Sharpness at 35mm

For this review, the sharpness test is carried out using a real-world subject, rather than a test-chart. The Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM was attached to a Canon EOS 77D body, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. Exposure delay mode was activated. Any changes in tone across the crops are due to changes in natural light during the shooting session.

The full frame at 35mm

Sharpness is pretty good at the maximum aperture of f/2.8, but it is sharpest between f/4 and f/8. It’s ever so slightly softer at f/11 and f/16, but still very good. Sharpness drops again at f/22, due to diffraction, and is pretty soft at f/32 - you may get away with it if you’re not examining at 100% though.

Aperture	Centre Crop	Edge Crop
f/2.8
f/3.5
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
f/22
f/32