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PRICE: £1749 CANON.CO.UK Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM
Ultra-wide view, constant maximum aperture and compactness are the headline features of this zoom, so let’s see how it handles
AS YOU’D EXPECT from a leading brand, Canon caters for different budget levels in its lens system. While the RF mirrorless range is just four years old, there are plenty of choices. If you want a trinity of f/2.8 zooms covering the 24mm to 200mm focal length range – and have the buying power and broad shoulders – you can opt for the 16-35mm f/2.8, 24- 70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8. That awesome trio weighs 2.81kg and will set you back £7477 at current street prices. The budget (in a relative sense!) trinity option of lenses with a more modest maximum aperture is the 24-105mm f/4, 70-200mm f/4 and this lens – the 14-35mm f/4. Such a set-up would come in at around £4837, so £2640 cheaper – and at 1.94kg, nearly 1kg lighter. While budget and bulk are very important criteria, so too is focal length. It might not sound much, but the 2mm difference between the 14-35mm against the 16-35mm can be pretty significant. In terms of horizontal angle of view, the 14-35mm is 114°, compared with 108° for the 16-35mm. OK... now the scene is set, let’s get granular with the RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM, to give it its full title.
SPECS › Price £1749
› In the box Lens, EW-83P hood, LP1219 pouch, front and rear caps › Format Full-frame › Compatibility Canon EOS RF › Filter size 77mm › Construction 16 elements in 12 groups › Special lens elements 3x GMo aspherical, 3x UD (ultra-low dispersion) › Coatings ASC, Super Spectra, SWC. Fluorine coat on the front element › Aperture range F/4-22 › Diaphragm Nine blades › Magnification 0.38x › Autofocus Nano USM › Minimum focus 20cm › Dust/moisture sealed Yes › Exterior coating Yes › Image stabiliser Yes, 5.5EV benefit. 7EV with bodies featuring IBIS › Dimensions (dxl)
QUICK ZOOM The entire focal length range is covered in a short twist of the zoom barrel We tested it on a Canon EOS R5 and the pair were nicely balanced. The lens extends by less than 1cm as you adjust the zoom barrel from one extreme to the other. Less than one quarter-twist of the smooth barrel – which is marked 20, 24 and 28, as well as 14 and 35 – covers the entire focal length range. Equally smooth in operation is the manual focus barrel. Although this is right next to the zoom barrel, it has a different finish, so you can differentiate the two by touch. At the end of the lens is a control ring, again with a distinct finish. This ring, via the camera menu, can be set to alter 17 functions, including adjusting ISO, dialling in compensation or setting AF mode. The lens has two more controls, autofocus/manual focus switchover and image stabiliser on/off.
84.1x99.8mm › Weight 540g › Contact canon.co.uk
THE POWER OF PROFILES
No hood, uncorrected
No hood, corrected
supplied hood, Raws processed through Lightroom, with and without lens profile. The uncorrected image has a broader field of view, but the corrected version is still 14mm, according to Canon.
Using an ultra wide-angle lens is fun, but needs care. It’s easy to include fingers, feet or your own shadow in shot. Working with filters can be a challenge, too. These shots show the 14-35mm f/4 without the
PIER DELIGHT There is no denying the Canon’s ability. This shot is packed with detail, and sharpness is of a very high order. The lamp on the far left shows signs of wide-angle distortion. Shot on a Canon EOS R5 with the 14-35mm lens at 14mm, exposed at 1/500sec, f/9.5 and ISO 100. The Raw was processed with the correct lens profile in Adobe Lightroom
66 Photography News | Issue 100
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