CANON

Canon RF 45mm F1.2 STM: the surprisingly affordable and lightweight new f/1.2 lens

In the world of full-frame photography, the f/1.2 aperture is the “Holy Grail.” It’s the magic number that promises exceptional low-light performance and, more importantly, the creamiest and most dramatic background blur (the famous bokeh) you can achieve. For these reasons, an f/1.2 lens has traditionally been a heavy, bulky investment reserved for professionals with unlimited budgets.

This reality has just been shaken up by Canon. The company has introduced the new Canon RF 45mm F1.2 STM, a lens that is the opposite of what was expected. It’s lightweight, compact, and, above all, surprisingly affordable. With a price tag of £479.99 (approximately US$550 / €560), this is Canon's first "non-professional" f/1.2 autofocus lens and one of the biggest surprises of 2025.

The biggest shock lies in the combination of its specifications with the price. An f/1.2 lens is the type of product we would expect to see costing over €2,000 and weighing close to 1 kg. The RF 45mm F1.2 STM defies both notions:

-Affordable Price: Its price tag makes it accessible to enthusiast and amateur photographers, something unprecedented for a lens with this aperture.

-Lightweight Design: It weighs only 346 grams, less than half the weight of Canon's own professional RF 50mm F1.2L USM lens.

This lens was designed to be an everyday companion, ideal for Canon's more enthusiast-focused full-frame cameras, such as the EOS R8 and the recently announced EOS R6 Mark III.

In a product with such a rare specification at such a low price, the question naturally arises: what are the downsides? The journalist, who has already had access to the first sample images from Canon, points out that the compromises are, predictably, in absolute optical performance.

The optical quality of the RF 45mm F1.2 STM will not match its more expensive sibling, the RF 50mm F1.2L USM. The main signs of compromise are chromatic aberrations, an optical defect that appears as color fringing (magenta or green) around high-contrast areas or in blurred zones.This is not a serious problem, and these defects are usually easy to correct in editing programs like Lightroom, but it's a reminder that the lower price requires a small concession in optical perfection.

The 45mm focal length is another interesting choice. It's very close to the human field of vision, which makes images more natural and engaging. The combination of this natural perspective with the super-fast f/1.2 aperture makes this lens an ideal choice for portrait photography. It allows you to isolate the subject from the background with an incredibly shallow depth of field, ensuring that all visual focus is concentrated on the eyes and emotions of the person portrayed.

However, one detail to keep in mind is the close focus. With a minimum distance of 0.45 meters, this is not a macro lens, and its maximum magnification is only 0.13x. Don't use it to photograph small insects, but rather to capture portraits and scenes with personality.

The launch of the RF 45mm F1.2 STM is a major win for the photographic community. The journalist mentions that he would expect to see a lens with this specification and price being launched by a Chinese third-party brand, but it is Canon that is making this bold move.

Canon is using its own engineering to democratize a feature that, until now, was a symbol of exclusivity. By doing so, the company ensures that more people can experience the dramatic and desirable effect of shallow depth of field without having to spend a fortune. It's a move that honors the spirit of vlogging and content creation that is driving the current market.

mundophone