Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM Overview
Ultra-Wide for Hybrid Creators
Designed to satisfy both photographers and videographers' needs, the Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM is a fast ultra-wide-angle prime lens with a function-first build that caters to the hybrid nature of modern image-making, emphasizing high image quality, responsive AF, minimized focus breathing, and intuitive, silent, and customizable handling.
Optimized for Photo
Suiting nature, landscape, architecture, interior, and street photography applications, this ultra-wide prime offers a huge angle of view that enables making strong, dynamic compositions with an exaggerated sense of space and foreground.
- Impressively fast f/1.4 maximum aperture affords control over depth of field and also greatly benefits low-light shooting, making this an ideal lens for astrophotography applications.
- Optical design includes ultra-low dispersion (UD) and Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics (BR) elements to reduce chromatic aberrations for impressive clarity and color accuracy.
- Air Sphere (ASC) and Subwavelength structure (SWC) coatings reduce flare and ghosting for improved contrast.
- Contrasting the ultra-wide field of view, this lens also excels with close-up subjects thanks to a 20 cm minimum focusing distance and 0.19x maximum magnification.
- Rounded 11-blade diaphragm creates a smooth, rounded out-of-focus rendering.
Optimized for Video
When used for video applications, the lens's ultra-wide field of view and close-focusing design can be paired with motion to create especially dynamic scenes.
- Manual aperture ring with de-click switch to make smooth, silent iris pulls.
- Focus breathing is especially well-controlled, helping to maintain a consistent composition and field of view when racking focus.
- Linear focus motor for intuitive manual focus control.
- Matched design with other Hybrid series primes; all lenses have the same 67mm front filter ring and general size for ease in rigging and working with multiple lenses on a shoot.
VCM and Nano USM Autofocus
The focusing system has also been tuned to suit both photo and video tasks, offering a useful mixture of speed and control.
- Nano Ultrasonic Motor (USM) is used to control a floating focusing system while a Voice Coil Motor (VCM) adjusts a rear focusing group; together, these two systems offer an ideal mixture of speed and quiet performance that is especially beneficial to video recording.
- Floating focus design also helps to maintain consistent image quality throughout the focusing range, from 20 cm to infinity.
- AF/MF switch and full-time manual focus override for intuitive focus control when needed.
Design Details
Despite being a fast ultra-wide lens, this 20mm f/1.4 remains relatively compact and lightweight for regular use. Its design and size is matched to the other Hybrid lenses and is built for everyday use for a wide range of shooting applications.
- Effectively the same dimensions (~76 x 99 mm) and weight (~500 g) as other Hybrid series prime lenses; these lenses also share a 67mm front filter ring diameter.
- Included filter holder attaches to the rear of the lens and accepts pre-cut gel filters; this is ideal for scenarios when more than one filter might be needed or if one filter will be used for a sustained amount of time.
- In addition to the manual aperture ring, this lens has a customizable Control Ring and Function Button, which can be programmed to control a range of shooting settings.
- L-Series level durability and weather resistance for working in inclement conditions.
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM Specifications
Key Specs
| Focal Length | 20mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.4 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Lens Mount | Canon RF |
| Lens Format Coverage | Full-Frame |
| Focus Type | Autofocus |
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Filter Size | 67 mm (Front), Gel Filter (Rear) |
Optics
| Minimum Focus Distance | 20 cm |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.19x |
| Optical Design | 15 Elements in 11 Groups |
| Diaphragm Blades | 11, Rounded |
Physical
| Dimensions (Diameter × Length) | 76.2 × 99.1 mm |
| Weight | 500 g |
What's in the box
- 1 x Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM Lens (Canon RF)
- 1 x Canon E-67 II Lens Cap
- 1 x Canon Lens Dust Cap RF
- 1 x Canon EW-73H Lens Hood
- 1 x Canon LP1219 Soft Lens Case
- 1 x Rear Filter Holder
- Barcode: 79866
- UPC Barcode: 4549292244960
- Supplier Code: RF2014L