Canon Officially Launch RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM Ultra-wide Angle Zoom Lens
the World’s First 10mm Ultra-wide Angle Full Frame Lens With Auto Focus[1]
RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM
HONG KONG, 3rd November, 2023 — Canon announced the official launch of new RF full frame lens — the RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM, the world’s first 10mm focal length ultra-wide angle full frame lens with auto focus[1] , delivering an unprecedentedly wide field expression. This new lens features built-in Optical Image Stabilizer (Optical IS) and exemplary image quality, all in a significantly small body that weighs at approx. 570g and compact designed with a length of approx. 112mm, greatly improving the portability of ultra-wide angle full frame lens.
The RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM provides professional photographers, videographers and advanced amateurs with the best selection to meet their needs for handheld shooting in narrow spaces, as well as capturing the magnificent architecture, vast landscapes and astrophotography etc.
Ultrawide, ultra-portable
The RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM is the widest AF zoom ever made for a full-frame camera1, bringing a stunning 130° 25’ ultrawide-angle of view. For wide angle lens, an extra 1 mm in wide angle side make a big difference in the shooting angle. A 10mm lens captures approximately two times the area comparing to a 14mm lens and approximately 1.4 times the area comparing to a 12mm lens. The lens’ ultrawide-angle of view can handle shooting in narrow spaces, as well as capturing the whole image of buildings, vast landscapes, starry sky overhead, etc., which were given up previously due to limitation on lens’s focal length.
Although the RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM is an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens equipped with an optical image stabilizer, it weighs only about 570g and has a length of approximately 112mm, making it more portable and providing greater mobility for handheld shooting or using stabilizers for moving shots. The overall compactness of the RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM is achieved through the large-diameter mount and short back focus distance, which are the unique characteristics of the RF mount. The miniaturization of the lens is not only achieved through optical system design but also through exterior design, internal mechanical component layout, and even a reevaluation of the circuit board.
Outstanding Image Quality All the Way to the Edges
RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM is an ultra-wide-angle lens that is less susceptible to camera shake, but it incorporates the Optical Image Stabilizer (Optical IS) that provides 5.0-stop[2] shake compensation. when paired with EOS R-series cameras featuring In-Body Image Stabilization, up to 6-stop[3] shake compensation can be achieved through Coordinated Control IS.
While wide-angle lenses are less affected by camera shake, they are prone to perspective distortion when the subject is close to the edges of the frame. Therefore, even if the central part of the image appears sharp, slight camera shake can still have a significant impact on the periphery of the frame. When shooting with slower shutter speeds, camera shake blur may only be visible in the outer areas of the image. When shooting videos, the periphery of the frame can also be affected and appear blurry due to motion.
In RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM, to correct the peripheral camera shake blur, in addition to placing the IS optic lens near the image sensor, Canon also developed a new “Peripheral Coordinated Control”[4] and incorporating into the coordinated control of optical IS and the camera’s in-body IS. The “Peripheral Coordinated Control” corrects the peripheral camera-shake blur that greatly affects the peripheral image quality of wide-angle lenses, reducing peripheral blurs due to small shakes in photo taking and reduces peripheral small shakes during movie shooting[5].
Extraordinary Image Quality
RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM features a newly developed 16 elements in 12 groups optical design which takes advantage of the large diameter mount and short back focus of RF Mount. This lens is optically designed to improve overall image quality while presuming the adoption of in-camera distortion correction, and provides clear depiction to the peripheral areas of the picture. The lens employs 1 large-diameter double-sided Glass-Molded (GMo) aspherical lens with large curvature, along with 1 UD Glass-Molded (GMo) aspherical lens and 1 Glass-Molded (GMo) Aspherical lenses to achieve excellent corner-to-corner resolution. The lens also incorporates 1 Super UD Lens and 2 UD lenses to correct chromatic aberration throughout the zoom range, resulting in extraordinary image quality. Furthermore, Anti – reflective SWC (Subwavelength Structure Coating) and ASC (Air Sphere Coating) are applied on 4 lens surfaces to reduce lens flare and ghosting commonly seen in wide-angle lenses.
Intuitive and Innovative Design
RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM is equipped with a leadscrew-type Stepping Motor (STM) and a rear focus system to provide high speed AF for photo and smooth AF drive while suppressing sound for video shooting. In addition to adopting leadscrew-type STM, the weight of the focus lenses has been reduced. Moreover, the stroke of the lens movement is designed to be as short as possible. Thus, the lens’ AF speed is comparable to that of USM, while the adoption of STM also contributes to product downsizing.
Furthermore, Canon for the first time has adopted in RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM a combination of a leadscrew-type STM and a focus lens position detection sensor (position sensor) used in Nano USM lenses. Since the reset of focusing lens becomes unnecessary even when the power is turned on, startup time is shortened.
RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM lens features an L-Fn (Lens Function) button on the left side. In addition to the default AF-OFF (Autofocus Off) function, users can also customize this button for different functions. It can be assigned as a convenient shortcut for various functions and is easily accessible with the left thumb, incorporates the RF lens control ring to adjust assigned settings such as ISO speed, shutter speed or aperture value directly from the lens. The lens is equipped with a rear gelatin filter holder, enabling users to insert custom-cut gel filters and explore more creative expressions. RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM is designed with dust and water resistance[6], and the front lens surface is coated with a fluorine coating to reduce the attachment of dust, oil, and water droplets.
Other Features:
- 0.12x max. magnification at 0.25m minimum focusing distance
- Supports Electronic Full Time Manual Focus[7] during One-Shot or Servo AF
- 9-blade circular aperture delivers beautiful and soft background blur
Suggested Retail Price
The new RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM is now available for sale. The suggested retail price is HK$19,980.
[1] As of 10th October 2023, among all interchangeable lens for cameras compatible with 35mm full frame sensor (excluding fisheye lenses). Base on Canon Research.
[2] CIPA Standard, Focal Length: 20mm, EOS R is used. In yaw/pitch direction.
[3] CIPA Standard, Focal Length: 20mm, EOS R3 is used. In yaw/pitch direction.
[4] Peripheral Coordinated Control is automatically activated when combined with a compatible camera (EOS R5 Ver.1.9.0 or later. As of October 2023) and Movie Digital IS is turned off.
[5] Movie Digital IS is recommend when panning heavily or when the shake is large.
[6] With EOS R3/EOS R5/EOS R6 Mark II/EOS R6/EOS R7/EOS R, however it is not recommended for use under rain.
[7] For EOS R camera supporting electronic full-time manual focus. Please refer to camera’s instruction manual for details.