Canon 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.

Great value, sharp in the centre and the corners sharpen up nice by f8. The macro facility is an added bonus.This lens was over £1000 when launched so it's great value.

I was really looking for an L lens for my 60D as sooner i will be upgrading to full frame so planned to buy an EF lens as a future investment ( i already have canon 50 1.8/ tamron 17-50 non vc and canon 70-200 f4 IS USM ) I was torn between EF 24-105 f4 and 24-70 f4, finally i was glad that i choose this. Extremely sharp even at corners works excellent with my crop sensor 60D. solid L built, though comparing to 24 105 and 24 70 2.8 11 its light and IS works good its hybrid latest and does not sounds like in 70 200 f4. Its only few days its arrived I can only say that when its on my 60D i dont need mounting my prime for extra sharpness can do even portraits Im really happy with the purchase and that too at this bargain price which is current prevailing prices in USA for a white box- canon always being higher then Nikon in india but love it canon is canon. Im not a professional photographer just hobbyist Update : Today on 7th July15 i must say that I made the right decision its really an excellent choice after this you only need tele like 70-200 or 70-300 etc nothing more left to desire this lens will take care of most of your quality needs with super images it produces. Except for the extra reach ( 50-105 ) which i rarely miss, in all other areas its much superior to 24-105L. Also since I wrote bargain price almost equal to USA price for white box no more stands correct as I got this Amazon.in deal for just 49K in Feb 15 but now the prices are different.

I'm a part time professional photographer, and a self-labelled prime lens snob. However, in the interests of client satisfaction, for certain gigs I needed more flexibility than 3 prime lenses could offer. Initially I believed an f4 maximum aperture would be a handicap. This proves to be false, in the case of this lens. When mounted on a full frame body, performance seems superior even to the f2.8... Breakdown of pros and cons: Pros: -extremely well priced -optically delivers better results than a borrowed f2.8L -quiet and responsive AF usable even for video. -IS seems effective down to about 1/15 sec. -macro switch is a nice touch, though takes some getting used to -lightweight and relatively discreet -rugged enough to be caught in a shower/use in dusty natural environments Cons: My version arrived in a plain box with no warranty card. I'm assuming it's a grey import. -zoom action feels a little coarse, would be problematic for serious movie making. -external zoom can be annoying when using on a light body such as RP or crop sensor. -macro is useful, but the switch is a little worrisome until user becomes habituated. -the styling is a bit old fashioned which is not surprising. This is not a recent iteration but a tried and tested formula. I tend to tape over the logos and superfluous writing in any case so this is a non-issue for me. My uses: -Hobby, including aviation and nature/landscape shots. -location photography for events and commercial purposes -weddings, as a wide and close portrait/group lens when moving around is not an option. Perfect for a hobby photographer to take on a stroll. It would more than deliver great results under wide ranging conditions... even on a crop sensor body the lens would provide a good focal range and a relatively decent weight ratio.

Actually, i've upgraded from 24-105L with this lens. Even though the latter is a much preferred option as a walk around lens, that would suit a full frame body like 6D/5D etc but for a cropped sensor body like my 70D this is ultimate. fantastic tack sharp pictures, moderate wide to portraits and last but not the least 'macro' function is really superb. overall, i would say, this 24-70D is an ideal L grade all purpose lens. Pros: No lens creep (has lens lock), great optics, weather resistant, macro capability, great price Cons: None

Historically, I've always been impressed with the quality of Canon lenses. However, out of the box, this particular item was disappointing. So much so, that I didn't even mount it on my camera. The extending lens barrel displayed a significant amount of play (both in extended and retracted positions), while even gentle shaking resulted in quite a noticeable noise and the feel of loose internal components. Not sure how this ever got past quality control.