Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Zoom Lens for Select Canon SLR Cameras
Canon
- 8014A002
Tags:
slr
Searching for Videos..
Reviews
(59)
0
This is a fantastic lens that has the ability to make any photograph better. The real beauty of this lens is that, in my experience over the past 18 months, the impact of this lens is directly proportional to the quality of the picture taken. That is to say, its effect on mediocre pictures tends to be marginal, if you really look you'll notice a minor improvement in detail and crispness. Take a great picture, something with a lot of details that demands clarity, and that's when this baby start to shine. The more challenging your subject, the more you likely you are to be impressed with this lens.
Nothing in life this good comes cheap, and the costs of this lens are measured in more than just the typical "L" class price tag. As is typically the case with any of the Canon "L" lenses, it is significantly larger that what one might expect a lens of its power range to be. This was the first "L" lens I ever used. When I took it out of the box I though someone had shipped me a 200mm lens.
Nothing in life this good comes cheap, and the costs of this lens are measured in more than just the typical "L" class price tag. As is typically the case with any of the Canon "L" lenses, it is significantly larger that what one might expect a lens of its power range to be. This was the first "L" lens I ever used. When I took it out of the box I though someone had shipped me a 200mm lens.
...
more
9 price(s)
0
I now own 4 "L" lenses (see below). I can't think of a single downside to this lens. It is fast, quiet, and the 24-70mm is a great range. On my 40D with a crop factor of 1.6 the lens has a 35mm equivalent of 38.4-112mm. A really nice range. The lens is great for portraits but does so much more. Highly recommended.
Canon Digital EOS 40D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Canon EF 1.4X II Extender
Canon Digital EOS 40D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Canon EF 1.4X II Extender
0
I've used several copies of 24-70mm 2.8L in the last few years. I bought two copies from Amazon. All of them are sharp, fast and accurate focus. It produces high quality images. I like this lense very much and always the first lense in my camera bag.
If you are a frequent traveler and like to do landscape + street photography then this is a good choice. 24-105mm is also a good option, but I prefer 24.70mm because of 2.8 A factor. It will produce nicer colors, bokeh, ... Also, from 50-70mm, you can also produce excellent and truly portrait photos.
For indoor photography with natural light (wedding, event photos) then this is a must have lense. I don't have to say much but most of wedding photographers will use this lense most often.
If you are a frequent traveler and like to do landscape + street photography then this is a good choice. 24-105mm is also a good option, but I prefer 24.70mm because of 2.8 A factor. It will produce nicer colors, bokeh, ... Also, from 50-70mm, you can also produce excellent and truly portrait photos.
For indoor photography with natural light (wedding, event photos) then this is a must have lense. I don't have to say much but most of wedding photographers will use this lense most often.
0
Excellent quality as would be expected from a L series lens. Good range however, I wish Canon would make a lens with this quality and speed in a 24-105mm range. Perhaps the technology is not there yet. That being said, you won't be disappointed with the sharpness, contrast and overall high quality produced by this lens.
0
I purchased this lens as a backup to my Canon EF-S 17-55 IS for wedding photography. I will be using it when my daughter is photographing a wedding with me and she will be using the EF-S lens and myself the 24-70mm. I performed some tests back to back and both lens are amazingly sharp at normal distances. Plus it's a good compliment to the other lens because of a slightly different reach. I also found the 24-70 to be better at macro photography as it can blow the subject up larger and seems sharper at very closes ranges. And the 24-70 seemed to have a little better contrast and colors. The 24-70 is much heavier then the EF-S and does not have IS. But it does have a little more reach and is weather sealed.
I was disappointed that my copy of the 24-70 has the same poor grabby zoom feel as the EF-S lens. All my other Canon L zooms have buttery smooth zoom action especially my 17-40 F/4 L. The 24-70 is sharper then the 17-40 F4 L on the long end at 40mm but surprise of surprises the
I was disappointed that my copy of the 24-70 has the same poor grabby zoom feel as the EF-S lens. All my other Canon L zooms have buttery smooth zoom action especially my 17-40 F/4 L. The 24-70 is sharper then the 17-40 F4 L on the long end at 40mm but surprise of surprises the
...
more
0
I bought this lens for my Canon DSLR camera about 3 weeks ago, and since then I've been using it for many projects and under different conditions. Let's see all the different aspects of the lens:
1- Build: Really professional and strong build, and that's what you would expect from an L-series lens. Hard plastic construction with rigid rubber on the focusing and zoom rings. It's manufactured to be dust and moisture proof (but I personally didn't test this, and I hope I won't).
2- Mount: The EF mount for Canon systems that comes with this lens is a perfect fit, once mounted on the camera, it will feel like it was built with the camera.
3- Aperture: With a maximum aperture of 2.8 you would be able to shoot in really dim conditions with no blurry results. Also at this aperture one can achieve really great depth of field effects (great in macro and portrait shooting).
4- Focal Lenght: 24-70mm means a good range for all purposes (check out the lens' offical link from Canon to see the MTF
1- Build: Really professional and strong build, and that's what you would expect from an L-series lens. Hard plastic construction with rigid rubber on the focusing and zoom rings. It's manufactured to be dust and moisture proof (but I personally didn't test this, and I hope I won't).
2- Mount: The EF mount for Canon systems that comes with this lens is a perfect fit, once mounted on the camera, it will feel like it was built with the camera.
3- Aperture: With a maximum aperture of 2.8 you would be able to shoot in really dim conditions with no blurry results. Also at this aperture one can achieve really great depth of field effects (great in macro and portrait shooting).
4- Focal Lenght: 24-70mm means a good range for all purposes (check out the lens' offical link from Canon to see the MTF
...
more
0
Assuming that you are a "model based" photographer... and you were only able to afford one L series lens - this should be it.
The 24-70 range is great for shooting people at a comfortable working distance. My primary portrait lens is the 85 1.2L, but prior to going with a prime - this was my primary lens.
It's sturdy. It's really sharp at 5.6 and above. And though it only goes down to 2.8 - the zoom is really enough of a benefit to outweigh a limited specialty use of a wider aperture.
Downside: heavy and expensive.
Upside: great range, good sharpness, excellent color rendition
I strongly recommend this over the 24-105 4.0L IS. I have that one too - and I find that this lens is better for natural light situations - while I find myself using the other one more in studio.
The 24-70 range is great for shooting people at a comfortable working distance. My primary portrait lens is the 85 1.2L, but prior to going with a prime - this was my primary lens.
It's sturdy. It's really sharp at 5.6 and above. And though it only goes down to 2.8 - the zoom is really enough of a benefit to outweigh a limited specialty use of a wider aperture.
Downside: heavy and expensive.
Upside: great range, good sharpness, excellent color rendition
I strongly recommend this over the 24-105 4.0L IS. I have that one too - and I find that this lens is better for natural light situations - while I find myself using the other one more in studio.
0
Although the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 "L" lens does a good job, it does not compare with the clarity, contrast, or the color saturation that I can get with the Canon 70-200mm IS f/2.8 "L" lens. The Bokeh of the 70mm-200mm is much more pleasing then the 24-70mm Canon lens and that may be due to the different focal lengths. I don't know if I have an execeptional 70-200mm or that I have a 24-70mm that is below normal standards for the lens.
0
Whenever I shoot with this lens, I feel like I am sacrificing something within the image. I always want to shoot a little bit wider, or with a little bit less DOF, or a little bit sharper or with a little less flare, or a little more telephoto. It's just not wide enough to shoot a really awesome, dramatic, landscape (I have a 17-40 for that) . It's not fast enough to shoot in the dark or create that magical DOF (I have a 35mm f/1.4L and 50mm f/1.2L for that). Nor does it have enough reach to shoot a great portrait (I have a 135mm f/2.0L for that)
It just ends up being the lens I'd use when I don't care to take the best possible photos. In other words, it just sits in my bag.
In a world where differentiation is the difference between success and failure, I can't afford to shoot with this lens.
It just ends up being the lens I'd use when I don't care to take the best possible photos. In other words, it just sits in my bag.
In a world where differentiation is the difference between success and failure, I can't afford to shoot with this lens.
0
WoW!! That's what comes to mind first.
This lens is everything they talk about, it's fast focusing, nearly inaudible, sharp all the way to the edges on a 1.6x format camera. This thing is heavy duty too, you can tell there is a lot of glass in this lens. Surely the heaviest standard zoom lens I've owned which may or may not be a plus if you are thinking about carrying this in your hands all day, deffinately lighter than a dedicated super zoom but you'll start getting fatigued after a while. I compared this to a canon IS lens and two tamron zoom lenses over the same focal length and the proof is in the detail. This lens absolutely captures more fine detail than the others especially in the shadows, highlights were pretty much a draw.
For me, shooting family photo's and candids this is a great very responsive lens with amazing photo quality, build quality and great color representation. I'd recomend it to anyone willing to fork over the high end $$ for one.
This lens is everything they talk about, it's fast focusing, nearly inaudible, sharp all the way to the edges on a 1.6x format camera. This thing is heavy duty too, you can tell there is a lot of glass in this lens. Surely the heaviest standard zoom lens I've owned which may or may not be a plus if you are thinking about carrying this in your hands all day, deffinately lighter than a dedicated super zoom but you'll start getting fatigued after a while. I compared this to a canon IS lens and two tamron zoom lenses over the same focal length and the proof is in the detail. This lens absolutely captures more fine detail than the others especially in the shadows, highlights were pretty much a draw.
For me, shooting family photo's and candids this is a great very responsive lens with amazing photo quality, build quality and great color representation. I'd recomend it to anyone willing to fork over the high end $$ for one.
0
I use the Canon 40D as my main camera body, keeping my Rebel as my backup camera.
For several years, my main zoom lens has been the Canon EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS lens.
For family portraits, I typically close up the Canon f/3.5-5.6 IS lens a couple stops to f/6.3 or 7.1.
(A Canon 50 mm f/1.4 is my favorite prime lens.)
My expectations for my first `L' lens, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens, were so high that my first session indoors making portraits with a flash was a little disappointing.
When I close up this lens a little, to f/3.2, the plane of focus is so narrow that in a group photo, only one person's face is in focus.
Wide open, at f/2.8 or 3.2, using a flash, at ISO 100, shutter speeds of ΒΌ sec were common. The long shutter time required I use a tripod, and even when using a tripod, the model's movement created blur.
So, if you want the eyes of one model to be in focus, while the person standing next to the model is out of focus, this lens is for you. If you
For several years, my main zoom lens has been the Canon EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS lens.
For family portraits, I typically close up the Canon f/3.5-5.6 IS lens a couple stops to f/6.3 or 7.1.
(A Canon 50 mm f/1.4 is my favorite prime lens.)
My expectations for my first `L' lens, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens, were so high that my first session indoors making portraits with a flash was a little disappointing.
When I close up this lens a little, to f/3.2, the plane of focus is so narrow that in a group photo, only one person's face is in focus.
Wide open, at f/2.8 or 3.2, using a flash, at ISO 100, shutter speeds of ΒΌ sec were common. The long shutter time required I use a tripod, and even when using a tripod, the model's movement created blur.
So, if you want the eyes of one model to be in focus, while the person standing next to the model is out of focus, this lens is for you. If you
...
more
0
This is my favorite standard zoom lens that Canon makes. For the longest time, I used the EF 24-105mm f/5 L IS USM lens as my daily "beater" lens and it performed very well, but I wanted something a bit faster. This lens was the answer. It wasn't much more in price than the 24-105 glass, but it much faster.
This lens is tack sharp!
My only gripes about this lens:
- it zooms "backward" compared to any other extending zoom lens I know. At fully contracted, it's zoomed all the way out (70mm). At full extended, it's zoomed all the way in (24mm). Can't figure out why it's opposite.
- the copy I got had a slightly loose focusing ring and i sent it back under warranty and it was fixed. Canon needs to step up their QA a notch.
UPDATE: I got the lens back from the Canon service center today (not bad for shipping it on December 23rd, huh?!). The fixed the loose focusing ring and also stated that the "mechanical chassis was inoperable". I never noticed anything wrong with the zoom chassis.
This lens is tack sharp!
My only gripes about this lens:
- it zooms "backward" compared to any other extending zoom lens I know. At fully contracted, it's zoomed all the way out (70mm). At full extended, it's zoomed all the way in (24mm). Can't figure out why it's opposite.
- the copy I got had a slightly loose focusing ring and i sent it back under warranty and it was fixed. Canon needs to step up their QA a notch.
UPDATE: I got the lens back from the Canon service center today (not bad for shipping it on December 23rd, huh?!). The fixed the loose focusing ring and also stated that the "mechanical chassis was inoperable". I never noticed anything wrong with the zoom chassis.
...
more
0
If you're reading this, that means you're undecided, andprobably about the price.This lens delivers all you'd expect, and it is worth theinvestment. If you put extension tubes on it, the lens performsextremely well for macro work.
0
I got this lens only 2 days ago and set about taking somesimple shots around the house. The very first pictures thatcame out of this thing blew me away. Totally stunning. I had all the same doubts and questions that you are allhaving if considering this lens....'Should I get the24-105?'...'Will I get a soft or poor copy?'....'Can Ireally justify spending this much?'. When I saw that veryfirst picture I had no more doubts, concerns, or worries andknew I would not regret my purchase at all.This lens produces images that are far superior to any otherlens I have used, including my 100-400L and my late 17-40L. People mention the weight but I find it very nice andstrangely comfortable and sturdy.No more second thoughts, find the money and buy it. If youdon't like it, I will have it from you as a backup. Itreally is that good.
0
I bought this lens as my main lens and it doesn't disappoint, I regard it as one of the best general purpose lenses available. It focuses very quietly, very fast and very sharp (might have a small difference on full frame DSLRs). It's ideal for portraits and you can get close enough for some macro shots too. The filter size for this lens is 77mm.You won't be disappointed with this lens.
0
This is easily the greatest zoom lens i've ever used. whenever i can only take one lens with me, this is the onethat goes. color, contrast, and sharpness will knock youhead over heels.
0
Many of my friends told me not to buy this lens, cause they all have 17-40 f/4L, and they wouldn't seem to understand that 24-70mm is just another type of lens with lovely aperture of f2,8. This lens is extremely sharp, it may be little bit soft on f/2,8, but this is nice,cause this lens can take more sharpening in Photoshop. Contrast and colours are stunning and as i have said sharpness to. Once you buy this lens, and start shooting with it, you will notice better picture quality first on back of your SLR(LCD screen),then on your computer. And the USM focus system is extremely superfast.In one word, buy it, and you will not regret it!
0
I think many people have the same dilemma of choosingbetween the 24-105 and 24-70. Initially i got the 24-105 andi was really satisfied with the results. However, a part ofme still ached to try out the 24-70, so after 1 month iordered the 24-70. Simply put, i was just blown away by theimage quality of the 24-70 and i immediately sold my 24-105.I had to do little or no photoshop on the images obtainedwith the 24-70. Don't get me wrong here, the 24-105 is agreat lens, but the 24-70 is just up at another level, interms of sharpness, contrast and saturation. There were manybad reviews of the 24-70 when it first came out 5 years ago,but i think Canon has tightened its QC, so that shouldn't bea worry. The 24-105 gets the job done, but it somehow lacksthe punch of the 24-70. With the hood on, the 24-70 looksand feels of a good equipment. If you need amid-range zoom, get the 24-70. It would be nice to see an ISversion of this lens, that would be perfect
0
20 years in the industry, this lens is incredible. Extremely fast lens, stunning picture quality. Weddings, an astronaut funeral, presidential candid shot closeups, media events, it has scored 1000 every time. It is truly an amazing lens. Get it now and your customers will do your advertising for you. Yes, it's true.
0
I really like the lens it`s second after 70-200 f2.8 ISUSM...though it would be better if it was IS...sometimes ireally miss it...by the way...it has Macro features also...
0
I am no photographer. I spend my days behind the computer doing all of the editing that makes great photos into amazing ones. My photographer recently purchased this lens, and I can say from the perspective of someone who sees every little detail magnified (usually up to 3600 times) this lens has made a world of difference. The colors are sharper, the picture is always focused perfectly and it really leaves me very little to do during the editing phase. As a joint owner in the business, even though I am not the photographer I had a minor say in the decisioning. I read every review on this lens from B&H and I was very impressed. After experiencing the difference I can say with confidence buy this lens! Its worth it.
0
This lens is of a very high quality. its fast, gotta love the 2.8 aperture. It is a little heavy but you know what they say, If its heavy its expensive, and with the weight comes quality. controls are smooth all the way through. AF is fast and Quite, compared to Nikon lenses Its real quiet. that's a plus for candids. IS would be nice but you wont miss it. all i gotta say is if you got the forearm endurance (Im in the army) to hold it up for long periods of time your gonna love it, and if you dont have it, the lens will help you workout your weak body.get a nice wide strap to disperse the load over more of your neck for comfort and to minimize neck injury.
0
I have just purchased this lens and I have to say that nothing I have used before beats it at color and contrast. Simply stunning!!. I do have to say it is a little heavy, but I accept that with the knowledge my expensive investment is going to be durable. The only question i find myself asking is... am i wrong for still likeing the light weight 17-85 IS? Sure its far from perfect but its so versatile. Image stabilization is very nice in low light situations, and no 2.8 is not fast enough for low light. All in all I feel good about my purchase and dont regret it for a minute even if I will pay for it for months . Canon if you ever read these reviews 24-70 would be the goddess of all wide zooms. So get cracking and git R done.
0
I knew I wanted a high quality lens in this range and I'vefound it. It's built like a tank and and the image qualityis phenomenal. I dropped (threw) this lens on accident andit still worked like a champ. Canon also did a great jobrepairing the filter threads. The only thing I might wantis IS but I don't really think it's necessary.If this is a focal range you need then there is nothingbetter than a Canon L grade lens. What's left to say?
0
It was time to upgrade to some nicer glass and after anumber of recommendations I decided on this lens. After the first shoot I was blown away. First things tonotice was the 2.8 all the way through, silent and fastautofocus, and it's built to last. Once the images were onscreen, color is true, extremely sharp, CA's well undercontrol, great contrast, distortion is negligible. Saw thefirst images published from this lens yesterday and WOW! I did comparisons with the sigma 17-70mm 2.8-4.5 and theCanon 24mm 2.8 prime. Sharpness: While the Canon 24-70mm is noticeably better, theSigma and Canon 24mm lenses stood up pretty well. CA's: The Canon 24-70mm and Sigma lenses were about thesame. The 24mm was showed slightly more CA's. Distortion/Color/Contrast/Build/Autofocus...: The 24-70mm isin another league.
0
Received this lens a little over 2 weeks ago. Snapped a few shots just for fun and they look good darn good. The next day I was scheduled to do some on site shooting. Let's just say that I ended up with a little time to spare, so I decided to check this lens against my third party lens and a Canon non L lens. My totally scientific test consisted of setting up a studio flash, then grabbed a couple of playing cards ,one of which had some instructions on one side, while the card backs had an intricate design. The cards were clipped onto a black back sheet and propped up about 10 feet from the camera on a tripod. Shot one set at 50mm and one set at 70 mm (the extreme ends of the other two lenses). With matched aperture settings (to match the less capable lens). Auto focus was used on all lenses and all shots. Aperture and shutter speed were on manual and left the same between lenses.Results hands down this lens is beautiful. Straight from the camera the color saturation and differentiation
...
more
0
This is my third Canon L class lens and it more than exceeds my expectations. I got it yesterday and fired off some test shots today. Even indoors, without the flash firing, just steadying myself for the shot, I was able to take shots that look like they are in good light. They actually came out clearer, and brighter, than the object was to the naked eye. I didn't see it in the item description, but this lens does have the Macro feature in it. I was able to zoom in, and AF onto objects maybe a foot away. As usual, you really can't go wrong with one of the Canon f/2.8L lenses. I just wish my 100-400 was a f/2.8 and not the variable it is (still an excellent lens and well worth the expense).
0
If you're reading this then you're probably deciding betweenthis lens and the similarly-priced 24-105mm f/4 IS, justlike me a while back. In the end I chose this lens becauseof the f/2.8 aperture. Here's why one more stop of aperturebeats 35mm of zoom:Freezing motion. Yes, the IS on the 24-105 actually lets youtake handheld pictures in even less light than the 24-70. Inthe real-world shooting situations I tend to be in, however,the extra handhold ability IS gives you is not a substitutefor the higher shutter speeds that the f/2.8 gives you.Shutter speed is about more than the ability to handhold thecamera, it's about freezing moving subjects. All thehandhold ability in the world won't give you anything if yoursubject is motion-blurred, and the shutter speeds wherepeople stop being motion blurred are way beyond the shutterspeeds where your camera becomes hand holdable anyway. I'drather take one more stop of motion freezing than two morestops of handhold ability.Depth of field. f/2.8 lets
...
more
0
I purchased the 24-70 2.8L and was expecting a superb lens for the price. After comparing with my 70-200 4L, the 24-70 performed worse at 70mm f4 than my 70-200 4L. At 35mm, the sharpness was only average, slightly less than my 28-135 at f4. The image does get sharper as I increase to f8 or higher, but the whole purpose of getting this lens is for the f2.8. The color and contrast was outstanding as expected from Canon L series. The lens is also big and heavy, not a lens you want carry around your neck all day. It's not very practical lens for me and copy I got doesn't perform up to optical quality I expect. I won't bother send it back to Canon for calibration. It's going back to the store.