The Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z ($3,299) is the most expensive and fully featured of the trio of 70-200mm zoom lenses that the company makes for its EOS R camera system. Pros will find reason to spend more on it versus the midrange RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM ($2,999), as the Z edition focuses closer for macro shots, supports rear teleconverters for sports and wildlife, and works with an add-on power zoom accessory for videography. It's an impeccable performer, but its price is commensurate with its capabilities. Even so, it's our Editors' Choice for photographers who want the very best, while we continue to recommend the excellent $1,699 RF 70-200mm F4 L IS USM to enthusiasts who want a zoom to cover the range and don't want to spend big for an F2.8 optical formula.

Design: Internal Zoom With Teleconverter Support

Canon went off the beaten path with its first two RF 70-200mm telezooms for the EOS R mirrorless system, both the standard 70-200mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F4 sport retractable designs that take up less room in your camera bag versus counterparts from the SLR era. It went back to basics with this F2.8 L IS USM Z edition; the barrel is fixed length, so the lens doesn't change length when changing focal length. It's more to carry, but leaves enough room to work with a rear teleconverter, a plus for photographers who want the flexibility to use the lens as is, or add a 1.4x (100-280mm F4) or 2.0x (140-400mm F5.6) extender to give the lens more reach for photographing sports, wildlife, and other genres that call for extreme focal lengths.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The extra versatility comes at a cost, both financial and in bulk. The RF 70-200mm F2.8 Z is the largest, heaviest, and most expensive of Canon's trio, and since it doesn't currently allow third parties to make full-frame, autofocusing lenses for RF cameras, Canon photogs are locked into buying the company's glass. The Z version of the lens measures 7.8 by 3.5 inches (HD), weighs 2.4 pounds, and uses large 82mm front filters, it's more to carry than the standard 70-200mm F2.8 L (5.8 by 3.5 inches, 2.35 pounds, 77mm filters) or F4 L (4.7 by 3.3 inches, 1.5 pounds, 77mm filters).

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

All three editions are part of Canon's L series, its designation for its pro-grade glass. Each is fully weather-sealed, includes anti-smudge fluorine on the front glass, and is built to withstand the rigors of regular use outdoors, at wedding receptions, and in the studio. You can get the 70-200mm F2.8 Z in black or white, a change for Canon, as most of its pro telezooms are only available in white.

As mentioned, the lens works with either of Canon's rear teleconverters. It also works with the PZ-E2 ($1,149) and PZ-E2B ($1,449) Power Zoom Adapters. These are external motors that screw onto the side of the lens so you can zoom in or out with smooth, electronically controlled motion, making the lens suitable for specialized video and cinema applications. The E2B is more expensive, but includes a 20-pin port to connect a wired remote control, an accessory that's commonly used in broadcast environments and is familiar to Electronic News Gathering (ENG) camera operators.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The 70-200mm Z also has an integrated tripod collar with a removable foot. The collar rotates 360 degrees and uses a thumb screw to set it and lock it into place. It does not include detents at 90-degree increments like some other lenses, but it includes marks so you can line it up visually. The foot slides on and off without tools, as well; it also uses a thumb screw. It's a good idea to use the foot as the tripod mounting point instead of the camera's thread, as it provides a better center of gravity. I'm a little disappointed that Canon doesn't include Arca-Swiss dovetail cuts on the foot, which means you'll need to add a quick-release plate or, alternatively, replace Canon's OEM foot with an aftermarket option—Kirkland Photo makes one for $125.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Canon includes a zippered soft carrying case, front and rear caps, and a hood with the lens.

Controls: Everything at Your Fingertips

The RF 70-200mm Z has a host of on-lens controls, including four discrete rings, two function buttons, and a set of toggle switches. The zoom and manual focus rings are standard fare, and Canon RF owners are no doubt familiar with the flexible Control Ring, which can be set to perform one of a dozen functions, including useful options like EV, ISO, white balance, and aperture control with click-stop precision.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The Z also has a dedicated aperture ring, which is not included in Canon's other 70-200mm zooms. The aperture ring turns smoothly, without clicks, from f/2.8 through f/16, and also has an A position to return aperture control to the camera body and a corresponding lock switch that prevents you from going in between A and the f/2.8-16 range when engaged. The aperture ring works with any Canon R camera for video, but is only useful for photography with newer models—so far only the EOS R50 V, R1, R5 Mark II, and R6 Mark III. If you have an older R camera, you're not missing out on much, though. I don't think the ring is that useful for photography or handheld use because of its clickless design; it's better suited for recording video from a tripod or for electronic control with a follow focus system. If you want to adjust the lens's f-stop for photos, you're better off using the clicky Control Ring.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The lens includes a pair of configurable function buttons; they are always tied together to perform the same function, but set 90 degrees apart so one is in the same relative position when holding the camera horizontally or vertically. Canon cameras map the autofocus lock (AF-L) to the camera's default, though you can change it via the menu if you prefer. I like setting the function button to focus drive (AF-ON), and there are dozens of options available to suit your style.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Finally the lens has toggle switches to set an autofocus limit (Full, or 2.5m to infinity), switch focus mode (AF/MF), toggle stabilization, and change the stabilization mode between Mode 1 (for static subjects), Mode 2 (for panning shots), and Mode 3 (for photographing erratic action that you see in sports like tennis).

Autofocus: Fast, Fast, Fast

The 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z gets part of its name from its dual nano ultrasonic motor autofocus system. The focus motors drive the lens instantly; there's almost no delay when switching between a near and a distant target, and they're quiet enough to use for video without adding noise to the soundtrack. The lens is more than capable of keeping up with moving subjects at events and for sports, too—I used it to photograph college baseball and was happy with the focus speed and accuracy.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Manual focus is excellent, too. The focus ring turns smoothly, with pleasing resistance and immediate, lag-free response. You can change between linear and nonlinear control via the menu, too. I like nonlinear for photography, in this mode the lens changes focus based on the ring's rotation speed, so I can make a roughshod change with a quick twist, and turn the ring slowly to set fine focus.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Videographers will want to use linear focus, which moves the plane based on the rotation angle, allowing them to repeat the same focus rack across multiple takes. The lens also does a good job of controlling the breathing effect. There's a slight change in angle of view between the minimum focus distance and infinity, but it's not severe enough to show a distracting blooming effect for shots that shift focus between subjects for narrative effect.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z focuses closer than the standard edition, which is a positive for macro photos. The Z can reproduce objects at 1:3.3 life-size, versus 1:4.3 for the regular F2.8 L IS USM. The extra bit of magnification is great news for wedding photographers, as they won't have to carry a dedicated macro lens to capture detailed photos of the wedding bands, and it is a handy feature for nature photography too.

Image Quality: Simply Fantastic

I paired the 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z with the 45MP EOS R5 Mark II and Imatest software to check its resolving power in my home testing space, and also used it with the EOS R1 and R6 Mark III to take photos in the real world. The lens delivers outstanding resolution (4,700-5,100 lines) from f/2.8 to f/8 at three tested focal lengths (70mm, 135mm, 200mm), and it's as sharp as they get. There's some loss of clarity as you stop down due to optical diffraction, but it's only a real issue at f/16-22. Diffraction causes light to scatter as it passes through a tiny aperture and affects all lenses, not just this one.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

There is some reason to use the lens at tiny apertures, though. When set to f/16-22, it draws small points of light as dramatic 22-point starbursts, commonly called sunstars. Flare resistance is excellent, too, so take landscape and cityscape images or portraits with the sun in frame without worry.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Like most lenses for digital systems, the RF 70-200mm Z relies on a correction profile to compensate for optical distortion and vignetting. This is applied transparently in-camera for JPG photos and videos, but you'll need to make sure that your workflow software supports the lens if you use a Raw file format. The profile removes some slight pincushion distortion that's otherwise visible when zoomed in to 200mm and brightens corners, which are slightly dim at f/2.8. I took a look at some images with and without it applied in Adobe Lightroom Classic, and it works perfectly, which isn't surprising as its optical shortcomings are very minor.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The optics aren't just sharp and well corrected, they also draw pleasingly smooth, soft background blur at wider apertures. The lens delivers clean bokeh with few distracting elements and no hint of false color, even when photographing subjects against complex backgrounds that include foliage, tree branches, and other potentially distracting elements. My only gripe is that there is some evidence of onion-skin texture in brightly defocused highlights, but it's a faint enough effect that I consider it more of a quibble than a complaint.