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Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM Lens
Product Code: 1242101V
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The Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM Lens is a hybrid prime for stills and video creators, which features voice coil focus technology, rugged L-series build quality and a host of features for streamlined content creation.
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We Love
- Immensely popular 50mm standard prime lens, with additional benefits for hybrid content creators
- Features Canon’s signature L-series build quality catering to demanding users who shoot on location and in the studio
- Renders excellent image quality thanks to an advanced optical formula with aspheric and UD lens elements
- Fast and silent AF from dual VCM and Nano USM AF motors, which are perfect for stills and video
- Customisable button and control ring, plus a unified design with other VCM hybrid primes in the range
Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM Lens Summary
Completing Canon’s trio of unified RF hybrid primes is the Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM Lens, which combines rugged L-series build quality with professional-level optics. It joins the Canon RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM Lens and RF 35mm F/1.4L VCM, providing users with a versatile set of fast primes for their creative content. All three models feature a Voice Coil Motor (VCM) for fast, accurate, and near-silent autofocus, making them ideal for hybrid creators working with both stills and video.
The RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM offers an extremely popular standard field of view, which is well suited to all manner of subjects and genres. Its durable L-series construction provides reliability even in demanding conditions, and the lens balances well thanks to internal focusing, whether handheld or mounted on a camera rig or stabiliser, which is ideal for on-location shoots.
The RF lens is equipped with a dedicated iris ring for smooth and silent aperture adjustments, which benefits filmmakers who need to make seamless exposure transitions. A customisable control ring and function button further enhance versatility, allowing users to customise the lens to suit their workflow.
When paired with a full-frame Canon mirrorless camera or cinema camera, the RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM’s advanced optical design, with aspherical elements and UD glass, minimises aberrations and distortions for high-resolution results. Super Spectra, SWC, and ASC coatings reduce flare and ghosting, ensuring superb colour accuracy and contrast, even in challenging lighting conditions.
Key Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM Features
- F/1.4 standard hybrid prime lens
- Fast aperture gathers light while handholding
- Dual VCM and Nano USM focus motors
- High-end optical design for professional image quality
- 11-blade aperture design
- Well-controlled focus breathing and a dedicated aperture ring
- Customisable button and control ring
- Fluorine coating
Read our CanonRF 24mm and 50mm f1.4 lens review
Learn more about the impressive features which can help elevate your photography in our latest review. Read our Review
Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM Lens in More Detail
High image quality
Canon’s RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM lens offers high image quality through a combination of aspherical elements and Ultra-Low Dispersion (UD) lenses, both designed to minimise common optical issues. These elements work to correct spherical aberrations and reduce chromatic aberrations, resulting in sharpness and contrast that remains consistent across the entire frame, even when shooting wide open at the wider f/1.4 aperture.
The optical design also ensures crisp details from centre to edge, which is ideal for capturing accurate colours, and high contrast results, even in challenging lighting or backlit conditions.
Unlike existing RF 50mm lenses from Canon, which include the more affordable f/1.8 and the ultra-high-end f/1.2 options, the f/1.4 strikes a balance between professional quality and accessibility.
With its 11-blade aperture, the lens delivers smooth, rounded bokeh, adding a cinematic feel to portrait and video work, and offers superb subject separation. The wide aperture also enhances low-light shooting capabilities, making it versatile for everything from street photography to events.
Easy handling for hybrid use
This RF 50mm f/1.4 lens includes hybrid-friendly features, such as the fast and silent focusing achieved through its Nano USM and VCM system. This makes it a valuable tool for video creators, offering reduced focus breathing and smooth transitions during filmmaking. Its intuitive controls, including a dedicated iris ring and customisable control options, streamline the user experience.
Fast precise focus
A dual Nano USM and a Voice Coil Motor deliver fast, accurate autofocus, with the added benefit of reduced focus breathing, making the lens particularly well-suited for video.
VCM technology allows you to capture spontaneous moments and achieve smooth silent focus transitions during filmmaking due to the system’s ability to move large lens elements more quickly.
Durable build quality
The robust build of Canon’s L-series ensures durability even when shooting in harsh environments. A Fluorine coating protects against dust, moisture, and fingerprints, and the 50mm f/1.4 also incorporates internal focusing and enhanced parfocal performance, ensuring it fits seamlessly into your workflow alongside the RF 24mm and 35mm VCM lenses.
A unified design allows for quick rig swaps and integration into professional video productions, whether shooting on a mirrorless EOS R camera or a dedicated cinema camera.
What’s in the box
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM Lens
| Offers: N/A |
| Offer Category: N/A |
| Offer Product Type: N/A |
| Autofocus: N/A |
| Aperture ring: N/A |
| Constant Aperture: Yes |
| Lens CIPA Image stabilization rating: N/A |
| Colour: N/A |
| Diameter (mm): N/A |
| Length (mm): N/A |
| Weight (g): N/A |
| Distance scale: N/A |
| DoF scale: N/A |
| Elements: N/A |
| Environmental Sealing: N/A |
| Focus distance limiter: N/A |
| Focal length: 50 mm |
| Focus method: N/A |
| Filter Thread: N/A |
| Full time manual: N/A |
| Groups: N/A |
| Hood supplied: N/A |
| Lens Image stabilization: N/A |
| Lens mount: N/A |
| Lens Materials: N/A |
| Maximum focal length: 50.0 |
| Maximum magnification: N/A |
| Maximum aperture (number): N/A |
| Maximum aperture (text): N/A |
| Max Format size: N/A |
| Minimum focal length: 50.0 |
| Lens Minimum focus distance (m): N/A |
| Minimum aperture (number): N/A |
| Minimum aperture (text): N/A |
| Motor type: N/A |
| Number of diaphragm blades: N/A |
| Power zoom: N/A |
| Special elements / coatings: N/A |
| Tripod collar: N/A |
| Lens type: N/A |
| Wide/Tele: N/A |
| Lens Level: N/A |
| Best For: N/A |
| Best For Holiday and Landscape: Yes |
| Best For Interior and Architecture: N/A |
| Best For Fashion and Portrait: Yes |
| Best For Macro and Still Life: N/A |
| Best For Astro: N/A |
| Best For Street: Yes |
| Best For Wildlife and Sport: N/A |
| Zoom lock: N/A |
| Zoom method: N/A |
| Notes: N/A |
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Representative example:
Buy Now Pay 2025, a 36-month loan following a 3-month deferral period. Buy a £1,500.00 camera and pay a 10% deposit of £150, Total Amount of Credit £1350. 1st payment deferred for 3 months – rest of balance can be paid off in this period with no interest, however a £29 early settlement fee is payable. 36 monthly repayments, with a first payment of £48.87 followed by 35 monthly repayments of £48.51. The total amount payable will be £1746.72 16.9% APR Representative
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To be considered for finance, you will need to meet all of the following criteria:
- Are at least 18 years old
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- Are a permanent UK resident and have lived in the UK for at least 3 years
- Have a UK bank account capable of accepting Direct Debits
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Omni Capital Retail Finance Ltd which is a credit provider/ lender regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Firm Reference Number: 720279. For more information please go to www.omnicapitalretailfinance.co.uk/contact/customer or visit www.omnicapitalretailfinance.co.uk.
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Our Verdict
The Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM lens hits that sweet focal length that has long been a favourite among photographers and filmmakers. Its natural 50mm perspective closely matches human vision, which results in an incredibly versatile lens for a wide variety of subjects, from portraits and street photography to everyday snapshots.
Thanks to its wide f/1.4 aperture, this standard lens is perfect for anyone looking to capture natural-looking images with just the right balance between background blur and subject focus. It’s also ideal for low light environments, especially when handholding and creating run-and-gun content.
For hybrid creators, the RF 50mm f/1.4L is an especially versatile choice, which comes with Canon’s Voice Coil Motor (VCM) that provides smooth, silent autofocus transitions. This is ideal for filming where sound and precise focus shifts are essential. The lens' ability to control focus breathing makes it even more appealing for filmmakers who need seamless transitions without distracting changes in the field of view.
Whether you capture candid moments in low-light or film scenes with complex focus pulls, this RF lens delivers exceptional sharpness, creamy bokeh, and robust handling, due to Canon’s L-series build quality. It’s the perfect option for photographers and videographers, bridging the gap between high-quality images and intuitive handling which is unified across the hybrid range.
If you’re considering upgrading try our free trade-in process and get an instant quote for selling unwanted equipment when trading up to this standard hybrid RF lens.
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Condition guide
Our used products are subject to wear and tear in comparison to brand new products. This also applies to accessories that are supplied with the camera including batteries which may have a lower optimum performance level/life expectancy.
- Like New – The equipment is in a condition as if you have just bought it from the manufacturer. The item is still considered to be ‘Like New’ even without the original packaging and accessories. The product has been fully tested and is in perfect working order. Lenses are optically clear. There may be light dust present that will not effect the imagery.
- Excellent – The equipment should be close to being ‘Like New’ but there may be some small cosmetic blemishes that lower its grade. The product has been fully tested and is in perfect excellent order.
- Cameras – Should have no marks on the LCD screen
- Lenses – Should have no marks on the elements and optically clear. There may be light dust present that will not effect the imagery.
- Very Good – The equipment may have some slight cosmetic wear to the paintwork and cosmetic blemishes with only light signs of use and the product has been fully tested and is in great working order.
- Cameras – The LCD screen may have small signs of wear that does not affect its display
- Lenses – The mount of the lens will start to show signs of wear
- Good – The equipment is showing more obvious signs of cosmetic wear and blemishes, but the product has been fully tested and is in great working order.
- Cameras – LCD screen may have scratches or wear that is starting to affect the display.
- Lenses – May have slight dust inside that does not affect images. The mount shows signs of use.
- Well Used – The equipment will show significant signs of wear. The paintwork will be coming away in large areas exposing the metal work, but the product has been fully tested and is in great working order.
- Cameras – LCD screen is heavily worn either by de-lamination or has scratches to it. Rubber grips are starting to come away from the body.
- Lenses – The lens has dust inside that may affect images. The rubber zoom/focus ring is coming away from the barrel of the lens.
*All of our used items are listed with the accessories that are included. If they are not listed, then they will not be supplied at the point of purchase.
Peace of mind with our 6 month warranty
This product has been thoroughly tested by our team of photographers and we are happy to give a 6 month warranty as a result. The number of tests depends on the individual product but we are confident in this product having tested all the major functions. Anything that isn’t as you would expect, we then make a note of and show this in the condition notes on the page.
So you can be confident you are buying a great piece of kit that’s been looked after by a fellow photographer and seen many extraordinary sights, tested by our team of photographers and now looking forward to being set free to capture more great images!
