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Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM vs. Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM

Pick the 24mm f/1.4 if you want about 29% more background blur, pick the 24mm f/1.8 if you want closer focus. Compare both side by side.

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Portrait At-a-Glance Comparison (Upper Body Framing)

Optical & Portrait Metric Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM What It Means in Practice
Upper-Body Working Distance 0.99 m 0.99 m Identical working distance—both frame an upper-body portrait from the exact same spot.
Background Field of View (Compression) 75° 76° Identical 75° horizontal background view behind the subject.
Entrance Pupil Diameter 17.1 mm (f/1.4) 13.3 mm (f/1.8) Distant background blur discs are 29% larger on the Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM.
Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) 47% (-1.7 EV) 74% (-0.9 EV) Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM keeps significantly rounder bokeh balls into the corners wide open (74% vs. 47% roundness).
Effective Focal Length (Breathing) 23.7 mm (-1.4%) 23.0 mm (-4.3%) At 1.0 m, Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM frames like a 23.7 mm lens while Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM frames like a 23.0 mm lens.
Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) 21 cm (90 cm – 1.11 m) 27 cm (87 cm – 1.15 m) The Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM has a 23% thinner focus zone (21 cm vs. 27 cm)—requiring more precise eye focus.
Minimum Focus Distance 0.24 m 0.14 m Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM focuses 10 cm closer (0.24 m vs. 0.14 m) for tighter close-ups.

Questions

Which blurs the background more, Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM or Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM?

At the same subject framing, distant background blur scales with the entrance pupil diameter (focal length ÷ f-number). Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM at f/1.4 has a 17.1 mm entrance pupil, while Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM at f/1.8 has a 13.3 mm entrance pupil.

How does working distance differ between Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM and Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM?

For an upper-body portrait, Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM stands 0.99 m from the subject (sharp zone 21 cm, from 90 cm to 1.11 m), whereas Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM stands 0.99 m away (sharp zone 27 cm, from 87 cm to 1.15 m).

How do the optical designs of Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM and Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM compare?

Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM uses 17 elements in 12 groups (US20250389929A1, effective focal length 23.7 mm at portrait distance). Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM uses 11 elements in 9 groups (US20220019061A1, effective focal length 23.0 mm).

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Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.