Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 lens review with samples

Another premium (i.e. very expensive) new 'L' lens makes its way onto RF mount - could this be the landscape photographer's ultimate dream?

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All pictures taken by me on a Canon EOS R5 camera.

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[TheRockandroy]

I got it for $1100 USD, new. No other wide in my full frame repertoire before this, so I've been very happy with it. It's a delight.

Thank you for your reviews, Chris!

[jr]

Christopher's images with this lens look fantastic!

[jremi]

I subscribed to this channel a while back when I realized that this was my “go to” channel whenever I wanted to learn about a particular lens. With this video, I also watched the one on the RF 15-30 (non L). It was quite interesting to realize that the cheaper lens performed almost as well as the L series lens. In fact, it performs even better at the widest angle (vignetting and distortion). So, unless you absolutely need a constant f4, weather sealing and a more rugged construction, the RF 15-30 is a no brainer, as far as I’m concerned. Great video as always and many thanks for this amazing work, Christopher!

[JohnDrummondPhoto]

Thanks for this fair review. I think I'll hold onto my EF 16-35 F4L for awhile longer. I don't shoot that wide often enough to justify it, especially at the price.

[bunkermagnus]

Great review as always. It so happens that I broke my piggy bank and bought this 2 days ago, it's absolutely fantastic. I'm using the more forgiving R6 and on that body it's flawless. I was also very suprised to see very pronounced sunstars at f4 and I can happily report that even with a NiSi v7 filter holder with 10 stop filter + soft grad I suffer from no vignetting after applying the default lens profile correction in Lightroom. What a time to be alive with all this "next-gen" technology!

[robertcudlipp]

The prices Canon is charging for its native mirrorless glass totally deters me from seriously thinking about mirrorless.
Not sure what market Canon have in mind, other than a shrinking one!
Will remain with my not new, but perfectly adequate for my needs, 6D and L glass etc.
Good review thanks Chris.

[DreadinNY]

I just grabbed one on sale for $1299 US. Very happy with it

[dexon]

I purchased this lens as a replacement to my landscape workhorse EF 17-40 f/4 L, the RF 14-35 f/4 IS L has been an excellent tool allowing me so much versatility and it produces incredible images for its size and weight. I love it. Also no more EF-RF adapter which is fantastic! I will be converting all my lenses eventually, thanks for the review.

[SatanSupimpa]

Canon got so comfortable relying on digital correction to compensate the flaws of its cheaper lenses, that started moving the practice to the L line. The high price that Canon charges for its glass should be delivered as high performance glass, and not as the camera ability to correct its lower points.

[chrisi]

I wonder why there are no videos comparing this lens to the EF 16-35L f/4. I'd love to see if this lens is 1.5x better, and worth the price

[jamesseward]

Thanks for another great review! I’m seriously thinks about getting this lens. I heard on another channel that diffraction show up a bit early in the aperture range than on say a lower resolution sensor such as a 24 megapixel camera versus a high resolution 45 megapixel camera and up. Is this correct? On this particular lens it shows up at f16 with the 45 megapixel R5, so would that mean it be nonexistent with a 24 megapixel R6 Mark II camera or similar cameras? Thanks 😊

[brianbeattyphotography]

that 14mm wide range is tempting, but at over double the cost of my 16-35 f/4 it just doesn't seem worth it.

[artlebedev]

Optically seems worse than Nikon's z 14-30 especially given the price. One can say it has 35mm on the long end, but for the price of this lens you can almost buy Nikon's 14-30z and 24-70 f4 together.

[RFGfotografie]

For this price you demand perfection, yet it isn't there yet.

[LeePelling]

Just purchased this Lens from onestopdigital, used them before never had issue, the lens was a little over £900 with a one year warranty . Nice to see my hometown of Ramsgate in the review !!

[InterMaus]

Hey Chris, is the new Tamron 35-150 f/2-2.8 on your list to be reviewed at some point?

[কাঁঠালেরআমসত্ত্ব]

Canon's strategy on lens design and pricing is discouraging for hobbyists and enthusiast shooters. Prices are just out of affordability range. Luckily, sony and nikon have not abandoned this group.

[tomongena]

Thanks for the review. I’m considering in buying an UWA-lens for my R6, but this one is to expensive for me. Canon released recently the cheaper RF 15-30 lens. Can we expect a review of this new lens too?

[Bayonet]

Not particularly impressed with the minuscule improvement stopping down has on corner sharpness at either extremes of the focal length range, even at f8 it is not very sharp.

[ineedagoodusername]

So compared to the Nikon Z equivalent, it seems the differences are:

- 5mm at the long end, obviously
- Nikon is a bit smaller and lighter
- Nikon clearly wins for sharpness at the wide end across the frame
- The Canon does seem to edge it out wide open at the long end, though
- A little less distortion than the Nikon, though both are pretty brutal at the wide end. Nikon also flips into significant pincushion distortion at the long end.
- Vignetting is pretty bad on both, though Canon recovers a bit at the long end
- Close-focusing capabilities of the Canon far outstrip the Nikon
- Better against bright lights than the Nikon
- Bokeh similar on both, though the Canon might have a slight edge
- But that price difference: in my country it's about $700USD!

Seems kind of hard to recommend Canon RF over Nikon Z to landscape photographers at this point, given this and the price advantage the Z7 has over the R5.