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

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM: Handling and features

Weighing 640g, this lens isn't overly heavy for a lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture. High quality material have been used in the construction of the barrel so the lens feel reassuringly solid as a result. A rubber gasket is located around the mount, in order to keep dust and moisture from getting inside the camera.

The front filter thread is 82mm in diameter, which may be a little awkward for those who've already invested in 77mm filters for other professional lenses in Canon's range. Focus is performed internally, so the lens doesn't extend and the front filter thread doesn't rotate, making the use of polarising filters a pleasure.

Zooming is smooth with just enough friction for it to stay where you place it in the range, but light enough for swift and accurate image composition. The manual focus ring is well damped, which makes accurate focus adjustments easy.

Focusing is quick and accurate and virtually silent on the EOS 5D MkII used for testing. A minimum focusing distance of 0.28m is handy for exploiting the distortion effects of a wide angle lens.

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