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Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM vs. Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM

Pick the 35mm f/1.4 if you want about 29% more background blur, pick the 35mm 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 35mm F1.4 L VCM Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM What It Means in Practice
Upper-Body Working Distance 1.42 m 1.42 m Identical working distance—both frame an upper-body portrait from the exact same spot.
Background Field of View (Compression) 55° 55° Identical 55° horizontal background view behind the subject.
Entrance Pupil Diameter 25.0 mm (f/1.4) 19.4 mm (f/1.8) Distant background blur discs are 29% larger on the Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM.
Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) 70% (-0.8 EV) 42% (-1.5 EV) Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM keeps significantly rounder bokeh balls into the corners wide open (70% vs. 42% roundness).
Effective Focal Length (Breathing) 34.7 mm (-0.7%) 34.8 mm (-0.5%) At 1.4 m, Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM frames like a 34.7 mm lens while Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM frames like a 34.8 mm lens.
Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) 20 cm (1.33 m – 1.53 m) 26 cm (1.30 m – 1.56 m) The Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM has a 22% thinner focus zone (20 cm vs. 26 cm)—requiring more precise eye focus.
Minimum Focus Distance 0.28 m 0.17 m Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM focuses 11 cm closer (0.28 m vs. 0.17 m) for tighter close-ups.

Questions

Which blurs the background more, Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM or Canon RF 35mm 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 35mm F1.4 L VCM at f/1.4 has a 25.0 mm entrance pupil, while Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM at f/1.8 has a 19.4 mm entrance pupil.

How does working distance differ between Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM and Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM?

For an upper-body portrait, Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM stands 1.42 m from the subject (sharp zone 20 cm, from 1.33 m to 1.53 m), whereas Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM stands 1.42 m away (sharp zone 26 cm, from 1.30 m to 1.56 m).

How do the optical designs of Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM and Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM compare?

Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM uses 11 elements in 9 groups (JP H11-211978A, effective focal length 34.7 mm at portrait distance). Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM uses 11 elements in 9 groups (US20190113711A1, effective focal length 34.8 mm).

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