Canon RF Lenses Instructions

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing a Canon product. The Canon RF20mm F1.4 L VCM, RF24mm F1.4 L VCM, and RF35mm F1.4 L VCM are wide-angle lenses, and the RF50mm F1.4 L VCM is a standard lens. All are designed for use with EOS R series cameras. "VCM" stands for Voice Coil Motor.

Conventions used in these instructions:

• ⚠️ Warning: To prevent lens or camera malfunction or damage.
• ? Note: Supplementary notes on using the lens and taking pictures.

Camera Firmware and Camera Applications

Please use the latest versions of firmware and applications with your camera. For details on whether your firmware and applications are up-to-date, and for information on updating them, please visit the Canon website.

Limitations with incompatible camera firmware:

If the camera's firmware is not a compatible version (excluding RF50mm F1.4 L VCM), the following limitations may apply:

• Magnified view functionality is not available.
• In some cases, camera malfunction may occur.

* Applies to the following camera models: EOS R and EOS RP.

Safety Precautions

Precautions to ensure the camera is used safely. Read these precautions thoroughly to prevent risks and injury to the user and other people.

⚠️ Warning: Details pertaining to risks that may result in death or serious injury.

• Do not look directly at the sun or other strong light sources through a lens. This may result in loss of sight.
• Do not leave a lens in the sun without the lens cap attached. The lens may concentrate entering sunlight and cause a malfunction or fire.

⚠️ Caution: Details pertaining to risks that may result in injury or damage to other objects.

• Do not leave the product in places exposed to extremely high or low temperatures. The product may cause burns or injury when touched.
• This product emits low-level magnetic flux. If you use an implantable cardiac pacemaker or other medical device and feel abnormalities, please keep away from this product and consult your doctor.

General Precautions

Handling Precautions

• Do not leave the product in excessive heat, such as in a car in direct sunlight. High temperatures can cause the product to malfunction.
• If the lens is taken from a cold environment into a warm one, condensation may develop on the lens surface and internal parts. To prevent condensation, first put the lens into an airtight plastic bag before taking it from a cold to warm environment. Then take out the lens after it has warmed gradually. Do the same when taking the lens from a warm environment into a cold one.
• When the lens is not attached to the camera or the power switch of the camera is in the off status when the lens is attached, shaking the lens may cause the internal lens group to shift and noise may occur, but this is not a malfunction. Although the internal lens group shifts due to vibration, this will not affect performance.
• In order to optimize aperture control, there are occasions when the aperture blades will move during focusing, even when the aperture value is set for aperture-priority AE or manual exposure.
• Please also read any lens-related handling precautions listed in your camera's instruction manual.

Shooting Precautions

• Focus again after recovering from the auto power off status.
• To maintain the focus position in the shooting-ready status, set [Auto power off] to [Disable] on the camera.
• After detaching the lens, or after trying to detach the battery from the camera, focus the camera again. Due to the structure of the focus lens drive mechanism, the focus lens may significantly shift from its original position (for RF20mm F1.4 L VCM).

Nomenclature

The following are the parts of the lens:

• Focusing ring
• Focus mode switch
• Iris index
• Iris ring
• Rubber ring
• Rear filter holder*
• Contacts
• Lens mount
• Lens mount index
• Control ring
• Hood mount
• Filter mounting thread
• Lens function button (AF stop button)
• Iris ring lock release switch

* This is included with the lens (excluding RF50mm F1.4 L VCM). However, it is not attached to the lens at the time of purchase.

The illustrations used in this manual show the RF24mm F1.4 L VCM, but the other lenses are used in the same way.

1. Attaching and Detaching the Lens

Attaching the Lens:

Align the lens mount indexes of the lens and camera, and turn the lens clockwise until you hear a click.

Detaching the Lens:

Turn the lens counterclockwise while pressing the camera's lens release button. Detach the lens once it has stopped turning. Please refer to the camera's instructions for details.

Important Notes:

• Set the camera's power switch to OFF when attaching or detaching the lens.
• Attach the lens cap before detaching the lens from the camera.
• After detaching the lens, place the lens with the rear end up and attach the dust cap to prevent the lens surface and contacts from getting scratched. Align the lens and dust cap mount indexes when attaching the dust cap.
• Contacts that are scratched, soiled, or have fingerprints on them may result in faulty connections or corrosion, which may lead to malfunctions. If the contacts get soiled, clean them with a soft cloth.
• The lens mount has a rubber ring to improve dust-resistance and water-resistance performance. This rubber ring may cause friction marks around the camera's lens mount, but this will have no effect on usage.

Rubber rings can be replaced at Canon Service Center (chargeable).

2. Setting the Focus Mode

To shoot in autofocus (AF) mode, set the focus mode switch to AF. To use only manual focusing (MF), set the focus mode switch to MF and focus by turning the focusing ring.

Notes:

• Quickly turning the focusing ring may result in delayed focus.
• The lens' focusing ring is electronic.
• The lens supports both lens electronic MF and electronic full-time MF.
• When recording movies, the AF speed will be slower than in still photo shooting mode. You can adjust the AF speed on the camera by setting Movie Servo AF to [Enable].

Please refer to the camera's instructions for details.

3. Control Ring

The control ring can be assigned functions commonly used with cameras, such as shutter speed and aperture settings. The click action of the control ring allows you to sense how much it is being turned. Please refer to the camera's instructions for details on how to use the control ring.

Notes:

• There are cases where the sound of control ring operations may be recorded when shooting movies.
• The clicking sensation of the control ring can be removed by the Canon Service Center (chargeable).
• The focus ring can be used as the control ring by changing the camera settings*. However, when the focus ring is used as the control ring, the original control ring operation will be disabled. Please refer to the camera's instructions for details.

* Excluding EOS R, RP, Ra, R5, R6.

4. Manual/ Auto Aperture Operation

The aperture value can be set using the iris ring. At the time of shipment, it is set to auto aperture operation.

Manual aperture operation:

1. While sliding the iris ring lock release switch in the direction of the arrow, turn the iris ring to match the iris index between 1.4 and 16.
2. Turn the iris ring to set the aperture.

Auto aperture operation:

1. While sliding the iris ring lock release switch in the direction of the arrow, turn the iris ring to match the iris index with A.
2. Aperture is determined by the command signal from the camera.

Notes:

• For manual aperture operation with the iris ring, the actual aperture value may vary from the aperture value displayed on the camera.
• Some cameras*¹ *² have the following limitations:
• The iris ring cannot be used to set the aperture value when shooting still images.
• During movie shooting, when using the iris ring operation, focusing on a subject by autofocus may be difficult.

*¹ EOS R, RP, Ra, R3, R5, R6, R6 Mark II, R7, R8, R10, R50, R100

*² EOS R5C is limited only when shooting still images.

5. Lens Function Button (AF Stop Button)

In the default settings, the lens function button serves as an AF stop button. You can assign different functions to the button from the [Customize buttons] section of the camera. Please refer to the camera's instructions for details.

Use as an AF stop button:

During autofocus operation, you can press an AF stop button to temporarily pause autofocus, and then release the button to resume. Press an AF stop button to maintain a focusing distance or to avoid focus search. Press the shutter button while holding down an AF stop button to shoot at that focusing distance.

• Useful when autofocus is operating mostly in Servo AF.

6. Hood

The custom lens hood reduces unwanted light that causes flare and ghosting and protects the front of the lens from rain, snow, and dust.

Attaching the Hood:

Align the red attachment position mark on the hood with the red dot on the front of the lens, and then turn the hood in the direction of the arrow until you hear a click.

Detaching the Hood:

Keep your finger pressed down on the button located on the side of the hood, and then turn the hood in the direction of the arrow until the attachment position mark on the hood is aligned with the red dot on the front of the lens to detach it. The hood can be reverse-mounted on the lens for storage.

Notes:

• If the hood is not attached properly, vignetting (darkening of the perimeter of the picture) may occur.
• Grasp and turn the base of the hood when attaching and detaching it. There are cases in which it may become deformed if the hood is turned with it grasped near to the rim.

7. Filters (Sold separately)

Filters can be attached to the front and, excluding RF50mm F1.4 L VCM, back of the lens.

When using threaded filters

You can attach filters (∅67) to the filter mounting thread on the front of the lens.

Notes:

• Only one filter may be attached.
• If you need a polarizing filter, use the Canon Circular Polarizing Filter PL-C B.
• Detach the hood when adjusting the polarizing filter.

When using sheet type filters (excluding RF50mm F1.4 L VCM)

A rear filter holder is included with this lens. Download the filter template files, print them out, then lay the filter over the template and cut to match. Then insert the filter in the rear filter holder.

1. Cut the filter to match the shape of the filter template appropriately.

Download the filter template file (PDF). Print the filter template out at full size (100%), and use it as the template to cut out the filter. The templates on this page are printed at full size, so can also be used. The filter template file is the same as this figure.

Notes:

• Only one filter with a thickness of 0.2 mm/0.008 in. or less may be used.
• When printing the template, make sure that the illustration size remains the same. Check that the printed-out size is the same as the measurements shown in the illustration.
• Cut along the middle of the lines printed on the filter template. Any deviation from the template line width can cause the following issues.

Note 1: If you cut inside the lines, light will come in around the edges of the filter, preventing it from working fully. In particular, there can be differences with exposure and color patches in the corners.

Note 2: If you cut outside the lines, it may not fit in the rear filter holder, or the filter corners could contact the camera, damaging the camera or filter.

2. Insert the filter into the rear filter holder in the direction of the arrow.

3. Check the filter after insertion.

• Check the insertion of the filter (is it within the rear filter holder frame?, are the 4 corners sticking outside the holder?). If the filter sticks outside the rear filter holder, cut the filter.
• Check the insertion of the filter (does the filter cover the opening of the rear filter holder?).

Attach the rear filter holder to the back of the lens.

4. Align the attachment position mark on the lens body with the index on the rear filter holder.

5. Turn in the direction of the arrow until the rear filter holder index aligns with the stop position mark on the lens body.

Notes:

• Take some test shots before shooting to check that the filter is working over the entire image.
• Check that the filter is correctly inserted before shooting.
• When the rear filter holder is attached to the lens body, ghosting may occur depending on shooting conditions. When not using the rear filter, remove the rear filter holder from the lens body.
• When removing the filter and rear filter holder, remove by reversing the order of attaching.

Specifications

RF20mm F1.4 L VCM vs. RF24mm F1.4 L VCM

* Included with the lens, but can be purchased separately.

RF35mm F1.4 L VCM vs. RF50mm F1.4 L VCM

* Included with the lens, but can be purchased separately.

Additional Notes:

• The lens length is measured from the lens mount surface to the front end of the lens. Add 24.2 mm/0.95 in. when including the lens cap and dust cap.
• The maximum diameter, length, and weight listed are for the lens itself only.
• Close-up Lens 250D/500D cannot be attached because there is no size that fits the lens.
• You cannot use extenders.
• Multiple exposure shooting is not possible on certain cameras* (excluding RF50mm F1.4 L VCM).
• * EOS R, RP, Ra, R5, R5C, R6
• All data listed is measured according to Canon standards.
• Product specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice.