RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USMvs A1

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM (2019) From £2299 Best for Architecture, landscape & astrophotography View RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM
VS
Sony A1 Sony A1 (2021) From £5999 Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting View A1

Which should you buy?

Architecture, Landscape & Astrophotography — RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM (2019): The best wide-angle zoom Canon has ever made — optically superb, stabilised, and L-series built.

Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.

↓ Full specifications below

Who should buy what

A1 (2021)

  • Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
  • Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
  • Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
  • A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything

Quick take: The rf 15-35mm f/2.8l is usm is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM (2019)A1 (2021)
Price £2,299 £5,999
Sensor Canon RF mount (full-frame) 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS
Resolution — 50.1MP
Video N/A — lens 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p
Autofocus Dual Nano USM — fast, precise, near-silent Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points
Stabilisation Optical IS — 5 stops (up to 7 stops with IBIS combo) IBIS — up to 5.5 stops
Burst Rate N/A 30fps electronic with full AF/AE
Battery Life N/A ~430 shots (CIPA)
Weight 840g 737g (with battery)
Dimensions 88.5mm diameter × 126.8mm length 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm
Weather Sealed Yes Yes
Viewfinder N/A EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps
Screen N/A 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen
Mount 82mm filter thread Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards N/A Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II
Connectivity N/A USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI

Suitability by genre

Genre RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USMA1
Landscape
9.0
9.0
Architecture
9.0
—
Astrophotography
9.0
—
Sports —
9.0
Portrait —
9.0
Wildlife —
9.0
Vlogging & Video —
9.0
Wedding —
9.0
⚡ Compare specs side by side RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM prices → A1 prices →

More comparisons with RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM

Compare RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM vs A6100 → Compare RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM vs A6400 → Compare RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM vs A6700 → Compare RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM vs A7C → Compare RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM vs A7C II → Compare RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM vs A7 II → Compare RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM vs A7 III → Compare RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM vs A7 IV →

Camera family history

Series Sony A1 Series — every generation →