Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L USM vs Canon EF 24–70mm f/2.8L USM
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| CanonEF 16–35mm f/2.8L USM | CanonEF 24–70mm f/2.8L USM | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | December 2001 | November 2002 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Zoom |
| Focal length | 16–35 mm | 24–70 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 | f/22 |
| Optical construction | Fourteen elements in ten groups | 16 elements in 13 groups |
| Special elements | Three aspherical elements, comprising ground-and-polished, replica and glass-moulded types, plus two UD elements according to Photozone | Two aspherical elements and one UD element |
| Diaphragm | Seven blades; circular aperture according to both reviews | Eight blades with a circular aperture |
| Angle of view | – | Diagonal 84°–34°; vertical 53°–19°30′; horizontal 74°–29° |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Canon EF | Canon EF |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Compatibility | Canon EF cameras with full-frame or APS-C sensors | Canon EF mount full-frame and APS-C cameras |
| Teleconverter support | – | Canon EF1.4X II and EF2X II extenders are incompatible |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.28 m | 0.38 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.22× | 0.29× |
| Optical stabilisation | – | No |
| Autofocus detail | Ring USM autofocus with full-time manual focusing in One Shot AF according to Photozone | Ring-type USM (OpticalLimits); manual override after autofocus in One-Shot AF with the shutter button held halfway |
| Focus distance detail | Floating optical system according to Photozone; non-rotating filter thread according to both reviews | 0.38 m minimum focus throughout the zoom range; maximum 0.29× magnification at 70 mm; non-rotating front filter thread (ePHOTOzine and OpticalLimits) |
| Stabilisation detail | – | No optical image stabilisation (ePHOTOzine) |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Filter diameter | 77 mm | 77 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 83.5 mm | 83.2 mm |
| Length | 103 mm | 123.5 mm |
| Weight | 600 g (better) | 950 g |
| Controls | Separate focus and zoom rings, focus-mode switch and distance window | Focus mode switch, focus ring, zoom ring, distance scale and infrared index |
| Zoom design | Constant outer length with some internal tube movement according to Photozone | Reverse zoom mechanism; longest at 24 mm and shortest at 70 mm, with the hood enclosing the moving front section (OpticalLimits) |
| Weather resistance | Canon identifies water and dust resistance at the lens mount, switch panel, zoom ring and focusing ring | Dust- and drip-resistant seal structure; rubber ring around the lens mount |
| Dimensions detail | – | 83.2 mm maximum diameter × 123.5 mm length; maker dimensions and weight are for the lens alone, excluding caps |
| Lens hood | EW-83E hood and LP1319 soft pouch according to The Digital Picture | EW-83F; can be reversed for storage |
| In the box | Lens, hood and case according to Canon Camera Museum | E-77U front cap, rear cap, EW-83F hood and LP1219 lens case (manual accessory names; ePHOTOzine box contents) |
| Release detail | Canon Camera Museum records December 2001 marketing; no first-sale day is given | Canon Camera Museum's original-model table records November 2002; its later Mark II retrospective instead refers to September 2002 |
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