A great value when speed is not essential.

I bought this lens when I started shooting more architectural and interior projects and the 24LII just wasn't wide enough. Odds are, if you're on a tripod and mixing light sources the 16-35/4LIS is a great alternative to the 16-35/2.8L or T/S lenses. I find that CaptureOne allows me to adjust lines and other corrections. Overall, I'm very happy with the lens.

Odd that you only gave the 16-35 f/4L IS 3-1/2 stars. This is one of the finest wide angle zooms ever made. Unless there is an overriding need for the f/2.8 III, I can't imagine how to realistically improve this lens. The IS is solid and surprisingly useful and there is no comparison to the earlier 16-35 f/2.8 versions 1 and 2.

I've tested it side by side against the superb 24-70 f/2.8L II at f/4 on the overlapping focal lengths and the two are nearly indistinguishable. As a photojournalist this thing is a solid workhorse delivering excellent results.

You are very happy with a lens  you rated 3.5 out of 5? That's like a C.

It's not a 16-35/2.8 or a 17-TSE but it's a good lens. How about posting your own reviews and grade it on your experience with it.

I guess we all have different reference points when evaluating how well a lens works. I find it no surprise that it doesn't act like a tilt shift lens since it wasn't designed to be one, so that is not part of my evaluation at all.

So yes the f4 is not a 2.8 lens, but in my experience it is extremely sharp wide open at f4. If you look at a detailed review of the f 2.8 lens it is given very high marks

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-16-35mm-f-2.8L-III-USM-Lens.aspx

But, the f2.8 is bigger and heavier and 2x the price of the f4 and doesn't have IS. So for most subjects, I find the f4 a more useful lens since the IS gives at least 3 stops benefit IMHO and according to controlled tests I have seen. I tend to use telephotos for action, but rarely use a 16-35 for action, so the IS turns out to be very useful in my use.

So for me the 16-35 f4 IS is a 5 star lens that is hard to beat, especially consider price, weight, and IS help. I continue to be amazed at this lens.

One last thought, when you say in review when speed is not essential I assume you are not referring to AF speed but rather to aperture?  With IS, I actually find the f4 highly preferable for how much useful light it lets in.

tcphoto1 wrote:

It's not a 16-35/2.8 or a 17-TSE but it's a good lens. How about posting your own reviews and grade it on your experience with it.

It's also not a 100-400mm or an 85mm prime. How about rating the lens for what it is?

I don't have this lens, but you rating it at 3,5 stars: the general assumption for 3,5 stars is that it's a reasonably good lens with flaws (as in distortion, vignetting, CA. Not as in 'it's not f/2.8').

Dale Garman wrote:

I guess we all have different reference points when evaluating how well a lens works. I find it no surprise that it doesn't act like a tilt shift lens since it wasn't designed to be one, so that is not part of my evaluation at all.

So yes the f4 is not a 2.8 lens, but in my experience it is extremely sharp wide open at f4. If you look at a detailed review of the f 2.8 lens it is given very high marks

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-16-35mm-f-2.8L-III-USM-Lens.aspx

But, the f2.8 is bigger and heavier and 2x the price of the f4 and doesn't have IS. So for most subjects, I find the f4 a more useful lens since the IS gives at least 3 stops benefit IMHO and according to controlled tests I have seen. I tend to use telephotos for action, but rarely use a 16-35 for action, so the IS turns out to be very useful in my use.

So for me the 16-35 f4 IS is a 5 star lens that is hard to beat, especially consider price, weight, and IS help. I continue to be amazed at this lens.

One last thought, when you say in review when speed is not essential I assume you are not referring to AF speed but rather to aperture? With IS, I actually find the f4 highly preferable for how much useful light it lets in.

Yep... this is the only lens I own that is slower than f/4. Indeed very nice lens and a real bargain!