The Canon 16-35mm F2. 8L II has been one of the most coveted lenses amongst landscape photographers for a fairly long time. The legendary sunstar was one of the major selling points of the lens and it was one of the major characteristics that really separated the Canon lens from the rest of the field.
When we first heard that Canon was going to release an updated version of the lens we were pretty darn excited. The Mark II was a fantastic piece of glass, but struggled in terms of corner sharpness and control of chromatic aberration along the edges and in the corners of the frame. The upgraded version of the Canon lens promised to correct a number of those issues while still holding onto some of the characteristics of the previous version that made it so appealing to landscape shooters around the world.
With that said, the real question is; how does the updated Canon lens compare to its predecessor? The previous iteration of this lens had a number of issues that we will discuss in this review while we compare and contrast the two versions. The fundamental questions that we will be addressing in this review is; if the upgrade warrants the price increase and if the performance from the new design is convincing enough to justify the upgrade.
APS-C
With an equivalent focal length of 25. 6-56mm and an equivalent aperture of F4. 5 there are better wide-angle APS-C options on the market such as the Tokina 11-16mm F2. 8 AT-X116 Pro DX II Lens or the Sigma 18-35mm F1. 8 Art DC HSM that can really take advantage of a fast aperture for a fraction of the price. For this reason we're not going to consider this lens for use on the APS-C platform in this review.
Canon 16-35mm F2. 8L III USM Headline Features
Fully weather-sealed construction
F2. 8 maximum aperture
16-35mm focal range
Sub-wavelength Coatings (SWC) and Air Sphere Coatings (ASC) to eliminate lens flare and ghosting
Two large-diameter double-surface GMo lenses plus a ground aspherical lens to help decrease distortion, curvature of field and astigmatism
Two UD lenses help to reduce chromatic aberration
Specifications Compared
Canon 16-35mm F2. 8L II USM
Canon 16-35mm F. 28L III USM
MSRP
$1599. 00
$2199. 00
Lens Type
Wide-Angle Zoom
Wide-Angle Zoom
Focal Length
16-35mm
16-35mm
Filter Thread
82. 0mm
82. 0mm
Image Stabilization
No
No
Lens Mount
Canon EF
Canon EF
Aperture Ring
No
No
Maximum Aperture
F2. 8
F2. 8
Minimum Aperture
F22
F22
Minimum Focus
0. 28m (11. 02")
0. 28m (11. 02
Diaphragm Blades
7 (rounded)
9 (rounded)
Elements
16
16
Groups
12
11
Special Elements/Coatings
2-Ultra-low dispersion glass lenses, 3 high-precision aspherical lens elements; ground, replica and GMo, Super Spectra lens coatings
2 large-diameter double-surface GMo lenses and a ground aspherical lens, Sub-wavelength Coatings (SWC) and Air Sphere Coatings (ASC)
Autofocus
Yes
Yes
Motor Type
Ring-type Ultrasonic
Ring-type Ultrasonic
Full Time Manual
Yes
Yes
Focus Method
Internal
Internal
Distance Scale
Yes
Yes
DoF Scale
No
No
Full Weather Sealing
Yes
Yes
Zoom method
Rotary (internal)
Rotary (internal)
Weight
635 g (1. 4 lb)
790 g (1. 74 lb)
Dimensions
111. 6mm (4. 39") x 88. 5mm (3. 48")
128 mm (5. 02
Hood
Included (EW-88D)
Included (EW-88D)
2016-12-19 21:25
