But just what is different about these hybrid Canon lenses compared to the regular ones we’re already using quite happily for video? A few things, as it turns out, including manual iris rings, electronic parfocal focusing, focus breathing suppression and optional Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E2 and PZ-E2B add-ons.
The Power Zoom Adaptors are quite strange. They are bulky units that mount on the side of the RF 24-105mm F2.8L IS USM Z and RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM Z hybrid zooms so that you can execute smooth zooms while filming without jogging the camera by turning the zoom ring. Other makers integrate electronic zooms into their lens designs, so it’s not clear why Canon hasn’t. No doubt there’s a technical reason – and it’s true that electronic zooms are not popular for stills photography, so this solution does perhaps offer the best of both worlds.
These hybrid zooms bring another bit of technical jargon – ‘Electronic Parfocal Focusing’. A ‘parfocal’ lens is one where the focus doesn’t change as you zoom in and out. This is ideal, but not how most modern zooms operate. ‘Electronic’ parfocal focusing simply means that the lens focus is adjusted automatically as you zoom with a lens that is not actually a parfocal lens in the optical sense.
Back to the Canon RF 20mm F1.4L VCM. This is not a zoom, so obviously the Power Zoom Adapters and Electronic Parfocal Focusing don’t apply. It does, however, smooth and near-silent VCM (Voice Coil Motor) focusing and a physical aperture/iris ring. This is a real treat for Canon owners, who have had to make do with unmarked lens control rings for physical aperture control until now, and in contrast to the Sony lens range, where more and more new lenses have aperture rings as standard.
This also sounds great news for stills photography, except for one thing. The iris control won’t work for stills on cameras made before 2024.
The Canon RF 20mm F1.4L VCM joins three existing hybrid primes; the RF 24mm F1.4L VCM, the RF 35mm F1.4L VCM and the RF 35mm F1.4L VCM. These lenses all share the same f/1.4 maximum aperture but, cleverly, Canon has also made them all the same size. This is perfect for filmmakers who like working with primes in sets and especially when rigs and gimbals don’t need re-balancing every time a lens is swapped. Panasonic has taken a similar route with its f/1.8 Lumix S primes.
The RF 20mm F1.4L VCM is pretty compact, measuring 76.5 x 99.3mm and with a weight of 519g. There’s nothing lightweight about the price, though, as it comes in at $1,699/£1,919, so while f/1.4 is very fast for a 20mm lens, you’re certainly paying for it – one for professional photographers and filmmakers only.