Canon EF16-35mm F4L IS SUM

[Zoom] Wide-zoom | Standard-zoom | Tele-zoom | High-zoom  
[Fixed-focal] Wide angle | Standard | Telephoto | Macro

The letter "L" means the best in Canon’s lens lineup and they are the ideal lenses for Canon users. This L lens is a constant F4 ultra-wide zoom lens that covers between 16mm and 35mm and it works with the full frame E mount. While Canon also makes the EF16-35mm F2.8 L II USM covering the same focal length, this EF 16-35mm F4 L IS USM is the best choice for you if you don’t need the F2.8 and take advantage of camera’s high sensitivity performance. It’s easy to handle and the image quality is great. And, it’s highly reliable thanks to the powerful image stabilizer and the dust/drop resistant construction. Furthermore, the great cost performance is hard to ignore. Stop down and shoot landscape and groups of people. Or, shoot streets utilizing the high mobility.

( Photography : A.Inden / Text : KIMURAX )

The afternoon sun started to dye the sky in amber. Even though the relentless sunbeam caused ghost, the global contrast is still high. And, you can always deal with the ghost by slightly changing the direction of the lens. Anyway, the clarity under this adverse condition is of "L" quality.

The perspective effect of the wide-end 16mm is so dynamic. The rough weathered concrete looks sharp while the amount of bokeh of the remote view is just right.

If you take a look at the grass at the bottom left, you can feel the shallow depth of field wide open at close distance, even though it’s a wide-angle lens. The color reproduction is great and there’s almost no chromatic aberration.

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At F8. The buildings look wonderfully sharp. Even though I didn’t include the sunshine, the tonal gradation of the sky is rich and color reproduction is great.

1Wide open at 16mm. The ultra-wide angle comes in handy when you cannot step back. It has noticeable falloff around the corners, but it’s low for an ultra-wide angle lens While there’s a clipping on the window transmitting the luminance of the outside, the diffused light around the handrails look sweet. The details look very sharp without becoming too crisp. The tonal gradation is rich enough to pick up the faint tone.

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The F4 constant is a wise choice.

The bottom line is that the difference of the max F-value is the difference of the amount of bokeh and the price. If you think you almost always stop down with an ultra-wide angle lens, F4 is fast enough. And, it’s lighter, smaller, and cheaper than the high-speed alternative. As you have see, the rendition is sharp wide open, and unlike many ultra-wide angle lenses, the distortion is extremely low and the corner rendition is great with the low amount of falloff. The "L" quality is evident in the delicate lines even at smaller apertures and the fixed-focal quality clarity. And, the powerful image stabilizer will assist shooting in lowlight conditions. If you want to enjoy the vast ultra-wide world with this lens, don’t hesitate.

( 12.08.2015 )