Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| CanonRF 20mm F1.4 L VCM | CanonRF 600mm F11 IS STM | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | April 2025 | July 2020 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Prime | Prime |
| Focal length | 20 mm | 600 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/1.4 | f/11 |
| Minimum aperture | f/16 | f/11 |
| Optical construction | Fifteen elements in eleven groups | Ten elements in seven groups |
| Special elements | One Super UD, two UD, one BR and two glass-moulded aspherical elements; ASC, SWC and Super Spectra coatings; front fluorine coating | Gapless dual-layer diffractive optical element |
| Aperture detail | – | Fixed f/11 aperture; cannot be stopped down |
| Diaphragm | Eleven blades with circular aperture | No aperture blades |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Canon RF | Canon RF |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Compatibility | 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 | Canon RF mount for full-frame and APS-C EOS R cameras |
| Teleconverter support | – | Compatible with RF extenders; 840 mm at f/16 with RF 1.4× or 1200 mm at f/22 with RF 2× (Cameralabs and Dustin Abbott). Autofocus performance depends on camera and light levels |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.2 m | 4.5 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.19× | 0.14× |
| Optical stabilisation | No | Yes |
| Autofocus detail | Rear focusing system driven by a VCM motor | Lead-screw STM autofocus; Canon Camera Museum states a focus area of 40% horizontal × 60% vertical for the original supported EOS R bodies |
| Focus distance detail | Minimum focus 0.2 m | Minimum focus 4.5 m; full-range or 12 m–infinity focus limiter (Cameralabs and Dustin Abbott) |
| Magnification detail | Maximum 0.19× | Maximum 0.14× |
| Stabilisation detail | No optical stabiliser; Canon rates EOS R1 in-body stabilisation at 8 stops centrally and 5 stops in the corners under CIPA-2024 testing | Up to five stops optical stabilisation under CIPA testing with EOS R |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | No |
| Filter diameter | 67 mm | 82 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 76.5 mm | 93 mm |
| Length | 99.3 mm | 199.5 mm |
| Weight | 519 g (better) | 930 g |
| Controls | Electronic manual-focus, customisable control and smooth-action iris rings; iris Auto-position lock; customisable lens function button; AF/MF switch | Separate manual focus and customisable control rings; focus limiter, AF/MF and stabiliser switches |
| Zoom design | – | Prime lens with a retracting storage barrel; extend and lock the barrel before shooting |
| Filter detail | 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 | Dust and moisture resistant construction with mount rubber seal | No dust or moisture sealing, including no rubber mount seal (Cameralabs) |
| Dimensions detail | Approximately 76.5 mm maximum diameter × 99.3 mm length | 93 mm maximum diameter; 199.5 mm retracted length or 269.5 mm when extended for shooting |
| Weight detail | Approximately 519 g lens | Approximately 930 g lens |
| Tripod mount | – | Built-in tripod mounting thread; no rotating collar (Cameralabs) |
| Lens hood | EW-73H hood included | ET-88B hood sold separately (Dustin Abbott) |
| In the box | Lens, E-67 II front cap, RF dust cap, EW-73H hood, LP1219 case, rear filter holder and user manual | Lens, E-82II cap, RF dust cap and user manual kit |
| Release detail | April 2025 marketed month in Canon Camera Museum | July 2020 marketed month in Canon Camera Museum |
More comparisons
- Canon RF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ vs Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM
- Canon RF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ vs Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM
- Canon RF 14mm F1.4L VCM vs Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM
- Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs Canon RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5L FISHEYE STM
- Canon RF 14mm F1.4L VCM vs Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM
- Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM vs Canon RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5L FISHEYE STM
- Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs Canon RF 45mm F1.2 STM
- Canon RF 45mm F1.2 STM vs Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM
- Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs Canon RF 85mm F1.4L VCM
- Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM vs Canon RF 85mm F1.4L VCM
- Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs Canon RF 75–300mm F4–5.6
- Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM vs Canon RF 75–300mm F4–5.6
- Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM vs Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM
- Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM
- Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM
- Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L VCM vs Canon RF-S 14–30mm F4–6.3 IS STM PZ

