Canon EF16-35mm f4 Sample Images

The Canon16-35mm f/4.0 IS L Lens gives you a very wide angle of view of your subject. That provides you with the ability to create achieve strong angles and powerful perspectives of a variety of subjects. These Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 sample images are a randomly selected collection of my own photography combined with some from other photographers.

Ricketts Glen WaterfallWaterfall photo taken by Bruce Lovelace, using the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4.0 Lens.

Another advantage of using a wide angle zoom lens, like the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4.0 IS, is that you can take a lot of different compositions by simply moving your position by a small amount.

Architecture photo at 16mm focal lengthRowan University, Science Hall and Planetarium
Canon 16-35 lens at 16mm
!/250 Second Canon 5D Mark III at f/16 ISO 500

The sample image above was my favorite of the 5 different variations I shot using the 16-35mm and its zoom. The 3 vertical composition sample photos below were made with the lens zoomed all the way out to the 16mm focal length.

I'd appreciate your feedback. Can you vote for the one that you think is best?

Canon 16-35 composition 1Composition 1

Canon 16-35 composition 2Composition 2

16-35 composition 3Composition 3

The 16-35mm lens is most commonly purchased to use for shooting landscape photos. See the classic example below of how you can use this super wide angle of the 16-35mm lens to include foreground objects to create depth in your images.

wide angle landscape photo"The Serene Dawn at Jordan Pond."
Canon 5D Mark III With Canon EF 16-35mm f/4.0 IS.
6 second exposure at f/8.0 ISO=160.

The 16-35 zoom gives you the ability to compose moderately wide angle compositions in addition to the super wide angle that comes along with shooting at 16mm focal length.

I zoomed in to a focal length of 29mm for the storytelling pose below.

Glen Lake fountain Pitman NJ"Look at The Fountain, Daddy"
f/20 for 1/40 second with Image Stabilization.
Canon 5F Mark III, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 Lens.

The sample image below was a 30 second exposure (image stabilization turned off) with my 5D Mark III mounted to a tripod. I waited for the light levels to fall to a point where I could shoot with such a long shutter speed. I lowered my ISO to 160 and set the 16-35mm lens at f/18. to get a good exposure for 30 second.

Sample Canon 16-35mm photo of sunsetHeislerville NJ Sunset
A 30 second exposure smoothes the ocean waves into a creamy, smooth surface.

In the photo above, I settled on setting my 16-35 lens at a focal length of 34mm. That focal length gave me the perspective I liked with the rocks and sea grasses rendered the proper size in the foreground. Shooting with the lens at a wider zoom made the rocks and grasses too small for the composition.

Like many other sunset photographs over water, the sample image above and the sample image below show the color contrast between the blue and the yellow tones that make sunset photos so appealing.

Beach LandscapeBeach Landscape by Michael D. Beckwith on Flickr
Canon EF 16-35mm F/4 IS L Lens

Shooting shadows with your 16-35mm zoom lens is a great way to practice your compositional technique. All you need is a clear sky and objects to play around with. One of my favorite images that came out of my portfolio of images made in photography school was a simple shadow photo taken in the student center.

Rowan University Courtyard"Courtyard Shadows" taken by Bruce Lovelace
Canon 5D Mark III With EF 16-35mm f/4 Lens

The beautiful interior shot below was shot with the 16-35mm lens by Michael D. Beckwith. I particularly like the strong diagonal lines that lead your eye into the photograph.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 Sample ImageCanon EF 16-35mm f/4 Sample Image
of a Cathedral by Michael D Beckwith on Flickr

Is the Canon16-35mm a good fit for you?

In another post I explored whether the 16-35 is worth the money. It's one of only a few lenses in this class that has image stabilization (IS) built into the lens. The IS is rated as up to 4 stops of stabilizing. For a deeper look at whether it's a good lens for you read the post Canon 16-35mm Lens.

If your shooting style includes needing a fast lens you can also look at the two faster f/2.8 versions of the Canon EF 16-35mm. Read this post: Side by side Canon 16-35mm lens Comparison.

I bought my Canon EF 16-35mm f/4.0 IS lens from Amazon on July 27 of 2020 and have been happily using it since then. Please consider using one of the links below to make your purchase.

As an Amazon affiliate Canon Camera Geek receives a small commission from qualifying purchases, at NO added cost to you.


The next sample photo taken with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4.0 lens was taken "zoomed out" to a 21mm focal length. This is still a wider view than you'd get with the EF 24-105 which is another lens I can use for some of my landscape scenes.

Sommesville Bridge wide angle exampleSommesville Bridge, Acadia
Canon 16-35mm @ 21mm focal length

The subject is the Sommesville Arch Bridge, located in the quaint little village of Sommesville at the norht end of Sommes Sound in Acadia. This is one of those very popular subjects photographers seek out when visiting Mount Desert Island in Maine.

For related posts on the Canon Geek website, see the links below my signature, or use the search box below.


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Author Bruce Lovelace
Bruce Lovelace Signature

Bruce Lovelace is the publisher of Canon Camera Geek. Read more about him on the About Page. He also publishes how to articles and camera gear reviews at the Photography Tips website.

View some of Bruce's photos on Instagram  and Flickr  Join the tribe of followers on YouTube. Bruce also runs photo workshops and provides 1 on 1 digital photography coaching.

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