Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM
Superb optics for low-light action and sports, as well as astronomy (2025 ~ today)
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
R1 R3 R5 II R5 R5C R6 III R6 II R6 R R8 RP R7 R10 R50 R50V R100
Canon: Bodies Compared RF Lenses EF Lenses Flash
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM (67mm and/or rear gelatin filters, 18.3 oz./519g, 0.7'/0.2m close focus, 0.19× macro ratio, $1,899). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or or get it used at KEH.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used lens — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
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Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as Large Normal (
The Milky Way, Bridgeport, California, 9:26 P.M., Tuesday, 21 October 2025. Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM wide-open at f/1.4 for 15 seconds at ISO 3,200 (LV minus 8.0!!!), curves adjustment layer masks in Photoshop 2021, casual use of my Oben CT-2491 Carbon-Fibre Tripod and Oben GH3W-15 Geared Head. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen, or camera-original 17 MB © 24 MP JPG.
I used Tungsten white balance to keep the night sky blue rather than icky orange.
As shot, both of these were murky (milky 😁) gray. Most of the color comes from my hijinx in editing.
Mono County Courthouse at Night, Bridgeport, California, 7:02 P.M., Wednesday, 22 October 2025. Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM wide-open at f/1.4 easily hand-held at 1/8 of a second at Auto ISO 200, +1.0 stop exposure compensation (LV 3.0), Radiant Photo software, perspective correction in Photoshop 2021. More tech details. bigger or full-resolution 24 MP 3 MB JPG (not perspective corrected).
Ken's Sporting Goods in the Rain at Night, Bridgeport, California, 7:02 P.M., Wednesday, 22 October 2025. Cropped a little from Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM wide-open at f/1.4 easily hand-held at 1/8 of a second at Auto ISO 400 (LV 2.0), Radiant Photo software. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
The Bodie Hotel at Night, Bridgeport, California, 8:44 P.M., Wednesday, 22 October 2025. Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM wide-open at f/1.4 at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100. -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 6.0), Radiant Photo software. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Rhino's Bar & Grill, Bridgeport, California, 8:03 P.M. Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM wide-open at f/1.4 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 5.0), Radiant Photo software. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen, or full-resolution 6.7MB 24 MP JPG.
Of course if this wasn't a wide-open sharpness test I'd have shot it at f/4 at a half-a-second hand-held at ISO 100 so it would all be in focus; the R1 easily giver flawless sharpness hand-held at a half second.
Porsches, San Diego, California, 9:44 AM (I should have been there 33 minutes earlier), Saturday, 13 September 2025. Slight crop from Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at f/5.6 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 8.2 MB © 24 MP JPG file or in-camera interpolated © 96 MP, 24.2 MB JPG image.
Yellow Dodge Viper, San Diego, California, 10:31 AM, Saturday, 13 September 2025. Slight crop from Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at f/4 at 1/8 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 7.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 3.1 MB © 24 MP JPG file.
Sunset, Solana Beach, California, 6:38 PM, Thursday, 18 September 2025. Canon EOS R1 in APS-C crop mode, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at f/5.6 at 1/250 at ISO 50L (LV 14.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 1.6 MB © 9 MP JPG file.
Introduction top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This is an extraordinarily sharp and ultrafast ultrawide lens. it is intensely sharp all the way out to the corners wide-open at f/1.4.
This is the world's best pro lens for Milky Way shooting: ultra-fast and ultra-wide.
While there are lots of wider f/1.8 lenses, unless they're 12mm focal length or less on full-frame at f/1.8, this 20mm f/1.4 lens beats them for unguided astro photos.
f/1.4 lets us use only 63% of the exposure time needed for the same exposure at f/1.8.
I got my RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger.
New intro top
Canon's first fixed 20mm lens for its mirrorless system.
World's first professional 20mm f/1.4 lens. Consumer brands have made these before, but never has LEICA, Canon, Nikon or even Sony made a 20mm f/1.4. The world's loaded with 20mm f/1.8s, while this is the first top-level 20mm f/1.4.
Good intro top
Flawless and essentially diffraction-limited optics at every distance.
Small.
Programmable focus lock button.
AF/MF switch.
Professionally Made in Japan.
100% U.S.A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.
Bad intro top
Plastic filter threads and plastic exterior.
Like all the VCM lenses from Canon (RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM, RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM and RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM), the VCM lenses from Viltrox, and the linear XD motor lenses from Sony, it feels like there's something floating around loose inside when the camera isn't awake because there is. The focus groups ride on rails inside these lenses, and when the focus system isn't active these optics float around randomly.
Missing intro
No image stabilization, but works great if you have a stabilized camera.
No Stabilizer switch for in-camera stabilization.
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger.
Specifications top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
I got my RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Name specifications top
Canon calls this the Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM:
RF: Works only on Canon's EOS-R Mirrorless cameras.
L: Expensive as L.
VCM: Voice Coil (focus) Motor.
Model Number: RF20F14LVCM.
Optics specifications top
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM internal construction. Regular Optical Glass, Aspherical and UD glass elements. BR (Blue-Refractive) compound, red dashes are Sub-Wavelength Coatings (SWC) and black dashes show an Air-Sphere coating.
15 elements in 11 groups.
Two Aspherical elements.
Three UD extra-low dispersion elements, which help reduce secondary axial chromatic aberration.
BR (Blue-Refractive) compound to minimize spherochromatism.
Air Sphere variable-refractive index coating (ASC).
Sub-Wavelength Coatings (SWC).
Fluorine coating to resist dirt and smudges.
Diaphragm specifications top
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger.
11 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/16.
Filters specifications top
Plastic 67mm filter thread and a rear gelatin filter holder.
Coverage specifications top
Full-frame, which means it also covers APS-C.
Angles of View specifications top
94½º diagonal on full frame.
84º horizontal on full frame.
62º vertical on full frame.
68º diagonal on APS-C.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
0.66 feet or 7.9 inches or 0.2 meters.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:5.3 (0.19×).
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
NONE.
Caps specifications top
E-67II 67mm front cap, included.
RF Rear Cap (p/n 2962C001), included.
Hood specifications top
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger.
The EW-73H Hood is included.
Case specifications top
Canon LP1219 Lens Sack. bigger.
Nice LP1219 pseudosuede sack included.
Size specifications top
3.000" ø maximum diameter × 3.902" extension from flange.
76.2 mm ø maximum diameter × 99.1 mm extension from flange.
Weight specifications top
18.3 oz. (519g).
Announced specifications top
26 May 2025.
Promised for specifications top
28 April 2025.
Included specifications top
Lens.
E-67II 67mm front cap.
RF Rear Cap (p/n 2962C001).
LP1219 pseudosuede sack.
Model Numbers specifications top
Model number: RF20F14LVCM.
Product code: 7023C002 (7023C001 in Japan).
JAN code: 549292-244960.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
03 December 2025
$1,899 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
$1,863 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
October - November 2025
$1,899 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
April 2025
$1,699 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
March 2025
$1,699 at B&H and at Adorama.
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Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger. |
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger. |
Performance top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Distance Recording Bokeh Distortion Ergonomics
Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts Lateral Color Fringes
Lens Corrections Macro Mechanics Sharpness
Spherochromatism Stabilization Sunstars
I got my RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Overall performance top
The RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM has superb optics in a compact package.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is nearly instantaneous. Ultrawides have always had fast autofocus.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
You may or may not be able to get instant manual focus override depending on how you set your camera; no big deal, use the AF/MF switch.
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size (growing and shrinking slightly) as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe (change size) as focus gets pulled back and forth between different actors as they speak. The image is said to breathe because it expands and contracts as the focus follows the dialog back and forth.
The image from the RF 20mm f/1.4LVCM gets somewhat smaller as focussed more closely.
Focus Distance Recording performance top
The focused distance is recorded in the EXIF data.
I read this in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is excellent at f/1.4 and f/2.8, neutral at f/5.6 and poor at f/11.
Specifically, blur-circles have soft edges at f/1.4 ~ f/2.8, they are simply sharp circles at f/5.6 and they become more like donuts at f/11. This is fine, because when we want soft backgrounds we use the larger apertures.
Bokeh is rarely important with ultrawide lenses because so little gets ever gets out of focus.
Here are photos from headshot distance. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Vantage Vue Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), 10:21 AM, Wednesday, 24 September 2025. Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at 1/8,000, 1/4,000, 1/1,000 and 1/250 at ISO 50L, 100, 100 and 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 15.0).
Click any for the camera-original © file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/1.4 and get as close as possible.
Distortion performance top
At least on my EOS R1, Distortion correction is always forced ON.
Set this way, there is no visible distortion.
For more critical scientific use, use correction factor of +0.20 in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct the distortion as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
While Canon's own software probably also corrects this from RAW CR3 files, be warned that other brands of raw processing software probably won't correct the distortion, and Heaven only knows what distortion you may see then.
Ergonomics performance top
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Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger. |
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger. |
Ergonomics are straight-ahead: just a lens with three control rings!
The front ring is a programmable clicked control ring. Set it in your camera for aperture, exposure compensation or whatever your camera provides.
The fat rubber ring is also usually programmable (depending on your camera), and is usually manual focus.
The aperture ring is mostly for video. It only works for still shots on the newer cameras, and it has no clicks so it's downright weird to use for stills.
You may or may not be able to get instant manual focus override depending on how you set your camera; no big deal, use the AF/MF switch.
Falloff performance top
Falloff isn't a problem.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Peripheral Illumination correction at its default of ON:
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you save only raw data rather than create JPG images in-camera, whatever software you use to create visible images from that raw data later may or may not correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction, or possibly in some raw software, this is what you get:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Peripheral Illumination correction turned OFF:
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Filters, use with performance top
There's no need for thin filters. I can stack at least two standard 67mm filters with no vignetting at any setting on full-frame. I get vignetting with three standard 67mm filters.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters, but don't expect to stack more than two filters before you may start to get some vignetting on full frame.
Additionally you can cut a gelatin filter to the right size (see the template in Canon's RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM User's Manual) and slide it into the included rear gel holder:
In addition to the usual 67mm front thread, you can cut a gelatin filter to the right size (see a template in Canon's RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM User's Manual) and slide it into the included rear gel holder:
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Rear of Rear Filter Holder (faces sensor). bigger. |
Front of Rear Filter Holder (faces lens). bigger. |
Genuine gelatin filters are very, very delicate and expensive. Resist using Rosco or Lee filters, which aren't optically flat and are designed for putting over lights — not in an imaging path.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
Flare and ghosts are extremely well controlled.
See examples at Sunstars.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no lateral color fringes when shot as JPG with the default Chromatic Aberration Correction left ON.
if you go out of your way to turn this OFF (or shoot raw and then use non-manufacturer software to process that data into images) then there is still essentially no lateral color. If I look very carefully in the corners at 300% on my four-foot-wide monitor from a foot and a half away I barely can imagine the slightest green/magenta fringes, but it's still essentially invisible. This is superb performance.
There is some spherochromatism, which can cause color fringes on things that aren't in perfect focus at large apertures. Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration in a different dimension than lateral color fringes.
Lens Corrections performance top
Other cameras may vary as the years roll on, but my EOS R1, R3, R5 II, R5, R5C, R6 II, R6, R, R8, RP, R7, R10, R50 and R100 all have options to correct for falloff (Peripheral Illumination Correction), Distortion and a Digital Lens Optimizer which corrects for a suite of other aberrations.
These are all ON by default.
This lens integrates electronic distortion correction as part of its design, so the Distortion setting is grayed-out because it can not be turned off.
You can turn off falloff correction and/or the Digital Lens Optimizer.
If you turn off the Digital Lens Optimizer, you are then offered à la carte ON/OFF options for Chromatic Aberration Correction and Diffraction Correction.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct these as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
Macro Performance performance top
While magnification doesn't get that big, to get these images you have to be so close that you'll have a hard time not blocking your light.
Ultrawides are dumb lenses to use for close-ups unless you want a special effect.
It is astoundingly sharp, especially wide open:
At f/1.4
I can't recall seeing any other lens any sharper than this at f/1.4 at its close focus distance. Bravo!
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, Wednesday, 24 September 2025. Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at f/1.4 at 1/8,000 at ISO 50L (LV 15.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 2.8 MB © 24 MP JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is the watch face solar cell.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
At f/8
It's about as sharp at f/8; I think diffraction may be dulling it compared to f/1.4 which is wonderful: it means this lens is performing at the limits of the laws of God and physics.
Of course we have much more depth of field at f/8 compared to f/1.4:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, Wednesday, 24 September 2025. Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at f/8 at 1/500 at ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 3.9 MB © 24 MP JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is the watch face solar cell.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Mechanical Quality performance top
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger.
This is all plastic on the outside, with a metal mount.
Exterior Finish
Black plastic.
Hood
Plastic bayonet.
Front Bumper.
None.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Front Control Ring
Hard plastic.
Focus Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Slide Switches
Plastic.
Function (AF Lock) Button
Rubber covered.
Identity
Printed around front of lens in nearly invisible gray on gray, also "20" engraved and filled with paint on the top of the barrel.
Internals
Seems like a mix of plastic and metal.
Dust Gasket at Mount
Yes.
Mount
Chromed metal.
Markings
Paint.
Serial Number
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM. bigger.
Laser engraved in warm black on black on the bottom of the barrel.
This is a highly detailed and well-lit studio photograph which makes it far more legible than it is in actual life. To read it in person you'll want a flashlight.
Date Code
The serial number contains a date code.
My serial number starts with 154, which means it was made in June 2025.
Noises When Shaken
It sounds like there's something loose inside, which is the focus group flopping around.
It's inelegant, but normal.
Truth, Ethics & Respect
Made in Japan.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is ultra sharp corner-to corner at every aperture, limited by your vision as an artist and of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures. This lens is so sharp that diffraction starts to dull the image even at f/8 if you're paying attention. See also How to Calculate the Sharpest Aperture When You Need Both Depth of Field and Freedom From Diffraction.
Used properly, all of Canon's RF lenses are equally sharp. The differences are in maximum apertures and focal lengths, but none of them are soft if you know how to use them. Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness.
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM MTF wide-open at f/1.4 at 10 cyc/mm (black) and 30 cyc/mm (blue). Sagittal (radial) shown as solid lines. Meridional (tangential) shown as dashed lines.
See also my article on MTF and Canon's article on MTFs.
While it's usually valid to compare rated MTFs between different lenses of a similar age from the same maker, every maker measures or simply calculates MTF very differently, and therefore one cannot compare these curves between brands. For instance, Sony seems to calculate and choose to ignore diffraction, while others don't.
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration and therefore cannot be corrected with software or automatic corrections. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has a moderate amount of spherochromatism, with bluish-green fringes behind and violet fringes ahead of the plane of perfect focus, however the depth of field of this ultrawide lens is so deep that this is unlikely to be visible as it is with long lenses:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, Wednesday, 24 September 2025. Canon EOS R1, RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at f/1.4 at 1/8,000 at ISO 50L (LV 15.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 2.5 MB © 24 MP JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same high magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Image Stabilization (IS) performance top
This lens has NO Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)), however it works well with in-camera stabilization if you have it.
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of hand-held, free-standing with no support or bracing, frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness as viewed at 300%. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed.
This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized R1 | 4s |
2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
| Stabilization ON | 5 |
30 |
40 |
90 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
40 |
100 |
I see FIVE stops of real-world improvement, which is extraordinary. I can get perfectly sharp shots at a couple of full seconds if I expose enough frames to catch a sharp one!
This is all measured in the center of the frame. Unlike with optical stabilization, geometry makes in-camera sensor-shift stabilization much less effective as one gets to the corners of ultrawide lenses.
Sunstars performance top
With an 11-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get mild but exquisite 22-point sunstars on brilliant points of light only at the smaller apertures.
Ignore the vertical smear at large apertures. This is a sensor artifact called interline transfer smear and is a camera, not a lens, defect.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Compared top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
I got my RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
NEW: All Canon Mirrorless Ultrawide Lenses Compared.
Recommendations top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
I got my RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Canon makes a slew of Ultrawide lenses. See my executive summaries at All Canon Mirrorless Ultrawide Lenses Compared to learn which is best for what. Personally f/4 is more than fast enough for anything I shoot, so I prefer the huge zoom range of the RF 14~35mm f/4L IS USM, but we're all different. Thank your lucky stars you shoot Canon, who has the largest selection of useful lenses of any maker.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap (exactly like an iPhone) so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the nearly indestructible Hoya multicoated HD3 67mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, the Nikon 67mm NC (No Color/Neutral Clear), Hoya 67mm NXT Plus UV and Hoya 67mm UV MC are all excellent filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd use an uncoated 67mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
Glass filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 50 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s! The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt, and you'll be using it long after you've thrown this lens away in 50 years.
Genuine gelatin filters are very, very delicate and expensive. Resist using Rosco or Lee filters, which aren't optically flat and are designed for putting over lights — not in an imaging path.
I got my RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
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