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This lens replaces the previous high quality L-series 28-70mm f/2.8 lens, with a lens of even greater caliber. The range has been extended to cover an ultra-wide angle of 24mm, which 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.
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 24 - 70 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/2.8 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Canon EF |
| Format Compatibility |
35mm Film / Full-Frame Digital Sensor Canon (APS-C) |
| Angle of View | 84° - 34° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.25' (38 cm) |
| Magnification | 0.29x |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:3.44 |
| Groups/Elements | 13/16 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 8 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | 77 mm |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 3.3 x 4.8" (8.38 x 12.19 cm) |
| Weight | 2.1 lb (953 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
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Most Liked Positive Review
Fantastic walk around
I purchased this lens to replace a Canon 17-85mm f/4-5.6 EF-S IS USM lens that I could never be happy with, due to barrel distortion, vignetting, and other reasons.
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I purchased this lens to replace a Canon 17-85mm f/4-5.6 EF-S IS USM lens that I could never be happy with, due to barrel distortion, vignetting, and other reasons.
On to the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM: FANTASTIC!!! I primarily use this lens as my walk around lens and low light photography needs. 2.8 really helps with lower light/ available light photography. I detest flash with a passion so this lens fit the bill. Now I need a 50mm prime f/1.2...
The cool part of this lens is the "reverse zoom" as I call it. Many times people ask why I am zooming in on there face, when in actuality I am opening it wide. I usually shoot from 50-70 when outside, so having the lens already "zoomed in" during storage means less time from turn on to shutter release. It really came in handy when touring Yellowstone national park when fleeting animals show up for only a few seconds.
The hood for the lens is large and impressive. As others have stated, the reversing zoom adds to the effectiveness of the lens hood itself. And as usual flipping the hood for storage severely hampers the ability to control the zoom ring. As large hands will have trouble. It is doable, but not convenient.
The Lens is/states/shows quality like a L series lens should. The weather sealing worked like it should. I was climbing mountains in the Rockies. Weather was very fast at changing: from 90's to 30's in a mater of minutes, and humidity climbing and falling and even a cloud/fog rolled in. And to top that, rain, hail, and snow. NEVER DID THIS LENS FOG OVER (internally)
I agree with many who say don't put a cheap filter on after spending so much on a quality lens. The filter I went with is the "B+W 77mm UV Haze 010 F-Pro Filter" You must add a filter to seal off the lens from the elements. And yes the rear gasket will leave a smudge, easily cleaned away.
Now onto what everyone dislikes about the lens. The weight. It weighs substantially more than the 17-85. I never carry my camera with the neck strap, it is always on the shoulder, and cradle the lens with my hand as I walk. So the weight was/is never an issue with me. I find the weight also allows for steadier photographs, especially at night.
I currently shoot with a T1i, which is a light camera crop camera body. Consequently the whole camera + lens weight is not balanced. The majority of the weight, with the way I shoot, is held in my left hand. The right hand simply balances and sets and takes the photo. I do not find this a negative, rather a positive. As the weight balances with the way I position myself normally. I should say I prefer the weight imbalance. I rarely shoot tripod so cannot comment on how the weight affects tripod shooting.
Picture Quality:
Above 35mm it is simply fantastic, at 24mm with a lot of straight lines, you may, if you look hard enough and long enough discover very very slight distortion. Most photos I can not find it. Easily eliminated via post processing. If you have this lens then you know you should be shooting in RAW.
Color representation is fantastic, although editing and camera settings makes this point mute.
This was my second L series lens purchase. I own the new canon 100mm f2.8L USM IS Macro lens. As a recent L series owner, I now understand what people mean by the L desire. Once you go L you dislike anything else.
On a last and final note I wish to state I have taken over 6000 photos since purchasing the lens. I have yet to come up with any negatives with the lens. The only downside is now I want a Full Frame camera to really bring out the details this lens has the potential to provide.
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Most Liked Negative Review
Not the best pairing with the 7D
With my other lenses being on the longer end (50 f/1.4, 70-200 f/4), especially due to the 1.6x crop factor of my 7D, I was hoping that this lens would...Read complete review
With my other lenses being on the longer end (50 f/1.4, 70-200 f/4), especially due to the 1.6x crop factor of my 7D, I was hoping that this lens would allow me to capture more of the environment surrounding my subjects. This just wasn't the case. I almost exclusively put it at 24mm and this suggests that the crop factor pushes me out of the range I was aiming for. I borrowed a 17-55 2.8 IS during a photoshoot and I never pulled the 24-70 out of my bag. But that is my fault.
I mainly shoot sports, with a focus on cycling, and a rugged lens build was needed during rainy cyclocross races. That did not disappoint.
However, my most frustrating moments come in low light with moving subjects, which throw my autofocus considerably off. I had to stick to around f/4 to get anything relatively sharp. I am pretty unhappy with that. I mean, I spent the $$$ on a 2.8 so that I could shoot in low light. The cross-type focus points are enabled by the 2.8 aperture but I find that my 70-200 f/4 performs much, much better with subject tracking...and it is unbelievably sharp. I can't get that with the 24-70.
Compared to the 50 f/1.4 and the 70-200 f/4, this lens disappoints. People will say 'sure, a prime is sharper' but when your L quality zoom costs 4 times as much as that lens, you should get some decent performance out of it.
Maybe pair this with a full-frame camera like the 5D, but my experience has been frustrating.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 1538 customers
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
This is a great lens. Only negative is how heavy it is!! I do not mind because it produces high quality pictures.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
This is a great lens - very useful for wedding photography. In fact, given its focal range and quality, I use this lens more than any other during the full wedding day. Takes decent detail shots (though not as good as the 100mm), nice portraits, and is perfect for the vast variety of shots required during a wedding. In really low light, it can be tough to get it to focus, but that's true of a lot of lenses, and other than that it's pretty great. Highly recommended!
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I recently was contracted to shoot National Basketball League photos. Needed a fast lens to shoot wide to short telephoto. Ordered online and received Canon 24mm -70mm f2.8 in 3 days.
Three days may not seem unusual but this was an international shipment, so that is very fast.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I decided to take the plunge on this lens after renting it once--I loved how sharp and beautiful my photographs turned out. I tend to shoot with my 85mm pretty near wide open most often, at least during the summer when I'm outside and can fit my subject in the shot. With winter in MI coming, I knew I'd want something I could use indoors (a shorter lens) but something that would still let a lot of light in. While this lens is heavy and huge, I'm completely giddy about the results so far. It's my first lens of the L series, but I'm hoping it won't be my last!
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
Very sharp!
Versatile range. fast 2.8
great in low light.
cannot be used with extender. shallow well
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I am using this lens primarily for shooting dance concerts/ performances. The focal length is perfect for a theatre setting - I can shoot both a full stage view and get close up from the front-middle of the house. I love that the aperture opens really wide and makes it ideal for shooting at a fast shutter speed in low light conditions. The auto-focus works very quickly. The only downside is that the lens is pretty heavy and makes my arms sore after a few hours, but that's nothing a little weight lifting couldn't counteract :)
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I bought this along with my Canon 5D MKII. I was torn between this lens and the 24-105 f4.0 zoom. After reviewing the two between different sites and talking with several other photographers, I chose the 24-70mm. The faster speed (f2.8 versus f4.0) was a big factor. At the same time I bought the 8-15mm fisheye. I was also planning on getting (and just now received, my 100-400mm f4.5 EF zoom) so I've got a a fairly wide range of focal lengths covered. For the upcharge in price, the 24-70mm is a better way to go, especially in low light.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I currently take a lot of sports photos of my daughter and her volleyball team. I have a Canon D40 and used an f/2.8L EF 70-200mm series lens exclusively until buying the EFL 24-70mm. I shot more wide shots with this lens during a game, without flash, and gyms are not the best place to shoot, but the action shots came out with excellent exposure and what I noticed the most was how sharp they were as I was able to use a shutter speed up to 1/800 with an ISO of 1600. This winter my family and I will travel to Estonia and St. Petersberg, Russia where our oldest daughter is a student and I wanted a lens that would cover a variety of situations with regards to composition and light, as I imagine it will be quite dark there in December and the architecture of those cities will require a lot of outdoor shooting. This is also a once in a lifetime trip and I wanted one of the best lenses possible.
I would recommend this lens without reservation.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
Awesome bokeh, crystal clear, bright colors, quick focus...I couldn't ask for any more from this lens. Sure, it's a bit bulky for what it is, but who cares? It's bombproof construction.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
So glad I invested in this lens. The last lens I purchased was the 28-135mm. Not even comparable to the 24-70mm. LOVE.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
Love this lens,I purchased the lens for a wedding that I was going to shoot and can't be happier with it. I was going to use my 24-105 but read so many good things about the lens that I decided to buy it. can't complain about the lens.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
Thanks for B&H for the fast shipping and delivery. I mostly shoot music videos and this lens is a must for me, it gives depth to my footage and my clients love it.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I've used this lens so far in my studio and it's performed very very well. Images are sharp and focusing is fast!
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I am now on my fourth copy of this lens. The combination of image quality and versatility offered by the zoom range makes this lens pretty much perfect in many ways, but the construction have really let me down. The protruding lens tube, which glides in/out as you zoom it has proved to be the weak spot of this lens, and in professional use will eventually make this lens into an unwanted tilt lens. This has ruined a couple of shoots for me, where I have returned with all images shot at the wide end being hopelessly unsharp everywhere but in the middle as the lens elements had tilted out of alignment. This made me swear I would never touch this lens again. I now keep the 24-105 as a permanent backup. But I don't like that lenses lack of bokeh. So I keep coming back to the 24-70 for lack of alternatives. With the newer 21MP cameras, it is quite clear that corner sharpness leaves a lot to be desired compared to other, newer mkII lenses. AF speed and accuracy isn't particularly impressive either. So this leans is seriously in need of an update to a more robust, sharper mkII or preferably IS version. As it is, I am seriously considering a switch to primes. But I will seriously miss the versatility of the zoom range.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
When I first received this lens I was told to shoot it wide open to make sure I had a good copy. I took it out for a trial run at the local botanical gardens to shoot some florals, I figured this would be a good test of it's sharpness. Needless to say I was not disappointed, I shot everything at f2.8, hand held in different lighting conditions and was extremely happy. I had rented one previously a few years before to shoot a reception and that one was excellent also. I have used it for landscapes and nightscapes and have had great success.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I am a professional photographer and photograph predominately weddings and events with some commercial from time to time.
This lens stays on my camera 90% of the time at wedding and event shoots. For me the versatility offered by this mid range zoom is spot on. It allows me to capture those split second magic magic moments without having to worry about swapping lenses to get in closer or change my field of view. Primes of course produce technically better pictures but only if you actually manage to capture the image at the distance and field of vision you want as it happens. For me, the small trade off in overall image quality is totally worth it to have the speed and versatility provided by this lens. One less thing to worry about. That said, the image quality from this lens is superb, I am only comparing it to an L series prime or better.
My only complaint is that Canon does not make a version of this lens with image stabilization. That would make this lens perfect. Come on Canon! there are a lot of us out there that want this option. Also, as with any zoom, be careful in very low light situations as the auto-focus can have difficulty locking on. You can always use the manual focus here or just switch to a prime.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
I bought this lens after using a freind's, but at the same time purchased a 50L. I used the 50L and loved it without ever wanting to open and use the 24-70. I am now completely sold on primes so I returned the 24-70. I ordered the 35L and 85 1.8 in place of the 24-70... I can't really speak to the sharpness or performance of the 24-70, however I can say that if you don't need the versatility I would go with the 35-50-85 primes. You will love them and the photos they produce.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
Love this lens. Sharp, fast, great for everything I shoot. Weddings, portraits, even landscapes...it's a do-everything lens. Buy it.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
This was my very first L-series lens. I had to chose between this one and the 24-105mm and this was my likely choice because of the lower aperture! This lens does not leave my 5D Mk II's body! It is an awesome lens that gives great pictures with just the right amount of zoom! It is a must have. This only thing I wish it had sometimes was IS.
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Comments about Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens:
wonderful walk-around lens. I was looking for a lens I could use for low-lighting indoors and for family portraits outside and this lens works great for those needs.
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