Cameraegg Compare logoCameraegg

Canon

RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

Canon RF Mount

Canon's versatile super-telephoto zoom reaching 500mm — ideal for wildlife, sports, and safari without changing lenses.

$2,699

Launch price

Released Jul 2020

vs

Canon

RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM

Canon RF Mount

A compact, lightweight ultra-wide zoom with 5.5-stop IS — ideal for vloggers, travelers, and landscape photographers.

$1,699

Launch price

Released Aug 2022

RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM is 2.2 years newer.

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Cameraegg earns from qualifying purchases. Cameraegg may also earn commission from B&H links, at no extra cost to you.

Wins

0categories

RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

WildlifeVideo & Hybrid

Wins

7categories

RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM

Video & HybridLandscape

1 categories tied

TL;DR — Key differences

RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM wins 0 categories·RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM wins 5 categories
  • BRF 14-35mm F4L IS USM has lower Min focus distance (20 cm vs 90 cm)
  • BRF 14-35mm F4L IS USM has lower Weight (540 g vs 1370 g)
  • BRF 14-35mm F4L IS USM has lower Length (112 mm vs 208 mm)
  • BRF 14-35mm F4L IS USM has lower Max aperture (Tele) (f/4 vs f/7.1)
  • BRF 14-35mm F4L IS USM has higher Max magnification (0.38 × vs 0.33 ×)

Key specs at a glance

RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USMRF 14-35mm F4L IS USM
Focal Length100-500 mm14-35 mm
Max Aperturef/4.5-7.1f/4
MountCanon RFCanon RF
CoverageFull FrameFull Frame
Stabilization5.5 stops5.5 stops
Weight1370 g540 g
Min Focus90 cm20 cm
Filter Size77 mm77 mm

Use-case scoring

Which one for what?

Algorithmic scores from verified specs · 10 = best in class

Use caseRF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USMRF 14-35mm F4L IS USM
Portrait
5.5Fair
2.5Limited
Sports & Action
6.5Good
6.5Good
Video & Hybrid
7.0Good
9.0Excellent
Landscape
4.0Fair
8.0Excellent
Travel
5.0Fair
3.5Limited
Wildlife
10.0Excellent
5.5Fair
Macro & Close-up
3.5Limited
6.0Good

Why pick one over the other

Reasons to choose the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

  • Special elements

    Adds 1 Super UD, 3 UD, 3 Aspherical

Reasons to choose the RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM

  • Special elements

    Adds 4 Aspherical, 2 UD

  • Min focus distance

    20 cm vs 90 cm — lower is better

  • Weight

    540 g vs 1370 g — lower is better

  • Length

    112 mm vs 208 mm — lower is better

  • Max aperture (Tele)

    f/4 vs f/7.1 — lower is better

  • Max aperture (Wide)

    f/4 vs f/4.5 — lower is better

  • Diameter

    84 mm vs 93 mm — lower is better

  • Max magnification

    0.38 × vs 0.33 × — higher is better

Shared specifications

Internal focus

Both support internal focus

Optical stabilization

Both support optical stabilization

OIS effectiveness

Both 5.5 stops

Weather sealing

Both support weather sealing

Control ring

Both support control ring

Pros & cons at a glance

Editorially curated highlights and trade-offs.

RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

Pros

  • Incredible 100-500mm reach in a single lens
  • 5.5-stop optical image stabilization
  • Compatible with RF 1.4x and 2x extenders
  • Relatively compact for a 500mm-capable zoom

Cons

  • Variable f/4.5-7.1 aperture gets slow at tele end
  • Heavy at full extension (1370g)
  • Expensive for a variable-aperture zoom

RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM

Pros

  • Extremely compact for an ultra-wide zoom (540g)
  • 14mm ultra-wide perspective for dramatic scenes
  • 5.5-stop optical image stabilization
  • Center sharpness excellent across range

Cons

  • f/4 maximum aperture limits low-light use
  • More expensive than EF 16-35mm f/4 IS
  • Corner sharpness falls off at 14mm

Decided which one is right for you?

Compare live prices for the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM and RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM at major authorized retailers.

Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Cameraegg earns from qualifying purchases. Cameraegg may also earn commission from B&H links, at no extra cost to you.

Full specifications

= category winner

RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM
RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM
Focal length (Min)
100 mm
14 mm
Focal length (Max)
500 mm
35 mm
Max aperture (Wide)
f/4.5
f/4+0.3 stops wider
Max aperture (Tele)
f/7.1
f/4+1.7 stops wider
Elements
20
16
Groups
14
12
Special elements
1 Super UD, 3 UD, 3 Aspherical
4 Aspherical, 2 UD
RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM
RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM
Min focus distance
90 cm
20 cm−70 cm less
Max magnification
0.33 ×
0.38 ×+15%
Autofocus motor
Dual Nano USM
Nano USM
Internal focus
Yes
Yes
RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM
RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM
Optical stabilization
Yes
Yes
OIS effectiveness
5.5 stops
5.5 stops
RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM
RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM
Weight
1370 g
540 g−830 g less
Length
208 mm
112 mm−96 mm less
Diameter
93 mm
84 mm−9 mm less
Filter thread size
77 mm
77 mm
Weather sealing
Yes
Yes
Diaphragm blades
9
9
RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM
RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM
Lens mount
Canon RF
Canon RF
Format coverage
Full Frame
Full Frame

Specs sourced from manufacturer data. Use-case scores algorithmically derived. Last reviewed May 2026.