Pros & Cons
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- Sharp throughout zoom range.
- Constant f/2.8 aperture.
- Fairly compact.
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- Pricey.
- Not stabilized.
- Some distortion.
- Telescoping design.
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Specs
| 35mm Equivalent (Telephoto) | 70 mm |
| 35mm Equivalent (Wide) | 24 |
| Dimensions | 4.4 by 3.5 inches |
| Lens Mount | Canon EOS |
| Optical Zoom | 2.9 x |
| Stabilization | None |
| Type | Lens |
| Weight | 1.8 |
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM ($2,299) is the workhorse lens for many a Canon shooter. With a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout its zoom range, very good optical performance, and a fairly compact design, the lens pairs well with full-frame Canon cameras. Its wide angle to short telephoto zoom range also makes it a good choice for serious hobbyists in search of a walkaround lens. It's on the pricey side, and if you can live with an f/4 lens you might be better served by the less expensive Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM($899.00 at Amazon).
The lens($1,599.00 at Amazon) measures 4.4 by 3.5 inches (HD), has a large front element that requires 82mm filters, and weighs in at a hefty 1.8 pounds. It's fairly squat when set to 24mm, but it does telescope when zoomed. There's a switch to lock it into the 24mm position for storage, as well as a switch to change between manual and autofocus operation. The zoom ring is at the base of the lens and is covered with ridged rubber; it's comfortable to turn and, even though you've got to apply enough torque to push the lens out when zooming, it is comfortable to use. The focus ring sits behind the front element; it's identical in feel to the zoom ring, and requires about a 90° turn to move from the 15-inch minimum focus distance to infinity. Like most modern lenses, there's no hard stop at either extreme of the focal range, so you can quickly rack from the minimum focus to infinity without worry.
There's no optical stabilization. That's not common on a 24-70mm lens, but it's not unheard of either. The competing Sony Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8($649.99 at Amazon) for Alpha SLRs doesn't have it built in, but Sony cameras have in-body stabilization. Canon's own 24-70mm f/4L IS USM is an exception to this rule; it's stabilized, and it has a special macro focusing mode that can get as close as 7.9 inches at 70mm for 1:1.4 magnification.
I used Imatest to check the sharpness of the lens when paired with the full-frame EOS 6D($1,999.99 at Amazon). At 24mm f/2.8 the lens scores 2,631 lines per picture height on our center-weighted sharpness test; that's better than the 1,800 lines we use to mark an image as sharp. That quality holds up through most of the frame, but there is a drop off at the very edges; even so, they still resolve 1,956 lines. Narrowing the aperture shows very minimal improvements; at f/4 the lens scores 2,789 lines, and it peaks at 2,800 lines at f/5.6.
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At 35mm f/2.8 the quality is about the same; it scores 2,546 lines, with solid performance across the frame and edges that top 1,900 lines. Again, narrowing the aperture shows very minimal gains. At 50mm the lens does well through most of the frame, notching a 2,503-line center-weighted score, but there is drop off at the outer edges; they show just 1,600 lines. If you're after edge-to-edge crispness, stop down to f/4 (2,587-line average and 1,751-line edge sharpness) or f/5.6 (2,590-line average and 1,918-line edge sharpness). The story is the same at 70mm; the lens scores 2,409 lines at f/2.8, with edges that hover around 1,600 lines. Stopping down to f/4 increases the center-weighted score marginally (2,462 lines) and edges hit 1,700 lines. At f/5.6 the story gets better: Center-weighted sharpness is 2,519 lines and the edges hit 1,875 lines.
Distortion is an issue with this lens. If you use Lightroom as a Raw converter there is a one-click profile correction available, but you can also correct it manually if desired. At 24mm there's 2.8 percent barrel distortion, which makes straight lines appear to curve outward. At 35mm distortion is gone, but pincushion distortion sets in at 50mm. There you'll see about 1.2 percent, a figure that increases to 1.4 percent at 70mm. That will cause the lines to curve inward, and is a bit more visually disconcerting than barrel distortion. This isn't atypical for a lens of this design; the Carl Zeiss 24-70mm from Sony shows less barrel distortion at 24mm (1.3 percent), but it does exhibit a similar pincushion effect at 70mm (1.3 percent).
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is a solid performer, and one that many a professional Canon shooter has in the gear bag. It does suffer a bit on the value proposition; you end up paying an $800 premium for the f/2.8 aperture when compared with the EF 24-70m f/4L IS USM. That's twice the light hitting the sensor and the ability to create a shallower depth of field, but some shooters may be very happy saving some money and opting for the f/4 version of this lens. It's also a sharp performer, and it offers optical stabilization and closer focus at 70mm—both of which are missing here.
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