Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

After upgrading to an EOS 5D my existing standard lens EF 24-85mm f4.5-5.6 showed it's faults. While it gave me superb results on my old 400D it was not up to the 5D.
I bit the bullet and payed the price, the lens is amazing, even at f2.8 images are very sharp at the centre albeit with slightly soft edges, at f5.6 it's faultless, it is slightly bulky and I feel it would not suit a 350 or 400D body due to it's quite heavy weight.
The best thing about it is the f2.8 aperture on my 5D it gives small depth of field which is great for portrait work and isolating subjects from the background.
If you own a 30 5 or 1D you should own one of these lenses.
The focusing is so fast it's often focused before I've realised.
Test reports on the lens say it distorts at the wide and tele end well if it does I can't see it in photographs.
One of the best buys I have ever made, after the 5D itself, 99% of all my wedding photography is carried out with the 5D the 24-70 and a 580EX.

Conclusion; Amazing.

Great lens, this is definetly one of the best. Great optics smooth focussing. The lens is great with a full frame sensor but for those of you with a crop factor this lense has a great telephoto effect for use in the studio and outside.

The lens was purchased to cover the wide to short tele region on APS-C format camera with intention of upgrading to full frame. I have previously tried several alternatives which I will also briefly cover. Overall, this lens is a clear winner regardless the price. It is sharp and fast, exactly what was needed. The lens has been designed to be used wide open, unless greater depth of field is required.

+ The lens is sharp at f/2.8, and best in the 28-60mm region. Stopping down mainly improves corners.
+ The colours and bokeh are outstanding
+ The lens resolves really well and doesn't loose detail
+ Full weather-sealing ensures lens stays clean and dry.
+ USM focus system is extremely accurate and lightning fast
+ Comes with lens hood
+ sharpening works really well

- Weight is just within my limits, it is a little large and may require a larger camera bag. Hand holding this lens is harder than lighter lenses of around 600g weight.
- no IS
- DOF is still quite wide for portraits
- f/2.8 can be still marginal for most indoor applications and may require flash
- CA is well controlled, but is present at 24-28mm and 70mm (correctable in raw converter)

So it is very good for most midrange photos including landscapes, people, products and events. It complements longer 70-200mm zooms really well.

*ALTERNATIVES*

The other similar lens from Canon is 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom with more useful range. The IS is really attractive, but 24-70mm has less distortion on full frame at 24mm. It may be a close call though depending on applications.

Sigma also makes 24-70mm zoom. All copies I tried including the new HSM were very soft in the corners (APS-C) and heavily front-focused; This may be less of an issue with newer cameras that feature AF microadjustment, but corner softness, haziness and lack of contrast are hard to correct.

Tamron makes 28-75mm f/2.8 lens, and there are second hand Tokina 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 (f/2.8 SV is the newer inferior version) copies on ebay. The latter is probably the best of the pack judging from other reviews, however I haven't tried either one.

For portraiture and studio work, primes are a much better option, including 50mm, 85mm, 100mm, 135mm and 200mm.

If the only aim is to take day out photos, or lightweight holiday kit is required (i.e. typical consumer use), Nikon D60 18-55mm VR kit is more appropriate at a fraction of cost, and at f/5.6 will give comparable results. For indoor shooting SB-600 can take care of the rest. I am sorry I can't recommend the corresponding Canon kit due to extremely poor kit lenses. *Canon 24-70mm is a highly specialised lens, that can take low light and action shots.*

Overall, I am very happy with the image quality of this lens with some reservations about the weight and the limited range.

I have a Canon 40D and purchased this particular Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM lens for its clarity and brightness and the extra versatility offered by the easily composed out-of-focus background it provides. A great further feature is the special effects of its macro range. It is also completely compatible with my Speedlite 580 EXII flash unit. Altogether a neat purchase.