is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021.
Canon’s new EOS R6 Mark III is an excellent camera. It’s not a groundbreaking upgrade to the 3-year-old R6 Mark II, but it takes the same body with great ergonomics and adds more resolution, video that now goes up to 7K with open-gate filming, and improved autofocus performance. If you’re in need of an impeccably good all-around camera for anything from wildlife photography to weddings and videography, you can’t go wrong. It’s an easy recommendation, especially if you already shoot Canon and are due for an upgrade. (But a used R6 Mark II is also very appealing if the higher $2,799.99 price is too lofty.)
But the lens Canon launched alongside this camera? It’s something special. As a lover of fast-aperture glass, I’m absolutely obsessed with it. And it’s everything I want to see more of in the world of lenses.
Sub-$500 is “cheap”
The RF 45mm f/1.2 STM lens is a rare breed. It costs $469.99 — an unheard-of price in the photo / video world for an f/1.2 maximum aperture. That kind of price for a lens this fast is usually reserved for manual focus lenses from lesser-known third parties like Rokinon or Meike. Canon is notorious for not allowing third-party manufacturers to make lenses for its full-frame RF mount, so it’s created some of its own artificial scarcity that makes its new 45mm stand out further. Canon’s own RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM lens costs an eye-watering $2,600. And even a cheaper Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN lens for other Sony and L-mount systems costs over $1,500. Hitting a sub-$500 price makes a fast-aperture lens like Canon’s 45mm accessible to more than pros and deep-pocketed enthusiasts.
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1 / 3 This thing is tiny. Here it is next to my workhorse 50mm f/1.2.
But the 45mm f/1.2 isn’t just cheap, it’s a great lens. It’s very compact for full-frame glass with such a wide aperture, making it a perfect everyday carry combo with an R6 or smaller R8 body. This isn’t a “pro” lens like Canon’s L models, so it lacks weather sealing. And a lens hood for extra protection and flare prevention costs an additional $59. But I never expect weather resistance on full-frame lenses at this price, and I’d personally not bother with a hood — keeping this package as compact and grab-and-go as possible. As someone who often lugs around a bigger and heavier Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM lens (weighing 778 grams / 1.72 pounds), even sometimes to family events and social gatherings, I’m absolutely jealous of this little Canon. It weighs nearly a full pound less than my lens, and it’s much less bulky.
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