Canon EF 24-70mm f/4.0L IS USM Standard Zoom Lens

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Price: $1,499.00    

Product Feature

• L Series standard zoom lens delivers superb image quality in a compact, lightweightdesign
• 2 aspheric and 2 UD lens elements for high image quality throughout the entire zoom range
• Full macro shooting mode with up to 0.7x magnification,easily accessible with a one touch switch at the extreme telephoto end
• Image stabilization effective up to 4 shutters peed stops and Hybrid IS compensates for both angular and shift types of camera shake for macro shooting
• Resistant to dust and water, enabling shooting even in harsh and rigorous conditions

Product Description

L Series standard zoom lens delivers superb image quality in a compact, lightweightdesign 2 aspheric and 2 UD lens elements for high image quality throughout the entire zoom range Full macro shooting mode with up to 0.7x magnification,easily accessible with a one touch switch at the extreme telephoto end Image stabilization effective up to 4 shutters peed stops and Hybrid IS compensates for both angular and shift types of camera shake for macro shooting Resistant to dust and water, enabling shooting even in harsh and rigorous conditions

Canon EF 24-70mm f/4.0L IS USM Standard Zoom Lens Review

This is a wonderful $800 kit lens that happens to be $1400. You're paying for novelty and convenience. If you must have macro and can't bear to carry another lens, this is your buttered bread. Otherwise, pick up someone's unused 24-105/4L IS for a song and any separate macro. Or flip the 24-105 backwards in a pinch.

NUMBERS:

* 600g 3.3" x 3.7"
* 4-stop IS
* 77mm filter
* weather-sealed w/ filter
* 1-year warranty w/ receipt

OPTICS & HANDLING:

To preface: if you have a crop body (e.g., 20D-60D, 7D, Rebels), buy the 17-55/2.8 IS. There's no advantage to the 24-70/4 IS but weather sealing and macro.

It handles like the 24-105, except for the macro mode that requires racking out to 70mm and flipping a side switch. Balance is very good on a 6D. Zoom and focus work smoothly. The front element extends with higher focals. The macro switch also has a lock-at-24mm function for no particular reason. There's no lens creep here.

Compared to the 24-105, chromatic aberration, vignetting, and distortion are improved. Raw shooters yawn at this; all three are checkbox corrections with minimal degradation in any decent raw converter. Flare and contrast are slightly better on the new lens thanks to improved coatings. Like the 24-105 and most other zooms, the effective focal drops with closer focus. Sharpness in a well-calibrated copy is consistent across the frame and very good straight from f/4. It's somewhat better than the 24-105 at f/4 at 24mm and 70mm. Stop down at all and the differences become subtle. Shoot at 50mm and the 24-105 comes out ahead.

Minimum focus distance is 15", typical for this class. Macro mode reduces this to as little as 2" for 0.7X maximum magnification. True macros start at 1X. On a full-frame body, an object about 2" wide fills the frame, but you'll end up blocking ambient light and light from any non-ring external flash. Living subjects also tend to prefer a bit more breathing room.

The IS system is ostensibly good for four stops, though you can expect less in macro mode. The 24-105 has been tested to 3.5 stops; there won't be any practical difference. Panning detection for both is automatic. The usual stabilization caveat applies: it's only good to correct hand-shake. It can't freeze a moving object any better than any other f/4 lens.

ALTERNATIVES:

Canon 24-105/4L IS --

The most obvious alternative. Because it's the kit lens for the 5D II and 6D, it's very common to find mint used copies (often never opened and still under warranty) for around $700. What do you sacrifice? The macro feature, some weight and bulk, low distortion at 24mm, and corner sharpness at f/4. Otherwise, the two are close kin. The 24-105 handles well, the stabilization is excellent, and a well-calibrated copy will be indistinguishable from the 24-70/4 by f/5.6.

* $1100
* 660g 3.3" x 4.2"
* 3.5-stop IS
* 77mm filter
* weather-sealed w/ filter
* 1-year warranty w/ receipt

Sigma 24-105/4 OS --

A wild card. Heavier, larger, and built better than Canon's version. Same maximum magnification. Compatible with Sigma's USB dock for focus tuning. From the samples I've seen, bokeh is top-class. Too early to judge sharpness, but I expect it to slot between the 24-105/4L and 24-70/2.8 II.

* $900
* 885g 3.5" x 4.3"
* 4-stop OS
* 82mm filter
* not weather-sealed
* 4-year warranty w/ registration

Canon 24-70/2.8L II --

The creme de la creme. It's 25% heavier, almost an inch longer, doesn't have IS or macro, and costs $2200. Aperture for aperture, it's also the sharpest and most consistent lens in this range that Canon has ever produced. It doesn't have the 24-70/4's weakness at 50mm, or really any to speak of. Spring for it (or another f/2.8 lens) if you want to shoot indoors without a flash at less than ISO 3200 or for superior subject isolation.

* $2200
* 805g 3.4" x 4.4"
* no IS
* 82mm filter
* weather-sealed w/filter
* 1-year warranty w/ receipt

Canon 24-70/2.8L --

The predecessor to the Mark II and about the same price as the 24-70/4 on the used market. It's even larger and heavier than the Mark II, zooms weirdly (longer at 24mm), and has less flare control. As with the Mark II, no macro or IS here, and I've found a great deal of copy variation. It's also unusually prone to optical misalignment with mild impacts. All that aside, a well-calibrated copy is at least as sharp as the 24-70/4 at the same aperture. And it's a stop faster.

* ~$1200
* 950g 3.3" x 4.8"
* no IS
* 77mm filter
* weather-sealed w/ filter
* no warranty

Tamron 24-70/2.8 VC --

Another compelling third-party alternative. You lose macro and gain a stop. If I nitpick, autofocus isn't quite as fast, VC isn't quite as steady, bokeh isn't as smooth, it takes larger filters and distorts more at 24mm, and Photozone pointed out a focus-shift issue most apparent when stopped down with very close subjects. (They pointed out the same thing with the 24-70/4.) Otherwise, it's indistinguishable at the same apertures and far preferable in low light.

* $1300
* 825g 3.4" x 4.3"
* 3-stop VC
* 82mm filter
* "moisture resistant"
* 6-year warranty to original purchaser

A QUALITY CAVEAT:

Beware copy variation. I qualify these evaluations with 'well-calibrated' because some copies perform badly straight from the factory. Others have been knocked out of alignment with rough handling. Test whatever you buy. Problems here manifest as poor performance at wide apertures, particularly at the edges. A sharper side suggests a centering problem. More than one testing site has reported lackluster results with multiple copies of the 24-70/4L IS, most often at 50mm. You can send a lens under warranty back to Canon for calibration. Forgo a warranty and they'll charge you $150 or more for the service. Amazon has a liberal return policy that covers return shipping for up to three copies.

IN SUM:

"The best lens is one you're likely to have with you." This one will be glued to your camera. Could you do better with a dedicated macro and the 24-105? Sure, but that'd require buying the macro, keeping it nearby, and swapping lenses. This 24-70/4 is all about small size, minimal weight, versatility, and convenience. Yield on any of these and superior alternatives bubble up.

You should be lukewarm about macro. If you don't care, the 24-105 is too similar for half the price. If you do, the 100/2.8 and 180/3.5 provide better optics and working distance.

You shouldn't intend to shoot moving things indoors under ISO 3200. If you do, a 24-70/2.8 from whatever make is your huckleberry.

On the merits, this is a 4.5-star lens. On price, it's three. I'm aggregating to four. Expect future rebates.

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