Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Ultra-Wideangle Zoom lens with 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
EF Mount cameras.
Canon replaced the older Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:
Compare Canon EF 16-35mm F2.8L III USM vs Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM
What type of photography is the Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III lens good for?
The type of photography that you are planning to use the Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated its suitability to various photography scenarios:
Lenses in Canon EF Mount with Same Focal and Aperture Range
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III is a member of Canon's EF L series of lenses. Below you can see the latest lenses in this series.
EF L Series Lenses in Canon EF Mount
Reasons to Buy Canon EF 16-35mm F2.8L III USM Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Canon EF 16-35mm F2.8L III USM lens in a list form to help you determine whether it offers the features you need.
Weather-sealed |
Autofocus |
Distance Scale |
Hood supplied |
Full-time Manual Focusing |
Internal Focusing |
Fast Aperture at Wide end |
Fast Aperture at Tele end |
Constant f2.8 aperture throughout the range |
Covers Full-Frame Sensor |
9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh |
Extreme Wide-angle capability |
Minimum focus distance of 0.28m / 11.0 inch |
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Lens Mount
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III is compatible with cameras that have a Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
Size and weight is a very important decision factor when searching for your next lens. Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III has a maximum diameter of 89mm and total length of 128mm. It weighs 790g / 27.9 oz.
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III has a filter thread of 82mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III:
Focal Range
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 25.6 - 56mm.
Weather Sealings
The Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III is a weather-sealed lens, which provides extra protection to prevent water and dust get inside the lens and camera body under light rain, snow and wind. In order to have effective protection, you have to pair the Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III with a weather-sealed camera body such as the Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Zoom Method
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III features Rotary (internal) zoom method where the length of the lens doesn't change while you are zooming in or out. Even though this design has a size disadvantage in general compared to extending designs, it has the benefits of better sealing against dust and moisture, no zoom creep and no weight balance shift while zooming.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.25x and has a minimum focusing distance of 0.28m. For a non-macro lens, the 0.25x is considered a high magnification and will come handy for close-up shots.
Below are the 3 Ultra-Wideangle Zoom type Canon12 mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:
Aperture
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III is a fixed aperture lens with a constant max aperture of f2.8 from 16mm all the way to the 35mm .
Focal Length |
Max Aperture |
Min Aperture |
16mm
|
F2.8 |
F22 |
35mm
|
F2.8 |
F22 |
Optical Formula
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III's optical formula consists of 16 elements in 11 groups . Following special elements are used in this design:
- 1 dual-surface aspherical
- 1 aspherical
- fluorine
- Air Sphere
- Sub-wavelength Structure coatings
Lens Hood
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III comes with a removable lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos. The model number of the hood is EW-88D.
Body Colour
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III is available in Black color.
Popular Comparisons of Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III
Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III Lens
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