Canon RF 16-28mm F2.8 - yup, another wide-angle zoom
23/1/2025
Translation: machine translated
Because four is not enough, Canon is expanding its range with a fifth wide-angle zoom. It is priced in the middle of the range and is aimed at customers who used to buy from Tamron and Sigma.
The Canon RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM is the brand's second fast full-frame zoom for mid-range budgets. At 1149 francs or 1299 euros, it costs just over half as much as its luxurious L brother, the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM.
The new lens is intended to fill a vacuum: There used to be lenses from third-party manufacturers such as Tamron and Sigma in this price segment. However, since the switch to the mirrorless RF system, Canon has only supported its own lenses, which has regularly led to criticism. The Japanese brand now grants licences to third-party manufacturers on a selective basis - for example, Sigma is allowed to sell a few lenses for APS-C cameras. However, Canon seems to prefer to expand its own line-up in full-frame format instead.
Source: Canon
The RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM complements the RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM, which Canon launched last autumn. The new wide-angle follows the same concept: the zoom range is smaller than the L equivalent and the image quality is likely to be good, but not perfect. On the other hand, the RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM is inexpensive and compact for its speed. It measures 91 mm in length, weighs 445 grams and has a filter diameter of 67 mm.
According to the manufacturer, the image stabiliser compensates for 5.5 f-stops - in combination with a stabilised sensor, this is up to 8 f-stops. The STM motor is said to ensure fast and quiet autofocus. Seals also protect the lens from dust and splash water. It will be available from 14 February.
Classification in the range
To help you keep track of everything in Canon's wide-angle jungle, here is an overview of the other RF zooms in this range.
The Beast
The Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM is the classic high-end wide-angle lens. Fast, optically excellent and with a large zoom range. However, it is expensive, large (126.8 mm) and heavy (840 g).
The extreme
You want photos with an absurd perspective? Canon has the RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM for that. The difference to the 15 millimetres at the short end of the classic wide-angle zoom is huge. 10 millimetres means a field of view of 130 degrees. This makes the lens more suitable for specialised applications. It costs a similar amount to the 15-35 mm model, is similarly large (112 mm), less heavy (540 g), but also less fast.
The middle way
Lenses with very fast apertures often don't offer much added value, especially in landscape photography. If ƒ/4 is enough for you, the RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM offers a compromise between very good image quality, compactness (99.8 mm, 540 g) and a reasonable price.
The cheap one
Below the new RF 16-28mm F2.8 IS STM, there is also the very affordable Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM. At 390 grams, it weighs the least and is very compact at 88.8 mm in length. In return, you sacrifice light intensity and some imaging performance.
Header image: Canon
Samuel Buchmann
Senior Editor
Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.chMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.