Canon RF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ vs Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| CanonRF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ | CanonRF 50mm F1.8 STM | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | June 2026 | December 2020 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Prime |
| Focal length | 20–50 mm | 50 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/4 | f/1.8 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 | f/22 |
| Optical construction | 13 elements in 11 groups | Six elements in five groups |
| Special elements | Two glass-moulded aspherical and three UD elements | One aspherical element |
| Coatings | ASC and Super Spectra; fluorine coating on the front element | Super Spectra anti-reflection coating |
| Aperture detail | Constant maximum f/4, minimum f/22 throughout the range | – |
| Diaphragm | Nine aperture blades | Seven blades |
| Angle of view | Horizontal 84°–40°, vertical 62°–27° and diagonal 94°–46° on full frame | Full-frame horizontal40°, vertical27°30′ and diagonal46° |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Canon RF | Canon RF |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Compatibility | Canon EOS R cameras; full-frame image circle; power-zoom control from camera body or remote devices depends on compatible model and firmware | Canon EOS R cameras; full-frame RF mount. Distinct from EF50mmF1.8STM and RF50mmF1.2LUSM |
| Teleconverter support | Canon RF extenders not compatible | Canon RF extenders not compatible |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.24 m | 0.3 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.33× | 0.25× |
| Optical stabilisation | Yes | No |
| Autofocus detail | Nano USM autofocus; full-time manual focus; maker rear-focus design retains length during focusing | STM autofocus; electronic manual focus. Photography Blog reports selection of manual focus through the camera menu |
| Focus distance detail | – | Minimum focus distance0.30m; maker table does not distinguish AF and MF figures, so no mode inferred. Extending inner tube during close focusing, as documented by OpticalLimits |
| Magnification detail | Maker maximum magnification 0.14× at 20 mm or 0.33× at 50 mm; no AF/MF mode specified in the table | Maker maximum magnification0.25×; no unpublished AF/MF distinction inferred |
| Stabilisation detail | Maker six-stop optical IS or combined camera/lens eight stops at centre and corners under CIPA-2024, at maximum focal length with its specified camera; not guaranteed in every shooting setup | No lens optical IS; compatible cameras may provide body stabilisation separately |
| Video features | Internal multi-speed power zoom and optically suppressed focus breathing; zoom ring switches between powered and conventional manual operation | – |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | – |
| Filter diameter | 67 mm | 43 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 79.9 mm | 69.2 mm |
| Length | 98.4 mm | 40.5 mm |
| Weight | 420 g | 160 g (better) |
| Controls | Customisable control ring, focus ring and zoom ring; PZ/MZ selector, custom button, AF/MF and stabiliser switches (Digital Camera World; ePHOTOzine) | Shared focus/control ring with focus-control selector; control mode can adjust camera settings |
| Zoom design | Internal zoom/focus keeps barrel length fixed; ePHOTOzine describes conventional mechanical manual zoom, while Digital Camera World's prose calls it fly-by-wire; no silent choice between those reviewer descriptions | – |
| Filter detail | 67 mm front screw-in filter thread | 43mm front filter thread; maker lists Canon250D/500D close-up lenses and PL-C B circular polariser incompatible |
| Weather resistance | Dust and moisture resistant with mount gasket; maker warns camera attachment is required and protection cannot prevent all dust or water ingress; no waterproof/IP rating inferred | UK maker dust/moisture resistance entry is a dash; OpticalLimits explicitly reports no weather sealing |
| Dimensions detail | Approximately 79.9 mm maximum diameter × 98.4 mm length | Approximately69.2mm maximum diameter ×40.5mm length, measured retracted by Canon |
| Weight detail | Approximately 420 g lens | Approximately160g lens |
| Lens hood | ES-73B; maker lists E-67 II cap, Lens Dust Cap RF and LP1219 pouch as accessories | ES-65B, sold separately |
| In the box | – | Lens, E-43 front cap and Lens Dust Cap RF; hood and LP1014 pouch are optional according to UK maker specifications |
| Release detail | Canon Japan's 11 June 2026 notice confirms first sale from 26 June 2026, resolving the earlier late-June launch wording | December2020 marketed month in Canon Camera Museum. Canon Canada scheduled mid-December2020 availability; Canon Japan records first sale24December2020. Headline retains month because the exact earliest international retail day is not documented; Japan's later day is not presented as a worldwide date |
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