SLR Geek

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This is a personal comparison of the Canon 24-70mm F/2.8 L USM lens (24-70) vs my other Canon wide angle lenses the Canon EF-S 17-55mm Image Stabilizer (IS) lens (17-55) and Canon 17-40 F/4 L USM lens (17-40).

The 24-70 looks and feels like a heavy quality precision jeweled instrument that should last two life times. I originally purchased it as a backup to my 17-55 IS for wedding photography.

I love the look and handling of primes but during a wedding many times you can not move so you need a zoom. I also needed the 24-70 for my new Canon 5D Mark II since an EF-S lens will not fit on a full frame sensor camera and my Canon 17-40 was too wide and too slow for weddings but great when need for wider work.

I also considered the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS but I wanted the Bokeh that the F/2.8 aperture would provide and I saw reviews that the 24-70 was the sharper lens.

I performed sharpness and contrast tests back to back on all my wider angle lenses and all were amazingly sharp. The 24-70 along with the 17-40 seemed to have the best contrast and colors. The 24-70 like the 17-40 is also weather sealed and has better reach then the 17-55 or 17-40. And the 24-70 and 17-55 both have the F/2.8 speed, but the 24-70 is much heavier then the EF-S and the 24-70 does not have IS.

Wedding photograph taken with 24-70 at 24mm

24-70 zoom at 70mm, crop by zoom without moving

Unexpected events:

The 24-70 F/2.8 L lens seems to have a knack for going out of calibration! Soon after acquiring it and after two weddings I noticed photos taken at the end of the second wedding were soft wide open. I compared the photos of the first wedding and was shocked to find they were much sharper then the second. I was also disappointed my copy of the 24-70 has the same poor grabby zoom feel as the 17-55 EF-S lens. Every other Canon L zoom I own has a buttery smooth zoom action especially my 17-40 F/4 L.

Repairs

I sent the 24-70 in to Canon for repairs and surprise! After sending it in the zoom is much better and it’s now actually sharper then the 17-40 at all settings! And it’s turned into a real stunner mounted on my 5D Mark II at times approaching the look of a prime lens. It’s now suddenly really sharp at F/2.8 but then softer until about F/4 for some reason but that’s fine as I either shoot wide open or stopped down to F/5.6 or so. I’m much happier with it now after repair and the zoom action is smoother as well.

Repair statement from Canon:

“We have examined the lens according to your request, and it was found that the adjustment of the pcb assembly was incorrect the image was blurred. Electrical adjustments were carried out on the pcb assembly. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and mechanical adjustments were carried out.”

Photo taken at sun rise with the 24-70 of the Vegas strip from the 17th floor of the Stratosphere Hotel

But now after taking the 24-70 on a trip to Vegas it starting to get soft at F/2.8 again. This same trip I have other lenses I used just as much or more. I even accidentally dropped my 17-40 onto the floor from waist height and its still flawless!! The 24-70 I have always handled like a critical care patient.

Pros:

Weather sealed

Great lens hood included

Very sharp stopped down

Fantastic colors and contrast

Great USM super fast auto focus

Sharp wide open when in calibration

Auto Lens Vignetting correction using peripheral Illumination

Length does not change when zoomed if lens hood is mounted

Cons:

NO IS!

Cost

Size

Heavy

Very soft wide open if out of calibration

Very Repair prone, the only lens I own that’s needed repair!

Wide angle end is a little narrow on cropped sensor cameras

Hood blocks built in flash for 40D and Rebels in top part of photos

Zoom action was poor and grabby when new but later went smooth after repair and break-in

Continued use:

I find myself reaching for this lens when using the 5D Mark II and usually for a wedding for the Bokeh, contrast and clarity. And I find my self really missing IS which makes a huge difference in a very dark location such as inside a church lit by candle light when you may already be at 3200 ISO just to get the shot.

For the most part the EF-S 17-55 IS F/2.8 is THE lens I have on my 40D most of the time. If I wasn’t shooting weddings and didn’t have a 5D Mark II I wouldn’t own it at all and would suggest the 17-55 IS F/2.8.

Auto Vignetting peripheral illumination control:

Canon has Auto Lens Vignetting correction that works with this lens both in camera with JPEG’s and in RAW using peripheral Illumination control in Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) when using newer Canon digital EOS cameras (Canon Rebel T1i, 50D, 5D Mark II etc.) . No more vignetting when shooting wide open!!! When shooting Raw open the file(s) in DPP and click on NR/Lens Lens Aberration Correction / Tune and click on Peripheral illumination. The newer cameras already pick up the amount of vignetting based on focusing distance, zoom setting and F stop from the lens and the camera has saved the information with the Raw file. You can then adjust the amount under Peripheral Illumination if you don’t like the amount automatically suggested. If you shot JPEG then you get the auto amount. Pretty cool!

Conclusion:

The Canon 24-70mm F/2.8 L USM lens is fragile and has required sending back to Canon for recalibration but is a must have in my arsenal mainly for wedding use. The color, saturation and sharpness of this lens are simply second to none in the Canon wide angle zoom arena as long as it’s in calibration. I’m hoping Canon will come out with an Image Stabilized and less fragile version soon!

Even with this remote’s basic use as a shutter release, The Canon TC80N3 timer remote is a handy tool to have. To eliminate possible camera shake, it’s advisable to use a shutter release combined with mirror lock-up and placing your camera in on a tripod in low light situations. Using the shutter release in this way helps to limit camera shake which improves the sharpness of your images.

Fourth in a series of personal Canon lens reviews using the Canon 5D Mark II. Do you love taking photos of: Landscapes, aircraft hangars, car or aircraft interiors or other locations where you need as wide an angle of view as possible? If so then this article is for you.

First impressions:

In the old days almost all SLR 35mm style lens had a quality feel. Built to last forever with super smooth zoom and focusing rings they came with a lens hood and carrying bag. The lens mounted to the camera body with a precision feel like the two were actually made by someone that cared. Other details included built in lens focusing scales. With the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L lens like most Canon L lenses that’s exactly what you are getting, a precision functional work of art.

When the Canon 10D was introduced, I decided to transition from film to digital photography. Doing so meant I couldn’t use any of my film lenses. With a budget in mind, I decided to purchase the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom and a telephoto lens. Four years later, I considered replacing my most used lens, the Canon EF 28-135mm, with the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L.

The Canon EF 28-135 and Canon 24-105 L at a glance are similar lenses, as they have a similar build. The Canon EF 28-135 is a little shorter, weighs a few ounces less, and has a longer focal range. These lenses are black, have USM drive mechanisms for optimum AF performance, and are good walk-about lenses. Both utilize a standard twist zo om focus, permits for auto or manual focusing, and have image stabilization – IS.

Third in a series of personal Canon lens reviews using the Canon 5D Mark II …

Warning! Never: Borrow, rent, or attach this lens to your camera! You will have to own it. It’s that good!

Think F/2.8 is amazing at 135mm focal length when shooting a portrait? Think again! Wait until you see F/2 at 135mm. It’s the difference between a blurred distracting object and a wall of artistic Bokeh!

Take a look at the Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 135mm F/2 L photo below taken at F/2 and notice how the Spanish Conquistador stands out sharply!

Second in a series of personal Canon lens reviews using the Canon 5D Mark II…Do you love taking photos of: Animals at the zoo, aircraft at air shows, birds of prey, Jousting knights and faire damsels at renaissance festivals with a you are there look? And looking at them later and they look like you remembered seeing them with your own eyes? Then this article is for you!

Introduction:

The Canon EF 100-400 F/4.5 – F/5.6 IS L zoom lens or 100-400 as I like to call it is easily the biggest surprise of all my lenses and the 2^nd most used lens in my Canon 5D Mark II arsenal. And when used correctly with my Canon 5D Mark II you get the feeling you are looking through a window at what you just photographed that day. I’ll talk more about how I get this look later in the article; it’s not just the magic lens and camera.

First in a series of personal Canon lens reviews using the Canon 5D Mark II…

Why did I title this review “Looking window and my Canon EF 85mm F/1.2 II Lens“? Because viewing photos I took with my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 85mm F/1.2 II L lens looks like I’m actually looking through an open window at the subject! (See the B-17 Bomber Sentimental Journey photo). It takes: an L lens like the Canon 85mm F/1.2 II L stopped down to F/4, a new iMac 24 computer and some practice to do it. Ok, it does take some dedicated operator input this isn’t a point and shoot operation after all. It also means shooting in Raw and tweaking and processing the photos in Canon’s excellent Digital Photo Professional (DPP).