Canon 16-35mm F4 L Lens in 2022 - Review from a pro photographer after hundreds of assignments.

[@Azdak]

That first shot was mind blowing

[@RoyRiley]

Cheers Ciaran. Hope you are keeping well. RR

[@Azdak]

@@RoyRiley Same to you Roy

[@chacmool2581]

One technique where IS is useful in Wide and Ultra wide is to use IS to keep the static background sharp while allowing slow shutter doors that show motion as streaks.

[@swetstaaled3549]

Credit where credit is due. This is such a great lens. First time I took it out it just stunned me. Shot for shot. Great point about the feel. It feels perfect. Its beefy but not bulky and I can hold it nicely (I have reumatoid arthritis so not every lens grips ok and a I have sold some just for this reason). Been using it on a 90D btw and although it cant get ultra for me that doesnt pose a problem. The 10-18 is so compact and light that its an easy companion for the road just in case I do go ultra. Thanks for these great reviews. Most channels are chart driven and hearing from a pro user makes more sense to me. 🙏

[@RoyRiley]

Thanks for this. appreciate your support. What a camera the 90d is. Incredible machine!

[@adamk.5552]

At one point, I had all three EF L(II)-lenses covering the 16-200mm range. I got rid of my 24-70LII in 2018 after seeing the results from 16-35mm f4 at 24-35mm. What convinced me the most was the color rendition of this lens straight out of the camera. It is on par with the 70-200 LII ! The unprocessed RAW files and even jpegs, unlike the 24-70LII files, to my eye were/are more alive and so pleasant to look at. The IS is just a cherry on top. I waited in anticipation for the 24-70L III with IS, AND the same elements coating as the other two lenses mentioned but this has never come to fruition. With the remaining cash, I got Tamron 45 1.8mm to cover the 50mm range. I have tried the Sigma 50-Art (2-copies) but on my retired 5D3 I had serious problems with front and back focusing issues. In 2019, I upgraded to EOS R and with Canon's lens adapter I see no reason to switch to RF equivalents.

[@Wldktz]

Between 16-200mm range the only thing the 24-70 really offers is 50mm. I'm thinking of going with the 16-35 F4 and 70-200 F4 MK2. I would be inclined to add a 50mm prime to fill in that gap. I also own the 17mm TS for my RE photos.

[@raydavies3342]

Thank you Roy, another good video. I bought the 24-105 f/4 L lens after watching your video on that and I'm really pleased with it. Now going to order the 16-35mm. I think the IS is a major advantage.

[@RoyRiley]

Thanks Ray! appreciate your comment. the 16-35 f4 is a great buy these days. I dont think you will regret it! All the best. RR

[@roscomediaproductions574]

Agree and its the 2nd most used lens in my kit. Brilliant for those tighter shots, use it indoors a lot, galleries, street art, walking around cities. Quite often will only take this and the 24-105 (most used lens) and it covers 95% of shots. Bang for buck a bargain.

[@RichardBirchett]

Great review Roy, I really like the way in which you deliver them! Straight to the point and not baffling with Tech Specs! Great work as always. Cheers Rich 👍

[@gonzalosanz7325]

I have just discover your channel and I really like it. It's great you want share your professional thoughs on equipment. Thanks! Greetings from Spain.

[@RoyRiley]

Thank you Gonzalo! Really pleased you enjoy the content. Wishing you all the best over in Spain. RR

[@pastratorn]

Hey brother, love the channel! No-nonsense perspective, with a focus on real life use, and getting the shot. Keep up the good work! :) Can't speak much to the durability of the RF lenses, as I have yet to have done any unplanned durability teasting of any of mine. ;) But I have to say I'm impressed with my EF 16-35. Had an incident getting out of the car, where I some way got the camera strap snagged around my foot as I got out, sending the camera flying. Saw the camera landing lens first and bounce fo a bit on asphalt, no hood or lens cap. Thought for sure it would be completely busted.. To my surprise the lense looked completely fine, except for the filter ring being a bit banged up. The top camera cover of my EOS R was badly busted though, and main dial wouldn't rotate. After shooting a few shots though and looking closely I saw the right side of the photos were blurry, so guess the lense actually got some damage too. Took them to a canon repair shop, and for the EOS R they had to replace to top cover. For the lens he had a look at it in the shop, and simply pushed the ring around the front element in a bit so it clicked in place. After that it was as good as new, except I can forget about using it with filters. And this is a lens that I bought well used and pretty cheap in the first place. So yeah, I'm impressed. :D

[@oldoneeye]

Thank you for this video, I’ve been going over a load of wide angle zoom lenses for use professionally in both video and photography… also a holiday to Australia and Tokyo as I always look at landscape photography as my hobby 😅 Going over all the technical specs is useful but hearing the real world working applications made my decision!

[@rumtreibbaer]

Own one for roughly a year now and use it on a 5d iv. I'm not a pro but I love it. At the moment I'm in Greece abd it's great for shooting in the small alleys on the Islands. I have a tendency to shoot more on the 35mm side if possible but use the wider end quite often too. The handling and ergonomics paired with the 5d iv is just a joy. Never missed the 2.8 so far. It's nicely lowweight, optically brillant. Good value for money lens! The stabilisation comes in very handy.

[@RoyRiley]

Nice! Really pleased you are enjoying using this lens. Deeply jealous of you being in Greece because it’s utterly horrible in England at the moment. Wishing for some sunshine! RR

[@tintin69rr]

Great video I have the 16-35 f2.8 mk2 had to go 2.8 for astrophotography, love it but going to that what you say about how the lens makes you feel just brings to mind exactly how I was with the 50mm stm the cheap build and feel of it just put me off using it so I’d end up going for 24-105 f4 but when I needed that wide aperature I hated using it so got the sigma 50mm 1.4 art and I’ve not had it long but WOW compared to the stm yeah price is loads More but I love the lens that x more as well lol so I’m back to using the 50mm just because of how it feels and how it makes you feel gives you that confidence in your kit so you can relax snd get on with the pics 👍👍👍

[@sjdyt]

Sold! About to upgrade to full frame (6DII) but need a wide lens as I only have EF-S at this length. I’ll go second hand on this for just under £600 for excellent condition with the hood etc. Nice simple review with no technical stuff 👍

[@jefferyryan1219]

I really like that 16x35 mm F4. Will it work on my 5D Mark II? If not that will it work with any other cameras? I'm building up some lenses to work with that 5D Mark II. I also have a Canon 7D and a 60D. If you have any suggestions that would help with these cameras I would appreciate it. My thanks I appreciate your help keep doing what you're doing I'm learning. Oh you can teach an old dog new tricks.

[@RoyRiley]

Should work fine with the full frame 5d mark2. 7d and 60d are both crop sensor cameras so the 16-35f4 will work but will not have the same wide angle view as you would get on the full frame 5d2 due to the smaller sensor. On the crop sensor cameras the angle of view is more like 25-50mm. Hope this helps! RR

[@FLEstatePhotography]

I have this lens and love it. Now, for interior/RE; would you say the f/2.8 III make a difference? Budget is not an issue, I just want to provide the best quality and sharpness in low light situations (dark rooms, etc). I shoot with a Canon 5DMIV. Thanks in advance!

[@RoyRiley]

Honestly I would say stick with the f4 lens.

[@jefferyryan1219]

I have a question for you Roy. What's your opinion on the Canon 90D? I know it can do a lot of things especially video. But what do you think is it something you would have or do have? Is it something you use frequently if you have it. I also just got the Canon EF 24-105 millimeter f/3.5- 5.6. I believe I got that refurbished from Canon look like too good of a deal to pass up for the price.

[@RoyRiley]

Afraid I have not used the 90D but did shoot quite often with the 80D and 70D. I have always been a fan of this line up and would imagine the 90D is a great camera especially for longer lens work because of the crop sensor

[@donJaneiro]

Picked up this lens on ebay for about 600 pounds, good as new. It's my go to lens in woodland/forest when on walkabout. Usually end up shooting the 35mm end of the range. Works well without a tripod. Great review!

[@RoyRiley]

Nice! So I was about right with my price prediction… what camera are you shooting it with Henrik?

[@donJaneiro]

@@RoyRiley I shoot with a 5dsr, also bought second hand.

[@RoyRiley]

@@donJaneiro I am interested in the 5dsr. Ever compared it to the mk4?

[@donJaneiro]

@@RoyRiley I haven't no. Was considering the mark 4, but chose the 5dsr because it was more affordable in my case.

[@shooterx9346]

Love your vids. Have you any experience with the 17-35mm f2.8? Had to go with it for budgetary concerns but it seems a good lens to me, but I ain't a pro.

[@RoyRiley]

I had one a good few years back. Shooting an around the world yacht race killed mine but I seem to remember it was fine during the years I used it. What price are you looking to pay?

[@JhnnyBoy]

Had been looking at sigma 18-35 1.8 for my canon 80d. But then stumbled across the 2.8 of this lens. I know sigma has a few bugs with the 80d Thoughts on if the 1.8 is worth it considering how close prices are in 2024. Thanks

[@RoyRiley]

No idea about the sigma im afraid.

[@AstonsVintageTechnologyWorkshp]

From the photographs, I'm guessing you are in the Devon area. Nice one of the Plymouth Barbican. I used to have a photographic studio just round the corner from there, but now I run a vintage technology shop from the same premises, and just do photography for enjoyment. What with recent events, I'm probably going to have to go back to photography, which isn't such a bad thing after all. :-)

[@RoyRiley]

Yes! That neck of the woods. Nice area around the Barbican. I will stick my head in if I’m down that way anytime soon. Good luck whichever way you go man. RR

[@Cheeseburger660]

5:50 I've done something like that with my RF 28-70 F2 but I had a protection filter on😬😅

[@RoyRiley]

Haha! That’s an expensive lump of glass.. glad you are wise. RR

[@MarcBirks]

a lens ive never owned myself, i did at a wedding venue (there as a guest) find one, that a photographer left behind, i did the right thing and managed to track them down an return it haha, never used it. I've had multiple copies of the 17-40, that's equally as great, pin sharp and such a cracking lens i love it.

[@RoyRiley]

Nice move returning the lens.. what goes around comes around and all that.. I have limited experience with the 17-40 but I wonder if the extra reach of 40mm actually adds a very useful extra bit of reach in real world use..(I had a 40mm prime on an old Pentax years ago and it was awesome!)

[@MarcBirks]

@@RoyRiley we'd like to think so wouldn't we haha. Oh mate the extra reach is brilliant in fact I use to run it on a 1dmkiv quite a bit on the apsh, and the wide plus extra reach I could easily shoot fill weddings on it without even swapping lens, obviously limited with no 2.8 for shallow dof, but It never bothered me in all honesty.

[@anordinary_snap]

Hi Roy, thank you for delivering us great content and info about equipment that you have actually been using. Imo an expert, sincere opinion from a Professional goes a long way.. I'm new to photography and I'm looking to upgrade to a better quality glass. I'd like to get the Canon 16-35mm F4 IS L, but I'm tempted from the F 2.8 version. I know there is a huge price difference between the two, but my main concern is about the lack of IS on the Canon ef F2.8 version. In an everyday use of the glass F2.8 during day time, how difficult is to avoid camera shakes ? As you mentioned in the video the Canon 16-35mm F4 L lens has a big advantage over the F2.8 version that is the IS present on the former glass. How effective is the Shutter speed suggestion I've herd elsewhere " Set your minimum shutter speed to 1/Focal length to avoid camera shakes " using a camera with no IS ? Thank you for your availability and patience.

[@RoyRiley]

Hi Luca. Thank you for your message. Firstly can I ask what camera you are using and what do you most like to shoot? The rule of matching the minimum shutter speed to the focal length is a good habit to get into and an old school rule that I still use daily. Also understanding what shutter speed you need to use to freeze action is important as no IS or IBIS will help totally to avoid subject movement. In my opinion the 16-35mm F4 is one of the best lenses Canon ever made and I choose it 99% of the time over the 2.8 version.. We each have to choose the lens that is right for us but you wont go far wrong with the F4 lens

[@anordinary_snap]

@Roy Riley Thank you for your prompt reply! I'm using a Canon 80d just for photography, I've no interest in video making. I actually have a efs 18-135mm kit lens that I enjoy using mainly for landscapes and I also possess an efs 10-18mm that I'm not using much despite the idea I had of photographing super wide angle scenarios was good when I'd bought this last lens.🤷🏻‍♂️ I like landscape photography, however at the moment I do not have possibility to do it so I'm doing a bit of street photography. Actually I'm mostly exercising,while walking around cities,on catching/using lights&shadow to give the image the feel and look I would, the outcome it's not encouraging, not but I'm learning. I paid more attention to what focal lens I'm using while photographing. I lately shoot between 24mm and 50mm, sometimes I go over to 85mm. At first I was oriented to the EF 24-105 F4. But I think it's going to be a bit heavy (Once I reach the location or the place I want to be in I take the camera from the bag and I walk a lot with the camera in my hand or on a shoulder strap checking surroundings areas) and I would loose a bit of the wide angle feel I like for landscapes.(although I'm not doing it at the moment) So I suppose my choices are : Or the EF 16-35mm with a prime lense like ef 85mm for a longer reach. Or the EF 24-70mm with a prime wide-ish angle lens. I'm sorry for the very long message, I tried to make it as short as possible not to waste much of your time, but I also wanted to make sure to give you a precise idea of where I'm at. Thank you again for your consideration to my dilemma and help, your dedication towards us as viewers of your channel when we ask you about anything. And your time.

[@RoyRiley]

@@anordinary_snap thanks Luca. My honest opinion might not be what you expect but maybe will give some food for thought. My opinion is that you have the perfect set up already. I would suggest that you stick with what you have and learn to develop your creativity and perspective. The gear you have is very capable of producing amazing pictures under nearly every situation. I would consider adding a 50mm 1.8. For working in low light and to create shallow depth of field. Also might consider the EFS 24mm pancake prime lens because it is very light. I would steer clear of the big and heavy L zooms. Save your money and spend it on wine, women and song! Hope this helps some. Good luck and let me know how you get on. R

[@RoyRiley]

@@anordinary_snap thanks Luca. My honest opinion might not be what you expect but maybe will give some food for thought. My opinion is that you have the perfect set up already. I would suggest that you stick with what you have and learn to develop your creativity and perspective. The gear you have is very capable of producing amazing pictures under nearly every situation. I would consider adding a 50mm 1.8. For working in low light and to create shallow depth of field. Also might consider the EFS 24mm pancake prime lens because it is very light. I would steer clear of the big and heavy L zooms. Save your money and spend it on wine, women and song! Hope this helps some. Good luck and let me know how you get on. R

[@RoyRiley]

@@anordinary_snap thanks Luca. My honest opinion might not be what you expect but maybe will give some food for thought. My opinion is that you have the perfect set up already. I would suggest that you stick with what you have and learn to develop your creativity and perspective. The gear you have is very capable of producing amazing pictures under nearly every situation. I would consider adding a 50mm 1.8. For working in low light and to create shallow depth of field. Also might consider looking at the EFS 24mm pancake prime lens because it is very light. I would steer clear of the big and heavy L zooms. Save your money and spend it on wine, women and song! Hope this helps some. Good luck and let me know how you get on. R

[@ademcfade]

I got my first f4 just after they came out and it has been all over the place with me ever since, recently it died.... Just giving me Err 01 on every camera. Why would it do this after all these years? Don't know if it's coincidence or not, but having just got the R5 and falling in love with the focus Stacking I was using it quite a lot, just hand holding focus stacks because I could.... So I do wonder wether an older lens when put through the stress of massively fast autofocus changes, shortens its life...? The quote I got for fixing it ended up at £522... Including service and the spare bits, so I just bought a new one! Yep I could have looked at the r series lenses but I love this lens and still have DSLR bodies. So the 14 to 35 r lens can wait ;)

[@RoyRiley]

It’s an interesting thoughts that the faster AF of the R cameras might have an effect on the life expectancy of the older EF lenses. Honestly I guess only time will tell. My experience of the EF lenses has been that they are extremely well built and durable. I have an old 300mm from the mid 90’s that has been through the toughest of times and still works fine.

[@ademcfade]

@@RoyRiley I've got a 24 to 70 f4 which seems to be going the same way :( It's mostly okay but throws the error 01 a little bit more frequently than it should.... Which is a pain if You are shooting a client, Got to get good at small talk when that happens and you just wait for the camera to restart . also kills any Wi-Fi connection you have between a laptop which is very Frustrating. Maybe if I get a macro lens it will be an R to be on the safe side :)

[@RoyRiley]

@@ademcfade it’s horrible when cameras have a problem in the middle of a shoot, but it’s just one of those things.. happens to everyone. Don’t panic, breathe and talk easily and honestly about what’s happening would be my advice!

[@ademcfade]

@@RoyRiley banter and bad jokes save the day ;)

[@andrewhunter9770]

I bought a used 3 years old lense yesterday although -to be honest - I was shocked seeing the distortion at 16 mm. You definitely need postproduction when shooting at wide angles. The in-camera-correction (R6 II) ist not enough. But for the rest I think I love that lense.

[@LKB50]

I am also considering this F4 version and the F2.8 mk2 (as mk3 is over budget). I bought a R7 recently and my 24-105 F4 L is not wide and quick enough so a 16-35mm should help more on indoor shooting when I cannot move further back. I also shoot video with it, my R7 has IBIS on the body, I know the F4 IS would work very well with my R7 but with the R7 IBIS, could I get away with the F2.8 without IS on the lens for video and photo? Also I own a 50mm EF 1.8 which takes very good portrait but sometimes I have to stand too far which is a problem. With the F2.8, will it look a lot better (blurry background) in 24-35mm than the F4? I have also been advised on getting the 0.71X adapter, is it really worth it or I better get wider lens?

[@RoyRiley]

Im afraid there is no easy answer. I dont currently shoot with crop sensor bodies so im no expert. the bokeh with wide angles is much less obvious though.. thought about the 16mm RF prime?

[@LKB50]

@@RoyRiley sounds like all my considering options are suggested, just need to think about which one to go for

[@mirasga]

I am hesitant to get the RF 14-35 bec it costs as much as the 15-35mm in my area. I am considering this with the adapter with drop-in filters.

[@RoyRiley]

These are the challenging decisions we are all faced with when a new lens mount comes along. I don’t think any of the lenses or options you mention are better or worse just different! Good luck whichever way you go. RR

[@mirasga]

@@RoyRiley Good thing I'm not in a hurry at this point thanks to my trusty old 17-40mm F4L. However, your realization about the utility of image stabilizers on wide angle lenses is spot on. I had a similar experience when I was choosing a 24-70mm F2.8. Canon had no IS while Tamron had one. I found that even at 24mm the IS has been pretty useful.

[@RoyRiley]

@@mirasga always good to know others come to the same conclusion! Good luck with it all. Where in the world are you?

[@mirasga]

@@RoyRiley Greetings from the Philippines. 😊

[@Mako4850]

Saludos desde Bolivia 🇧🇴, me encantan tus videos y cómo podemos utilizar cámaras más antiguas y sacar buenas fotos. Una pregunta algún día tendremos algún video de la Canon 7d del 2009 y ver si sigue siendo una buena opción para empezar en la fotografía, gracias

[@RoyRiley]

I have not used the 7d for a while but will look to pick one up and review at some point. Good luck to you in Bolivia and thanks for your comment. RR

[@krisceuppens5273]

I've been using the nikon equivalent for many years, love it. Works great with my Lee filter set given the 77mm filter thread.

[@RoyRiley]

Nice. I have the Nikon 16-35mm F4 too. My friend passed away and left it to me. Need to shoot with it more often. R

[@krisceuppens5273]

@@RoyRiley that is gear with a story and history... I know it will hold a place in your heart...

[@enri_1986]

I just picked up a 1Dx after shooting two 1D Mark IV’s within the last two years. This lens has crossed my radar multiple times, and I could not ask for better timing. Thanks for the information. It’s either this or the 14mm 2.8L II USM.

[@RoyRiley]

Nice! The 1DX is an awesome camera. 14mm would be very nice but I guess could be a bit wide for everyday use? Really these things depend so much upon what and how we individually like to shoot. Good luck with it all whichever way you go! RR

[@ElementForLife78]

I just got a 1 DX also, I can't decide between 24-70, 16-35 or 17-40. I shoot mainly portraits and some skateboarding action shots so want something pretty wide

[@enri_1986]

@@ElementForLife78 Skip the 17-40 and 24-70 especially if it’s a version one. The former doesn’t have a good reputation for image quality, and the latter has a clumsy AF motor. Plus that 24-70 is heavy, and the weight doesn’t balance well, being that it’s a reverse zoom. It’s also not robust, the extending element feels unnecessarily loose, so you’ll need to shoot exclusively with a lens hood which is cumbersome.

[@dariodelfine6209]

Ne ho comprato uno usato a soli 500€. Un vero affare! Stupendo!

[@ivipop_]

Hey Roy! Great video again, just struggling between the 2.8 and the 4 and just came your video. Great content!

[@RoyRiley]

Really pleased you found it helpful! Thanks for your feedback. RR

[@villageblunder4787]

Saw an F4 on Ebay, read good things and wanted it. Bought it. Great lens. Year later, saw a 2.8 going for song so had to try that. One of them is supposed to be going back.

[@RoyRiley]

Haha! Yes but which one? Big question..

[@bngr_bngr]

I use the 17-35/2.8, I like it that t is smaller than the 16-35/2.8. It uses a 77mm filter

[@RoyRiley]

Nice! I believe it was the mark 2 that has the bigger filter thread. I took that 17-35 around the world with me several times before it got wrecked on a sailing boat in Cape Town

[@bngr_bngr]

Roy Riley I hate when gear ends up that way. I recently had to sell a Leica Monochrome at a loss because the sensor that Leica replaced corroded six years after being replaced.

[@RoyRiley]

@@bngr_bngr agreed! Leica make great cameras but they have questionable history when it comes to sensors. Really they should have replaced all those cameras that had issues or offered refunds. I have an old M9 with a replaced sensor and I do worry about its future

[@bngr_bngr]

Roy Riley Leica replaced the M9 sensor but the first one also ended up corroding in time. Leica quietly used a second sensor replacement that didn't corrode. The second replacement sensor is out of production. Leica provided a discount on new cameras. Some companies will repair the sensor for $1.6k to $2k US. I still have a bunch of M glass and plan to buy a Canon R6 to use my M glass.

[@RoyRiley]

@@bngr_bngr makes sense because the glass is superb. Would love to hear how you get on when you get your hands on the R6

[@aeldus66]

Would you recommend it for a Canon 80d? So for an aps-c? Or is it necessary to use with full frame?

[@RoyRiley]

Might be worth considering the 10-18 efs lens or sigma equivalent. However the 16-35 f4 will work fine on the aps -c sensor so long as you factor in the 1.6 crop factor

[@AnthonyTadle]

I use this for video and I love it…

[@RoyRiley]

Awesome lens for video ! Glad you are maki g the most of it. RR