Canon 16-35 F4, how do you like it?

stevelee

FT-QL
CR Pro
Jul 6, 2017
2,383
1,064
Davidson, NC
I can't think of a reason that I might would want the f/2.8, certainly not enough to justify the extra size and weight, even ignoring the extra money.

Most of the time I'm going to stop the lens down somewhat anyway. The exception is the crape myrtle blossoms pictured above. Even at 16mm and f/4, you can get a blurry background when close to the subject. With the quality sensors can give now at high ISOs and IS allowing for slower shutter speeds, I am unlikely ever to miss the extra stop, and I'm glad to miss the extra weight all the time.
 
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Hector1970

CR Pro
Mar 22, 2012
1,554
1,162
It's a great lens. I don't use mine too much, since most of my ultrawide shooting is travel/architecture and I bring the 11-24 and TS-E 17 (and a tripod) for that. I did get it after the 11-24, to have a more convenient at-home UWA zoom. IQ and AF are excellent, and it's an amazing value.
I agree the 16-35 F4 is a great lens.
Perfect really.
I was curious of your use of the 11-24mm. I think this a great lens but so big and heavy I really bring it with me. It must surely bend a lot of the architecture shots (it is pretty linear level). Does it work out pretty good for architecture?.
I have a 24 T-SE. Maybe you have both but if you only bought the 17 TS-E why did you choose it. I thought long and hard and selected the 24 TS-E II but was never sure I made the correct choice.
 
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pwp

Oct 25, 2010
2,530
24
check your results against the digital pictures image quality results. Sen's work there is gold standard, i have tested every lens ive ever owned based on whats on that site. gold.
Agree, The Digital Picture is a go-to asite for me too when I'm researching new glass. Something that can't be taken into account in tests is copy variation.

-pw
 
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YuengLinger

Print the ones you love.
CR Pro
Dec 20, 2012
3,751
2,269
USA
Agree, The Digital Picture is a go-to asite for me too when I'm researching new glass. Something that can't be taken into account in tests is copy variation.

-pw
There is also such a thing as service center variation. If I had a lens like yours I would send it to a different service center, or talk to a supervisor and tell them I want another look by a different Tech at the service center I sent it to the first time.

The consensus here is correct, the lens is very sharp, very useful. CPS can make mistakes, but they are open-minded.
 
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Michael Clark

Now we see through a glass, darkly...
Apr 5, 2016
4,722
2,655
There is also such a thing as service center variation. If I had a lens like yours I would send it to a different service center, or talk to a supervisor and tell them I want another look by a different Tech at the service center I sent it to the first time.

The consensus here is correct, the lens is very sharp, very useful. CPS can make mistakes, but they are open-minded.

I've found that when I send a lens to CPS I need to send sample photos that demonstrate the issue and very clearly describe it in writing as well. Otherwise they'll either tell me there is nothing wrong with it or they'll say they fixed it but send it back to me exactly the same as it was before.
 
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I've found that when I send a lens to CPS I need to send sample photos that demonstrate the issue and very clearly describe it in writing as well. Otherwise they'll either tell me there is nothing wrong with it or they'll say they fixed it but send it back to me exactly the same as it was before.

Last time I sent a lens I didn't explain anything. They opened the package and put the three pieces I sent them back together.
 
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Michael Clark

Now we see through a glass, darkly...
Apr 5, 2016
4,722
2,655
Last time I sent a lens I didn't explain anything. They opened the package and put the three pieces I sent them back together.


When things that are supposed to be one piece are in three pieces, they probably realize that it is not up to spec.They also realize that certain (time consuming) calibrations and adjustments must be properly performed when a lens has been disassembled that extensively before being reassembled.

With more subtle lens alignment issues, it seems their testing equipment may not be as critical as real world photos can be.

Uncle Roger has written several articles on the subject, including this one, where he says:

"A lot of repair locations literally do resolution testing on an 8 X 11 or 13 X 19 ink jet printed chart. One used pictures of a bookshelf across the office to do optical adjustments on very expensive lenses (I know because they left their memory card in the camera they insisted we send in with the lens). "

What he wrote overall in the article has matched my own experience with sending lenses to CPS for alignment. The better I tell them what the problem is and show it to them in example images, the better the lens is properly adjusted to address the problem when it comes back. When I started including comparison images shot using the same camera but with different lenses to show the problem only occurred with a specific lens is when I started seeing significantly better results. It no longer allowed them to assume it was 'user error' or the camera rather than the lens.
 
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Jan 29, 2011
10,675
6,121
I've found that when I send a lens to CPS I need to send sample photos that demonstrate the issue and very clearly describe it in writing as well. Otherwise they'll either tell me there is nothing wrong with it or they'll say they fixed it but send it back to me exactly the same as it was before.
It doesn't matter what you tell them, they don't care and they don't trust you. They put it on the test bench and it either passes or it doesn't. I have sent in illustrative images they haven't even looked at, if it passes the bench test they can't work on it, if it doesn't pass the spec tests they will send you the quote, which is generally fixed price rates nowadays, and replace whatever parts their testing fall outside specs.
 
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It doesn't matter what you tell them, they don't care and they don't trust you. They put it on the test bench and it either passes or it doesn't. I have sent in illustrative images they haven't even looked at, if it passes the bench test they can't work on it, if it doesn't pass the spec tests they will send you the quote, which is generally fixed price rates nowadays, and replace whatever parts their testing fall outside specs.

Other than your initial complaint I don't think they read your details either. When I had to pay repairs it always seemed like a standard set price. If I tried to talk them about the repair, I always got no reaction or conversation other than the quote. When the lens and body came back it was always repaired and the problem was taken care of.
 
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