EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

I primarily shoot portraits, and this lens has been with me for several years now. Over time, it has proven itself to be one of the most reliable and versatile pieces of gear in my kit—and easily my go-to all-around lens. What I Like The sharpness and clarity are outstanding. Images come out crisp with excellent detail, making it ideal not only for portraits but also for everyday shooting. The constant f/2.8 aperture performs beautifully, especially for subject separation and low-light situations. Its versatility is the biggest reason this lens replaced almost all my other lenses. From wide to mid-telephoto, it covers an incredibly useful focal range without compromising image quality. Build quality is another major highlight—this is not plastic junk. It feels solid, professional, and durable, exactly what you expect from Canon’s L-series. After years of use, it still feels dependable and well-made. What Could Be Better The weight is noticeable, especially during long shooting sessions. While the sturdiness is a plus, it does make the lens a bit heavy for extended handheld use. Image stabilization would also be a welcome addition, particularly for slower shutter speeds, though this is understandable given the lens’s generation and design. Overall Verdict The Canon EF 24–70mm f/2.8L USM is a true workhorse lens. Exceptionally sharp, versatile, and built to last, it has earned its place as my primary lens for portraits and general photography. While it’s a bit heavy and lacks image stabilization, its performance and durability more than make up for it. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a dependable, professional-grade standard zoom.

Let me first state that I am a very inexperienced photographer, so everything I say has to be taken with a grain of salt. I got the 24-70 lens as a present and this is my first lens attached to my first DSLR. I was and still is very eager to learn photography, but I was quite discouraged with my results from the very beginning -- I made not a single sharp photo. Few months later, after extensive reading on the subject and after thousands photos shot, my image quality did not improve. This is when I read other reviewers on Amazon, saying that this particular lens occasionaly comes with a factory defect, which causes blurred images. I called Canon and a very polite representative suggested that the lens may require a recalibration and that I should send it for a warranty check-up and reparir. It cost me more than $40 of postage and insurance to send the lens to the repair center in Irivne, CA. In 5 business days I had the lens delivered back to my front door with a letter, stating that some of the internal parts were misaligned, and that caused blurred images. The letter also claimed that the problem was taken care of. After a few more months of unsuccessful shooting, I concluded that I am not capable of holding a camera still even during the shortest exposure times, and I purchased a tripod and a remote. Well, that did not help either... I wrote a letter to Canon describing the problem and asking to replace the defective lens. A prompt reply from the representative said, and I quote "I'm sorry to hear that your lens is not producing clear images for you. Regrettably, since Canon does not sell lenses directly to the public we are unable to offer any type of refund or exchange for your lens, nor are we able to reimburse you for shipping charges. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, if the lens is not operating as it should you can send it to our Factory Service Center for repair." Along with that email came a UPS shipping label, so at least I did not have to pay for shipping again. 5 business days after I mailed the lens to Irvine, CA, I received the lens back with a loose focus ring and the accompanying letter said "Your product has been examined and it was found that the internal component was broken and therefore the image was blurred. The collars were replaced and product functions were confirmed." This immediately made me wonder as to why the broken parts were not discovered the first time Canon serviced, and why did the focus ring become loose. I sure did not drop my camera since then... Well, I mounted the lens that was serviced by Canon for the second time, and, surprise-surprise -- same blurred image. The experiment was clean enough -- a very sturdy tripod, locked mirror, a remote, no earthquakes in the neighborhood and a good light. Maybe this is about the time to send my Rebel XSi for a service check-up as well, or maybe I should give up on photography all together -- I don't know... But I do know for sure that in 8 months my lens was serviced twice, and each time a factory defect was discovered (and supposedly fixed.) I am sure that 24-70 is a great lens, but I was given no chance to recognize it, since the particular one that I have is not worth the money I spent mailing it to the service center, let alone $1300. Buy it at your own risk.

This is my second L series lens (my other one is the 70-200 4L IS). I use both lenses on an XTi. I love both of them, even though they are big investments. I keep the 24-70 f/2.8 L mounted on my XTi most of the time. When I need the extra reach, I mount the 70-200 (and sometimes I use the 1.4 extender with it, successfully!). When I mounted the 24-70 f/2.8 L lens on my XTi and began taking pictures I was amazed at the high quality this lens produces, very sharp. I am completely impressed and satisfied with this lens. The 24-70 f/2.8 L lens really surprised me at first, because it is a heavy and big lens, but when I got used to that I found it is not overwhelmingly big or heavy (but I notice that it does attract attention that you may not expect!). The pictures are simply the best I have ever taken, even hand held without IS (IS would be nice though)! I was astonished at the pictures from this lens mounted on my XTi, even the ones I half-heartily took. I highly recommend this lens. It is excellent! My two L series lens' do produce excellent quality exposures on the XTi. The XTi APS-C 1.6 form factor is great on the long end but of course limiting on the wide end, which can affect the desired exposure. But this is true for any lens used with the APS-C size CMOS sensor. One can easily deal with that, especially given the great exposures of the L series lens on the XTi, though the Canon 5D may be more appropriate to avoid this problem. Note: There are some very good lenses specifically designed for APS-C sensor, but they are not L build quality lenses, even though at least one of them (EFS 17-55 2.8 IS) produces L series sharpness, they do not have the build quality of the L series lens. The XTi works very well with the 24-70 f/2.8 L series lens, producing excellent quality photos that are very sharp. Yes, one can get by nicely using the XTi with the 70-300 and the 28-135 or similar lenses, but the build quality of the L series lens and the exceedingly high quality output of the L series lens is worth the extra investment for me (even though a big investment!) on my XTi. I say, if you have the money then go for the L series lens, even to use with the XTi. The XTi is a very good camera that works well with these lenses. Yes, canon makes higher quality DSLR cameras that work even better with the L series lens (and I am buying the new version of the 5D when and if it arrives). But, the XTi is a great camera that works very well with the L series lens.

I enjoy landscape, travel and macro photography and felt the 24-70 4L IS USM would be a good fit for me. Here's what I thought about it after several months of use. BUILD is excellent: quality plastics, weather seals, attractive semi-matte finish and sturdy metal mount. Electrical switches are beefy and nearly impossible to inadvertently change. The ribbed rubber zoom and focus rings are large and grippy, and positioned similarly to my 17- 40L and 70-200 4L IS. Appearance is similar to the 24-105L but slightly shorter and lighter. It feels solid and balanced on my 6D. FOCUS is internal so the barrel doesn't rotate or change in length. AF is blazing fast and accurate on my 6D. Manual focus is always active (no switch flip required), smooth and finely pitched, allowing precise adjustments. ZOOMING is accomplished via a single nested barrel. Zoom action is smooth but slightly stiff between 50 and 70. There is no zoom drift when pointed up or down so the barrel lock at 24mm seems superfluous. However, zooms tend to loosen with use so maybe I'll appreciate the lock a few years from now. OPTICAL PERFORMANCE at F4 is sharp edge to edge. Center frame is similar to my 24-105 4L but corners are vastly improved. The best overall performance is at 24mm and 70mm, with slight deterioration at 50mm. This lens required +5 Microadjustment (MA) at 24mm for optimal sharpness (was front focusing). The long end was tack sharp at default (0). In contrast, my 24-105 4L is sharp at defaults (0) and required no MA on my 6D or 5D MKII. There is a small amount of light falloff or corner darkening at 24mm and F4 but noticeably better in this regard than the 24-105 4L. Light falloff at 70mm is about the same as the 24-105L. Stopping down to F5.6 renders light falloff inconsequential. I don't notice light falloff unless testing on a white wall. The most noticeable improvement over the 24-105L is the near absence of barrel distortion at 24mm. My ocean horizons are true! Chromatic Aberration (CA) is also reduced: a tiny amount of color fringing is visible via pixel peeking in corners at 24mm, but almost nothing at longer settings. It certainly bests my 24-105 4L in this regard. Sunsets, spotlights and other bright light sources exhibit little to no flare. Flare resistant is markedly better than the 24-105L, making blazing Hawaiian sunsets a snap! However, use of the included EW-82L hood is recommended for protection from stray light, raindrops and doggie noses. This hood sports rayon flocking, matte black paint matched to the lens and petal cutouts. It has a lock release button but is a little loose and will come off with a light whack or firm rub on a beer gut. I prefer the snug fit of the EW-82H, the OEM hood for the 24-105 4L IS USM. And, yes, the EW-82H fits the 24-70 4L perfectly albeit slightly deeper. There is absolutely no vignette so it's staying on my 24-70 4L. Macro results are impressive at .7x, making it ideal for flowers, small products and artwork. Press and hold the macro switch while turning the zoom past 70mm to engage macro range. Combined with Hybrid Image Stabilization I got sharp free standing flower shots I normally need a tripod for. I still prefer a tripod for such shots but being able to get a sharp impromptu macro is a wonderful feature for travelers. IMAGE STABILIZATION (IS) gave me three additional stops of hand holdable range at 70mm, sometimes four on a good day (no coffee and 8 hours sleep!). The big deal is Hybrid Image Stabilization compensating for both up-and-down and swaying forward and back movements. The swaying back and forth movement often foiled my attempts at shooting museum artwork where tripods weren't allowed, so a welcome feature along with auto panning mode. In a quiet room, I can't hear the IS mechanism while using the camera. IS is only audible if I place my ear directly on the lens. So quieter than the IS unit in the 24-105 4L USM (audible as soft grinding in quiet rooms). LAST BLURB: I had to calibrate (MA) this lens for optimal sharpness. Once dialed in, images were satisfyingly sharp, contrasty and vivid from edge to edge. The game changer--and the main reason to pick this lens over the 24-105L--is the macro and Hybrid IS features. It's basically two lenses in one--normal zoom and macro--and lets me leave my macro lens at home when traveling light. Finally, the most frequent criticism of this lens is the high selling price ($1499). As of August 31, 2014, Canon reduced MAP to $999, making this a darn sweet deal.

Normally I write reviews almost immediately after getting the item. The lens came REALLY fast, three days BEFORE it was supposed to arrive. However, it was gloomy, dark and raining! After work I donned raincoat and boots and went out shooting my dogs playing in the field. The photos were very good, but I couldn't call them great. I was certainly hoping it was the weather so I decided to do some testing the second evening, still rainy, dark and gloomy. I used this lens as well as a "decent" zoom with the same range. When I looked at these photos, I was feeling better. Today it finally stopped raining and got much brighter. Again, I took an assortment of lenses with me, tried them all and I can now say I LOVE this lens!!! I already have the 70mm - 300mm 1:4-5.6 L lens and BOTH lenses gave me super photos... clarity, sharpness, great action shots, and the DOF is fantastic! I did have to play with the lighting post shooting, but it was hard to tell if the greenery was off because of the lens OR because we have had more than a week of rain and gloom during the Spring growth! I have a Canon Rebel T2i, and I NEVER use the video because I hate the results... I tried it with this lens and it was really great! Later the sun actually came out and I went flower shooting in my garden. Even with a breeze and handheld, I got the most amazing shots! Colors and sharpness are right on. I am a hobby photographer, shooting mostly action shots of my dogs playing, some macro shots of my gardens, and nature shots while camping and kayaking. I absolutely HATE to get home and look at my photos and find they are just missing something. After getting the 200 L lens, I had to move up with my zooms as well and I am not sorry at all!!! Once you use these L lenses you cannot go back!!! This lens IS heavy, but not a problem to handhold and carry for any length of time. It is quiet, quick to focus and even with the poor lighting, was not hunting all over the place trying to focus. It is a perfect range to keep on the camera most of the time. I guess I now have some "regular" zoom lenses for sale, LOL!

Warning. If you buy from third party, there is no manufacturer warranty! Purchased this lense to take my daughter’s prom pictures. They all came out blurry. I thought it was user error. Took a class. Tried the camera out again at my daughter’s award ceremony. All blurry. I have since out it through many tests and had it looked at by a professional. This lense has been defective since I purchased it. Canon won’t honor the manufacturer warranty because this company is third party. I contacted the company directly and they told me I was outside the 30 day return window annd they won’t help me. Apparently if you buy expensive products such as a 1300 canon lense, manufacturer warranty is void when purchased through third parties. DO NOT buy expensive products from this company! Horrible customer service!

I bought this lens for two reasons: to replace my kit lens ( Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras ) with some serious L glass, and for the wide angle coverage. The other lenses I use most frequently are Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras and Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras . This lens is very sharp, and captures excellent colors, which I have come to expect from L-series lenses. This lens is more than adequately weather sealed, so I can use it with confidence under circumstances where I would tend to hesitate with my other lenses. After returning from a weekend at the beach, it was amazing to see how many airborne sand particles had been caught by the rubber weather sealing, almost like flies stuck to fly-paper. I was able to use a compressed air can to blow the tiny sand particles away from the external rubber seals - particles that almost certainly would have penetrated most other lenses. I have heard that constant mounting and dismounting of lenses that have weather sealing around the bayonette mount, like this one does, can wear-out the weather seal. For this reason I am trying to be cautious both about using a more gentle mounting/dismounting technique, and about trying to avoid frequently switching out lenses when possible. The seal can be replaced, but at a cost. A quick word about this lens versus the 24-105mm f/4. For me the choice was easy, because I have found I don't really use the Image Stabilization on other lenses I own. I have a pretty steady hand, and for longer shutter speeds I use a tripod anyway. But I do often go down to a f/2.8 aperture. And I already have the over-70mm coverage with my 70-200mm lens, so for me this lens is a better match than the 24-105. One interesting thing to note is that unlike many zoom lenses, this lens actually extends outward as the distance is reduced. This means that for wide-angle shots it is possible to get shadows when using a camera-mounted flash, even without the hood attached. Shooting under ambient light is an alternative, but that means boosting-up the ISO and/or decreasing the shutter speed. Of course this works much better with modern equipment than in the days of film cameras, but isn't always the best option. This minor annoyance aside, I love this lens and wouldn't trade it for any existing comparable lens. It is heavier than most other wide-angle zooms, but not excessively so. The 24-70mm range provides good coverage, and when paired with a 70-200mm or even the 70-300mm, you've got excellent coverage for almost all circumstances. The most important qualities in a lens for me are sharpness, color, and versatility, and this lens is right on the money. The weather sealing is a huge bonus. A valuable lens!

I had been looking it to buying this lens for a couple of years and finally this October bit the bullet and got it. I am primarily a nature and event photographer, and I was looking for a lens to fill the gap between my 17-40mm f4 L lens and my 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 L lens as well as the 70-200mm II USM L lens. Having just shot my first event almost exclusively with this lens I found that the constant 2.8 aperture was great for the areas in the building that were not as well lit, my 17-40mm f4 was a little slow in the room where the event was held, I had to bump my iso up to achieve a fast enough shutter speed in order to freeze the people moving around. I found that at 24mm this lens is wide enough for my uses on a 40D which is a crop body, for images that need more of a field of view I use my 17-40. When shooting out in nature this lens functions as a landscape and macro lens as well as a short telephoto which it was made to be. I would say that this lens is very close to the new Canon 70-200mm II L Lens in terms of sharpness and fast focusing. The images that come out of the camera are pretty much razor sharp little to no sharpening needed. Contrast- With this lens the contrast is much better then I have with some of my other lenses when taking a photo where one are is shaded and another is in sunlight I can tell details of the shaded and sun lit parts with no adjustments. Obviously when adjustments have been made the photos look better. Saturation- A couple days ago there was a beautiful sunset one evening I went out and shot it and when the images came up on the computer screen it looked like I was looking through a window outside, it looked exactly like I had seen it when I was shooting. Macro- This lens can function as a macro lens, although it does not replace a dedicated macro lens it does a good job. Over all this lens is well worth the money, if you need a medium telephoto lens for nature photography or event photography don't hesitate to buy it. I have heard the rumors that a new version of this lens is going to be coming out soon. Whether or not this is true I don't now I do know that this lens is a great addition to my arsenal of lenses and when a new version does come out mine will still work just fine.