Canon RF 16-28mm 2.8 IS STM

You can find arguments against Canon's design philosophy, which lets image distortion and vignetting "float", but ultimately it works fine with image autocorrection - and the Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM is a testament to this. It delivers a superb center performance and decent border & corner quality through the zoom range. Lateral CAs are pretty low for a lens in this class. Sunstars are rendered nicely from f/8, and at close focus distances, the bokeh is respectable as well. The build quality is fine, although we aren't huge fans of the retractable zoom mechanism (Nikon does the same, but Sony does not). Your mileage may vary here, of course. The lens body is made of Canon's standard engineering plastics on a metal mount. It feels a bit hollow, but technically there's nothing wrong with this. The STM AF is fast and silent, and the image stabilizer helps a lot in low-light situations. The biggest question mark is probably the price tag. It's not a cheap lens, and the price gap to the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM isn't really dramatic. It may come down to whether you'd like the extra stop in speed or the extra kick that the 14mm setting and L-class build quality can give you.

The Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM is a lightweight alternative to a ‘trinity’ wide-angle zoom, adding yet more choice to Canon’s extensive range of wide-angle lenses for EOS R system cameras.

My time with the new RF 16-28 2.8 was fairly brief so far, but it certainly delivered some impressive results, sharp into the corners and capable of greater separation than the budget 15-30 thanks to the brighter and constant aperture. And bonus points for having both weather sealing and optical image stabilisation. It’s a similar proposition to the previous 28-70 2.8, using a slightly shorter than traditional range to hit a lower price point and less hefty barrel, and again featuring IS and sealing. And while I would have been happier had it squeezed in under a grand in price, it does at least provide some middle ground between the budget 15-30 STM and the high-end L models, plus there’s still a wealth of older EF lenses you can adapt including third party options. Indeed you could bag a used EF 16-35 2.8L for roughly three quarters the price. That said, I do feel Canon has nothing to fear from native third party alternatives as the inclusion of full weather sealing and optical IS allow both the RF 16-28 and 28-70 to stand out against Sigma and Tamron’s options. So come on, let’s open the mount and give us the choice please! Ultimately though the Canon 16-28 and 28-70 provide an attractive mid-range pairing, covering ultra-wide to short telephoto with a constant 2.8 aperture.