Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM Review

November 8, 2021 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Sharpness at 16mm

For this test, the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM lens was attached to a Canon EOS R6 body, which was in turn mounted to a sturdy tripod. Exposure delay mode was activated. Tonal and colour variance across the crops are due to change in natural light during the session.

The full frame

The full frame at 16mm

Centre sharpness is outstanding from wide-open at f/2.8 all the way through to f/11, with f/16 being slightly affected by diffraction, and f/22 even more so.

The edges are nowhere near as sharp as the centre, with the best results obtained from f/5.6 through to f/11.

Aperture Centre Crop Edge Crop
f/2.8 f2_8.jpg f2.8.jpg
f/4 f4.jpg f4.jpg
f/5.6 f5_6.jpg f5_6.jpg
f/8 f8.jpg f8.jpg
f/11 f11.jpg f11.jpg
f/16 f16.jpg f16.jpg
f/22 f16.jpg f22.jpg