Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 III and Canon 16-35mm f/4 IS reviewed on medium format

[Vieri Bottazzini]

Always looking for great wide-angle options for my Hasselblad X1D, I decided to examine the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 III vs Canon 16-35mm f/4 IS. While I tested them on the Hasselblad X1D, the results will of course apply to FujiFilm GFX users as well, and have been surprisingly interesting.

Both lenses are useable on the 44 x 33mm sensor, with limitations of course, but the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 III is definitely the most interesting of the two.

Here is the full article: CANON 16-35MM F/2.8 III VS F/4 ON MEDIUM FORMAT IN-DEPTH REVIEW

I hope you'll find it useful, and I am looking forward to your thoughts. Best regards,

Vieri

[BobShaw]

Thanks for the review. The f2.8 certainly looks useful to have. Most of my landscape I produce at 2:1 so vignetting would not be much of a problem.

[Vieri Bottazzini]

Thanks for the review. The f2.8 certainly looks useful to have. Most of my landscape I produce at 2:1 so vignetting would not be much of a problem.

Hello Bob,

you are very welcome, glad you found it useful Yes indeed, if you mostly shoot at 2:1 not only vignette won't be a problem at any focal length, but you'll be able to use the f/2.8 at 16mm as well with almost zero penalty in terms of resolution. Best regards,

Vieri

[Vieri Bottazzini]

UPDATE - Tested both lens with baffle removed

Upon various forum members' request, I went and tested both lenses removing the internal baffle present in both lenses. I then updated the review adding "no baffle" corner series at all tested focal lengths to check both zoom's behaviour without the baffle on.

In short, removing the baffle makes the f/4 lens usable on the X1D with no vignetting at the long end, and helps with the f/2.8 lens as well. At the short end, there is no difference in hard vignetting coming from removing the baffle; soft vignette becomes softer, but not dramatically so.

The problem, however, is that unfortunately removing the baffle also removes sharpness (from both lenses), limiting their usability to f/8 - f/11 (and sometimes even stopping down doesn't bring enough sharpness back).

For details and images, the link is still https://www.vieribottazzini.com/2020/07/canon-16-35mm-f-2-8-iii-vs-f-4-on-medium-format-in-depth-review.html

Hope this helps! Best regards

Vieri

[kers]

Hai Vieri,
I don't know if the 19mm PCE nikkor can be combined with the Hasselblad, but i know it is a very nice lens;
with probably some shift, and for sure tilt.
But you are right; a very wide angle lens is lacking in the H and F department.

[Vieri Bottazzini]

Hai Vieri,
I don't know if the 19mm PCE nikkor can be combined with the Hasselblad, but i know it is a very nice lens;
with probably some shift, and for sure tilt.
But you are right; a very wide angle lens is lacking in the H and F department.

Hello Pieter,

Thank you for your comment. While I know you can use Nikkor G lenses on the X1D, unfortunately I am not sure whether there are any adapters allowing for the use of Nikkor E lenses (such as the PC Nikkor 19mm f/4E ED) on the X1D, at the moment.

Best regards,

Vieri