Canon EF 24-70mm – An Even Better Lens Than Its Highly Acclaimed Predecessor

Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

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The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras is the highly anticipated successor to the Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 L IS lens, which was a stellar performer in its own right.

On the surface there does not appear to be much difference between the two lenses (apart from the obvious fact that the 24-70mm is 4mm wider).

Dig a little deeper however, and you start to see that the newer lens has much better contrast reproduction as well as being largely free from the vignetting issues which affected the 28-70mm.

So is it worth upgrading to this lens if you already own the 28-70mm? In my opinion, probably not – but that is up to the individual photographer really.

If however you are looking for one of the finest zoom lenses available, then look no further. The Canon EF 24-70mm is ideal for all types of photography including landscapes, weddings/portraiture and even things like indoor sports and photojournalism thanks to a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8.

As you would expect, this lens exhibits low to negligible levels of all of the imperfections we hate as photographers. Vignetting is very well controlled for the most part, only really becoming apparent at the wide end, wide open on a full frame body. More often than not its effect can be greatly reduced by stopping down.

One thing to note about the 24-70 is that the lens hood is in a fixed position, that is, it does move in or out with focal length change on your part. As a result, the lens hood sticks along way in front of the front element at 70mm (whereas at 24mm the front element is closer to being flush with the lens hood).

Therefore it is doubly important to make sure that the lens hood is fixed to the lens at all times to stop the almost certain lens flare that would result at 24mm without it.

The Good

fast and almost silent auto focus thanks to the USM (ultrasonic motor). this is something I enjoy about this lens and find really important to have superb image quality with accurate color and saturation reproduction can be utilized by a variety of different photographic professions high build quality – weather sealing, and the zoom and focus rings are a joy to operate short minimum focusing distance – ideal for taking photos of small objects (note: still not as good as a dedicated macro lens) 77mm filter, compatible with many other Canon L series lenses full time manual focus is an option

The Bad

heavier and longer than its predecessor relatively expensive no image stabilization – but this is partly offset by maximum aperture of f/2.8 and fast auto focus

When the long awaited 28-70mm came out almost a decade ago, it did not disappoint the many photographers who had been anxiously waiting for a top notch general purpose zoom lens with a decent maximum aperture.

It is still a great lens in its own right, and thats why I said earlier that unless you want an extra 4mm and a bit less vignetting, stick with what you have and just fix the rest in Photoshop.

Generally speaking, the optical performance of the 24-70mm and 28-70mm are virtually identical once you hit 50mm anyway, but some people just like to have the latest gear (don’t worry, I’m one of them too!).

Many photographic purists will revel in the fact however that the Canon 24-70mm is better still than its predecessor.  It is as close to owning 3 prime lenses in the 24 to 70mm range as you are ever going to get in this day and age.

Canon EF 24-70mm – no image stabilization

I suppose I have to touch on the fact that this lens has no image stabilization function. All I’m going to say is that if you are going to buy this lens, then you are good enough to shoot good images without it. F/2.8 makes obtaining sharp images easy and the focus will find something straight away. It needn’t be an issue, especially when you consider a 24-70mm lens with IS.

Whether you are a pixel-peeping perfectionist or not, you will definitely appreciate the quality, craftsmanship and ease of operation that the Canon EF 24-70mm has to offer, especially if you don’t mind a bit of extra weight and length.

Like I have said before, I personally enjoy the extra weight – it makes me believe that I’m holding something that is solid and well built and that will last a long time. It’s also something I’m willing to put up with knowing that I will get great images each and every time.

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Those wanting a lens with more reach may want to consider my taking a look at my Canon 24 105mm review or for something wider have a look at the Canon EF S 17 55mm f2 8 IS USM Lens.

Related posts:

1. Canon 24-105mm Review – Why Does Everyone Loves This L Series Lens?
2. Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS Lens – Is It Right For You Or Worth The Money?
3. Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM Lens – A Super Fast, High Quality Non L Series Lens
4. Canon 300mm 2.8 – King Of The Canon Telephoto Lens Range
5. Canon EF 28-135mm – The Perfect General Purpose Zoom Lens For Entry Level Photographers

Filed under: Canon DSLR Lenses

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