mm, allowing for decent subject isolation and detail capture without changing lenses.

Physically, the lens remains relatively compact and balanced for its class, measuring about 80.4 mm in diameter and 122.5 mm in length, with a weight of around 750 g (1.65 lb) — a manageable form factor for extended handheld use.

Overall, the Canon RF 24‑240mm f/4‑6.3 IS USM is well‑suited for photographers and hybrid shooters seeking a single, flexible lens that can handle a broad variety of situations. Its combination of wide‑angle to telephoto coverage, effective image stabilization, smooth and quiet autofocus, and solid optical performance makes it particularly attractive as a travel companion, daily carry lens, or general‑purpose zoom for Canon EOS R series shooters.