- This is an ultra-wide zoom lens designed for full-frame cameras like the Canon EOS R8.
- Virtually identical design to the RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM
- A list price of £1,249 – we will confirm US and Australian prices as soon as possible
Canon has revealed its latest ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for its full-frame mirrorless cameras, the RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM, and I got a good feel for it during a hands-on session held by Canon before its launch. launch.
It features a bright maximum aperture of F2.8 throughout its 16-28mm range and is a much more compact and affordable option for enthusiasts than Canon’s professional RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM lens. Instead, consider the 16-28mm a solid choice for Canon’s entry-level and mid-range full-frame cameras, such as the EOS R8.
Design-wise, the 16-28mm is a perfect match for the RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM lens: both share the same control layout and are nearly identical in size, even though the lens 28-70mm is about 10%. heavier.
The new lens is apparently part of a move by Canon to offer more accessible fast aperture zoom lenses that better fit Canon’s smaller mirrorless bodies – the 16-28mm weighs just 15.7 oz / 445 g and costs £1,249 – that’s significantly less than the comparable Pro L. -objective of the series.
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The right solution for enthusiasts
Despite its lower price, the 16-28mm still feels reassuringly sturdy: the sturdy lens is made in Japan and has a secure metal lens mount. You get a customizable control ring, an autofocus/manual focus switch as well as an optical stabilizer switch, and that’s the extent of the external controls.
When paired with a Canon camera that has in-body image stabilization, like the EOS R6 Mark II, you get up to 8 stops of stabilization, although the cheaper EOS R8 doesn’t have it. of this feature, and for which the lens offers 5.5 stops of stabilization alone.
I tested the 16-28mm lens with an EOS R8 and the pair matched perfectly, as did the EOS R6 Mark II which is only a little larger.
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I didn’t have many opportunities to shoot with the new lens during my brief hands-on experience, but I took enough sample images captured in raw and JPEG format to get a pretty good idea optical qualities and defects of the lens.
For example, at the extreme wide-angle setting of 16mm and with the lens aperture wide open at F2.8, raw files exhibit significant curvilinear distortion and vignetting. Look at the corresponding JPEG, which was captured simultaneously, and you can see how much lens correction is applied to get clean JPEGs out of camera (check out the gallery of sample images below ).
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These lens distortions are really quite severe, but when you look at the JPEG output, all is forgiven – even with such heavy processing to correct curvilinear distortion and vignetting, detail is still sharp from center to edges and edges. corners of the image. frame, while the fall of light in the corners is mainly dealt with.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that the target audience for this lens will be less concerned about these lens distortions, as long as it’s possible to get the end results you like, and my first impressions are that you certainly can do it – I took sharp selfies and cityscapes, with decent control over depth of field, and I also appreciated the extra wide perspective which makes vlogging much easier.
A worthy addition to the Canon RF mount family?
I expect most photographers and filmmakers will primarily use the extreme ends of the 16-28mm lens zoom range; 16mm and 28mm. The former is particularly handy for video work thanks to its ultra-wide perspective, while it’s a versatile range for landscape and architectural photography.
However, this zoom range is hardly extensive and I’m not sure it’s a lens I’m particularly excited about, although it makes a nice pairing with the RF 28-70mm F2.8 for enthusiasts.
It’s much cheaper than a comparable L series lens, but I wouldn’t call a £1,249 lens cheap. Also, why not just choose the RF 16mm F2.8 STM and RF 28mm F2.8 lenses instead? These are Canon’s smallest lenses for full-frame cameras and the combined pair costs half the price of the 16-28mm F2.8.
As good as the 16-28mm seems to be on my first impressions (it’s a super sharp lens with a versatile maximum aperture), I’m just not convinced of the extra it brings to the table at RF mount, and if there is enough housing. for this for most people.
