The Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for their full frame mirrorless cameras is one of the most versatile wide-angle lenses that the company has ever released. While having only an f/4 constant aperture, the zoom range and image quality makes up for it not being f/2.8. Another huge perk for the lens is that it is at nearly half the cost of what Canon’s RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L is priced at.

This lens is part of Canons “L” series lenses ensuring the highest quality build. It feels light in the hand with buttery focus and zoom rings. It also has Canon’s extra control ring to be able to change ISO or whatever you choose to set the lens to. The Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM has three aspherical elements and three UD elements and is also weather sealed.

For those just getting into the Canon full frame mirrorless market and are trying to save money, this is the perfect wide angle lens to buy. This is even a great option for the professionals as well due to it’s very useful zoom range. Now what are some examples that you could use this lens for? Concert photography, landscapes, real estate work. You name it, this lens can do it. Check out our pros and cons section along with a full video review with real word results below:

Specs:

• RF Mount
• Filter Thread: 77mm
• Min. Focus Distance: 7.9in
• Weight: 1.2 lbs
• Length: about 4 Inches
• USM Focusing Motor
• F/4 Constant

Pros:

1. Image Stabilization – It is incredible that almost all of Canon’s “L” series lenses are adapting image stabilization within the lens. Technology like this will allow you to shoot at lower shutter speeds or take more chances with recording video handheld. Users of the Canon R8, RP and EOS R will all appreciate this since none of those full frame mirrorless bodies have in-body image stabilization.
2. Versatile Lens Range – 14mm all the way to 35mm allows for a lot of versatility while using the lens, perhaps allowing you to leave another lens at home. The reason why we picked up the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM was to be able to capture full band live shots at concerts. Another reason why we invested in it is to have more flexibility while recording in 4K on the Canon EOS R since there is a crop while recording in that mode. If you are a landscape shooter, you will have the freedom to capture even wider shots than canons 15-35 allowing for more cropping as well on the photo side of things. Vloggers will also appreciate the focal length as it could be considered one of the best vlogging lenses Canon has ever created.
3. Light Build – This lens is light and doens’t make the camera front-heavy which is a huge perk. Since this lens’ focal length is so versatile, you might even be able to save space in your bag by leaving home one of your lenses.
4. Control Ring Addition – People either seem to love or hate the control ring addition to Canon’s “L” series lenses but we love it. It is nice to have a dedicated ring for ISO control making it quicker to change on the go if needed ultimately speeding up the process of shooting. This is a huge perk for event photography.
5. Sharp Image Quality – Again with Canon’s “L” series of lenses, you are getting some of the sharpest glass the company offers. The lens is noticably sharper than the Canon EF 16-35mm L IS USM lens and is sharp from corner to corner.
6. Fairly Priced – Priced at roughly $1300 USD at the time of writing this article, it is one of the cheaper L series lenes so if you are just jumping in to full frame photography and want to shoot wide, you can at a fraction of the cost of the 15-35mm f/2.8. This could also allow you to open your budget to be able to purchase the Canon RF 24-105mm L f/4

Cons:

1. f/4 May Not Cut It – While f/4 will be fine for most situations, f/2.8 aperture is very important for professional use espeically if you are looking for more extreme background blur or better low light performance.
2. External Zooming – During Canon’s DSLR phase, most lower range “L” series lenses zoomed internally including Canon’s wide angle lenses. This was a great perk for video use since there was nothing throw off the balance of a gimbal. It seems like they have done away with this feature with their RF line of lenses which is a huge bummer.
3. Vignetting at 14mm – This one we really have to mention because it is a huge downside of the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM. At 14mm you will see noticeable vignetting in your images if you do not have lens profile correction turned on. If money is not an issue, it might be a better option to go with the Canon RF 15-35mm L f/2.8 IS since you could potentially be cropping out a whole millimeter of information.