Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Review (highly recommended)

Here is a new Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM review. The RF 16mm is an interesting and affordable lens for the EOS R system.

At a glance:

• RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
• Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
• One Aspherical Element
• Super Spectra Coating
• STM Stepping AF Motor
• Customizable Control Ring
• Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm

Photography Blog posted their Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM review. They gave a 4.5/5 and “Highly Recommended” rating. From their conclusion:

[…] the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM is a very cheap and very cheerful ultra-wide-angle prime lens that delivers sharp images in the centre, fast and reliable auto-focusing, usefully close shooting distance, and surprisingly good build quality, all housed inside a tiny, super-lightweight design.

It delivers excellent sharpness at the centre of the frame throughout most of its aperture range, even performing very well when shooting wide-open at f/2.8. It’s a different story at the edges of the image, though, which are much softer, with best results obtained from f/5.6-11.

Preorder links for the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Overview

Ultra-wide field of view mixed with a compact and portable design, the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM is a sleek everyday wide-angle prime. Blending a compact, lightweight design with a bright maximum aperture, this rectilinear ultra-wide comes in handy when photographing interiors and architectural subjects, as well as broad landscape views and astrophotography scenes.

Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Overview

Ultra-wide field of view mixed with a compact and portable design, the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM is a sleek everyday wide-angle prime. Blending a compact, lightweight design with a bright maximum aperture, this rectilinear ultra-wide comes in handy when photographing interiors and architectural subjects, as well as broad landscape views and astrophotography scenes.

• Sleek ultra-wide-angle prime is designed for use with full-frame Canon RF-mount mirrorless digital cameras.
• Bright f/2.8 maximum aperture suits working available lighting conditions, helps control depth of field, and contributes to a sleek form factor.
• One aspherical element helps control distortion and promotes a high degree of sharpness.Super Spectra Coating has been applied to minimize flare and ghosting for improved contrast and color fidelity when working in strong lighting conditions.
• STM stepping motor offers fast, quiet, smooth, and accurate autofocus performance that is ideal for video recording as well as still shooting.
• Minimum focusing distance of 5.1″, along with a maximum magnification of 0.26x, makes this a unique option for close-up shooting while retaining great depth of field.
• Configurable Control Ring can be used to adjust a variety of exposure settings, including aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation.
• Rounded seven-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.