What More Could You Ask for in a Lens?
This lens has a lot going for it already being the brightest ultra wide-angle lens that Canon has made, but that is just the beginning. With impressive resolution, this lens the pinnacle of high image quality while also expanding the comprehensive “f/1.4 L Series” family of lenses that revolve around useful features like an iris ring that makes them exceptional for both still photography and video creation. The quality and construction is top notch with the first-ever application of a Fluorite lens element in a canon ultra wide-angle lens, an Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) element, and a Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics (BR) element to minimize chromatic aberration, and 3 GMo aspheric lenses for sharpness around the edges. Subwavelength Structure Coating (SSC) and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) reduce ghosting and flare. The lenses in this f/1.4 L Series family share the same basic dimensions and weight to make it easy to work with multiple prime lenses with the same muscle memory, and without having to rebalance a gimbal, or change your whole video rig setup.
Focus on Focus
The RF14mm F1.4 L VCM Lens features a unique focusing system. There is a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) that powers the primary rear focus unit that is incredibly fast, accurate and quiet (great for video). One important note about the VCM is that it requires power to hold its position, so when the camera is off, or the lens is not attached to a camera, you may hear and feel slight movement. This is normal, and there is extra cushioning inside the lens to help prevent damage in this situation.
A hallmark of the Canon hybrid lenses, focus breathing ensures that a lens maintains a consistent field of view while racking focus, preventing the distracting “zoom like” effect that can occur as focus shifts. This stability is especially valuable for video work, where smooth, natural focus transitions help maintain visual continuity and keep the viewer’s attention on the subject. For photographers, reduced breathing also improves composition accuracy, making it easier to frame precisely without the image subtly changing size as focus is adjusted.
What Technology Makes This Lens Special?
Advanced technologies such as Air Sphere Coating (ASC), Subwavelength structure coating (SWC), Blue Spectrum Refractive (BR) coating, a dedicated iris ring, a customizable lens function button, and a smooth, tactile control ring make this ultra wide-angle lens exceptionally powerful. ASC and BR coatings work together to dramatically reduce flare, ghosting, and chromatic aberrations, delivering cleaner, higher contrast images even in challenging lighting. The iris ring offers intuitive aperture control, while the lens function button and control ring provide quick, customizable access to key settings. All of this is housed within a robust L contrast images even in challenging lighting. The iris ring offers intuitive aperture control, while the function button and control ring provide quick, customizable access to key settings. All of this is housed within a robust L Series construction featuring dust- and weather-resistant sealing, ensuring reliable performance in demanding shooting environments.
Get Closer
With a minimum focus distance of just 9.5”, you can really get close to your subject for some incredibly unique imagery. With the extreme wide-angle of this lens, you will be able to capture a subject very close to the lens, and still see scenery in the background environment, an absolutely unique look for close-up imagery.
Filtered Content
The RF14mm F1.4 L VCM has a rear filter holder for attaching sheet-type gelatin filters behind the lens. Attaching a gelatin filter in the rear holder, which is closer to the image plane, makes it possible to shoot point light sources around the edges of the frame without distortion.
