Canon RF 35mm 1.4 L VCM

Highly Recommended – A pricey but superb hybrid lens for both stills photographers and videographers

The performance of the Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM is a bit difficult to summarize into a single figure. If image sharpness is what you value the most, this is certainly a lens for you. It's sharp at f/1.4 already and downright superb from f/2 to f/8. It's also resistant to flare, and auto-correction does a good job of correcting vignetting and distortion. The lens does, however, rely heavily on a correction profile to achieve this, which is a bit disappointing for a $1500 USD lens. The correction profile doesn't help with the high axial CAs, and the focus shift is a bit of a concern in manual focus mode, at least. The quality of bokeh is good for such a lens. In terms of build quality, it lives up to its L-designation. Like most other L-class lenses, the outer shell is made of high-quality engineered plastics. The control rings operate smoothly, and there's, of course, some weather sealing. Canon creates a lot of buzz around the new VCM (Voice Coil Motor), and yes, it's super fast and noiseless but that's a baseline expectation for a lens in this price class. However, the VCM does come with a bit of a rattle when you shake the lens (if you are into this). This isn't unusual for this type of AF motor, though. Important for videographers is the very low-focus breathing. As always with Canon, if you want an ultra-fast 35mm R-mount lens, this is what you've got. There are no alternatives from third-party manufacturers. If you can afford Canon L glass, this doesn't really matter and the Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM is certainly a desirable lens with just a few caveats.