Canon’s new 20mm f/1.4 lens could be the ultimate wide-angle prime for astro photography and video work, but its pricey | usagoldmines.com

• Canon’s fourth ‘hybrid’ f/1.4 prime lens joins the 24mm, 35mm and 50mm
• Versatile 20mm wide-angle perspective and fast aperture
• List price is £1,919.99 (US and Australia pricing plus sales start date TBC)

Canon continues to grow its range of ‘hybrid’ RF lenses designed for photo and video with its latest addition, the Canon RF 20mm F1.4L VCM.

It’s virtually identical in size, weight and design to three other f/1.4 hybrid primes, the 24mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses (see them all side by side, above), but offers the widest perspective of the quartet.

The 20mm focal length is widely used by astro, landscape, architecture and interior photographers, plus it’s also handy for video work in tight spaces and, again, for sweeping vistas.

Canon’s fastest-ever 20mm lens packs an 11-blade f/1.4 aperture that should prove particularly handy for low light work, while its close focusing skills of just 0.2m could also deliver decent shallow depth of field shots with dynamic perspectives.

It’s a pricey optic, mind you – £1,919.99 (US and Australia pricing to follow) makes it the costliest of the four primes by around 15%. Still, it’s the only 20mm fast aperture prime for Canon’s full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Canon still doesn’t allow third-party brands to make lenses for its full-frame cameras, which means it might remain the only choice for wide-angle prime lovers for sometime yet.

Canon’s most versatile hybrid prime yet?

I had a brief hands-on with the RF 20mm F1.4L VCM at Canon UK’s headquarters ahead of launch and the lens is a familiar sight. Its design is practically identical to the 24mm, 35mm and 50mm options in Canon’s hybrid lens line up.

The weather-proof lens measures 76.5 x 99.3mm and weighs 18.3oz / 519g, which makes it an excellent fit with a camera like the EOS R5 Mark II (see below) – a logical camera / lens pairing – and like the other primes it features a 67mm thread for lens filters and a rear gel filter holder.

There’s an iris (aperture) ring with smooth click-free adjustments ideal for video, plus a customizable lens control ring and buttons too.

VCM stands for Voice Coil Motor – it’s the motor that drives autofocus, which Canon says is rapid, accurate and near silent. I can attest to the autofocus efficiency from my brief time with it and other lenses in the range.

As an L-series lens, the 20mm F1.4 is built for pros, with a complex lens element arrangement that should deliver supreme sharpness and clarity. The lens comprises, and I take a breath…two aspheric lenses, one Super UD lens, two UD lenses and one BR lens, plus ASC, SWC and Super Spectra coatings.

In many respects, the RF 20mm F1.4L VCM is the most compelling lens of the hybrid bunch, because there’s simply no other lens like it. The RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM is a 5-star rated ultra-wide-angle zoom, but its maximum aperture is f/4.

I can see the 20mm option being one of the more popular options in Canon’s hybrid lens range. It provides a versatile wide perspective for video work, particularly those that work in multiple aspect ratios, and looks like the ultimate money-no-object astro photography lens.

What do you think of Canon’s range of hybrid lenses so far? Let us know in the comments below.

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