Canon adds three new f/1.4 prime and f/2.8 zoom lenses to its hybrid RF lineup
Oct 30, 2024
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Canon has announced three more new RF mount “hybrid” lenses in addition to the new RF-S 7.8mm APS-C Dual Fisheye Lens. They’re the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z ($2,999) zoom, and the RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM ($1,499) and RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM ($1,399) primes.
These hybrid lenses, Canon says, are designed for those who need to regularly switch between photo and video uses. It targets journalists and content creators, but they’re much more versatile than that.
Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM
The Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM lens fills a long-standing role in many photographers’ kit bags. A nice, wide 24mm lens is great for landscapes and travel, when you want to capture the whole scene to capture your memories rather than treating it like a photo shoot.
But it’s also great if you’re an event or wedding photographer capturing large groups of people or interiors of large venues. And it obviously has its benefits for regular travel, landscape and street photographers.
It’s a compact and lightweight lens, housing a combination of VCM and Nano USM actuators. This means it’s optimised for both photography and video uses. Canon says its optical design offers high quality across the entire image area, for edge-to-edge sharpness throughout.
Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM Specs
| Focal Length | 24mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.4 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Lens Mount | Canon RF |
| Format Compatibility | Full Frame |
| Angle of View | 84° |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.17x |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 23.9cm |
| Optical Design | 15 elements in 11 groups |
| Diaphragm Blades | 11 |
| Focus Type | Autofocus |
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Filter Size | 67mm |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | 76.2 x 99.1mm |
| Weight | 515g |
Canon RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM
The Canon RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM, like the 24mm above, fills another standard role in many photographers kits. We’ve all owned at least one 50mm f/1.4 lens at some point. And there’s a good reason for it. It’s a very versatile focal length.
It allows us to see the world with as little distortion as possible at a reasonable perspective that somewhat matches the human eye. This makes it a “standard” lens. But it’s great for things like street photography and travel, while also being long enough for things like portraits.
Canon’s new 50mm f/1.4 also houses a pair of VCM & Nano USM actuators and is optimised for both photography and video.
Canon RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM Specs
| Focal Length | 50mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.4 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Lens Mount | Canon RF |
| Format Compatibility | Full Frame |
| Angle of View | 46° |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.17x |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 39.9cm |
| Optical Design | 14 elements in 11 groups |
| Diaphragm Blades | 11 |
| Focus Type | Autofocus |
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Filter Size | 67mm |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | 76.2 x 99.1mm |
| Weight | 580g |
Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z
With two new professional RF primes on the horizon, it’s not too surprising that we’re also seeing a new pro zoom. This is the Canon RF 70-200mm F”.8 L IS USM Z. It’s aimed primarily towards sports, fashion and news reporting, but a 70-200mm f/2.8 is one of the most versatile lenses you can own.
While it’s never going to go wide, it offers a great range for portrait shooters, or anyone that wants to pick out their subjects at a little range. They’re obviously great for sports, and it even encroaches into wildlife territory. For a medium telephoto zoom, a 70-200/2.8 is often the best option.
Canon says that, like the two primes above, this lens is optimised for both stills and video. They also say that there should be no problem balancing this one on a gimbal. As with many previous 70-200/2.8 lenses from Canon and other manufacturers, these are internal zoom and internal focus, so they don’t change length.
Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z Specs
| Focal Length | 70-200mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/2.8 (Constant) |
| Minimum Aperture | f/22 |
| Lens Mount | Canon RF |
| Format Compatibility | Full Frame |
| Angle of View | 34° to 12° |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.3x |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 49cm |
| Optical Design | 18 elements in 15 groups |
| Diaphragm Blades | 11 |
| Focus Type | Autofocus |
| Image Stabilization | Yes |
| Filter Size | 82mm (Front) |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | 88.5 x 199mm |
| Weight | 1,110g |
Price and Availability
The Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM is available to pre-order now for $1,499. The Canon RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM is also available to pre-order now for $1,399. And the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z is available to pre-order now for $2,999.
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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