RF lenses autofocus performance in video mode

I own several R series cameras, EOS R, R5 and R5C doing event photography and videography.

So far, I have bought the RF 35 1.8, RF 50 1.8, RF 50 1.2, RF 24-105 f4 and RF 24-70 2.8.

I would like to hear your opinion on reliability and usability for video work.

My observation / problem:

RF 35 1.8 (usually shot at f2.2) I like it a lot, when it focusses, but sometimes it will not, it gets stuck or focusses very very slow, even manual override won’t solve the issue, only a restart of the camera. A macro function issue?

RF 50 1.2 (usually shot at f2.2) I would say that this lens is almost unusable for video work. Its behaviour reminds me of very old EF lenses which were made long before DSLR video was possible. When tracking people in video mode, it is choppy, constantly adjusting focus but in a bad way, very nervous. Hard to describe. I only use it for manual focus atm.

RF 24-70 2.8 It’s perfect, reliable, fast and smooth, same goes for the 24-104 f4. But sometimes I would prefer a wider aperture an less weight.

What is your experience with RF lenses and autofocus in video mode?

Does the RF 24 1.8 show a similar behaviour than the RF 35 1.8?

Am I the only one feeling this way? How is your experience with other RF lenses? Am I doing something wrong?

Well, maybe you have rediscovered why many videographers use manual focus.

Marsano wrote:

I own several R series cameras, EOS R, R5 and R5C doing event photography and videography.

So far, I have bought the RF 35 1.8, RF 50 1.8, RF 50 1.2, RF 24-105 f4 and RF 24-70 2.8.

I would like to hear your opinion on reliability and usability for video work.

My observation / problem:

RF 35 1.8 (usually shot at f2.2) I like it a lot, when it focusses, but sometimes it will not, it gets stuck or focusses very very slow, even manual override won’t solve the issue, only a restart of the camera. A macro function issue?

RF 50 1.2 (usually shot at f2.2) I would say that this lens is almost unusable for video work. Its behaviour reminds me of very old EF lenses which were made long before DSLR video was possible. When tracking people in video mode, it is choppy, constantly adjusting focus but in a bad way, very nervous. Hard to describe. I only use it for manual focus atm.

RF 24-70 2.8 It’s perfect, reliable, fast and smooth, same goes for the 24-104 f4. But sometimes I would prefer a wider aperture an less weight.

What is your experience with RF lenses and autofocus in video mode?

Does the RF 24 1.8 show a similar behaviour than the RF 35 1.8?

Am I the only one feeling this way? How is your experience with other RF lenses? Am I doing something wrong?

I'm not a pro by any stretch of imagination. I have and use 35 f1.8 a lot for video. As you mentioned, this is a great lens but missed the focus sometimes and getting back is always slow.

Recently I purchased 15-35 f2.8. That's a different thing altogether. It not only focuses more confidently it also locks it way faster. I have been using that since I purchased.