Providing beautiful f/1.2 bokeh and a whole lot of character in one lightweight, compact, and affordable body, Canon’s new RF45mm f/1.2 STM provides a new option for users dreaming of a fast prime lens. Here’s what you should know about it.

 

1. It makes creamy, dreamy f/1.2 bokeh more affordable

EOS R8 + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ f/1.2, 1/800 sec, ISO 100

If you love your buttery shallow focus backgrounds, a fast prime lens is probably the next lens you should add to your arsenal. True, there are more ways than one to get better bokeh, but nothing makes it easier than a large aperture lens. It’s a game where numbers matter: the lower the f-stop in the lens’ name, the better it is at achieving bokeh that looks creamier. Enter the RF45mm f/1.2 STM, Canon’s fastest non-professional-grade lens.

Previously, the largest apertures were available only on L-series lenses like the RF50mm f/1.2L USM, which were designed for professional use with dust-and drip-resistant constructions and superior optical performance—and priced with a premium to match. The RF45mm f/1.2 STM adds a new fast prime lens option for users on a tighter budget, providing the benefits of f/1.2 with the best balance of price and performance. It has nine aperture blades compared to the RF50mm f/1.8 STM’s seven, enabling rounder, more attractive bokeh even when stopped down.

 

2. It lets you shoot with faster shutter speeds in low light

EOS R8 + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ f/1.2, 1/50 sec, ISO 500

With its f/1.2 maximum aperture, the RF45mm f/1.2 STM is 1 1/3 stops “faster” than the RF50mm f/1.8 STM. That means that even when shooting in low light, you can use a shutter speed up to 1 1/3 stops faster without raising the ISO speed. It’s useful for avoiding camera shake—or subject blur, if your subject is moving.

The large maximum aperture also helps to maximise your camera’s autofocus performance in low light, allowing faster and more accurate subject acquisition and tracking. This is because it allows more light to enter the camera and reach the sensor, giving the sensor-based Dual Pixel CMOS AF system more information to work with.

Know this: The low-light AF performance (low light limit) of cameras is usually measured with an f/1.2 lens attached, among other shooting conditions.

Also see:
Lens FAQ #2: Can A Fast Lens Really Make It Easier To See Through The Viewfinder?

 

3. Framing images with it is easy

EOS R6 Mark III + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ FL: 45mm, f/1.2, 1/100 sec, ISO 200

On full-frame cameras like the EOS R8 and EOS R6 Mark III, the RF45mm f/1.2 STM is a standard lens, with its 45mm focal length covering a 51-degree diagonal angle of view closer to human vision than 50mm. It presents scale, dimensionality, and spatial relationships close to what we see, resulting in a natural-looking perspective easy to frame images with.

Diverse framing

The RF45mm f/1.2 STM is a versatile lens: aperture possibilities aside, it’s neither too wide nor too tight, and tilting the lens doesn’t result in tell-tale perspective distortion. Step backwards for wider coverage equivalent to 35mm, or move forward to achieve a tighter framing that resembles 50mm.

Diverse subjects

That same versatility allows the RF45mm f/1.2 STM to easily frame a vast variety of scenes, from urban architecture to nature, landscapes, food, still life, and everyday scenes.

On APS-C cameras like the EOS R50 and EOS R10, the RF45mm f/1.2 STM works like a medium telephoto lens with its 72mm equivalent focal length, which is perfect for half-body portraits from the same working distance. Being able to shoot tighter from a comfortable distance away also works well for product photography, cinematic close-ups, and street photography that captures details and expressions without being too intrusive.

 

4. It’s Canon’s lightest-ever EF/RF f/1.2 lens

One advantage the RF45mm f/1.2 STM has over its professional-grade counterpart, the RF50mm f/1.2L USM, is its portability. It weighs just around 346g, less than half of the latter, and is significantly smaller in size. It is also half the weight of the EF50mm f/1.2L USM with the EF-EOS R mount adapter. In fact, the RF45mm f/1.2 STM is Canon’s lightest-ever EF/RF f/1.2 lens!

This was achieved by utilising digital distortion correction, adopting a compact gear-type STM for autofocus drive, and optimising materials and design to streamline the lens body while maintaining high performance. The resulting compact and lightweight form factor makes it an excellent choice for travel, urban, and street photography—as well as any other shooting style that requires mobility and agility.

Balancing image quality with cost and a compact size

 

5. It’s full of character and expressive possibilities

Expressive softness at f/1.2

When used at its maximum aperture, besides the beautiful bokeh, the RF45mm f/1.2 STM renders images with a distinct softness that flatters skin tones and emphasises mood and expression. This makes it different from the RF50mm f/1.2L USM and RF50mm f/1.4L VCM, which are designed for resolution and sharpness even wide open: while it doesn’t have the same technical perfection, it has character.

EOS R6 Mark III + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ f/1.2, 1/100 sec, ISO 100

Razor-sharp resolution from f/8 onwards

For sharper quality, stop down to f/8 or beyond. Details are rendered with excellent corner-to-corner resolution.

EOS R6 Mark III + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO 100

Close-up power

EOS R8 + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ f/1.2, 1/8000 sec, ISO 100

The RF45mm f/1.2 STM’s fixed rear lens focusing system improves close-up shooting performance, ensuring excellent image quality even when you’re shooting at the approximately 0.45m closest focusing distance. Don’t hesitate to move closer to subjects to capture details—it also makes the bokeh look blurrier!

 

RF45mm f/1.2 STM: Key specifications

Lens hood (sold separately)

Lens Hood ES-73B

 

RF45mm f/1.2 STM: Sample images

EOS R6 Mark III + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ f/1.2, 1/160 sec, ISO 100

EOS R8 + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ f/1.2, 1/250 sec, ISO 100

EOS R6 Mark III + RF45mm f/1.2 STM @ f/1.2, 1/80 sec, ISO 400