Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
- EF mount; standard zoom lens; Comes with Lens Cap E77U, Rear Lens Cap, Lens Hood EW-83F, Soft Lens Case 1219.
- Ultra-low Dispersion glass with Fluorite elements; inner focusing ring; full-time manual focus; aspherical lens
- 24-70mm focal length
- f/2.8 constant maximum aperture
- UltraSonic Motor (USM) AF actuator
This new lens does what many pros thought couldn’t be done – replace the previous L-series 28-70 f/2.8 lens with something even better. Extended coverage to an ultra-wide-angle 24mm makes it ideal for digital as well as film shooters, and the optics are even better than before with two Aspherical elements and a totally new UD glass element. It’s now sealed and gasketed against dust and moisture, and a new processing unit makes the AF faster than ever.
Sample Image MTF Charts
The Canon EF 24-70mm standard zoom lens does what many pros thought couldn’t be done–it replaces the L-series 28-70mm f/2.8 lens with something even better. The lens offers ex
List Price: $ 2,300.00
Price: $ 1,399.00
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Best available all-around Canon lens,
Simply put, this is the best all-around lens that Canon manufactures. It produces razor-sharp images with startling color and saturation, and at f/2.8 across the zoom range is capable of shooting in all but the dimmest of lighting conditions. The “L” glass (Canon’s professional line of lenses) is simply the best out there, bar none, from any manufacturer. It’s pricey, but well worth it.
I use this lens for portrait and wedding photography, landscapes, sports, and anything else that doesn’t require extreme telephoto. In concert with my EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM lens, I find that these two lenses cover just about everything I ever want to shoot. Of the two lenses, if I could pick only one, it would be the 24-70mm, because it’s so versatile and can shoot so many situations (the 70-200mm is also a marvelous, invaluable lens, but at 70mm is limited in wide-angle situations).
I can’t recommend this lens highly enough. If you can afford the entry fee, you’ll have no hint of buyer’s remorse once you see the spectacular images this lens produces.
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|A great general-purpose lens,
I’ve owned the 24-70mm for almost a year now. This lens has been a favorite of many since it replaced its well-regarded predecessor, the 28-70mm. It shoots images that are very sharp and have excellent contrast and saturation. It’s sharp wide open and only gets better when stopping down. The USM (Ultrasonic Motor) focuses very fast, and full-time manual focusing is allowed. I’ve thought about buying a 50mm f/1.4, but the results from this lens are so good, I’m having a hard time justifying the purchase. I’ve been nothing but pleased with the pictures I get from the 24-70mm. The constant f/2.8 aperture is great for shooting indoors and produces a very nice bokeh (background blur) when shooting portraits. This lens is much heavier than comparable consumer-grade zooms, but I don’t object to the weight. I actually like the heft and feel of this lens on my 20D. The only feature I wish it had is IS (image stabilization).
The one thing preventing an unqualified recommendation is the recent release of the Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L IS. The latter lens costs about the same and has some noteworthy advantages. It is .7″ shorter, .2mm narrower and .6 lbs. lighter. It has 3rd generation IS that gives you a 3-stop shutter speed advantage when shooting handheld. I know from my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS that image stabilization is a very welcome feature when shooting handheld at slow shutter speeds. And, obviously, the 24-105mm adds an extra 35mm of focal length on the long end.
The 24-70mm bests the 24-105mm in one way: It’s a faster lens. That translates into the following advantages: At f/4.0, the 24-105mm cannot stop subject motion blur as well in low-light situations where the 24-70mm’s f/2.8 can give you a shutter speed that is twice as fast. Note that IS does not have any impact at all on subject motion blur, only on camera shake on your end. If bokeh (background blur) is important to you, the 24-70mm will have a slight advantage over the 24-105mm given its wider aperture. A wider aperture also helps a camera focus a little better in low light.
The first run of the 24-105mm had a flare problem (see Canon’s Web site for more info), and the early production models have been recalled. But the problem has now been fixed. You’ll have to consider your photography priorities when deciding which of these two excellent lenses best suits your needs. You would be well served by either.
Update 5-17-10: It’s been 4 1/2 years since I wrote this review, and I continue to use and enjoy my 24-70mm, which is now paired with a Canon 7D. Anyone considering buying this lens today, however, should know that a major Canon rumors Web site is reporting Canon is getting ready to update this lens in 2010. There are reports that the mark II is currently being field tested, and the new version is rumored to have image stabilization. No doubt, a mark II with IS would cost significantly more than the current version. FWIW, Canon updated their 70-200mm f/2.8 IS earlier this year; the mark II version of that lens brought improved optics and the latest generation of IS, but it was priced $500 (MSRP) more than its predecessor. A mark II version of the 24-70mm would be adding IS to a lens that doesn’t currently have that feature, so the increase in price could be even more than $500. Just something to consider as you plan your purchases.
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