CANON EF 16-35MM F2.8L III USM

Canon updated its highly regarded high-speed ultra-wide angle zoom. Is it an improvement?

Canon’s L-series lenses have an enviable reputation for optical quality, but as expectations increase with every bump in sensor resolution, even the best need improving. With full-frame cameras dominating the influential press market, and studio-oriented models hitting 50MP, it’s not all that surprising to see an update. Neither is it at all surprising to see Canon go all in, and everything about this lens is top-drawer. Improvements have meant an increase around the waist though, along with the overall weight, but the ergonomics and handling remain excellent. Although the zoom ring was a bit stiff on our sample, build quality is very good. Autofocus is really fast and practically silent like it always is with Canon’s USMs, and although the manual focus ring has a very short travel, the action is smooth and not too highly geared.

But what about image quality? Although well-liked, its predecessor was designed when Canon still had APS-H models in its line-up. Vignetting is similar and there’s not much difference in distortion, but in other areas there’s been substantial improvement. Fringing is far better controlled wide open at 16mm, and sharpness in the central and outer zones and corners is greatly improved at lengths up to 24mm. And not just at the initial aperture, but stopped down some as well. Of course all this comes at a price, but it’s a worthy update nonetheless.

Left aboveDISTORTION Image distortion is more difficult to control especially in zooms like this, but Canon has done well to keep it under control. Some is noticeable in this image but it’s simple to remove in software

Left below SHARPNESS Canon has not only improved sharpness in the outer zones across the zoom range, but also centrally at the shorter focal lengths, which is no mean feat