Verdict

The Canon RF 14-35mm f4L is a flexible, high quality ultra-wide zoom that provides a compelling alternative to the RF 15-35 f2.8. It sacrifices one stop of aperture to become smaller, lighter and roughly two thirds the price, while also capturing fractionally wider coverage. 

Like the 15-35, it has optical stabilisation and is a member of the L-series, with smooth control rings, quick and quiet focusing, weather sealing and a lens hood in the box. In my tests it delivered very good results with crisp details across the frame, wide-open and throughout the range. 

It does however rely on substantial software correction through lens profiles applied automatically to JPEGs in-camera or during RAW processing. Now, in use you may never be aware of the processing taking place behind the scenes, but the optically superior 15-35 requires much less geometric correction, or can even get away with none at all, and as such boasts slightly crisper corners at the wide-end due to less pixel-wrangling. But of course it’s larger, heavier and more expensive. There’s no doubt the 15-35 should out-perform the 14-35 in pure optical terms, but equally while the 14-35 does cost comfortably less, it’s still not exactly cheap and it may come as a surprise to discover just how much correction this member of the L-series relies on.

Indeed if you’re considering the 14-35 simply as a lighter and more affordable ultra-wide, there’s also the budget RF 16 f2.8 to weigh-up. Sure it’s in a completely different league, much more basic and relying on even stronger corrections, but at just $300, it’ll give you a taste of the exotic without the cost of the L-zooms. 

Ultimately though it’s great to have the choice of three ultra-wide options in the native RF mount, and for many the range, build and positioning will place the 14-35 in the sweet-spot.