Canon RF 14-21mm f/1.4L USM one of the “crazy” lenses coming next year [CR1]

Equinox · Mar 4, 2019

If the specs are a RF 14-21mm f1.4 L , it's going to be seriously expensive! My bank account is fearing its arrival already!

SwissFrank · Mar 4, 2019

If the specs are a RF 14-21mm f1.4 L , it's going to be seriously expensive!

My not be too bad. A 14mm f/2.8 aperture is 5mm wide; a 1.4 is 10mm wide. You can think of it as double (which it is) but it's also only another 5mm. For Americans' that's 0.2".

6degrees · Mar 4, 2019

Exciting!
But how much it will cost?
If it is 18-28mm F2, already good enough.

Proscribo · Mar 4, 2019

SwissFrank said:
My not be too bad. A 14mm f/2.8 aperture is 5mm wide; a 1.4 is 10mm wide. You can think of it as double (which it is) but it's also only another 5mm. For Americans' that's 0.2".

If it just was this simple with super wide angle lenses. The problem isn't directly the aperture size, it's that a single surface of glass can't bend the light enough (damn you, physics!), so you need to do it in multiple steps.

docsmith · Mar 4, 2019

Some feelings can only be expressed by emojis.

Size, weight, cost...sure, I'll want to see each of those, but this will be a lens I will be very happy exists in the Canon portfolio....and it may be even end up in my bag.

Punio · Mar 4, 2019

Next year is going to be expensive...

uri.raz · Mar 4, 2019

AFAIK, there aren't any primes that fast for any FF camera, which would make such a zoom really amazing.

People would still complain Canon isn't innovative, though.

SwissFrank · Mar 4, 2019

It's like Canon is the girl you want to date and Nikon is the girl you want to marry...

I love all the insane lenses, Canon, don't get me wrong. But what I REALLY need for my R is some 35/2 or 50/1.4 or 1.8 optimized for portability. I don't need it to be an actual pancake lens, but I'd like it to be smaller than an EF pancake on an EF-to-R adapter (which I recently tried) as well as have an extra stop or two. I don't care if it's not mega-sharp and I could even lose the control ring.

Until then, to keep my camera in my backpack at all times I'm having to resort to extreme measures...

Roy Hunte · Mar 4, 2019

uri.raz said:
AFAIK, there aren't any primes that fast for any FF camera, which would make such a zoom really amazing.

People would still complain Canon isn't innovative, though.

Problem is, those people only look at the mistakes.

bergstrom · Mar 4, 2019

the dream would be a canon ef 24-105 1.4, but thats not gonna happen.

SwissFrank · Mar 4, 2019

Proscribo said:
If it just was this simple with super wide angle lenses. The problem isn't directly the aperture size, it's that a single surface of glass can't bend the light enough (damn you, physics!), so you need to do it in multiple steps.

OK, here's the patent: http://pdfaiw.uspto.gov/.aiw?PageNum=0&docid=20180314060

It looks like the front element is 86.215mm across.

The current 16-35/2.8 III is 88.5mm outside diameter, while the current 11-28/4 is 108mm wide.

It's possible this lens wouldn't be more significantly bigger than that.

maico · Mar 4, 2019

The patent lists the length as 191mm, almost as long as the EF70-200 f2.8 which is 199mm !

F-stop as f1.55
14.5mm-21mm

1Zach1 · Mar 4, 2019

Well I’m already saving for the 15-35, so I’ll just keep saving because I’d rather have this.

Sharlin · Mar 4, 2019

Roy Hunte said:
Problem is, those people only look at the mistakes.

It’s more about the perceived ”innovation gap” between Canon lens division and the camera body division. But it is definitely a deliberate strategy from Canon’s part, at least partially. One reason Sony has had to go all in with body features is that (besides being a market underdog) their lens selection was (and still is) not there.

Josh Leavitt · Mar 4, 2019

14-21mm f/1.4L. Hmm... I'm guessing an MSRP of $1,000 per pound.

fentiger · Mar 4, 2019

more like $1000 per 1/3rd stop below f2.8

slclick · Mar 4, 2019

Super Wide Zoom at 1.4... WOW!

(who then proceeds to put it atop a tripod, stop it down to f/8 and use a trigger...hey, at least I didn't have to turn off a mirror from flipping, lol)

GMCPhotographics · Mar 4, 2019

It sounds like an epic lens in every possible description. It could be the last word in wide angle fast lenses.

stochasticmotions · Mar 4, 2019

Sounds like a very interesting lens. Could be great for astrophotography but it will be very challenging to make a zoom that strong across the whole range. Looking forward to seeing if they can do it.