Last month, Canon announced a tiny, lightweight ultra-wide angle prime lens for its full frame mirrorless cameras: the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM. Given how affordable it is, can it offer decent performance?
Christopher Frost has put the RF 16mm f/2.8 through its paces and found that, while certainly very easy on the pocket, there are inevitably some compromises that Canon has made along the way. The reduced flange distance achieved by ditching the mirror in the move from DSLRs has offered manufacturers some significant advantages, but these are not enough for Canon to avoid some trade-offs in what is still an excellent lens and a bargain to boot.
Though perfect for holiday landscapes,16mm is a slightly odd choice as Canon’s second budget prime for its RF cameras, and I have speculated as to whether this is another hint that Canon might eventually release an RF-mount camera featuring an APS-C sensor. This lens is so small and lightweight that it would make an ideal 26mm equivalent prime lens on a crop-sensor camera, and Nikon’s success with the Z 50 and the Z fc suggests that an entry-level Canon APS-C body might not be such a bad idea.
Will you be ordering the 16mm f/2.8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.