Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM lens review

Key features

• Highly versatile 35mm focal length
• Stills/video hybrid
• VCM for smooth focusing
• Nano USM for floating element control
• Floating element design to reduce aberrations at close range
• Breathing correction
• SSC and ASC coatings reduce lens flare, and ghosting
• Aperture/iris collar for video 
• 11 aperture blades
• Custom function button

What is it?

The Canon RF 35mm F1.4L VCM is a high-speed, stills and video-oriented semi-wide-angle lens designed for the EOS R range of mirrorless cameras.

It’s the successor to the much-vaunted EF 35mm F1.4L USM II, only it’s not quite what we were expecting. Like the Canon RF 24-105mm F2.8L, this lens is a hybrid model that appeals to both filmmakers and stills photographers. As such, it features a new voice-coil motor (VCM) for AF, a type of linear motor noted for its smooth focusing, supplemented with a second Nano USM to control the ‘floating’ (independently moved) element used in close-range correction. 

Along with the 14 glass elements, which include 2 UD and 2 aspherical surfaces, it also utilises a ‘digital element’ to make corrections. The idea here, of course, is to eliminate any aberrations that the optical construction cannot address. However, a 14-element design is already pretty advanced, so the optical quality must be good.

Interestingly, the new lens is smaller, lighter and less expensive than its predecessor. One intriguing detail is a smaller 67mm filter thread. Its predecessor, the EF 35mm F1.4L USM, takes 72mm filters, so no doubt the digital corrections helped achieve a more compact design (see here for a comparison of the specs’). It’s still quite big, though; bigger than I expected, anyway. There’s also the reassuring heft you get from a quality product, but the mass is positioned at the rear, where the larger glass elements are, so it doesn’t feel front-heavy when mounted on a camera body. 

A new stepless manual aperture ring is included, but only for video; it appears to be unavailable in stills mode for cameras other than the EOS R1 and R5 Mk II. A small slider is used to disengage the ring from its locked position. And the ring operates very smoothly with a nice level of resistance. Indeed, the whole lens feels very high-end and well-made.

Should you want to use the manual focus ring, it’s just slightly ‘lighter’ in feel to the aperture collar but just as smooth. It’s electronic, of course, but that means you can have a long focus throw for greater accuracy or turn it quicker and the focusing speed increases. In AF mode, the VCM and nano USM motors deliver very fast and accurate focusing for stills and with practically silent operation for clips.

When using AF video, you can also adjust the focusing speed, from fast (too fast, maybe) to slow, with the latter working well for smooth focus transitions, and without hunting and noticeable ‘breathing’, at least on the EOS R7, also supplied for testing; I didn’t try that particular focusing option on the full-frame EOS R.

The VCM lenses also feature a customisable button that falls more or less under your left thumb. Only one function can be assigned at a time, which is set up via the camera menus, but it would be nice if there was a press-and-hold option so that you could choose a function on the fly. Maybe in the future…

How does it perform optically?

Like most lenses made for digital cameras, the Canon RF 35mm F1.4L VCM utilises digital profiles to correct vignetting, barrel distortion, and lateral chromatic aberration. That said, the lens is well-corrected optically to start with, so the profiles are used to clean up the final image.

Without the profiles applied (they can be turned off in-camera or in your favourite RAW converter), there’s mild barrel distortion, some fairly heavy vignetting wide open, and a little fringing, but the image quality is terrific.

With the profiles applied, it’s even better, a particular highlight being the LaCA correction, which is difficult to match manually, let alone improve on it. Not that there’s much to begin with; while there’s a hint at 100%, you would have to look at 300% to see it in detail. Some axial fringing (LoCA) can sometimes be seen on metallic surfaces, but it’s very light and can be almost entirely removed manually in Lightroom (Classic) if necessary.

Correction of vignetting wide open needs dialling back a little, as there’s some noise visible (even at ISO 100) in the corners as a result. But that’s not unexpected.

Sharpness is excellent, wide open in the centre, with the outer zones just slightly behind. At F2.8, the outer zones practically match the centre, so nothing is lacking there. But sharpness is one thing; how it renders is equally important, perhaps more so. And this lens delivers on that front as well. Foreground and background blur lean towards a slightly swirly effect, but the in-focus areas present a delicate and attractive drawing style with a soft roll-off.

Flare and ghosting are particularly well-controlled, and Canon’s ASC and SSC (Super Specta Coating) allow very nice, open shadows that are both delicate and detailed. 

In summary

Overall, the Canon RF 35mm F1.4L VCM is an attractive addition to the range, especially for those who offer video services alongside stills work. Ergonomics and handling are excellent, and while the traditionalist filmmaker might baulk, even autofocus could have its place: the smooth and variable transition when operated from the touch-screen is impressive (on a suitable camera).

I expected the RF 35mm F1.4L VCM to be good, just not this good. The presumably now-discontinued Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM II was a high-performing lens when I reviewed it upon its launch for Digital Photographer magazine. However, without direct comparison, I can’t definitively say one is better than the other. Still, I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed; it is a truly exciting lens to use. Not only is it super sharp at all apertures, but it also produces an attractive and delicate rendering.

Admittedly, there’s a strong emphasis on video features, but ultimately, it’s a very well-rounded performer with few, if any, real downsides. We might look back in a few years and say what a triumph in design this lens is.

Pros

Attractive drawing style/rendering
High sharpness at all apertures
Low Lateral and axial CA
Superb handling and ergonomics
Nicely made

Cons

Slight barrel distortion without profile correction
Vignetting slightly overdone, wide open, using profile correction

Disclosure: the lens was supplied for review by Canon UK and returned.

Technical Data

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Sample Gallery

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