Canon has been doing a great job of expanding its mirrorless lens lineup in a relatively short period of time, releasing innovative optics like the RF 28-70mm F2L USM and stalwarts like the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM.
Until now, however, there was one classic Canon EF-mount DSLR lens that didn’t have a mirrorless lens: the 35mm f/1.4. That changed with the unveiling of the Canon RF 35mm F1.4L VCM, bringing the total number of RF mount lenses to 46.
The medium-wide focal length is particularly popular for reportage photography: the 35mm f/1.4 lens can be found in the bag of most professional photojournalists and many street, documentary and wedding photographers.
Canon’s latest lens is the redesigned, modern Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM II, which is Canon’s professional digital SLR lens that was launched in August 2015. You can see the lenses side by side in the images I took during the hands-on at the session, in the gallery below.
A lot has changed in camera technology in the nearly 10 years between lenses, especially as Canon has turned its attention from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras. First, many of today’s professionals work not only with photography but also with video, and the new RF 35mm F1.4 is made for such hybrid shooters.
The RF 35mm F1.4 is indeed the second of Canon’s new breed of special hybrid lenses, following the RF 24-105mm F2.8L USM Z, which launched last November alongside the RF 200-800mm F6.3. -9 IS USM.
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As a hybrid lens, the RF 35mm F1.4 is great for stills, but it also offers video-specific features you don’t get with regular Canon mirrorless lenses, like a smooth aperture ring (which unfortunately only works for video with this lens).
During a product briefing, Canon told TechRadar that the RF 35mm F1.4 precedes a number of other RF lenses in production that are set to feature an aperture ring, reflecting Sony’s long-established lens design practices, such as the Sony FE 16-35mm F2 .8 GM II.
The RF 35mm F1.4 will go on sale sometime in July and list price is $1,499 / £1,819 (Australian price TBC). That’s a decent bang for the buck, but it’s actually a decent price cheaper than the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM II, despite the DSLR lens being nearly 10 years old.
We’ve already had some short hands-on time with the Canon RF 35mm F1.4L VCM, so what are our first impressions?
How is the Canon RF 35mm F1.4L VCM?
Canon has already given us the RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM, with this lens arriving soon after Canon’s all-new mirrorless system launches in 2018; but the RF 35mm F1.4L is a completely different proposition than this budget lens for everyday use.
It’s a dust- and weather-resistant lens that many professionals desire, with a really fast f/1.4 maximum aperture and an 11-blade aperture for smooth bokeh.
Constructed with 14 elements in 11 groups, including two UD and two aspherical elements, it is designed for better balance, unlike often front-heavy DSLR lenses. At 19.5 oz / 555 g with evenly distributed weight, the RF 35mm F1.4 feels great in the hand with a camera like the Canon EOS R5 (see below).
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It’s slightly smaller and lighter than the EF-mount version, with a smaller front thread for a 67mm filter and a neat rear filter holder, plus you get up to seven stops of image stabilization when the lens is paired with an EOS R camera with in-body image stabilization, like are the EOS R5 and EOS R6 II.
There is something new to learn here too, namely VCM, which stands for oscillating coil motor. It’s a more powerful AF motor that works in tandem with the USM motor to move the heavier lens members for fast and quiet autofocus, and I was blown away by how fast and quiet the new lens’ autofocus worked.
One thing I can’t fully comment on at this stage is the image quality, although I did purchase the UK’s only production sample of the lens to take the self-portraits you can see in the galleries below.
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Where the subject is in sharp focus, the details are really sharp, regardless of the aperture. I don’t see a dramatic change in lens sharpness for focus areas from zf/1.4 to the typically optimal f/5.6 aperture for a lens like this. You can see one shot at full size and then a close-up to get an idea of ​​the lens’s sharpness at f/5.6 above.
I also took the same photo at all stop apertures and with all lens corrections turned off to get a quick idea of ​​any imperfections in optical quality.
From these short tests, looking at uncorrected raw files, barrel distortion is evident (see uncorrected photo next to corrected JPEG below), plus slight vignetting at f/1.4.
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Vignetting decreases as you close down the aperture until it’s essentially gone at f/5.6 (see f/1.4 and f/5.6 comparisons below), though you’ll notice it on shots that aren’t against a clean background you won’t notice. vignetting through f/2.8. I always stress that there is no reason to turn off these lens corrections in camera when actually using the lens, and as you can see from the corrected JPEG, vignetting and barrel distortion are negligible when using these corrections.
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In addition to these tests, Canon told me that the RF 35mm F1.4 is sharper in the corners and has less breathing than the EF equivalent.
Based on my short time with the RF 35mm F1.4L VCM, it looks like another triumph for Canon, and it’s poised to be snapped up by many professionals.