Quality has a price, but for some this might be a bit too much: $1,700.00 for a wide angle with a maximum aperture of f/4 is not exactly accessible… but no one said it has to be. While some will look elsewhere for a cheaper solution, the RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM lens may just be the answers to all the prayers from those who wanted a lens similar to the classic EF 16-35mm lens but for the mirrorless full frame family of cameras from Canon.
This dramatic new lens brings 14mm, ultra wide-angle coverage to full-frame EOS R-series users. On top of the ultra-wide capabilities, the 14-35mm zoom range is the broadest ever in a Canon wide-angle zoom for full-frame AF cameras. For many Canon users, one single lens can potentially handle all wide-angle needs, from vivid, creative ultra-wide imagery to traditional street photography. That’s, apparently, the reasoning behind Canon’s decision to design and release this lens.
The new wide-angle lens is designed for use within the expanding family of EOS R full-frame mirrorless cameras, including the upcoming EOS R3, currently in development. Whether you capture stills, video, or like many creatives today – both – this new wide-angle lens from Canon can, according to the company, “help elevate users’ content game when capturing images or video in a wide variety of situations, such as landscape, architecture, and travel.”
A compact overall design, and extremely modest overall weight of just 1.2 lbs. — along with excellent balance, during hand-held or even gimbal-mounted operation — add to RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM inviting character. A key feature, sure to appeal to many landscape and nature photographers, is this lens’s ability to accept conventional, 77mm screw-in filters. This is especially noteworthy on a lens for full-frame cameras with 14mm ultra-wide coverage. Additionally, the lens’s close-focusing capability is exceptional for an ultra-wide zoom of its type.
Image Stabilization further enhances the RF14-35mm’s appeal for low-light still imagery, and for steady yet striking wide video footage. Up to 5.5 stops of optical Image Stabilization is built-in, and Coordinated IS with cameras such as the EOS R6 and EOS R5 delivers up to 7 stops of shake-correction. This can mean sharper hand-held images in low light, even at extremely slow shutter speeds.
A customizable, click-stopped Control Ring is at the front of the RF14–35mm F4 L IS USM lens, giving yet another control input option for quick adjustments to exposure and other settings. Click-stopped operation gives positive tactile feedback, as you make adjustments. For photographers and moviemakers who would prefer a silent control ring, the clicking mechanism can be removed at a Canon Factory Service Center location for a fee.
The Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM lens features a bright, constant f/4 maximum aperture, L-Series optical construction — highlighted by three UD-glass elements, and three Aspherical elements — and many of the company’s most advanced proprietary lens coatings, including Sub-wavelength Structure Coating (SWC) and Air Sphere Coating (ASC). These superb lens coatings help minimize ghosting and flaring. Lens placement and coatings are also optimized to help users get clear, high-contrast images, even when there is a bright light source either in, or immediately outside, the frame. Additional features of the Canon RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM include:
- Compact design — Approximately 1.2 lbs. in weight.
- Minimum focusing of 7.9 inches at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 0.38x at 35mm zoom setting.
- Optical Image Stabilizer with up to 5.5 stops of shake correction.
- Up to 7 stops of shake correction when paired with Canon EOS R series cameras that feature In-Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS).
- High speed, smooth and quiet autofocus with Canon’s Nano USM.
- Control Ring for direct setting changes of aperture, shutter speed, ISO speed and exposure compensation.
- Superb dust and weather-resistance on par with other Canon L-series lenses.
The RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM is an ideal “do almost everything lens” with a focal length range allowing to cover multiple subjects, both in photo and video, and is also a good option for vlogging or livestream purposes. The Nano USM focus system is especially advantageous to video users, because of its combination of quiet operation and outstanding smoothness of focus changes during actual recording. As noted above, the lens is scheduled to be available in August 2021 for an estimated retail price of $1,699.00.