Canon RF 45mm F1.2 STM — An Exceptional Value Proposition in Modern Photography

In late 2025, Canon launched a lens that has caught the attention of photographers and creators worldwide: the Canon RF 45mm F1.2 STM. What makes this lens especially notable isn’t just its technical specifications, but the way it redefines what a fast, high-quality prime lens can cost in today’s market. Traditionally, lenses with very wide apertures such as f/1.2 have lived at the premium end of the pricing spectrum, often reserved for professional photographers who are willing to pay hefty sums for extraordinary optical performance. Canon’s RF 45mm F1.2 STM challenges that norm, delivering much of the creative advantage of an f/1.2 optic at a price point accessible to enthusiast and semi-professional shooters alike.

📸 Why It’s Great Value

✔ Very fast aperture for the price

• It offers a bright f/1.2 maximum aperture — something usually reserved for much more expensive “L-series” lenses — at a launch price around ~$469 / £479 / AED ~1,700-2,000 regionally. That’s exceptionally low for an f/1.2 lens.

✔ Beautiful background blur & low-light capability

• The wide aperture gives creamy bokeh and strong low-light performance that’s great for portraits, street, and creative photography.

✔ Compact & lightweight

• At ~346 g it’s much smaller and lighter than Canon’s premium f/1.2 lenses (e.g., the RF 50mm f/1.2L), making it easier to carry all day.

✔ Smooth autofocus

• The STM stepping motor is quiet and reliable for both stills and video.

At its core, the RF 45mm F1.2 STM is built around a 45 mm focal length with a bright f/1.2 maximum aperture — a combination that provides a natural field of view close to human vision and remarkable control over depth of field. The f/1.2 aperture allows photographers to produce images with strong subject separation and pleasing background blur (bokeh), enabling creative expressions that were traditionally possible only with far more expensive lenses. This capability also translates into real performance benefits in low-light conditions, letting the camera use faster shutter speeds and lower ISO settings to preserve image quality.

One of the most compelling aspects of the RF 45mm F1.2 STM is its accessibility in price and size. Weighing just around 346 g and measuring compactly, the lens is significantly lighter and more portable than many professional f/1.2 counterparts, such as Canon’s own L-series offerings. This makes it especially attractive for photographers who value mobility — whether for street photography, travel, or everyday shooting. The lens’s lightweight build and moderate footprint make it a comfortable match with popular Canon mirrorless bodies like the Canon EOS R6 Mark II or the Canon EOS R8, lending versatility to both enthusiast and enthusiast-plus shooters.

From an optical design perspective, Canon has created a lens that balances performance and cost. Its optical formula includes nine elements in seven groups and a nine-blade diaphragm that enhances the quality of the out-of-focus areas. A PMo (plastic-molded aspherical) element helps reduce aberrations, and the lens accepts 67 mm filters — a practical size for many photographers. Autofocus is driven by an STM (stepping motor), which offers reliable focusing performance that is smooth and reasonably quiet — a boon for still photography and acceptable for run-and-gun video work. Even though the lens doesn’t include optical stabilization or weather sealing, it does pair well with modern Canon bodies that feature in-body image stabilization and advanced autofocus systems.

Critically, the RF 45mm F1.2 STM’s price point — around USD 469 at launch — is what most reviewers call its most disruptive feature. In the history of Canon’s lens lineup, few f/1.2 lenses have come close to this level of affordability without sacrificing the characteristic creative results such optics provide. This dramatic shift in pricing strategy opens up f/1.2 performance to a much broader audience, from hobbyists stepping up from kit lenses to semi-professionals seeking an everyday prime with artistic capabilities.

Not all feedback has been uniformly glowing — some users and reviewers note that optical performance wide open at f/1.2 can show softness in the corners and chromatic aberrations that need correction, especially when compared to premium L-series optics. However, many photographers point out that these shortcomings are expected trade-offs at this price point, and that stopping down even slightly yields noticeably sharper and more technically refined results. Moreover, the lens’s rendering character and creative potential often outweigh technical perfection for many users, especially when the goal is expressive imagery rather than chart-topping resolution.

In conclusion, the Canon RF 45mm F1.2 STM stands out as an incredible value for money — a lens that broadens access to fast-aperture artistic tools without demanding a professional-level budget. Its combination of creative flexibility, accessible pricing, and practical handling make it one of the most compelling primes in Canon’s RF lineup for enthusiasts and serious hobbyists alike. Whether you’re exploring portraiture, street photography, or everyday creative work, this lens represents a significant step in democratizing high-quality optics for a wider range of photographers.