Canon 14‑35mm

RF f/4L IS USM

World's Best Ultrawide Zoom

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

R3  R5  R5C  R6 II  R6  R  R8  RP  R7  R10  R50  R100

Bodies Compared  RF Lenses  EF Lenses  Flash

 

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM (77mm filters, 19.0 oz./538g, 7.9"/0.66'/0.2m close-focus, 1:2.6 (0.38×) macro ratio, $1,199). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

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 — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. 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, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, 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.

 

November 2023   Better Pictures   Canon Reviews   Mirrorless   RF Lenses   EF Lenses   Flash   All Reviews

How to Use Ultra Wide Lenses

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM Review

Canon RF 15-30mm IS STM Review

 

Sample Images       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

There are more samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Macro, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.

These are all shot hand-held as NORMAL JPGs; no tripods, FINE JPGs or RAW CR3 files were used or needed.

Rooms 14 and 15, Redwood Motel, Bridgeport, California

Rooms 14 and 15, Redwood Motel, Bridgeport, California, 6:46 P.M., 12 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM at 14mm, f/4 hand-held at 1/8 at Auto ISO 400 (LV 5.0), minor perspective correction in Photoshop CS6 (from 2012), Perfectly Clear (now sold as Radiant Photo). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Valero Station, Bridgeport, California

Valero Station, Bridgeport, California, 5:12 P.M., 12 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM at 14mm, f/4 at 1/8 at Auto ISO 320 (LV5.3), Skylum Luminar Neo. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Huge Cloud, Bridgeport, California

Huge Cloud, Bridgeport, California, 5:46 P.M., 13 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, cropped somewhat from RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM at 14mm, f/22 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0) Skylum Luminar Neo. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.

I shot at f/22 specifically to get the big sunstar.

 

Moon and Stars over Redwood Motel Room 15

Virginia Creek Settlement, Bridgeport, California, 6:52 P.M., 13 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM at 14mm, f/4 at 1/80 at Auto ISO 2,500, -1 stop exposure compensation (LV 5.7), Skylum Luminar Neo. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Silver Lake Fall Color, California

Silver Lake, California, 11:45 A.M., 14 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM at 14mm, f22 at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14), Skylum Luminar Neo. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.

I used f/22 to get the sunstar.

 

Harley-Davidson and Passing Truck, Bridgeport, California

Harley-Davidson and Passing Truck, Bridgeport, California, 7:51 P.M., 14 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM at 25mm, f/4 at 1/8 at Auto ISO 2,000, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 2⅔), Skylum Luminar Neo. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Canon EOS R6 II Sample Image File

200" Hale Telescope, Palomar Observatory, 12:46 PM, 22 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM at 14mm, f/4 at 1/10 hand-held at ISO 800 (LV 4.4), Perfectly Clear (sold today as Radiant Photo). bigger or full resolution.

 

Sunstar and Golden Trees, Yosemite

Golden Backlit Trees and Sunstar, Yosemite National Park, 5:33 P.M., 15 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM at 14mm at f/16 (for a great sunstar) hand held at 1/20 at ISO 100 (LV 12.6), Skylum Aurora HDR to amp-up the color and add emphasis with vignetting. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Inside the Barn

Inside the Barn, Yosemite National Park, 3:37 P.M., 16 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM at 14mm at f/8 on a tripod for 20 seconds at ISO 100, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 1.6). bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

El Capitan by moonlight:

El Capitan by Moonlight

El Capitan by Moonlight, Yosemite National Park, 7:47 ~ 7:51 P.M., 16 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM at 23mm wide-open at f/4 using the R5's bulb timer for a 256-second (four photographic minutes) exposure at ISO 200 (LV minus 5.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.

I could have gotten better results at 8 minutes at ISO 100 at f/4, but didn't feel like waiting around in the cold. As always, use the lowest ISO you can for the sharpest, cleanest results in dim light. High ISOs are for the impatient when you have a tripod. No need for f/8 (and a half-hour exposure) as the RF 14-35mm f/4L IS is just as sharp wide-open and there was no need for extra depth of field.

 

El Cas it actually looked apitan by Moonlight with Red Streak

El Capitan with Red Streams by Moonlight — from a different vantage point, 8:45 ~ 8:49 P.M., 16 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM at 31mm wide-open at f/4 using the R5's bulb timer for a 256-second (four photographic minute) exposure at ISO 100 (LV minus 4.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Clouds Above Negit Island, Mono Lake

Clouds Over Negit Island, Mono Lake, 10:36 A.M., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5 in 4:3 crop mode, RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM at 23mm at f/8 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6), Perfectly Clear, split-toned print. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

two red adirondack chairs

Two Red Adirondack Chairs, Lee Vining, 11:50 A.M., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM at 25mm at f/8 at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation to keep the reds from overloading with STANDARD Picture Style set to +4 Saturation (LV 12.3), Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Fall Color and Sunstar

Fall Color and Sunstar, Lee Vining Creek Power Plant Road, 4:01 P.M., Sunday, 17 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM at 14mm at f/22 (for great sunstars) hand-held at 1/6 of a second at ISO 100 (LV 11.6), shade white balance to enhance the golden colors. bigger or fit-to-screen.

Please help KenRockwell.com

Introduction       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

Adorama Pays Top Dollar for Used Gear

Amazon

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Crutchfield

I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below.

This is the world's best ultrawide zoom, unless you really, really need the f/2.8 aperture of the larger RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM or prefer the tiny price and lighter weight of the RF 15-30mm IS STM.

Nothing from Nikon, Sony or Fuji comes close.

I got my RF 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

New       intro       top

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com World's first 14-35mm full-frame lens.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com World's first 14mm lens to take normal 77mm filters.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Widest lens ever native to Canon's Mirrorless System. (Of course the DSLR-native EF 8-15mm Fisheye and EF 11-24mm are wider and work great on an EF to RF adapter).

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Smaller, closer-focusing less expensive and wider zoom range than the world's other best ultrawide zoom, the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com World's closest-focussing ultrawide zoom.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com 1:2.6 (0.38×) macro ratio.

 

Good       intro       top

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Ultra sharp corner-to-corner, especially wide-open.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Essentially instantaneous autofocus.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com World's widest ultrawide zoom range: 2.5× starting at 14mm.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Takes normal 77mm filters.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Smaller and less expensive than the world's other best ultrawide zoom, the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Three control rings: Zoom, Focus, and a third programmable one.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Extremely close focus: 7.9" (0.66 feet or 0.2 meters).

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Exceptional macro ratio: 1:2.6 (0.38×).

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Constant f/4 aperture.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Nine-bladed diaphragm.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Stops down to f/22.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Nice LP1219 sack & EW-83p hood included.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com AF/MF switch.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Optical Image Stabilization.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Image Stabilization rated 5.5 stops improvement; 7 stops on R5 and R6. (actual real-world performance is 3 stops.)

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Image Stabilization switch.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Fluorine crud-resistant coatings.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com L-series weather sealing.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Quality Made in Japan.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com 100% U.S.A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.

 

Bad       intro       top

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Nothing, other than not being free.

 

Missing       intro       top

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com Like all mirrorless systems other than Nikon's; there is no always-active manual-focus override except if you set it for some modes in your camera's menu system.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com Nothing else, even comes with a nice LP1219 sack & Made-in-Japan EW-83p hood.

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM. bigger.

 

Compatibility       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

I got my RF 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This lens only works on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.

It will not even mount on any other camera.

 

Specifications       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

 

I got my RF 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Name       specifications       top

Canon calls this the Canon Lens RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM:

    RF: Works only on Canon's EOS-R Mirrorless cameras.

    L: Expensive as L.

    IS: Image Stabilization.

    USM: (Nano) UltraSonic (autofocus) Motor.

 

Also has:

    SWC: Sub-wavelength Structure Coating.

    ASC: Air Sphere Coating.

 

Optics       specifications       top

Canon RF 14-35mm Internal Optical Construction

Canon 14-35/4 internal optical construction. Glass-Moulded Aspherical, UD and Aspherical UD elements. IS section. - - - : Sub-wavelength Structure Coating (SWC). - - -: Air Sphere Coating (ASC).

16 elements in 12 groups.

3 Aspherical elements, two of which are Glass-Moulded Aspherical and one of which is an Aspherical UD element.

3 UD extra-low dispersion elements, one of which is an Aspherical UD element, all of which help reduce secondary axial chromatic aberration.

Rear focussing with Nano USM.

Fluorine coating to resist dirt and smudges.

Sub-wavelength Structure Coating (SWC) and Air Sphere Coating (ASC).

 

Diaphragm       specifications       top

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS. bigger.

9 rounded blades.

Electronically actuated.

Stops down to f/22.

 

Filters       specifications       top

77mm filter thread.

 

Coverage       specifications       top

Full-Frame (24 × 36mm) and APS-C (15 x 23mm).

 

Angles of View       specifications       top

114º ~ 63º diagonal on full frame.

104º ~ 54º horizontal on full frame.

81º ~ 38º vertical on full frame.

 

Autofocus       specifications       top

Nano USM

Internal focussing.

Rear focussing.

No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.

 

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 (7.9" or 0.2 meters).

 

Maximum Reproduction Ratio       specifications       top

1:2.6 (0.38 ×).

 

Reproduction Ratio Scale       specifications       top

No.

 

Image Stabilizer       specifications       top

Rated 5.5 stops improvement.

Rated 7 stops improvement on R5 and R6.

Actual real-world performance is 3 stops.

 

Caps       specifications       top

Canon E-77II 77mm front cap and Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001) included.

 

Hood       specifications       top

Canon EW-83P Hood

Canon EW-83P hood. bigger.

 

EW-83P hood included.

 

Case       specifications       top

Canon LP1219 sack

Canon LP1219 Suede Lens Sack. bigger.

Nice LP1219 suede sack included.

 

Size       specifications       top

3.31" ø maximum diameter × 3.93" extension from flange.

84.1 mm ø maximum diameter × 99.8 mm extension from flange.

 

Weight       specifications       top

18.980 oz. (537.9g) actual measured weight

Rated 19.0 oz. (540g).

 

Quality       specifications       top

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS. bigger.

Made in Japan.

 

Announced       specifications       top

12:03 AM, Tuesday, 29 June 2021, NYC time.

 

Promised for       specifications       top

August 2021.

 

Included       specifications       top

EW-83p hood.

Canon E-77II 77mm front cap.

Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001).

LP1219 suede lens sack.

 

Canon's Model Numbers       specifications       top

Product code: 4857C002 (4857C001 in Japan).

Model number: RF14354LIS.

JAN code: 4549292-186758.

 

Packaging       specifications       top

Glossy black corrugated cardboard box.

White closed-cell foam top and bottom buffers.

Folded corrugated top spacer for case and paperwork.

 

Price, U. S. A.       specifications       top

24 November 2023 (Black Friday)

$1,199 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.

About $950 used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

16 March 2023

$1,499 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.

About $1,000 used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

28 October 2022

$1,299 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.

About $1,100 used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

July 2022

$1,649 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.

About $1,300 used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

October 2021 ~ January 2022

$1,699 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.

 

June ~ September 2021

$1,699 at Adorama and at B&H.

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS. bigger.

 

Getting a Legitimate U. S. A. Version       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

I got my RF 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This section applies in the U. S. A. only.

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USA Warranty card

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USA Warranty Card. bigger.

Your lens must include a U. S. A. warranty card like the one shown above from Canon U.S.A., Inc. It should be on top inside your box as you open it. The serial number on the card must match the serial number on the bottom of your lens.

If not, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-U. S. A. versions have no warranty in the U. S. A., and you probably won't be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!

Shifty dealers may include color copies of a card from a legitimate U. S. A. lens in a gray-market box, hoping you won't check serial numbers and catch their fraud. A card with the wrong serial number means nothing other than that you have no warranty coverage.

The serial number on the box doesn't have to match, but it should. It will be hidden someplace on the sticker with all the bar codes. If not, it means a shady dealer took things out of boxes and was too sloppy to put them back correctly — and it means you got a used lens if anyone other than you took it out of the box.

If a gray market version saves you $600 the risk might be worth it, but for $200 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.

Always be sure to check yours while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources or at retail so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed. Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem.

 

Performance       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

 

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 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Overall       performance       top

The Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS is optically superb, covers an astonishing zoom range and is handy and compact: the perfect ultrawide zoom!

 

Autofocus       performance       top

Autofocus is just about instantaneous, regardless of how close or far are the subjects.

Bravo!

 

Manual Focus       performance       top

Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.

How to get manual-focus override.

 

Focus Breathing       performance       top

Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.

There is no visible focus breathing, bravo! (In the lab the image does shrink about 5% between infinity and 0.2 meters, but the defocus is so large at one end or the other of the focus range that you're just not going to see that. In real-world use this will never be visible.)

 

Focus Distance Recording       performance       top

The focussed 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, doesn't matter much with a slow ultrawide like this as there is only rarely anything much out of focus.

If you look very carefully, the bokeh is reasonably good.

Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original file:

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L Bokeh

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L Bokeh

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L Bokeh

Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 30 September 2021. EOS R5 at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops 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/ and get as close as possible.

 

Distortion       performance       top

At least on my EOS R5, Distortion Correction is always ON and cannot be turned off.

With this correction active, there is no visible distortion at any setting.

For more critical scientific use, you might want to use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images, or just not bother as they are so small:

On Full-Frame at 30' (10m)

Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON in EOS R5
14mm
+0.50
17mm
+0.40
20mm
+0.30
24mm
±0.00
28mm
+0.50
35mm
+0.60

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting 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

Ergonomics are great; everything is where you want it. It has both AF/MF and Stabilizer switches right under your thumb where they belong.

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS

At 14mm. bigger.
At 22mm. bigger.
At 35mm. bigger.

 

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS

At 14mm. bigger.
At 22mm. bigger.
At 35mm. bigger.

The front diamond-knurled hard plastic ring usually sets the aperture, but you can program it in your camera to do other things.

The front ring has clicks. You can pay Canon service to remove these clicks from the front control ring if you prefer.

The middle rubber-covered ring is usually manual focus. It always turns smoothly. While Canon claims "Full-Time Manual Focus Override," it only works under certain settings, so it's not really full time.

The big rubber-covered rear zoom ring is a direct mechanical ring, while the two smaller ones are purely electronic.

 

Falloff       performance       top

Falloff is invisible, with Peripheral Illumination Correction left at its default of ON.

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:

 

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 Falloff, Peripheral Illumination Correction ON.

 
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
14mm
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
22mm
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
35mm
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

If you're silly enough to turn off the peripheral illumination correction and then go looking for it, like all ultrawide lenses you'll see some.

Shooting gray targets emphasizes it:

 

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 Falloff, correction OFF.

 
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
14mm
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
22mm
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
35mm
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM falloff

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Filters, use with       performance       top

There's no need for thin filters. I can stack several standard 77mm filters with no vignetting at any setting on full-frame.

Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.

Be careful with polarizers at ultrawide settings; the sky's natural polarization can appear as a dark band across the sky.

 

Flare & Ghosts       performance       top

No problem here.

See examples at Sunstars.

 

Lateral Color Fringes       performance       top

There are no color fringes when shot as JPG with the default Chromatic Aberration Correction (inside the Digital Lens Optimizer) 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 can be some green-magenta fringes at the corners at most focal lengths, except towards the 35mm end where they go away on their own.

There can be minor 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, but my EOS R5, EOS R6 and EOS RP all have options to correct for falloff (Peripheral Illumination Correction), Distortion and a Digital Lens Optimizer which correct for a suite of other aberrations. The EOS R has this, too; I just don't have one handy to check the specifics with this lens.

Falloff, Distortion and the Digital Lens Optimizer are ON by default.

Distortion correction can't be turned OFF; it's always ON.

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 — at least on my EOS R5, EOS R6 and EOS RP.

 

Macro Performance       performance       top

Macro gets very close:

 

Wide-Open at f/4

It's close, but not that sharp at f/4 at 35mm at the close-focus distance due to spherical aberration and spherochromatism:

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Macro Performance

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance at 35mm, 30 September 2021. EOS R5 at 1/800 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 13.6). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Macro Performance

1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× 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, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!

 

At f/8

Like all lenses, it's super-sharp at f/8 and super-close:

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Macro Performance

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance at 35mm, 30 September 2021. EOS R5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 14.0). bigger or camera-original © file.

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Macro Performance

1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

This lens expertly resolved the texture of the watch face.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!

 

Mechanical Quality       performance       top

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS. bigger.

This is a well-crafted Japanese-made lens with metal where it counts and a plastic exterior so your fingers don't freeze to it in the cold.

 

Finish

Black plastic.

 

Hood

Plastic bayonet.

Locking pawl.

 

Front Bumper

None.

 

Filter Threads

Plastic.

 

Hood Bayonet Mount

Plastic.

 

Front Barrel

Plastic.

 

Front Function Ring

Plastic.

 

Focus Ring

Rubber-covered plastic.

 

Zoom Ring

Rubber-covered plastic.

 

Rear Barrel Exterior

Plastic.

 

Slide Switches

Plastic.

 

Identity

Printed around front of lens, also "14-35" engraved on top of barrel.

 

Internals

Seem like a lot of plastic with some metal.

 

Dust Gasket at Mount

Yes.

 

Mount

Chromed metal.

 

Markings

Paint.

"14-35" molded as engraved and filled with paint on top of barrel.

 

Serial Number

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM. bigger.

Laser engraved in black-on-black on bottom of barrel.

 

Date Code

None found.

 

Noises When Shaken

Minor clicking.

 

Made in

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, 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 sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; today they are all pretty much equally fantastic.

This Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM is super sharp edge-to-edge and corner-to-corner at every setting, as we expect in 2021.

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM MTF

Canon RF 14-35mm MTF at f/4 at 10 cyc/mm (black) and 30 cyc/mm (blue). Sagittal (solid) and meridional (dashed).

 

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. 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 some spherochromatism if I really go looking for it below, but otherwise it's invisible.

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Spherochromatism

Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance at 35mm at f/4, 30 September 2021. EOS R5 at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 15.0). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Spherochromatism

1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× 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, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!

 

Image Stabilization       performance       top

This lens has Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) and also works with in-camera stabilization.

Stabilization is very good, giving me three solid stops of real-world improvement and letting me get perfectly sharp shots most of the time at 1/8 of a second hand-held on my stabilized Canon EOS R5.

"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. 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:

 

At 14mm on stabilized EOS R5

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
2s
1s
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
Stabilization ON
0
17
0
67
100
100
100
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
17
17
67
100
100

I see a 3 stop real-world improvement on my stabilized Canon EOS R5, which lets me get perfectly sharp shots most of the time at 1/4 and all the time at 1/8.

 

At 35mm on stabilized EOS R5

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
2s
1s
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
Stabilization ON
0
17
17
17
67
100
100
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
0
0
33
100
100

I see a 3 stop real-world improvement on my stabilized Canon EOS R5, which lets me get perfectly sharp shots most of the time at 1/8 and all the time at 1/15.

This is for perfect sharpness. For most uses you can shoot at much slower speeds and get great results, but looking at 200% on my computer at 45 MP shots, I get perfect results all the time at 1/60 which is very useful.

 

Sunstars       performance       top

With a 9-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get great 18-pointed sunstars on brilliant points at moderate and small apertures.

Ignore the the vertical smear at large apertures, this is a sensor artifact called interline transfer smear and not a lens defect.

Likewise ignore the crazy rainbow dots at small apertures; these are sensor artifacts caused by taking a picture directly of the sun and exposing for the dark underside of a huge palm tree, and using that same palm tree to hide the sky to accentuate the stars.

See also my Sample Images at the top for more.

Click any to enlarge:

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Click any to enlarge.

 

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 Sunstars

Near Silver Lake, California, October 2023. Click any to enlarge.

 

Compared       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

 

I got my RF 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Versus the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM.

This is the baby version of the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM. They're both as sharp as each other.

Which is best for you depends on if you want to carry the extra weight of the 15-35mm f/2.8L to get an extra stop of speed, or prefer the significantly smaller size and weight, slightly wider zoom range and closer focussing of this 14-35mm f/4L. Both are equally extraordinarily sharp and have great stabilization.

For most of us not shooting in the dark at f/2.8, this new 14-35mm f/4L is a much more useful, more practical and less expensive lens.

 

Versus the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM       compared       top

Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 and RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM and 14-35mm f/4L IS. bigger.

The RF 16mm f/2.8 STM is a much smaller and less expensive ultra wide than any of these zooms.

It's just about as sharp in normal use unless you're really counting pixels. It's a stop faster than this f/4 zoom but lacks stabilization.

The fixed 16mm is usually a much smarter choice if you're also carrying any 24-xx or 28-xx zoom, as you'd be duplicating much of the range if you carried both an ultrawide zoom and another zoom starting at 24mm or 28mm. See Assembling a System.

 

Versus Lesser Brands       compared       top

Nothing from Nikon, Sony or Fuji comes close. Be glad you chose Canon!

 

Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4

Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4.

Nikon's cheaply made 14-30mm f/4 has no stabilization, and in-camera stabilization doesn't work at 14mm because the sensor would have to move 50% more than the center! Turkeys!

Nikon's 14-30mm f/4 pumps in and out much further as zoomed, sucking in more dust. It can't focus as close, it takes larger 82mm filters, it's not quite as sharp in the corners and production was dumped to Thailand. Dud!

Sony has even less clue here; they don't make anything anywhere near as practical as this 14-35mm gem. All Sony makes are a huge 16-35/2.8 or an exotic 12-24mm f/4 that can't take any filters. Sony dumped production of the 16-35/2.8 to Thailand, and totally trashed 12-24/4 production to China. Geesh, even my underwear is made in U. S. A.

Fuji doesn't even make any full-frame cameras. If you want to step-down to APS-C, Fuji does make a nice little 10-24mm f/4 (15-35mm eq.) that lacks the zoom range and close-focus of this Canon 14-35mm f/4.

 

User's Guide       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

 

I got my RF 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

How to Use Ultra Wide Lenses

 

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS. bigger.

 

AF - MF Switch       user's guide       top

AF: Auto Focus, with instant manual focus override in ONE SHOT if set.

MF: Manual Focus only.

 

STABILIZER Switch       user's guide       top

Leave it ON unless you're on a very sturdy tripod, or if you're making exposures longer than a second on any kind of tripod.

It controls both the in-lens optical stabilization and any in-camera stabilization at the same time; there is no way to use just one system at a time in cameras with built-in stabilization.

 

Manual-Focus Override       user's guide       top

By default, there is no always-responsive instant manual-focus override as we take for granted in our DSLRs.

EOS R cameras need a menu setting changed for manual-focus override, otherwise the focus ring is always ignored in AF.

Find the "Lens electronic AF" option in your AF menu (AF 4 in EOS R5 and EOS R6 or CAMERA 8 in EOS RP), and set it to either "One‑Shot‑>enabled" or "One‑Shot‑>enabled (magnify)."

Canon should have it set this way by default, but they don't. No big deal now that I figured it out.

Now manual focus override works if you turn the ring while continuing to hold the shutter halfway, but only after focus locks in ONE SHOT. The focus ring is ignored in SERVO.

 

Recommendations       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   USA Version

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations

This is the world's best ultrawide zoom, unless you really, really need the f/2.8 aperture of the larger RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM.

I got my RF 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

Ultrawide lenses are by far the most difficult to use well. They are never about "getting it all in;" they're all about letting you get closer. Be sure you know How to Use Ultra Wide Lenses.

I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap 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 best protective filter is the 77mm Hoya multicoated HD3 UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.

For less money, the B+W 77mm 010 is an excellent filter, as is the multicoated version and the basic multicoated Hoya filters or the 77mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV), but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.

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, and will outlast this lens.

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 40 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!

I got my RF 14-35mm f/4L IS at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

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 — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. 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, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, 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.

Thanks for helping me help you!

Ken.

 

© Ken Rockwell. All rights reserved. Tous droits réservés. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Ken Rockwell® is a registered trademark.

 

Help Me Help You       top

I support my growing family through this website, as crazy as it might seem.

The biggest help is when you use any of these links when you get anything. It costs you nothing, and is this site's, and thus my family's, biggest source of support. These places always have the best prices and service, which is why I've used them since before this website existed. I recommend them all personally.

If you find this page as helpful as a book you might have had to buy or a workshop you may have had to take, feel free to help me continue helping everyone.

If you've gotten your gear through one of my links or helped otherwise, you're family. It's great people like you who allow me to keep adding to this site full-time. Thanks!

If you haven't helped yet, please do, and consider helping me with a gift of $5.00.

As this page is copyrighted and formally registered, it is unlawful to make copies, especially in the form of printouts for personal use. If you wish to make a printout for personal use, you are granted one-time permission only if you PayPal me $5.00 per printout or part thereof. Thank you!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Ken.

 

 

 

24 Nov 2023 add 395 pix, 16 March 2023, 28 October 2022, 25 July 2022, 15 January 2022, 13, 21-23, 25 October 2021, 21, 27 September 2021, 13 July 2021, 29 June 2021