We and our partners use cookies to give you the best online experience, including to personalise advertising and content. Data about your interaction with this site and the ads shown to you may be shared with companies involved in the delivery and/or personalisation of ads on this site and elsewhere online.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM vs Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM Lens
Available colors
Editiorial reviews
4
4 editorial reviews
OpticalLimits - Lens reviews and beyond!Read more
Looking for a Canon 16-35mm lens review? Read on to find out what we uncovered in our objective optical lab tests.Read more
The Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM covers an impressive wide-angle field of view at an f/2.8 aperture, a feat for a prime lens, and delivers the added convenience of a 2x zoom design.Read more
Read editorial reviews
6
6 editorial reviews
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 USM L IS - Review / Lens Test ReportRead more
The Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM is a new professional wide-angle zoom lens. Boasting built-in image stabilisation with fast and quite auto-focusing, the EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM is a more affordable alternative to the faster EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM optic. Read our in-depth Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM review complete with full-size sample images.Read more
Read our detailed analysis of the Canon EF 16-35mm f4L IS USM Wideangle Zoom lens, find out its pros and cons, and how it compares with the other lenses.Read more
Read editorial reviews
User rating
35
4.1 out of 5
35 user ratings
5 stars
34 %
4 stars
40 %
3 stars
25 %
2 stars
0 %
1 stars
0 %
46
4.2 out of 5
46 user ratings
5 stars
43 %
4 stars
36 %
3 stars
17 %
2 stars
2 %
1 stars
0 %

Full Comparison

General

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Lens type
  • Telephoto
  • Wide angle
  • Telephoto
  • Wide angle
Lens mountCanon EFCanon EF

Image properties

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Max Format size
Full-frame
Full-frame
Focal length16 - 3516 - 35
Maximum magnification0.22 x0.23 x
Image stabilisationnoyes

Aperture

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Aperture max2.84
Aperture min2222
Number of diaphragm blades79

Focus

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Focus methodInternalInternal
Autofocusyesyes
Autofocus motor typeRing Type UltrasonicRing Type Ultrasonic
Full-time Manual focusingyesyes
Closest focusing distance0.280.28
Distance scaleyesyes
Depth of field (DoF) scaleyesno

Optics

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
ConstructionZoomZoom
Elements1616
Groups1212
Special elements / coatings
  • Super Spectra coating
  • 3 Aspherical elements
  • 2 UD elements
  • 3 Aspherical elements
  • 2 UD elements
  • Fluorine coating
Power zoomnono
Zoom methodInternalInternal

Design

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Colour of productBlackBlack
Tripod collarnono
Hood suppliedyesyes
Filter threadyesyes
Sealingyesyes

Dimensions

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USMCanon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Weight22.58 oz21.69 oz
Diameter3.5 in3.25 in
Length4.41 in4.44 in
Filter size3.48 in3.25 in

Pros & Cons

Pros
      Cons