p.1 #1 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
Hello,
I just switch from my old Sony A7III to a Canon R6 III mainly because I would like to test Canon color science.
I use 90% of the time a 24-70 ( a GM I for the Sony and a EF 24-70 L II for the Canon).
I was not aware of the terrible noise that the AF is making with this lens.
If I record someone who is talking, I can clearly hear the AF noise and it is really annoying...
I really like the quality of the EF 24-70 L II but I don't know how to deal with this noise : get another lens like the RF 28-70 but I will miss the 4mm? Go back to Sony?
Well I don't know...
Canon bodies are really great but the lenses are really problematic : very expensive, AF noise ...
p.1 #2 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
During the EF-series time, the STM autofocus drive was introduced to provide quiet AF for video. If you don't want to change the lens, maybe you could try an off-camera microphone.
p.1 #3 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
Yes, off-camera microphone or the RF 24-70 f/2.8 (though I can't speak for the quietness of this lens compared to the EF, as I'm a stills guy so I have never heard an objectionable focus noise from any of Canon's 24-70 lenses).
Now, the old 50/1.4 or the EF 15/2.8 fisheye, THOSE were noisy focusers.
p.1 #4 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
Thank you.
Off camera microphone with kids... is very challenging
And with a shotgun microphone, it will be worse because it will placed just above the lens...
May be with a plate to put on the cold shoe which would allow to put the mic on the side... but bot very convenient..
the RF 24-70 2.8 is really too expensive for now
Or I will have to go in MF with a smaller aperture in order to have greater DOF...
p.1 #5 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
kalani80 wrote:
Thank you.
Off camera microphone with kids... is very challenging
And with a shotgun microphone, it will be worse because it will placed just above the lens...
May be with a plate to put on the cold shoe which would allow to put the mic on the side... but bot very convenient..
the RF 24-70 2.8 is really too expensive for now
Or I will have to go in MF with a smaller aperture in order to have greater DOF...
Unfortunately the RF 24-70 is garbage too. I was really bummed when I discovered the clicking noise from this expensive lens while shooting video.
Apr 12, 2026 at 09:15 AM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #6 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
kalani80 wrote:
Thank you.
Off camera microphone with kids... is very challenging
And with a shotgun microphone, it will be worse because it will placed just above the lens...
May be with a plate to put on the cold shoe which would allow to put the mic on the side... but bot very convenient..
the RF 24-70 2.8 is really too expensive for now
Or I will have to go in MF with a smaller aperture in order to have greater DOF...
I have a long cord for my microphone and often put it on a tripod or light stand off camera. It makes noise made by the lens pretty irrelevant and I don't find it inconvient at all, YMMV.
p.1 #7 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
artsupreme wrote:
Unfortunately the RF 24-70 is garbage too. I was really bummed when I discovered the clicking noise from this expensive lens while shooting video.
p.1 #8 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
Steve Spencer wrote:
I have a long cord for my microphone and often put it on a tripod or light stand off camera. It makes noise made by the lens pretty irrelevant and I don't find it inconvient at all, YMMV.
That might work until you have move around and follow the action. Plus, what a joke that you have to do that in 2026 huh?
p.1 #9 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
kalani80 wrote:
Oh no !!! Thank you for the information...
Yes, I was pissed when I discovered it. I thought something was wrong with my lens and then found this from another Sony convert while searching if anyone else had the same problem:
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p.1 #10 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
artsupreme wrote:
That might work until you have move around and follow the action. Plus, what a joke that you have to do that in 2026 huh?
Really depends what I am shooting, but I mostly prefer off camera mics. The cord is easy and cheap if I don't need to move too much. If I am going to move more, then I can always use wireless instead of the cord. Different mics for different shooting needs, but a good omni-directional mic placed properly can work wonders. Of course, YMMV.
p.1 #11 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
Steve Spencer wrote:
but I mostly prefer off camera mics.
I'm pretty sure everyone does including myself but it's not feasible for running and gunning unless you have a personal assistant carrying a boom mic around for you. The point of my post is that it's pretty sad that Canon's $2600 RF 24-70 makes clicking noises that are picked up with the in camera mic and any hot shoe mounted mics. I would expect the older EF lenses to do this, but with the new RF bodies being video centric they should make a top tier lens like this silent for video.
p.1 #12 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
I've shot hundreds of classical guitar music as well as talking head videos in quiet environments using the RF 24-70 2.8L IS USM and have yet to hear a peep out of my lens. Plenty of gain is needed for classical guitar since it is a quiet acoustic instrument. No problems with mics on or off camera. Even with a Sennheiser MKE 600 in the shoe, audio is squeaky clean when I walk around a stage with a performing chamber ensemble.
The only lenses that drove me nuts were the old ring-USM designs, e.g., EF 24-70 2.8L USM. Strange squeaks and rolling sounds even with a mic on a short extension on the cage. It was only good for outboard audio. The newer nano USM and STM lenses have been great—no sound artifacts—with both my shotgun and cardioid mics.
p.1 #13 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
Gochugogi wrote:
I've shot hundreds of classical guitar music as well as talking head videos in quiet environments using the RF 24-70 2.8L IS USM and have yet to hear a peep out of my lens. Plenty of gain is needed for classical guitar since it is a quiet acoustic instrument. No problems with mics on or off camera. Even with a Sennheiser MKE 600 in the shoe, audio is squeaky clean when I walk around a stage with a performing chamber ensemble.
The only lenses that drove me nuts were the old ring-USM designs, e.g., EF 24-70 2.8L USM. Strange squeaks and rolling sounds even with a mic on a short extension on the cage. It was only good for outboard audio. The newer nano USM and STM lenses have been great—no sound artifacts—with both my shotgun and cardioid mics....Show more →
That's strange, I guess there are two kinds of RF 24-70 f/2.8 IS's because I've had two of them and they both made the clicking noise. If you are filming something with low audio you might not pick it up, but film something in near dead silence and move the camera around and have it AF like the video posted above. It does exactly that.
There are numerous reports of this happening, so either some lenses do it and some don't, or some hear it and some don't.
Actually, you posted back in this FM thread and said you do not own this lens?? Did you buy one? You were stating in this thread you've used the 24-105 and not the 24-70 f/2.8 in which you've filmed your guitar sessions with.
"I don't own either of those lenses, but have used the RF 24-105 4L IS USM on my R6 MK II with the Sennheiser MKE 400 in the shoe and haven't heard a peep from the AF motors"
I have the exact experience that OP had with clicking noises in very quiet environments. People appear to be defending Canon to their death but this is a real thing and a real problem.
Google search:
A clicking noise on the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM during video is often caused by the lens's autofocus (Nano USM) motor or the aperture diaphragm, particularly in quiet environments. While it is a high-performance lens, its autofocus mechanism can be audible to the internal microphone. The Control Ring can also produce clicks.
Causes and Solutions:
Autofocus Noise: The Nano USM motor, while fast, can produce a clicking sound.
Solution: Use an external microphone mounted away from the camera to avoid picking up the sound.
Solution: Manually focus during critical, quiet scenes.
p.1 #14 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
AI inquiry: Does the RF 24-70 f/2.8 IS make a clicking noise when filming video?
Short answer: yes — it can make a faint clicking or mechanical noise, especially in quiet environments—but whether you actually hear it in your footage depends a lot on how you’re recording audio.
What you’re hearing (and why)
The Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM uses Canon’s Nano USM autofocus motor + IS system.
Those systems involve physical movement of lens elements, which can produce:
faint clicking / ticking (AF adjustments)
subtle whirring or electronic noise (IS stabilization)
Users commonly describe it as:
“slight clicking/rattling while racking focus”
and note that in very quiet environments, in-camera mics can pick it up
Is it normal?
Yes — to a degree.
RF lenses (especially L zooms) are not totally silent, even with Nano USM.
Compared to Sony GM lenses (linear motors), Canon lenses can be slightly more audible during focus.
However:
If it’s loud, sharp, or clearly audible at normal mic levels, that’s not typical and could indicate:
unusually sensitive audio gain
mic mounted too close
or (rarely) a bad copy
When you’ll actually notice it
You’ll hear it most when:
Using internal camera mic
Shooting quiet scenes (interviews, nature, church, etc.)
Running continuous AF (Servo AF)
You’ll barely notice it when:
Using external mic (on talent or off-camera)
Shooting ambient/noisy environments
Using manual focus
Pro takeaway (what most people do)
For serious video work, people almost always:
Use external audio
Or switch to STM lenses if silence is critical
Bottom line
Yes, slight clicking is normal
p.1 #15 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
I own both the RF 24-105L and 24-70 2.8L and mainly shoot on quiet theater stages or studios. My recording studio has sound treatment with bass traps and wall panels, so tiny sounds are very audible, albeit the hypercardioid and cardioid mics I use for video work are very directional and mainly pick up what's directly in front of the mics. I don't remember exactly when I bought the 24-70 but it has been a few years now. I prefer the F2.8 look over F4 so the 24-105 has become more of a travel lens for me.
p.1 #16 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
Gochugogi wrote:
I own both the RF 24-105L and 24-70 2.8L and mainly shoot on quiet theater stages or studios. My recording studio has sound treatment with bass traps and wall panels, so tiny sounds are very audible, albeit the hypercardioid and cardioid mics I use for video work are very directional and mainly pick up what's directly in front of the mics. I don't remember exactly when I bought the 24-70 but it has been a few years now. I prefer the F2.8 look over F4 so the 24-105 has become more of a travel lens for me.
Well back in this thread you stated this so it makes sense why you are not hearing it without servo focusing:
“I don't own either of those lenses, but have used the RF 24-105 4L IS USM on my R6 MK II with the Sennheiser MKE 400 in the shoe and haven't heard a peep from the AF motors. Granted it was for a talking head in a quiet studio so no servo focusing needed (lock and disable)
If you shoot the lens as the OP to this thread does with movement in a silent scene you will hear the clicking sound. I discovered it while shooting cinematic footage of babies in their play rooms, with parents who want to capture their baby sounds while they crawl around or sit silence or stare at a book/toys/etc. When they start walking and you follow them around with a gimbal in quiet settings the same thing happens.
p.1 #17 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
That thread was from 2023, and times and my gear have changed. Movie servo and eye focus are so much better on my R7 and R6 MK II cameras than my prior 90D and R that I leave AF fully engaged. No more lock and disable. In ancient times, I used to focus on a broomstick, disable AF, hit record, and run to sit down with my guitar! Now I use a remote trigger and send HDMI straight into my Mac. I edit the audio with Beyerdynamic headphones, and I've never heard a click from the lens or on the audio track. Classical guitar solos are very transparent, low density, and there are lots of silent spaces between sections. The mics pick up my breathing, mouth sounds (lip movements), and my sleeve rubbing against the top of the guitar. Pretty sure my treated studio is much quieter than a room full of babies.
My experience doesn't mean the RF 24-70L doesn't make some low volume sounds. Just that those sounds aren't recorded on my cardioid Neumann and hypercardioid Sennheiser mics. Well, and I've never heard a click while holding the camera. Perhaps an omnidirectional mic mounted in the camera shoe would record something. However, nobody desiring quality audio would use the built-in omnidirectional mics. They're horrid. Albeit Canon's built-in mics have so much hiss and handling noise you'd be unlikely to hear a soft click...
The RF 24-70 was released in 2018. I checked my emails and mine was bought new from Canon Direct in 2024. Maybe Canon made refinements to the AF mechanism?
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #18 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
artsupreme wrote:
I'm pretty sure everyone does including myself but it's not feasible for running and gunning unless you have a personal assistant carrying a boom mic around for you. The point of my post is that it's pretty sad that Canon's $2600 RF 24-70 makes clicking noises that are picked up with the in camera mic and any hot shoe mounted mics. I would expect the older EF lenses to do this, but with the new RF bodies being video centric they should make a top tier lens like this silent for video.
I don't know if it is sad. It is what it is. I think the RF 24-70 f/2.8L is a pretty non-optimal lens for run and gun anyway. It is big and heavy for that and it looks like Canon may be addressing this issue with a much better for that application 20-70 VCM lens that is rumored. That too would likely be too big for my tastes for such an application, but for people who can put up with a lens of such size for run and gun they may have an option before too long. Right now your options are the 16-28 f/2.8 STM, the 28-70 f/2.8 STM if either of lose focal length ranges work.. A fixed focal length VCM that works for your shoot and if all else fails an external mic with the RF 24-70 f/2.8L. So people are not without options. Depending on what you are shooting, in my view several of those options are likely better than trying to do run and gun with the RF 24-70 f/2.8L and an on-camera mic. I am a little puzzled why anyone would think that lens was going to be a great solution for that application.
Older EF lenses are not going to be a great solution either. Can they be a workable one? Again that depends on your needs, but I would continue to recommend an external mic as one of the easiest ways to make such a lens work.
Apr 13, 2026 at 08:16 AM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #19 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
artsupreme wrote:
AI inquiry: Does the RF 24-70 f/2.8 IS make a clicking noise when filming video?
Short answer: yes — it can make a faint clicking or mechanical noise, especially in quiet environments—but whether you actually hear it in your footage depends a lot on how you’re recording audio.
What you’re hearing (and why)
The Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM uses Canon’s Nano USM autofocus motor + IS system.
Those systems involve physical movement of lens elements, which can produce:
faint clicking / ticking (AF adjustments)
subtle whirring or electronic noise (IS stabilization)
Users commonly describe it as:
“slight clicking/rattling while racking focus”
and note that in very quiet environments, in-camera mics can pick it up
Is it normal?
Yes — to a degree.
RF lenses (especially L zooms) are not totally silent, even with Nano USM.
Compared to Sony GM lenses (linear motors), Canon lenses can be slightly more audible during focus.
However:
If it’s loud, sharp, or clearly audible at normal mic levels, that’s not typical and could indicate:
unusually sensitive audio gain
mic mounted too close
or (rarely) a bad copy
When you’ll actually notice it
You’ll hear it most when:
Using internal camera mic
Shooting quiet scenes (interviews, nature, church, etc.)
Running continuous AF (Servo AF)
You’ll barely notice it when:
Using external mic (on talent or off-camera)
Shooting ambient/noisy environments
Using manual focus
Pro takeaway (what most people do)
For serious video work, people almost always:
Use external audio
Or switch to STM lenses if silence is critical
Bottom line
Yes, slight clicking is normal
Perhaps you don't know, but AI is the ultimate "yes man." Asking AI about something after you have posted on an issue pretty much guarantees that AI is going to reformulate what you posted and say what you posted is true in a pretty authoritative way. Basically, it treats your post as the most credible source, so to a large extent you are asking it, "What did I post on this issue?" It is not even close to an independent source. It is weighting heavily what you said without considering you might be wrong in writing its response. If you don't realize this is how AI works, you should understand it more before you rely on it. It can very much be a way to convince yourself of anything you kind of believe is absolutely true and in this way hardent people's suppositions as if they are facts.
p.1 #20 · Canon 24-70 EF II on R6 III : AF noise is a deal breaker for video?
Gochugogi wrote:
That thread was from 2023, and times and my gear have changed. Movie servo and eye focus are so much better on my R7 and R6 MK II cameras than my prior 90D and R that I leave AF fully engaged. No more lock and disable. In ancient times, I used to focus on a broomstick, disable AF, hit record, and run to sit down with my guitar! Now I use a remote trigger and send HDMI straight into my Mac. I edit the audio with Beyerdynamic headphones, and I've never heard a click from the lens or on the audio track. Classical guitar solos are very transparent, low density, and there are lots of silent spaces between sections. The mics pick up my breathing, mouth sounds (lip movements), and my sleeve rubbing against the top of the guitar. Pretty sure my treated studio is much quieter than a room full of babies.
My experience doesn't mean the RF 24-70L doesn't make some low volume sounds. Just that those sounds aren't recorded on my cardioid Neumann and hypercardioid Sennheiser mics. Well, and I've never heard a click while holding the camera. Perhaps an omnidirectional mic mounted in the camera shoe would record something. However, nobody desiring quality audio would use the built-in omnidirectional mics. They're horrid. Albeit Canon's built-in mics have so much hiss and handling noise you'd be unlikely to hear a soft click...
The RF 24-70 was released in 2018. I checked my emails and mine was bought new from Canon Direct in 2024. Maybe Canon made refinements to the AF mechanism?
We are talking about using an onboard mic in a silent room or setting while running and gunning. I did not say room full of babies by the way, I said a silent room or setting with one baby which can be silent. You are comparing a completely different application with your camera on a tripod with external mics. Two completely separate shooting methods. I have no issues with off board external mics and no I can't hear the clicking with my ear either, but when using an onboard mic it picks it up. Just because your application with off board mics doesn't expose the problem doesn't mean it's not a problem for others who can't always use an off board mic due to movement, tight spaces, etc.
