Canon has announced a 35mm f/1.4L VCM prime lens that is designed to work equally well for video production and stills. Canon says it’s the first in a series of new premium products to appeal to both types of content creators.
“This lens is the start of a new range of hybrid lenses, and with its prime, it fills a gap as there has been no prime lens wider than 50mm in the L series – until now,” says Canon.
It weighs 1.2 pounds (555 grams) and measures 3.0 x 3.9 inches (diameter x length) or 76.5 mm x 99.3 mm. Compared to Canon’s RF 35mm f/1.8 mount, the new L-series main camera is heavier and larger, as is typical of the faster aperture and L-series brand; The 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM weighs 10.7 ounces (305 grams) and measures 2.93 x 2.57 inches (74.4 mm x 62.8 mm).
The company adds that the 35mm f/1.4L VCM is ideal for low-light shooting and features an external manual iris ring (or iris, for cameramen). Oddly enough, this option is only available in video capture mode; when taking pictures, the aperture can only be controlled from the camera.
In addition, Canon promises that it has very little breathing sharpness (this refers to perspective shift when changing focus) and that it has an “exceptional” L-series optical design. The button on the side of the lens is not only for AF lock, but also customizable for other functions , which is a nod to the hybrid nature of the design.
The lens is constructed of 14 elements arranged in 11 groups, including two ultra-low dispersion glass elements and two aspherical optical elements. It also has three layers: Canon ASC (Air Sphere Coating, SSC (Super Spectra Coating) and Fluorine Coating. The front filter size is 67mm and has an aperture range of f/1.4 to f/16 through an 11-blade diaphragm. Combined with the camera The EOS R3 Canon says has seven stops of shake correction.
The 35mm f/1.4L VCM features a combination of the Canon Nano USM (Ultrasonic Motor) and VCM (Voice Coil Motor) – hence the optic’s name – to drive the autofocus system, and when fitted with an EOS R5 or R6 camera, covers approximately 90% of the horizontal Dual Pixel planes and 100% vertical. The VCM is responsible for moving four relatively heavy lens elements and works in tandem with the Nano USM to create a coordinated dual system rather than a single main focus group.
This is the first time Canon has released a lens with VCM – and it’s also unusual with a new coordinated motion design with USM – which is very similar to linear actuator autofocus systems from Sony and other manufacturers. Canon says it used this design because it works well for both photo and video applications.
With manual focus, the control ring has a dual function, which can be controlled while being programmed to perform other functions (such as changing the ISO) from the attached camera’s menu.
The Canon 35mm f/1.4L VCM should be available in June for $1,500. This makes it one of the most expensive 35mm autofocus mirrorless lenses on the market behind the Leica Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 and the Leica APO-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH.
A signal for the market?
The 35mm f/1.4L VCM is intended to be viewed as a high-performance standard lens for video and users; just as powerful as the R5 and R6 series, as well as the C70 and the new C400 cameras, for example. While Canon has released RF-mount zoom lenses that are framed in this way – the 24-105mm f/2.8 is one such example – the 35mm f/1.4L VCM is the first prime lens with this description since the transition on a mirrorless camera. .
Of course, Canon has produced prime-resolution lenses that are suitable for use in video applications, but the company’s language around the 35mm f/1.4L VCM suggests that this is the first time the company has released a “hybrid” lens, where performance in stills and video is the same. The focus on video can be seen in the breathing-restricting optical design, the customizable button, the click-away external aperture ring and the fact that Canon is announcing it alongside the C400 at CineGear, an exhibition specifically aimed at videographers.
At the same time, it is not a “lens for the cinema” and should clearly be ideal for photographers as well. If nothing else, Canon’s language and choice of venue are clear signs to the industry that it intends to take the idea of ​​a “hybrid” much more seriously moving forward – especially given that it has indicated that this is only the first from the range of incoming optics. .
Update 6/5: Added a line explaining that the aperture ring is not usable in photo mode.
Image credits: Canyon