Canon® Canon 16-35mm F/2.8L III

The Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III is Canon’s flagship wide-angle zoom lens for full-frame Canon EF-mount cameras, and an update to the popular . Key features include:

• Great for landscape and event photography

• Fast, nearly silent autofocus

• Redesigned optical formula

• Improved build quality

What’s New. The redesigned optical formula promises greatly improved performance in a durable, weather-resistant body, relative to its predecessor, the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II.

Fast and Wide. Optimized for full-frame cameras, the 16-35L III offers users ultra-wide to moderately wide zoom-range coverage with a fast f/2.8 constant aperture. Its excellent angle of view and light-gathering ability make it a favorite among landscape and event photographers.

Ultrasonic Focusing Motor. This lens uses a ring-type Ultrasonic Motor to provide fast, nearly silent autofocus performance for both still and video shooters.

Improved Optics. Its predecessor left a bit to be desired in corner performance. For this new generation, Canon redesigned the optical formula to address the issue head-on. Using a combination of two large-diameter GMO dual-surface aspherical elements, one ground aspherical element, and two UD elements, the 16-35mm f/2.8L III boasts edge-to-edge sharpness throughout the zoom range with minimal distortion, chromatic aberrations, and color blurring.

High-Quality Build. With each generation, we expect to see improved build quality. This third-gen 16-35 follows suit, bringing fluorine coatings to the front and rear elements to resist dust, fingerprints, and smudging. Additionally, the weather sealing has been improved to help keep mother nature on the outside.

Those of you who are as old as me probably remember when Canon had a 16-35mm f/2.8 lens that was awful. Then they came out with the 16-35mm f/2.8 Mk II lens, which was adequate, but adequate was so…

Those of you who are as old as me probably remember when Canon had a 16-35mm f/2.8 lens that was awful. Then they came out with the lens, which was adequate, but adequate was so much better we were thrilled to have it. Now, finally, they’ve made the 16-35mm f/2.8 Mk III.

This one is way past adequate. It’s actually excellent. Optically, it’s a little better than the old version at 16mm and hugely, massively, easily, noticeably better throughout the middle and long end of the zoom range. It’s not close. In fact, it’s arguably the sharpest wide-angle zoom available in any mount at the time I’m writing this.

That being said, wide-angle zooms are used because they are wide-angle. When you’re shooting from 24mm and up, if it’s convenient, then you’ll get slightly better images from a 24-70mm zoom. But the difference is small with this lens and you don’t have to really use it as a 16-24mm zoom. It’s a very good zoom throughout its entire range.

January 2019