Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens Review

The RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM is Canon's first 20mm L lens and first 20mm prime with an f/1.4 aperture. That long-awaited, super useful ultra-wide-angle focal length and extreme-wide aperture combination relieves a pent-up demand, especially from night sky photographers chasing the Milky Way and Northern Lights, and delivers a look not previously available from a Canon lens.

This lens is the fourth in the series of RF F1.4 L VCM primes, with its predecessors setting clear high expectations for what was to come. This relatively compact lens's "L" nameplate assures high-quality build and high optical performance, the VCM plus nano USM AF system provides extremely fast, smooth, and quiet operation (and functions in extremely dark conditions), and the manual aperture ring further facilitates hybrid use.

Focal Length

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The focal length (or the focal length range for a zoom lens) is the primary attribute to consider for when selecting a lens. Focal length drives subject distance choices, which determine perspective.

The ultra-wide 20mm focal length is an excellent choice for landscape and nightscape photography. I plan to use this lens for astrophotography, primarily for the Milky Way and Northern Lights.

Wedding and event photography often utilizes a wide-angle lens for capturing the large scene, for environmental-type portraits, and for group portraits, including in tight spaces.

Photojournalists' needs are often like those of a wedding photographer and regularly include 20mm. Videographers will find creative uses for the 20mm focal length and the unique look it, along with f/1.4, creates.

Architectural photography, large product photography, interior photography, and birthday parties form a random list of 20mm uses.

While telephoto lenses are more frequently used for sports, a 20mm angle of view allows a different perspective at these events. This focal length can be used to capture the big picture of the venue, overhead shots of the athletes and their coaches being interviewed after the game, and, when access permits, full-body environmental action sports photos showing a large amount of the venue in the background. Note that when used for action sports with a close and rapidly approaching subject, the subject rapidly changes size in the frame, making it challenging to capture the perfect pose at the perfect framing distance in the 20mm angle of view. High framerates ensure the perfect shot is on the card in these scenarios.

Here are two comparisons showing the 20mm angle of view within a range.

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APS-C sensor format cameras utilize a smaller portion of the image circle, which means a scene is framed more tightly. Canon's lineup features a 1.6x angle of view multiplier, giving this lens's APS-C angle of view a 32mm full-frame equivalent, close to the ultra-popular, extremely useful 35mm angle of view. This angle of view shifts this lens's uses toward portraiture, product photography, documentary, and general-purpose use.

Max Aperture

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This lens's f/1.4 max aperture is the widest available at 20mm, and this wide aperture is a huge advantage.

F/1.4 allows a significant amount of light to reach the imaging sensor, enabling action (subject and camera) stopping shutter speeds in low light levels while keeping ISO settings and noise levels low. It seems there is always enough light for handholding 20mm at f/1.4.

Another advantage of a wide aperture lens is the background blur it can create. While wide-angle lenses do not create the strongest blur, 20mm f/1.4 with a close subject can create a shallow depth of field effect, drawing the viewer's eye to the in-focus subject against a smoothly blurred background.

Here is an aperture comparison:

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Wide-angle lenses render background details smaller in size, including the background blur. Still, aided by the close minimum focus distance, there is a significant blur in these examples. Compare the widest 20mm aperture currently available in your kit to this lens's f/1.4.

If there were no disadvantages to a wide aperture, every lens would have one. A wide aperture requires an increased physical size of the lens elements, which comes with the additional penalties of heavier weight and higher cost. In this case, those downsides are modest, and this lens is compact, lightweight, and moderately affordable.

As first seen on the Canon RF 24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z Lens, the RF 20mm F1.4 L Lens provides a smoothly integrated step-less manual aperture ring, a feature primarily desired by videographers and part of this lens's "Hybrid" designation. With the ring in the A (Auto) position, the camera controls the aperture setting, and all other settings force the aperture to the selected opening in 1/32 steps. A spring-loaded Iris Lock switch holds the aperture ring in the A setting, avoiding inadvertent changes or, in the manual range, locking out the A option.

Note that an EOS R-series camera model introduced in 2024 or later, starting with the EOS R1, R5 II, is required to use the aperture ring for stills photography.

Image Stabilization

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The 20mm and f/1.4 combination is usually handholdable without ultra-high ISO settings, and this lens does not feature optical image stabilization. Omitting the optical stabilization system reduces the lens's size, weight, complexity, and cost. However, image stabilization is a very useful feature, especially when narrow apertures are needed.

Canon addresses that omission with IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) in some EOS R-series cameras. In addition to reducing camera shake, the stabilized imaging sensor provides a still viewfinder image, enabling careful composition, and sensor-based AF takes advantage of the stabilized view for improved accuracy.

With no IS switch on the lens, the camera menu must be used to enable or disable IBIS or check the current settings. This extra step slightly impedes working quickly, such as when transitioning from tripod-mounted to handheld shooting.

Image Quality

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Matching the Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM Lens's image quality seemed logical and a good expectation for this lens.

The MTF chart clarifies that expectation.

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The black lines indicate contrast (10 lines/mm), and the blue lines show resolution (30 lines/mm). The solid lines are sagittal, and the dashed lines are meridional. The higher, the better.

The RF 24mm F1.4 VCM's image quality is great, the 20mm's was expected to match it, and the lab testing shows that is the case.

The sharpness story is short and sweet: this lens is impressively sharp, from full-frame corner to full-frame corner at f/1.4.

Here is a series of center-of-the-frame 100% resolution crop examples. These images were captured in RAW format by a Canon EOS R5 Mark II and processed in Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP) using the Standard Picture Style with sharpness set to 1 on a 0-10 scale. Note that images from most cameras require some level of sharpening; however, too-high sharpness settings are destructive to image details and mask the deficiencies of a lens.

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Find the center of the plane of sharp focus in each example to see outstanding performance illustrated.

Next, we'll examine a series of comparisons that show 100% resolution extreme top-left corner crops captured and processed identically to the above center-of-the-frame images. The lens was manually focused in the corner of the frame to capture these images.

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While the outer extreme of the image circle, full-frame corners, shows a lens's weakest performance, there is little weakness showing here. These are some of the best corner examples I've seen.

This lens does not exhibit focus shift, where the plane of sharp focus moves forward or backward as the aperture is narrowed, due to residual spherical aberration (RSA).

When used on a camera that utilizes its full image circle, a lens is expected to exhibit peripheral shading at the widest aperture settings, and the just under four stops of corner shading this lens produces at f/1.4 is noticeable. The corner shading drops to about 2.5 stops at f/2 and under 2 stops at f/2.8. The reduction slows with about 1 stop of shading present from f/5.6 through f/16.

APS-C format cameras, when paired with lenses that project a full-frame-sized image circle, typically avoid most vignetting problems. In this case, the about 1.5 stops of corner shading at f/1.4 will often be modestly visible.

One-stop of shading is often considered the number of visibility, though subject details provide a widely varying amount of vignetting discernibility. Vignetting is correctable during post-processing, with increased noise in the brightened areas the penalty, or it can be embraced, using the effect to draw the viewer's eye to the center of the frame. Study the pattern shown in our vignetting test tool to determine how your images will be affected.

Lateral (or transverse) CA (Chromatic Aberration) refers to the unequal magnification of all colors in the spectrum. Lateral CA is characterized by color fringing along lines of strong contrast that run tangentially (meridionally, at right angles to radii). The mid and especially the periphery of the image circle exhibit the most significant amount, as this is where the greatest difference in wavelength magnification typically occurs.

With the right lens profile and software, lateral CA is often easily correctable,often in the camera, by radially shifting the colors to coincide. However, it is always better to avoid this aberration in the first place.

Color misalignment can be observed in the site's image quality tool, but let's also look at a worst-case example. The image below is a 100% crop from the extreme top-left corner of an EOS R5 Mark II frame showing diagonal black and white lines.

This image should show only black and white colors, with the additional colors indicating a minor lateral CA presence.

A relatively common lens aberration is axial (longitudinal, bokeh) CA, which causes non-coinciding focal planes of the various wavelengths of light. More simply, different colors of light are focused to different depths. Spherical aberration, along with spherochromatism, or a change in the amount of spherical aberration with respect to color (looks quite similar to axial chromatic aberration but is hazier) are other common lens aberrations to observe. Axial CA remains somewhat persistent when stopping down, with the color misalignment effect increasing with defocusing. The spherical aberration color halo exhibits little size change as the lens is defocused, and stopping down one to two stops generally removes this aberration.

In the real world, lens defects do not exist in isolation; spherical aberration and spherochromatism generally found, at least to some degree, along with axial CA. These combine to create a less sharp, hazy-appearing image quality at the widest apertures.

The wide-open aperture example below compares the fringing colors of the defocused specular highlights in the foreground to the background. The lens introduced any differences from the neutrally colored subjects.

Although some color fringing is visible in this example, the amount is relatively low for f/1.4. This performance is especially advantageous for images with white in the foreground and background, such as a wedding dress or white flowers.

Bright light reflecting off lens elements' surfaces may cause flare and ghosting, resulting in reduced contrast and sometimes interesting, but usually objectionable, visual artifacts. The shape, intensity, and position of the flare and ghosting effects in an image are variable, dependent on the position and nature of the light source (or sources), selected aperture, shape of the aperture blades, and quantity and quality of the lens elements and their coatings. Additionally, flare and ghosting can impact AF performance.

This lens features Canon's SSC (Super Spectra Coating), SWC (Sub-Wavelength structure coating), and ASC (Air Sphere Coating), an ultra-low refractive index coating consisting of air and silicon dioxide, to combat flare and ghosting. It is easy to capture the sun within a 20mm angle of view, and while this lens produces practically no flare effects from f/1.4 through f/8 in our standard sun in the corner of the frame flare test, modest effects are visible at f/11 through f/16.

Flare effects can be either embraced or avoided, or removal can be attempted, although this process can sometimes be challenging.

Two lens aberrations are particularly evident in images of stars, primarily because bright points of light against a dark background make them easier to discern. Coma occurs when light rays from a point of light spread out from that point instead of being refocused as a point on the sensor. Coma is absent in the center of the frame, gets worse toward the edges/corners, and generally appears as a comet-like or triangular tail of light that can be oriented either away from the center of the frame (external coma) or toward the center of the frame (internal coma). The coma clears as the aperture is narrowed. Astigmatism is seen as points of light spreading into a line, either sagittal (radiating from the center of the image) or meridional (tangential, perpendicular to sagittal). This aberration can produce stars appearing to have wings. Remember that Lateral CA is another aberration that is apparent in the corners.

The image below is a 100% crop taken from the top-left corner of an R5 II image captured at f/1.4.

That is an impressive performance. The stars are tiny and sharp.

This lens has extreme barrel distortion, but you will not notice. Canon forces correction in the camera (EVF, LCD, JPEG & HEIF images, movies) and DPP, regardless of the lens correction settings.

Every lens is a compromise, and the reasons for designing a lens with uncorrected geometric distortion include lower cost, smaller size, lighter weight, reduced complexity, and improved correction of aberrations that cannot be corrected by software. Geometric distortion can be corrected, including in-camera, using software and a correction profile. Once corrected, it is no longer a differentiator between lenses. However, the stretching required for correction can affect the final image quality. Base your evaluation on the corrected image quality as shared in this review (it's impressive).

As seen earlier in the review, it is easy to illustrate the strongest blur a lens can create, and wide-angle lenses are inherently disadvantaged in this regard. Due to the infinite number of variables present among available scenes, assessing the blur quality, bokeh, is considerably more challenging. Here are some f/11 (for diaphragm blade interaction) 100% crop examples.

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The first example shows defocused highlights that are rather smoothly filled and relatively round-shaped. The other examples show landscape pleasingly blurred.

Except for a small number of specialty lenses, the wide aperture bokeh in the frame's corners does not show round defocused highlights, instead showing cat's-eye shapes due to a form of mechanical vignetting. If you look through a tube at an angle, similar to the light reaching the frame's corner, the shape is not round. That is the shape we're looking at here. This example is a downsized upper-left quadrant crop.

The corner shape truncation is minor. As the aperture narrows, the entrance pupil size is reduced, and the mechanical vignetting diminishes, making the corner shapes rounder.

When the diaphragm is narrowed, point light sources will show a sunstar effect of some form. Each blade is responsible, via diffraction, for creating two points of the star effect (diffraction spikes). If the blades are arranged opposite each other (an even blade count), the points on the stars will equal the blade count as two blades share in creating a single pair of points. The blades of an odd blade count aperture are not opposing, and the result is that each blade creates its own two points. This lens's eleven-blade count times two points equals 22-point star effects. Wide aperture lenses usually produce the strongest sunstar effects, and this lens produces beautiful stars.

The example above was captured at f/16.

In addition to one Super UD element, two UD elements, and two aspheric elements, the Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens features Blue Refractive Optics, a technology first introduced in the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM Lens.

The Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens is extremely sharp corner-to-corner, and it performs superbly in most other optical tests. The wide aperture peripheral shading is strong, and I would prefer that geometric distortion correction not be required, but you won't notice this issue in your corrected images.

Focusing

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Like the RF 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm F1.4 L lenses, the RF 20mm F1.4 L lens features "VCM", with a linear Voice Coil Motor driving AF. VCM is nearly as powerful as the Ring USM that powers large super telephoto lenses. It was chosen for its high torque at low-speed characteristic to provide the desired starting and stopping power.

It is not unusual for a lens to have multiple AF motors, and this lens also features a nano USM (Ultrasonic Motor). A dedicated USM in front of the VCM motor powers an independent lens unit for coordinated movement with the main focus group. The floating element design provides superior close-up optical performance.

This internal-focusing lens's AF system is extremely fast and accurate. Only faint clicks and shuffling can be heard by an ear nearly against the lens during focusing. As a "hybrid" lens, video AF performance was a key design factor, and this AF system provides the smooth and virtually silent behaviors necessary for high-quality movie recording.

While dim lighting will slow the focusing speed, this lens impressively focuses on contrast in incredibly dark conditions. This lens's low-light AF performance on the EOS R5 Mark II is remarkable.

VCM requires power to hold its position, and a harmless rattle is audible when this lens is rotated while not under power.

FTM (Full-Time Manual) focusing is supported in AF mode with the camera in One Shot Drive Mode, but the shutter release must be half-pressed for the focus ring to become active. Note that FTM does not function if electronic manual focusing after One Shot AF is disabled in the camera's menu. The lens's switch must be in the "MF" position and the camera meter must be on/awake for conventional manual focusing to be available.

The 20 VCM has an ideally positioned, mid-sized, fine-ribbed rubber focus ring that turns smoothly with ideal resistance.

A non-linear focus distance adjustment rate is supported. A full-range MF adjustment requires a 360° slow rotation or a 110° fast rotation, ideal rates for critical focusing. With the R-series cameras, a linear adjustment rate can be configured; however, some lenses show a slightly stepped focus adjustment in this setting.

It is normal for the scene to change size in the frame as the focus is pulled from one extent to the other. This effect is focus breathing, a change in focal length resulting from a change in focus distance. Focus breathing impacts photographers intending to use focus stacking techniques, videographers pulling focus (without movement to camouflage the effect), and anyone critically framing while adjusting focus.

This lens produces a normal, moderate change in subject size through a full-extent (worst-case) focus distance adjustment.

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A single customizable control button is provided. With the camera set to continuous focus mode, press the control button to lock focus at the currently selected focus distance, permitting a focus and recompose technique. Or, customize this button to one of numerous other functions using the camera's menu.

Here is a partial list of functions assignable to the Lens Function button:

• AF Stop (default)
• Metering/AF start
• Switch to saved AF function
• One-Shot AF / Servo AF
• Eye detection
• Switch to saved AF frame
• AE lock
• AE lock (hold)
• Exposure compensation (turn main electronic dial while button is depressed)
• Activate IS function
• Aperture
• Many more ...

This lens has a minimum focus distance of 7.9" (200mm), and it generates a moderate 0.19x maximum magnification spec.

Model	Min Focus Distance		Max Magnification
Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens	11.0"	(280mm)	0.21x
Canon RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM Lens	7.9"	(200mm)	0.26x
Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens	7.9"	(200mm)	0.19x
Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM Lens	9.4"	(240mm)	0.17x
Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM Lens	11.0"	(280mm)	0.18x
Canon RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM Lens	15.7"	(400mm)	0.15x
Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens	9.1"	(230mm)	0.16x
Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G Lens	7.1"	(180mm)	0.20x

At this lens's minimum MF distance, a subject measuring approximately 6.3 x 4.2" (160 x 107mm) fills a full-frame imaging sensor.

The individual USPS love stamps measure 1.19 x 0.91" (30 x 23mm).

This lens produces sharp f/1.4 center-of-the-frame details at minimum focus distance. While the corners are not quite as sharp as the center, they are sharp and considerably sharper than most non-true-macro lenses produce. Stopping down increases the depth of field, which improves corner image quality, and this lens's minimum focus distance corners are remarkably sharp by f/5.6.

The minimum focus distance is measured from the imaging sensor plane, with the balance of the camera, lens, and lens hood length taking their space out of the number to create the working distance. This lens's minimum working distance seems significant, but the plane of sharp focus is only about 2.8" (71mm) in front of the lens without the hood mounted, and the lens will often obstruct subject lighting. The plane of sharp focus is only about 1.8" (46mm) in front of the mounted lens hood.

This lens is not compatible with Canon extenders.

Design & Features

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The red ring and the "L" in the moniker indicate that this lens is part of the exclusive Canon L-Series, the company's highest-quality, professional-grade lens models. These lenses feature robust construction, ready for the rigors of daily professional use.

You must read the focal length number to distinguish between the Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM, RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM, RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM, and RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM lenses. Canon's first 4 VCM lenses feature an identical exterior design, including dimensions. Their appearance differs only by the printed focal length number.

Adding the hoods adds only a small distinction between most of them.

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Canon's small and mid-sized L lenses utilize engineering plastic construction. Their exterior barrels are slightly textured, creating a good look and feel. The straight exterior diameter of this design is comfortable to use.

The control ring is configurable for fast access to camera settings, including aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation. Note that the control ring is clicked by default, and the clicks will be audible in camera-based audio recordings. Canon offers a click-stop removal service (at a cost).

The knurled control ring has a tactile difference from the ribbed focus ring.

Canon's AF/MF switches are flush-mounted with just enough raised surface area to be easily used, even with gloves. This 2-position switch snaps crisply into position.

As seen installed below, a detachable rear bayonet mount gel filter holder is provided.

This holder supports a single filter with a thickness of 0.008" (0.2mm) or less. To simplify sizing, Canon offers a downloadable filter template.

This lens features a dust and moisture-resistant design. The front lens element features a fluorine coating that repels fingerprints, dust, water, oil, and other contaminants, making cleaning considerably easier.

In addition to sharing the same exterior design, Canon's first four VCM lenses also feature similar modest weights. These features combined make swapping lenses on a rig easy, usually requiring no balance adjustment.

Model	Weight oz(g)		Dimensions w/o Hood "(mm)		Filter	Year
Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens	29.7	(840)	3.5 x 5.0	(88.5 x 126.8)	82	2019
Canon RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM Lens	15.7	(445)	3.0 x 3.6	(76.5 x 91.0)	67	2025
Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens	18.3	(519)	3.0 x 3.9	(76.5 x 99.3)	67	2025
Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM Lens	18.2	(515)	3.0 x 3.9	(76.5 x 99.3)	67	2024
Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM Lens	19.4	(550)	3.0 x 3.9	(76.5 x 99.3)	67	2024
Canon RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM Lens	20.5	(580)	3.0 x 3.9	(76.5 x 99.3)	67	2024
Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens	22.2	(630)	3.5 x 4.5	(87.8 x 113.2)	82	2022
Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G Lens	13.2	(373)	2.9 x 3.3	(73.5 x 84.7)	67	2020

View and compare the complete Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens Specifications in the site's lens specifications tool.

Here is a visual comparison:

Positioned from left to right are the following lenses (aligned on their mounts, not caps):

Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art
Canon RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM
Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM
Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM

The same lenses are shown below with their hoods in place.

Use the site's product image comparison tool to visually compare the Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens to other lenses.

The initial four f/1.4 VCM lenses share 67mm front filter threads. 67mm filters are modestly sized and priced, and extremely common, enabling effects filter sharing with many other lenses.

A standard-thickness circular polarizer filter slightly increases peripheral shading; therefore, a slim model such as the Breakthrough Photography X4 is recommended.

As usual for an L lens, the hood is included in the box. This time, it's the EW-73H Lens Hood.

The petal-shaped hood provides significant protection for the front element against flare-inducing light and physical impact. This shape looks cool, and a functional advantage of this shape is that it facilitates easier installation alignment (align the small petal to the top and twist); however, a round-shaped hood better enables the lens to stand on its own. The ribbed interior avoids reflections. A release button makes installation and removal easy, and the narrow diameter keeps it compact, especially when it is reversed.

Canon also includes a case with their L-series lenses, and the Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens comes with the Canon LP1219 Lens Pouch. While the drawstring pouch protects against scratches and dust, only the bottom is padded against impact.

Price, Value, Compatibility

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The Canon RF F1.4 VCM Lenses are moderately priced, but the 20mm option is the most expensive of the group. Still, those who need 20mm and f/1.4 will find this lens's outstanding performance making it a good value.

As an "RF" lens, the Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens is compatible with all Canon EOS R-series cameras, including full-frame and APS-C models. Canon USA provides a 1-year limited warranty.

The two reviewed Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lenses were retail sourced. I purchased this lens for my long-term kit.

Alternatives

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A direct Canon RF mount alternative to the RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens does not yet exist. Still, there are helpful, or at least entertaining, comparisons available. I'll start with the sibling Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM Lens.

The image quality comparison shows these two lenses perform similarly superbly. The 24mm lens has slightly less vignetting and produces fewer flare effects in the site's standard test. The 20mm lens has slightly less barrel distortion (but still a strong amount) and less cat's eye bokeh.

The Canon RF 20mm vs. 24mm F1.4 L VCM Lens comparison shows the focal length as the nearly only difference, and as illustrated earlier in this review, 20mm is considerably wider than 24mm. The need determines which angle of view is better. The 20mm lens has a closer focus minimum distance and a slightly higher maximum magnification, 0.19x vs. 0.17x. The 24mm lens is moderately less expensive.

Before the 20 VCM, a pair of zoom lenses, the RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM and RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM, had Canon's widest 20mm aperture. Those zoom lenses have a significant focal length range advantage, but f/1.4 allows four times as much light in and creates a considerably stronger background blur at 20mm.

Vs. the RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM, the prime lens shows itself sharper in the 20mm wide-open aperture image quality comparison and performs better in the periphery at narrower apertures. The prime lens has considerably less peripheral shading, especially at f/2.8.

The Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs. RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens comparison shows that the prime lens is considerably smaller and lighter. The prime lens features 11 aperture blades compared to 9, uses 67mm filters vs. 82mm, has a Lens Function button, and has an aperture ring. The prime lens is moderately less expensive (unless you need to buy two or three prime lenses to cover your needs).

Vs. the RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM, the prime lens shows itself only slightly sharper in the 20mm wide-open aperture image quality comparison. The prime is sharper in the extreme corners, and it has less peripheral shading.

The Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs. RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM Lens comparison shows the zoom lens is slightly smaller (when retracted) and slightly lighter. The prime lens features 11 aperture blades vs. 9, a Lens Function button, a dedicated focus ring, VCM AF, and professional-grade build quality. The zoom lens has a higher maximum magnification, 0.26x vs. 0.19x, Image Stabilization, and a considerably lower price.

You must buy a Sony or other compatible camera to use it, but the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens features the same primary specs. Here is the image quality comparison. My experience is that the Canon is slightly sharper, and more so in the corners, but the two lenses compete closely. The Canon lens has less color blur and modestly less peripheral shading at narrow apertures. The Sigma lens has vastly less barrel distortion.

The Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs. Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens comparison shows that the Canon lens is smaller and lighter. The Canon lens uses 67mm filters vs. 82mm. The Sigma lens is far less expensive.

Use the site's tools to create additional comparisons.

Summary

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Like the 24mm VCM, the Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM Lens is a fantastic choice for those seeking a standout lens for landscape, architecture, and low-light events. This lens is also Canon's best for Milky Way and northern lights night sky photography. As mentioned, I purchased this lens — it's now part of my long-term kit, alongside some other f/1.4 L VCM lenses.