The Canon C400 is the latest addition to Canon’s cinema line of cameras.
In this article, let’s go over the most useful lenses for the Canon C400, specifically for cinematography. I won’t be covering lenses in the B4 mount because that’s typically not used in filmmaking.
Jump to a section quickly:
- What lens mount does the Canon C400 have?
- Are Canon RF lenses good for cinematography?
- What are the best “native” lenses for the Canon C400?
- Discover the best adapters for the RF Mount
- What third-party lenses can be adapted to the RF mount?
- The best third-party lenses for the Canon C400
- Recommended cine prime lenses for the Canon C400
- Recommended cine zoom lenses for the Canon C400
What lens mount does the Canon C400 have?
The Canon C400 has an RF mount. If you want the full functionality of the camera, you need to pair it with native lenses.
A “native” lens is one specifically designed for the Canon RF-mount system and allow the following:
- Full control of autofocus, image stabilization, iris, zoom and focus control.
- Electronic metadata like iris, focal length, distortion, fall-off, focus, etc.
- Continuous auto focus for video.
- An additional “Control Ring” on the lens that’s customizable.
The biggest advantage of RF lenses is that they are designed specifically for the new sensor.
If you want the best autofocus performance, you need RF lenses.
Are Canon RF lenses good for cinematography?
Optically, Canon RF lenses are probably the best set of lenses Canon has ever made.
The great advantage of RF lenses is that you get dual pixel AF at its best. The two most important questions to ask are:
- Do you really need the best autofocus for video? EF lenses also deliver good AF performance, but RF is definitely better across the board. If you need the best autofocus lenses, you need to pair the C400 with RF glass.
- Do you have existing Canon EF lenses that you would like to continue using? This could be either due to financial necessity or because you’ve already invested in EF lenses, or if that’s all that’s available to you to rent. In this case, you might want to use an adapter to pair EF lenses with the C400.
There are two other advantages specific to RF lenses:
- The manual focus ring can be customizable.
- RF lenses have a Control Ring at the front of the lens for customizable aperture, ISO, or other adjustments.
Is the Focus ring focus-by-wire? Yes, by default, but it can be changed:
RF lenses allow users to change the rotation direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise) of the focus ring and control ring to match their preferences. …
“Linked to rotation degree” is also available in which the focusing distance will be directly proportional to the rotation degree, regardless of the rotation speed. This option can provide the same control characteristic and sensation similar to cinema lenses.
Canon
What are the best native lenses for the Canon C400 for Cinematography?
Let’s break this down to primes and zoom lenses.
Prime lenses
Prime lenses have three advantages over zooms:
- Prime lenses, generally, have larger apertures. You can go down to f/1.2 with a 50mm. You can’t do that with a zoom. This gives it two distinct advantages:
- You can get shallower depth of field, and
- Wide apertures are better for low light cinematography.
- Prime lenses also tend to have better optical performance, especially sharpness and lower aberrations. This makes prime lenses better prepared to resolve higher resolutions like 6K and 8K.
- Prime lenses are typically lighter than zoom lenses.
- Prime lenses usually have lower lens breathing, while zoom lenses breathe more (and are not parfocal in photography glass).
If image quality is your highest priority, then you need to use prime lenses.
Here are my picks:
Pick these lenses for the best image quality for 6K and 8K
- Super wide angle: Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Lens + Adapter (Amazon, B&H). If you absolutely must have RF lenses, you can use the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM lens (Amazon, B&H) instead.
- Wide angle: Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM Lens + Adapter (Amazon, B&H)
- Wide: Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM (Amazon, B&H)
- Normal: Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens (Amazon, B&H)
- Telephoto: Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM Lens (Amazon, B&H)
- Super telephoto: Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM (B&H)
- Another option in the EF mount: Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM Lens + Adapter (Amazon, B&H)
Pick these lenses if you’re on a low budget, or need really light lenses
- Super wide angle: Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM lens (Amazon, B&H)
- Wide angle: Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM Lens (Amazon, B&H)
- Normal: Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM (Amazon, B&H)
- Telephoto: Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM (Amazon, B&H)
Canon has you covered in this price segment.
Zoom lenses
Zoom lenses have the convenience factor over primes, with a range of focal lengths available. Ideally, for cinematography, you want zoom lenses with a constant aperture.
Pick these zoom lenses for the best image quality
- Widest: Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens (Amazon, B&H) with adapter
- Mid-range: Canon RF 15–35mm F2.8 L IS USM (Amazon, B&H). If budget is an issue there’s the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM (Amazon, B&H)
- Normal:
- Telephoto: Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM (Amazon, B&H)
- Super telephoto: Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM (B&H)
- Great all-round low-budget option: Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (Amazon, B&H)
Extenders
Canon has two extenders for the RF mount:
I recommend the 1.4x. The 2x is really a compromise. You lose quite a bit in more ways than one. Also, don’t forget that the C400 can film in 6K, so if you’re looking for a 4K finish you can crop a bit anyway.
Discover the Best Adapters for the RF Mount
A lens adapter allows you to use lenses made for other lens mounts on the C400.
How do you know if a lens can be used or not? First, you need to know what the flange focal distance is:
Please refer to the table in the above article to know the relative flange focal distances of different lens mounts.
Since the EF mount has a larger flange focal distance (44mm) than the RF mount (20mm), you can use Canon EF lenses with a Canon EF to RF adapter (Amazon, B&H).
Canon EF lenses are really good, and definitely a serious option to consider. Canon RF lenses are better than Canon EF lenses across the board for their optical performance, low weight, autofocus and stabilization (did I say, across the board?).
However, here are three reasons why EF lenses might work out for you:
- Canon RF lenses are expensive.
- EF lenses still work great, even with autofocus. Especially if you don’t want the best autofocus, or any autofocus at all.
- They have optical characteristics that RF lenses don’t have.
Luckily, the only adapters you need to consider for EF lenses are made by Canon.
The EF-EOS R adapters
Canon has many adapters for its RF-mount cameras. I highly recommend you stick to Canon for best performance and compatibility.
Here’s the list of Canon lens adapters:
| No. | Type | Key Info | Buy |
| 1 | Focal Reducer Adapter | Reduces Crop factor, Gives an added stop of light | (Amazon, B&H) |
| 2 | “Basic” Adapter | Has full control, cheapest option | (Amazon, B&H) |
| 3 | Control Ring Adapter | Adds a control ring to control ISO, Aperture, Exposure Compensation, etc. | (Amazon, B&H) |
| 4 | Drop-in Filter Adapter with Variable ND filter | Has a slot in the adapter to use rear filters. In this case a variable ND filter. | (Amazon, B&H) |
| 5 | Drop-in Filter Adapter with Circular Polarizer filter | Has a slot in the adapter to use rear filters. In this case a circular polarizing filter. | (Amazon, B&H) |
All Canon adapters offer full control over Canon EF lenses:
- They retain Canon in-lens IS (image stabilization), autofocus control, sharpness, color rendition, and contrast.
- Each is weather sealed to prevent dust and moisture from entering (assuming the lens is also weather sealed)
- Full compatibility with Canon EF and EF-S lenses as well as most 3rd party lenses.
Which is the best EF-EOS R adapter for video?
This is tricky because it depends on what your needs are. There are hidden costs you should be aware of.
Let’s start with drop-in filters.
The hidden costs of drop-in filters
I would not pick the circular polarizer (though it is useful sometimes) because for video work the subject is always moving, and you’ll only be able to get the benefit of the polarizer at a particular angle in relation to the sun.
Can you use the drop-in filter without the variable ND filter? No, you can’t. You’ll leave a large gaping hole in your filter. You need to purchase the Drop-In Clear Filter A (Amazon, B&H), and that is an additional expense.
The Canon C400 has built-in ND filters, so the drop-in ND filter adapter is not likely to come in handy either.
The hidden cost of the control ring adapter
Control Ring clicks are audible and can be picked up when recording video.
Canon offers a Control Ring Modification Service to make the rings adjust silently for an additional fee:
The control ring on RF lenses and the Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R includes a “clicking” action when used. While this can be helpful to confirm changing settings, it can also impede video recordings as the “clicking” sound may be captured as audio. EOS R series camera owners can choose to have this function removed, and even re-applied if needed later on, with Canon’s control ring modification service.*
Canon
RF Lenses $79.99
Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R $59.99
Tax and freight fee are NOT included. * All pricing is subject to change.
| Price of Control Ring Mount Adapter | $199 |
| Cost of Modification Service | $59.99 |
| Total | $259 |
This is a good option if you ride the aperture often. But in my opinion, the combination of EF lenses in cinema use is rare. Most times you don’t need to change the aperture or ISO, so you really don’t need the control ring adapter.
It’s only useful in run and gun situations, where you are using the camera in a handheld situation with one hand on the lens to ride the aperture or ISO. I would seriously consider investing in RF lenses for this feature, and not really consider it for EF lenses – specifically for video work.
If you need a de-clicked lens, you can get a cine-mod service done, or better yet, just use cine lenses.
Then there’s the risk of moving the control ring by mistake during operation. This is rare, but the issue is, unlike a aperture ring or focus ring on a cine lens, when you shift this, there’s no visual aid to tell you it has shifted.
The focal reducer
The Canon Mount Adapter EF–EOS R 0.71x adapter (Amazon, B&H) is a focal reducer. The crop factor is 0.71x. You get a full stop of extra light with this adapter. In simple terms, that EF 24-105mm f/4 L becomes a 24-105mm f/2.8 lens.
However, that’s only useful if you’re filming on a Super35mm camera with Full frame glass. In this case you really can’t use it.
Which leaves us with only one option: The “Basic” adapter (Amazon, B&H).
What third-party lenses can be adapted to the RF mount?
You can also adapt older Canon FD lenses, Leica M lenses, PL-mount lenses and of course Nikon F-mount lenses and others.
All this makes it really hard to give a recommendation because people pick lenses for a multitude of reasons. Personal taste and aesthetics factor big time in any decision.
I like Leica R primes, but they are hard to find or recommend for everybody, and the price is high.
Plus, you need to find a good copy, and maintenance is a problem as well. This applies to most older or esoteric lenses in general.
If I’m recommending a lens, it should be available to purchase for most people worldwide, must be serviceable, and must offer tremendous value for money without sacrificing quality.
Is there such a lens?
The best third-party lenses for the Canon C400
Prime lenses
Right now, only one series meets all of the requirements I’ve laid out above:
The Sigma Art series with a Canon EF mount with a basic adapter (Amazon, B&H):
- Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 24 f/1.4 Art (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art (Amazon, B&H)
For telephoto lenses, nothing beats Canon’s own line of EF glass.
Recommended cine prime lenses for the Canon C400
There are really great full frame lenses, like the Arri Signature Primes or the Leica Thalia, but these are rental items, hardly available for purchase for us “regular folk”.
More practically, you could either go with Zeiss CP.3 primes or better yet, with Sigma Cine lenses in the PL mount. I prefer the latter, the range is just too much value for money, and it goes up to T1.5!
- Sigma 14mm T2 (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 24mm T1.5 (or 20mm, 28mm) (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 35mm T1.5 (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 50mm T1.5 (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 85mm T1.5 (Amazon, B&H)
- Sigma 135mm T2 (Amazon, B&H)
There are many other lenses that cover full frame. For more names, check out my comparison of cine primes for full frame.
Of course, you can also always use Canon’s own line of cinema primes. I’m not a big fan of them, compared with the Sigma and the CP.3s. However, you should consider them, especially if you’re going to invest in Canon cine zoom lenses.
I highly recommend the PL mount versions due to their ruggedness. Canon has recently launched the Canon PL to RF Lens Mount Adapter:
This adapter allows you to use an ARRI PL mount lens with the C400. It can transfer Cooke /i metadata from lens to camera. It has two side locking plates to keep the adapter secure. This would give you the most rugged configuration.
Recommended cine zoom lenses for the Canon C400
Full frame zoom lenses are hard to find. Right now, my favorite top of the line cine zoom would be Arri Signature Zooms:
As before, these are rental only items. The other third-party options are: Zeiss CZ.2 zooms (excellent in my opinion), Angenieux EZ series (Budget), Tokina zooms, etc.
However, the cine zoom lenses I recommend for the C400 are the Canon CN-E cine zoom lens range (PL-mount):
- Canon CN-E 20-50mm T2.4 LF
- Canon CN-E 45-135mm T2.4 LF
- Canon CINE-SERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.9 with 1.5x Extender
The Canon CN-E line has been designed for 8K, with reduced chromatic aberration and minimal flaring and ghosting.
An 11-blade aperture creates natural-looking bokeh. Both lenses have consistent gear placement with industry-standard 0.8 MOD gear rings and luminous focus marks.
They are also compatible with the Cooke i/ metadata standard, when used with the Canon PL to RF adapter.
That’s it for my list of lenses for the Canon C400.
If you have any suggestions or recommendations please let me know in the comments below.
