Canon has done a good job in filling out its RF lens range since the introduction of its new mirrorless lens mount. That’s probably just as well, given its stranglehold on third-party licensing. The new RF 14mm f/1.4 L VCM is certainly a great addition, especially for astrophotography, landscapes, architecture and interiors – but why has it taken Canon so long to produce an ultra-wide prime lens of a type you would take for granted in other systems?
Canon does make plenty of ultra-wide RF mount zooms. There’s the excellent all-purpose RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM, for example, or the more compact RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM. There’s the more affordable RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM ‘consumer’ zoom, the extra-wide RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM and the truly remarkable RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM – but no fast primes. You can’t really count the compact RF 16mm F2.8 STM because it’s quite slow and quite cheap. So this is the remarkable thing – five ultra-wide zooms but not one fast ultra-wide prime.
It’s academic now, of course, because the RF 14mm f/1.4 L VCM finally fills that gap. The ‘VCM’ nomenclature is interesting, indidentally, because this lens’s Voice Coil Motor AF actuator is designed specifically for hybrid stills/video use. In fact, this lens has two AF actuation systems, as the VCM controls a rear focus group while conventional nano USM is used for a floating focus group. The RF 14mm f/1.4 L VCM also boasts ultra-low dispersion, fluorite, and Blue Spectrum Refractive elements to reduce chromatic aberrations.
The new lens joins a growing family of VCM primes in the Canon range, including the RF 20mm F1.4L VCM, RF 24mm F1.4L VCM, RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM, RF 50mm F1.4L VCM and RF 85mm F1.4L VCM. What’s especially interesting about all of these lenses is that they have aperture rings – aperture rings, on a Canon mirrorless lens! This alone will make a lot of videographers happy.
They might not be so happy at the pricing, though. The RF 14mm f/1.4 L VCM is launched with a pretty stiff $2,599 price and, thanks to Canon’s third party lens licensing policy, you can’t just go out and buy a far cheaper Sigma Art lens, for example. See the links below for pricing.
- Canon RF 14mm f/1.4 L VCM prices: $2,599 at B&H | £2,399 at Wex