Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II USM Lens Review
The Canon 16-35mm f2.8 L II USM Lens is a very important lens for lot of photographers, be it landscapes, sports, news reporters, wildlife photographers,weddings as well as for other event coverage. I had always wanted to use the wide Canon 16-35 mm lens in wide pristine landscapes. Having owned the EF 24-70 f2.8 L USM lens and using it for wildlife, I had been thinking of evaluating the EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II USM lens. So when I could finally get the new Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L USM lens, it was one of excitement to put it through its paces in a place away from the ugly urban skyline.
Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II USM
First impressions of Canon 16-35mm lens:
The weight is only 640 grams and it really feels light in the hands. The diameter of the lens is a wide 88.5mm or 3.5 inches with a filter dia of 82mm. The lens is 111.6mm or 4.4 inches longThe lens comes with a petal shaped lens hood (EW-88) which is even wider. It is a far cry from the lens hood of the EF 24-70 f2.8 L USM lens which I regularly use. Unlike the hood of the EF 24-70 f2.8 L USM (EW-83F), this hood appears much lighter and smaller. Ofcourse, when you are on a trek or climbing in the mountains, this reduction in weight will be very noticeable and appreciable too.
EW-83F Lens hood of EF24-70 f2.8 L USM lens stands by tall by side of Canon EF 16-35 f2.8 L II USM with EW-88 hood
With such a low weight and well balanced construction, my first thoughts was to check how it fares in handheld filming. Unlike the heavier EF 24-70 f2.8 L USM (950 gms) which I dont prefer if I am filming handheld without a rig, the EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II USM at 635 gms is great for filming handheld.
The lens comes with a soft case LP 1319 which is easy to carry or hang from your belt if you are not wearing a photographers vest or carrying a bag.
Canon 16-35mm f2.8 L USM Lens Specs:
This Canon 16-35mm lens has a maximum Aperture of f2.8 and a minimum Aperture of f22.
7 diaphragm blades. As opposed to the other L series lenses, the Canon 16-35 mm lens has seven diaphragm blades and coupled with the circular aperture, the bokeh is nice.
There are 16 elements divided into 12 groups with 3 types of aspherical elements (ground, replicated and glass moulded) and 2 UD (Ultra Dispersion) elements. Canon has said that this lens has Super Spectra lens coatings which helps in suppressing flare and ghosting. In field testing, this is found to be true.
The minimum focusing distance is a 0.28 meters or 11 inches offering a maximum magnification of 0.22x With this lens one can use extension tubes, however, this lens doesnt accept Teleconverters.
MTF Charts : Source Canon
Hyperfocal Distance:
Since this Canon 16-35 mm lens has got a minimum aperture of f22, whereas other lenses have more, so one may ask why not more. If you are using a Canon 1D Mark IV, at 16mm focal length the hyperfocal distance is 20 inches ie. If you use this lens at its minimum aperture of f22 and focus at an object 22 inches away, then you will have the focus till infinity.
Similarly, the hyperfocal distance with a full frame camera like Canon 1D X using this lens at 16mm is 15.5 inches at f22.
Canon 16-35 mm lens Review | Autofocus:
The autofocus is fast and locks in easily. With the Full Time Manual Focus facility, one can fine-tune the focus. As is expected, the focusing is internal which means the lens element doesnt protrude while focusing.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, EF 16-35 f2.8 L II USM at 16mm, ISO 200, f22, 1/20
Canon 16-35 mm lens | Impressions in the Field:
While wandering in Wild India, I have been in situations where the scene is so wide and breathtaking that I have wanted to include the full mountain or gorge or river etc and have failed due to the minimum 24mm focal length of my EF 24-70 f2.8 L USM lens. In such situations, this lens comes to your rescue. After a long day in the forest, I realized how nice this lens is if all you want is to shoot or film in the wide end.
Wild India | With a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, EF 16-35 f2.8 L II USM at 35mm, ISO 200, f22, 1/40
I also used this lens in documenting an eWaste recycler. This lens at 16mm came in handy to capture from cramped quarters. It smaller size vis–vis a EF 24-70 f2.8 L USM or a EF70-200 will give an impression that you are one of those wannabe wildlife photographers. No one will realize that you are indeed doing some serious wildlife filming as the small size of this lens makes it easily handholdable. So this lens is also good for street photography where you can move in close to the action.
Wild India | Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, EF 16-35 f2.8 L II USM at 35mm, ISO 100, f14, 1/250
This Canon 16-35 mm lens due to its environmental sealing is good for dusty conditions. If you are in a trek in Wild India or climbing a mountain and face inclement weather, then this lens will not fail you.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, EF 16-35 f2.8 L II USM at 26mm, ISO 100, f13, 1/125
Will I compromise on an f-stop and buy the Canon 17-40 f4 lens which is one mm less wide? Absolutely not. There are situations where the 1 mm is a lot and also most of the times the 1 stop faster f2.8 aperture of the 16-35 f2.8 L IS II USM lens is a significant reason to invest. Lenses retain their value for a longer time than the camera bodies. So it is better to invest more and be ready for the future when you will need this lens more, rather than buy a 17-40 F4 L USM lens now.
Verdict:
This Canon 16-35mm lens is a pretty good lens for still photography as well as for wildlife filming. The constant aperture f2.8 helps you shoot in situations when the light is really low. With its low weight, it is easily handholdable for stills as well as for filming. The colours and contrast are good, pretty minimal levels of barrel distortion and chromatic aberration, and it has good resistance to flare and ghosting. If you have the money, then this is the lens to buy. If you dont have the money but indulge in the low light work, then this lens will save your assignment. If you are serious about your photography and/or filming then this Canon 16-35mm f2.8 L II USM lens is a must in your kit. A bit costly, however as in most of the things in life, you get what you pay. If you have any questions about the Canon 16-35mm Lens review then post your questions in the comments below.
Verdict: Highly Recommended
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Mr Patra, I come from the Nikon fold and I hope you won’t hold it against me! 😀 That is an impressive analysis you have written and the images you have posted bear witness to your photographic skills. You do have a hold on the hyperfocal distance. I also agree with the brief comparisons with the other lenses.
ps: The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR (with Nano-Crystal coating) is an equally delightful piece of glass except that i don’t own it!
The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR suffers from barrel distortion in full frame cameras. If you are going to use it at narrow apertures, then the results are very good. It is a good effort by Nikon to put the VR (Vibration Reduction) system in a wide angle lens. In general, I always tell people that if they are buying either Canon or Nikon then they won’t go wrong. The modern day lenses with advanced coatings for reducing various abberations are so good that I feel any person who can extract 90% of the juice from these lenses is a winner.
These days one need not buy all the lenses. Better to rent it out. If a lens is not frequently used, then better to rent it.
Dear Mr Patra,
Your review is of great help. I have been doing photoshoot for 4 years now and am planning to upgrade to full frame which would be a canon 6D…..i mostly take portraits and landscapes and hence was in 2 minds whether to go for 24-70 mm canon f2.8 or 16-35 mm canon f 2.8……but after going thru your article i believe 16-35 will be more practical for me …..but would still like to hear your advise on this
Thanks
Regards
Ashish
Ashish,
6D is a good camera. If you want portraits, then 24-70 f2.8 is better as the 16-35 will be too wide.
For landscapes the 16-35 is wider and will help when you need wider than 24mm. A lot of times when you are trekking and want to capture those huge mountains, valleys etc the 16-35 is better. However, while shooting at 16mm, you have to also keep an eye that your shadow is not captured.
The 16-35 feels a bit light in the hand and is invaluable while trekking. It is a fantastic lens. You would love it.
I too am a fellow Nikonian but i must say this does look like one impressive piece of glass.
Just discovered your blog on my phone about an hour ago wow I have lots of reading ahead of me, excellent stuff!
Chris
London UK
I own a Canon 7D and an EF-S-18-135mm kit lens. I want to do some low light photography as well as filming and I intend to take pictures of Durga Puja Pandals. Can you please tell me whether this lens should suffice the purpose or shall I get a good prime lens and a medium priced zoom wideangle ?
Rajarshi,
The EF-s 18-135 f3.5-f5.6 IS STM lens is a very capable lens. The lens is small in size but has a good zoom range. The image stabilisation is rated at 4 stops and will help in clicking in low light. The zoom range is good as you can effortlessly move from wide to medium focal length and you won’t miss shots while changing lenses. You can certainly create good stuff with this lens. All the best!
Sabyasachi
Hi there I’m a candid photographer having 6d & 24-70f2.8Lll & 70-200f2.8 isll .. Is there any other lens would u like to recommend. Plz help me out
Hi Mohan,
With the EF 24-70 f2.8 L II USM and EF 70-200 f2.8 L IS II USM, you have got two good lenses. These two lenses should cover most of your requirements. If you want to experiment, then may be add a 1.4x TC to the 70-200 IS II lens to move a bit away from the subject. That at times may help in making the subject feel comfortable. At times you may want a bit wider focal length and a 16-35 would come in handy. However with a full frame camera the 24 mm end of the 24-70 should cover a lot of situations.
Please remember that at times it becomes cumbersome to cary many lenses and keep on changing infront of the subject. A photographer should not be attracting attention towards himself/herself.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi