# First thoughts on RF 35mm 1.8 Macro STM?



## JoTomOz (Nov 22, 2018)

Very curious to hear user reviews on the new RF 35mm lens. I realise it hasn’t been out long, but am interested in getting it for an overseas trip soon.


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## hmatthes (Nov 22, 2018)

Only had it a few days but am very impressed. I use the EF 35/1.4L for recording people and events where I often run into low light situations - hence slow shutters. While the EF is ½ stop faster than the RF, the RF has fantastic image stabilization. I can hand hold it quite well for indoor evening occasions.
I also enjoy the small size of the RF 35/1.8 and the way the entire package feels on my hands. 

Wide open, the DoF is narrow but manual focus touch up on the R is a delight. The R detects my usage of the focus ring and instantly zooms in to my AF focus point. For people in a party, this zoom allows me to choose which eye will be my primary focus.

Macro held no interest for me with wide angle BUT now I am a convert. This allows me to approach a flower or rain drop very closely and isolate it from the background perfectly -- with great bokeh. 



I like small primes. After hauling a kit of L glass, I'm ready for smaller glass. Since I manually touch up the focus often, going full MF would not be a problem. Some of those old Leica M lenses may be on my horizon!

I can certainly see this 35 becoming my primary lens while the RF 24-105 and EF lenses normally stay in the kit.


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## padam (Nov 22, 2018)

Not as nice as the 35 1.4 L II but it is way smaller, a whole lot cheaper and also stabilised, so it will probably sell well.


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## Act444 (Nov 22, 2018)

Thanks for sharing! This is the one lens I think would pair really well with the R body...


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## peterzuehlke (Nov 22, 2018)

Act444 said:


> Thanks for sharing! This is the one lens I think would pair really well with the R body...


interesting how it compares with the 35mm f 2.0 IS which also could be used on ef bodies.


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## Del Paso (Nov 22, 2018)

hmatthes said:


> Only had it a few days but am very impressed. I use the EF 35/1.4L for recording people and events where I often run into low light situations - hence slow shutters. While the EF is ½ stop faster than the RF, the RF has fantastic image stabilization. I can hand hold it quite well for indoor evening occasions.
> I also enjoy the small size of the RF 35/1.8 and the way the entire package feels on my hands.
> 
> Wide open, the DoF is narrow but manual focus touch up on the R is a delight. The R detects my usage of the focus ring and instantly zooms in to my AF focus point. For people in a party, this zoom allows me to choose which eye will be my primary focus.
> ...


Thanks for your comment!
As to old Leica M lenses, I can only warn you: don't buy without having thoroughly tested them!
Especially the (really) old wides can be very soft in the angles, sometimes up to f. 8 ! I had to replace my 21 f.2,8 and 35 f.2 non asphericals, even though they satisfied me on M 2, M3, M5, M6 etc.
Yet, my 1969 50mm Summicron is still excellent like all the longer focals.
And pay attention to FUNGUS!!!!!


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## hmatthes (Nov 22, 2018)

In further evaluating side-by-side, the RF35/1.8 is my lens of choice. The EF35/1.4 is breathtaking but in real world photography, not pixel-peeping, the RF is optically equal and much more compact. The bokeh of the RF is creamy smooth just like it's L brother.

I'm not very scientific so I was closer to the camera shooting the photo of the EF35, slightly further away for the RF... not trying to cheat. But this is a huge difference for ½ stop.


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## jd7 (Nov 24, 2018)

hmatthes said:


> In further evaluating side-by-side, the RF35/1.8 is my lens of choice. The EF35/1.4 is breathtaking but in real world photography, not pixel-peeping, the RF is optically equal and much more compact. The bokeh of the RF is creamy smooth just like it's L brother.
> 
> I'm not very scientific so I was closer to the camera shooting the photo of the EF35, slightly further away for the RF... not trying to cheat. But this is a huge difference for ½ stop.
> View attachment 181696
> ...


To be pedantic, the difference is about two-thirds of a stop 

I'm very keen to see more samples from the RF 35/1.8 IS. I like the idea of a small, light, fairly fast 35 (not that I've even got an EOS R at this stage!) but the samples I've seen so far (eg at https://www.photographyblog.com/previews/canon_rf_35m_f1_8_is_macro_stm_photos) haven't really blown me away. For example, look at the green fringing on the light in the background in https://img.photographyblog.com/rev.../photos/canon_rf_35m_f1_8_is_macro_stm_11.jpg. Am I being too harsh?


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## rosw (Dec 28, 2018)

any thoughts on using RF 35mm F1.8 as a vlogging lens? too tight?
it is very light weight though ....


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