Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM vs Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM

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RF 1200mm F8L IS USM compared with RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM

	CanonRF 1200mm F8L IS USM	CanonRF 20mm F1.4 L VCM
Overview
Released
Released	May 2022	April 2025
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Prime
Focal length
Focal length	1,200 mm	20 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/8	f/1.4
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/64	f/16
Optical construction
Optical construction	Twenty-six elements in eighteen groups	Fifteen elements in eleven groups
Special elements
Special elements	Two fluorite elements, one Super UD and one UD element	One Super UD, two UD, one BR and two glass-moulded aspherical elements; ASC, SWC and Super Spectra coatings; front fluorine coating
Coatings
Coatings	Super Spectra and ASC; fluorine coating on the front element	–
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	Maximum f/8; minimum f/64	–
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Nine circular blades	Eleven blades with circular aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	Full-frame diagonal 2°05′; horizontal 1°45′; vertical 1°10′	–
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon RF	Canon RF
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon RF mount for full-frame and APS-C EOS R cameras	Canon RF mount for full-frame and APS-C EOS R cameras; RF extenders not compatible. Iris ring provides movie aperture control; Canon lists EOS R, RP, Ra, R3, R5, R6, R6 Mark II, R7, R8, R10, R50, R100 and R5 C as unable to set still-photo aperture with this ring even with their latest firmware
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	RF 1.4× gives 1680 mm f/11 with 0.41× magnification; RF 2× gives 2400 mm f/16 with 0.60×; AF and IS operate with either extender	–
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	4.3 m	0.2 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.29×	0.19×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	Yes	No
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Ring-type USM; electronic full-time manual focus requires compatible body settings; original EOS R, RP and Ra are unsupported, and R5/R6 require firmware 1.3.0 or later	Rear focusing system driven by a VCM motor
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	4.3 m minimum focus; full range, 4.3–30 m and 30 m–infinity limiter settings; three manual-focus speeds and two stored focus presets	Minimum focus 0.2 m
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	0.29× maximum magnification; approximately 241 × 161 mm subject fills a full-frame image at minimum focus	Maximum 0.19×
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Four-stop optical IS with EOS R, R5 or R3 under CIPA yaw/pitch conditions; modes 1, 2 and 3	No optical stabiliser; Canon rates EOS R1 in-body stabilisation at 8 stops centrally and 5 stops in the corners under CIPA-2024 testing
Video features
Video features	Aperture control in 1/8-stop increments; power-focus mode with two speeds selected by playback-ring rotation	–
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	Yes	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	52 mm	67 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	168 mm	76.5 mm
Length
Length	537 mm	99.3 mm
Weight
Weight	3,340 g	519 g (better)
Controls
Controls	Focus and playback rings, AF/PF/MF selector, focus-speed and preset switches, and four lens-function buttons	Electronic manual-focus, customisable control and smooth-action iris rings; iris Auto-position lock; customisable lens function button; AF/MF switch
Filter detail
Filter detail	52 mm drop-in screw-type holder 52 (WIII), supplied with a clear Protect filter; compatible with optional drop-in polariser and gelatin holder	67 mm front thread and rear filter holder; Canon specifies a single rear filter no thicker than 0.2 mm and recommends removing the holder when unused to avoid possible ghosting
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Dust- and moisture-resistant construction with heat-reflective paint	Dust and moisture resistant construction with mount rubber seal
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	168 mm maximum diameter × 537 mm length	Approximately 76.5 mm maximum diameter × 99.3 mm length
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 3,340 g excluding the tripod collar; Canon Japan states the collar weighs approximately 160 g	Approximately 519 g lens
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	Supplied tripod collar and support foot	–
Lens hood
Lens hood	ET-160 (WIII) included; shorter ET-160B optional	EW-73H hood included
In the box
In the box	Lens, drop-in screw-type filter holder 52 (WIII) with 52 mm Protect filter, E-185C cap, RF dust cap, ET-160 (WIII) hood, LS1200 soft case, Lens Wide Strap B and user manual	Lens, E-67 II front cap, RF dust cap, EW-73H hood, LP1219 case, rear filter holder and user manual
Release detail
Release detail	First sale in Japan on 26 May 2022, stated by Canon Japan support; the original announcement promised late May	April 2025 marketed month in Canon Camera Museum