Announced on 5 February 2026, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM is Canon’s widest and brightest ultra-wide-angle prime lens—and weighing just 578g, it is also the most portable 14mm f/1.4 autofocus full-frame lens in the market. You’ll have no qualms taking it with you to capture scenes and stories from a vastly different perspective. Read on to find out about the possibilities the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM unleashes.
Shooting at 14mm opens the doors to immersive images, whether you’re capturing grand landscapes, expansive spaces, or drawing viewers into the middle of dynamic action. Add to that the possibilities of f/1.4 in a professional-grade body, and you’ve got the ingredients for greater functional and creative freedom.
But amazing lens performance doesn’t matter if its size and weight make you hesitate to bring it to your shooting location, and ultra-wide-angle professional-grade lenses with fast apertures have a reputation for being enormous.
Enter the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM, which weighs only approximately 578g. It’s the lightest full-frame 14mm f/1.4 lens currently in existence.
EOS R5 Mark II/ RF14mm f/1.4L VCM/ FL: 14mm/ f/7.1, 20 sec, ISO 500
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM’s 14mm focal length covers a 114° diagonal angle of view, taking in more than bare human effective vision. It captures foregrounds right in front to backgrounds in the distance, making it possible to create a sense of depth that draws your viewers into the picture. That amazing coverage shines when shooting in confined spaces, giving you full control over composition even when the environment sets the limits.
Dramatically exaggerated perspective comes with the territory. Nearby objects look nearer, faraway objects look further, spaces look more expansive, and action looks more dynamic.
A natural wide angle of view on APS-C
When used on an APS-C camera like the EOS R7 or EOS R50 V, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM achieves a 22.4mm equivalent angle of view—still ultra-wide, but with more natural perspective.
EOS R5 Mark II/ RF14mm f/1.4L VCM/ FL: 14mm/ f/1.4, 1/8000 sec, ISO 100
Two stops brighter than the EF14mm f/2.8L II USM, its EF mount counterpart, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM lets you achieve blurrier bokeh that isolates subjects better than ever. It also provides more flexibility to freeze movement the way you envision, or use a lower ISO speed.
And because Canon cameras meter at full aperture by default, f/1.4 allows more light information to enter the lens, benefiting low light autofocus performance.
Clickless aperture control during video shooting
In filmmaking, adjusting the aperture is the preferred method of exposure control, as changing shutter speed and ISO speed can affect the video quality. Just like the other lenses in the f/1.4L VCM series, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM features a clickless iris ring for intuitive, seamless aperture changes during video shooting.
The iris ring can be locked when not in use to prevent accidental changes. On cameras like the EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R6 Mark III, you can also use it to adjust aperture during still shooting.
EOS R5 Mark II/ RF14mm f/1.4L VCM/ FL: 14mm/ f/1.4, 20 sec, ISO 4000/ Stacked image
When you’ve got a sweeping landscape in the foreground and the Milky Way behind, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM’s 14mm lets you fit more into a single frame, capturing nature’s wonders with less compromise.
The 14mm f/1.4 combination also provides a technical advantage: it's easier to capture stars as tiny points. A shorter focal length reduces star trailing for a given exposure time, and f/1.4 lets you achieve cleaner, clearer, and brighter stars through a lower ISO speed and shorter exposure time. Three optimally placed GMo (glass molded) aspheric lenses reduce sagittal coma flare, ensuring that stars and other point light sources are rendered clearly and faithfully.
What makes the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM a gamechanger is its unprecedented portability. A short focal length, larger aperture, and professional-grade optical quality usually mean a larger, heavier body. However, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM weighs 12% less than the EF14mm f/2.8L II USM at approximately 578g despite being two stops brighter. This was possible due to the design flexibility made possible by the RF mount, the use of special lens elements that correct lens aberrations more efficiently, a redesign of the VCM, and streamlined mechanics.
It’s the lens you won’t hesitate to take out with you to scenic spots and vantage points: weight is no deterrent and you know what it can achieve. And if you shoot video, the lens offers more than just dynamic perspectives—its mobility keeps you agile and dynamic.
The RF mount’s contribution to a more compact optical system
The RF mount has a large diameter and short back focus distance, which allows lenses with large rear elements to be placed closer to the image sensor than conventional EF lenses. This unlocks new possibilities in optical design, paving the way for smaller, lighter lenses.
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM is the latest addition to Canon’s f/1.4L VCM series of photo-video hybrid prime lenses. Much like a premium cinema lens set, they share a consistent size, layout, and design so you have less to rebalance and adjust when shooting with a gimbal or rig. Due to the integrated petal lens hood that protects its large front element, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM is slightly longer than the rest at 112mm. However, they all share the same 76.5mm diameter.
EOS R5 Mark II/ RF14mm f/1.4L VCM/ FL: 14mm/ f/8, 1/50 sec, ISO 100
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM is designed to deliver superior image quality from the image centre to the corners, even under challenging situations. This includes:
A: Fluorite element
B: UD lens
C: GMo (glass molded) aspheric lenses
D: BR optics
Although fluorite is employed in many Canon telephoto lenses, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM is Canon’s first ultra-wide-angle lens to feature it. Fluorite is particularly effective for correcting chromatic aberration. Learn more about it in Canon Camera Museum.
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM’s optimised lens configuration and special optical elements combine with in-camera lens aberration correction to achieve exceptional resolution and clarity from corner to corner, even in images shot wide open. It’s a lens you can trust with fine details.
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM's optical and focusing mechanisms are designed to keep focus breathing firmly under control. It keeps your composition stable when you change the focus position while shooting video even if you are using a camera body without the digital focus breathing correction function. Enabling the function on camera bodies that do have it* will achieve enhanced results.
*The following camera models are equipped with a focus breathing correction function: EOS R1, EOS R5 Mark II, EOS R6 Mark III, EOS R6 Mark II, EOS R8, EOS R50, and EOS R50 V (as of November 2025). The function can be activated when “Distortion Correction” is set to “On.”
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM adopts a rear focus system that uses Canon’s latest actuator, the VCM (Voice Coil Motor). Powerful and precise, the VCM uses a magnetic field to convert electrical energy to kinetic energy, efficiently driving the heavy focusing lens groups linearly. It works in tandem with the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II or Dual Pixel Intelligent AF systems to realise fast, accurate, and responsive autofocusing during still photography, and seamless, quiet subject tracking during video shooting.
Watch: Seamless subject tracking during video
Fast, responsive, precise, and yet quiet, the VCM helps keep fast-moving subjects reliably in focus during both high-speed continuous still shooting and video.
Besides its distinctive iris ring that enables seamless aperture adjustments during video shooting, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM’s controls allow intuitive hands-on adjustments regardless of whether you are shooting photos or videos.
- Control ring (A): Can be programmed to adjust an exposure setting of your choice, among other settings.
- Focus ring (B): On compatible camera models, you can change the direction of the focus ring and the focus ring sensitivity during manual focusing.
- Focus mode switch (D): Switch quickly between autofocus and manual focus modes without going into your camera menus. Note: The lens also supports electronic full-time manual focus on compatible cameras.
- Lens function button (E): A customisable button that stops AF by default.
- Iris ring (F): Unlock for smooth, clickless aperture adjustment during video shooting. On compatible cameras, it can be used to change the aperture during still shooting too.
The control ring, focus ring, and iris ring each have different textures, so you can differentiate them without looking.
Supports rear filters
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM comes with a rear filter holder that you can use to install sheet filters.
As a professional-grade L-series lens, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM is built for capturing high-quality images even under harsh conditions.
Dust- and drip-resistant construction
From outdoor events to nature portrait sessions, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM’s dust and drip-resistant design lets you shoot with peace of mind, whether you’re at a waterfall, out in the field, or facing inclement weather.
Fluorine coating
Smudge-resistant fluorine coating on the frontmost element prevents dust and dirt from sticking onto the lens, and allows them to be easily wiped off with a cleaning cloth.
Size: φ76.5 x 112mm
Weight: approx. 578g
Filter diameter: - (Rear filter compatible)
Closest focusing distance: 0.24m
Maximum magnification: 0.11x
Optical IS: No
Lens construction: 18 elements in 13 groups
No. of aperture blades: 11
1. What are the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM’s strengths?
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM provides a rare combination of:
- A bright f/1.4 maximum aperture
- 14mm ultra-wide angle perspective
- Outstanding optical performance
- A compact, lightweight body.
It also boasts video-friendly operability and imaging performance, superior focus performance through the VCM, and the reliability and ease of use of an L-series lens.
2. How does the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM compare with the EF14mm f/2.8L II USM?
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM is two stops faster than the EF14mm f/2.8L II USM but weighs 12% lighter (around 578g). Autofocusing is superior due to the new VCM and control algorithms. Like the other f/1.4L VCM prime lenses, the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM incorporates features for more convenient filmmaking, such as a clickless iris ring. And as an RF mount lens, it offers EOS R series camera users benefits over EF lenses, which you can learn more about in RF Lenses vs EF Lenses: What's the Difference and How to Decide?
3. What kind of subjects is the RF14mm f/1.4L VCM ideal for?
The RF14mm f/1.4L VCM’s ultra-wide field of view, large aperture, and portability make it particularly well-suited for astrophotography, landscapes, interiors, and architecture. But besides these, it can be used creatively for a wide range of scenes and subjects!
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