Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 Review: The Heavyweight Champ of My Camera Bag
The Canon 28-70 F2 in all its glory!
Let’s just get all the “That’s what she saids” out of the way to start with. It’s way bigger than I expected. The size of this thing is incredible. I can’t wrap my hands around it. Done?
“When I started getting into photography, I had one big question — Is it the human or the equipment that makes a great portrait? The answer is unequivocally “yes.” It’s both.”
Stay focused — I’ll just say it upfront: the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 is not a casual lens. This thing is a beast — physically and optically. It’s heavy, sure, and definitely not what you want hanging from your neck during a casual walk on the beach. Toting it around the beautiful white beaches of Fort Pickens Beach near Pensacola, Florida, sucked more than just a little. But when I’m in photography mode? I’ll deal with the extra weight every time, because the images this lens gives me are in a league of their own.
Let’s start with the basics. Not the overwhelming and boring technical aspects and nuances of this thing. Canon has that on their website. This lens is tack-sharp across the zoom range, wide open at f/2. Whether I’m shooting portraits in golden-hour light, fast-moving basketball games indoors, or candid lifestyle moments of my own family, the 28-70 delivers consistency, clarity, and a level of cinematic rendering. It’s rare to get that kind of sharpness and depth-of-field control from a zoom, but this lens pulls it off — and then some.
The bokeh? Creamy, clean, and absolutely beautiful. It separates the subject from the background in a way that feels intentional and polished without being too clinical. Especially when paired with the Canon R6 Mark II (which I shoot with), the autofocus is quick and sticky — even in tricky light. I can track a kid’s expression during a senior session, or follow a player charging down the court, and this setup holds focus like a champ. Of course, with its maximum range of 70 mm, I find a good spot to camp under the net and wait for the action to come to me.
Kendie’s senior session was one of my first to use the 28-70 F2. I used a pair of Neewer flashes (One behind, and at about 45 degrees to help her pop in florescently illuminated school.
Versatility is where this lens really shines. I used to bounce between primes and slower zooms depending on what I was shooting, but this lens changed that. The 28-70mm focal length hits the sweet spot — wide enough for environmental portraits and team shots, tight enough for detailed close-ups and headshots. It handles everything from weddings to sports to quiet family beach sessions without skipping a beat. It has absolutely become my workhorse lens. The only time it leaves the comfort of my R6MK2 is when I’m shooting football — That’s when I throw on my beat-up EF 70-200 IS 2.8 V1. It looks haggard but still produces crispy sports action shots.
Apart from portrait work, the 28-70 F2 really shined during some basketball outings. Paired with my R6MK2, it was hard to screw up a fast break. The action-oriented shooting has been an absolute delight. I suspect it would excel on the sidelines during football, but it just doesn’t have the reach for on-the-field action. Until Canon decides to release an RF 70-200 F2, I guess I’ll keep both my kidneys.
Now let’s talk trade-offs. Yes, it’s big. Yes, it’s expensive. And yes, it’ll work out your wrist, neck, and shoulder. But if you’re the kind of photographer who’s serious about quality and you want gear that can keep up with your creative demands, this lens is 100% worth it. The weight becomes background noise once you see the results.
Here’s a bit of an odd observation — And it feels weird to say it out loud. But it is almost too sharp. More often than not, I have to reduce the clarity by a few clicks in Lightroom because it’s just a bit too much. But it’s easily corrected. And if that’s a problem, you’re doing just fine.
For me, photography is about preserving fleeting moments — making something beautiful, something lasting. I want my gear to work with me, not against me. The Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 is the one I trust when I know I can’t miss. It’s a lens that shows up and shows off — and I love that.
When I started getting into photography, I had one big question — Is it the human or the equipment that makes a great portrait? The answer is unequivocally “yes.” It’s both — the creative eye behind the lens and the quality of the gear work hand-in-hand. The photographer brings vision, intuition, and timing; the gear brings precision, depth, and flexibility. When both are dialed in, that’s when the magic happens — This lens just happens to be crammed full of Canon magic.
