The improved version of the well-known wide-aperture lenses
Canon EF 24-70MM
F2.8L II USM
Regardless the brand name, two f/2.8 zooms have dominated photographer’s
pocket for years, covering the ranges of 24-70mm and 70-200mm. In case of
Canon, they are lenses designed without any compromise to meet high-demand
users. They are, of course, very expensive, but their names come first and the
presence of a new version will surely excite people a lot. However, it results
in a question: how could these lenses become better?
Canon EF 24-70MM F2.8L II USM is shorter and more
lightweight than the ancestor, yet it is costlier. It also has a bigger front
part, with an 82mm filter thread (in replacement of a 77mm model). Moreover, inside
there’re now 9 blades, instead of 8 ones, to make aperture-geometry rounder for
a smoother tilt-shift focusing.
The new 24-70mm lens looks much more modern than the previous,
with a slightly progressive widening of the lens barrel from back to front. The
zoom ring is still is the back and the manual focus ring is still in the front
with a focused-distance window and the AF/MF selector switch which the two. Manual
focusing adjustment can be applied in AF mode and the close proximity of the
two rings helps you to switch from zoom to focus by moving your thumb. Two
rings are quite larger than before: while the lens is naturally held, user’s
second finger lies on focus ring and the third finger can be pushed back to zoom
ring with a minimal effort.
The new 24-70mm
lens looks much more modern than the previous, with a slightly progressive
widening of the lens barrel from back to front.
Canon’s previous 24-70mm zoom was criticized for “macro”
label applied onto closest focusing distances while the maximal reproduction
ratio was only 0.29X, clearly lost to the 1:1 ratio for real macro shooting.
It’s really good to say that cheeky “macro” label is no longer in existence.
Focusing processes inside and doesn’t cause any rotation of
the front part but zooming takes place outside, leading to a 30mm widening of
the lens. The structure is described, by Canon, as “a tightly sealed structure”
ensuring excellent “water-proof and dust-proof ability” but it has no tightness
in movement of rings, both offers rational amount of resistance.
A tight rubber sealing ring fitted into the mounting flange
is an only clearly sign of the water-proof ability but the lens is also covered
by a fluorite layer on bare surfaces of the head and tail parts to reduce dust-gathering.
A field test with this lens was a completely happiness: image
quality was good, and image distortion was inconsiderable in all ranges. Essentially,
the last zoom ring functioning as lens cover, when reversed for storage, didn’t
prevent zooming was used right when a picture-taking situation occurred. Applying
zoom lock would create difficulty in this respect, thus it has never been used
throughout the test as never before had there been any problem with a lens
extending itself under its own weight.
A technical test showed off a little color-fringing in
shortest focal lengths, which was disappointing, but in another hand, the
result was very outstanding. The highest resolution that was over
0.4cycle/pixel and MTF curves never fell below 0.25cycl/pixel.
Overall, this lens is excellent. Yes, there was chromatic
aberration only in technical test and it couldn’t be found out unless it was carefully
looked for. Similarly, there’s no escaping that Canon’s new 24-70mm lens costs
twice as much as the model it replaces but it offers a great progress in image
quality. In general, this is a standard zoom that many Canon users desire.
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Technical specifications
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Max. aperture: f/2.8
·
Min. aperture: f/22
·
Lens mount: Canon
·
Number of blades: 9
·
Image stabilization: No
·
Optics (elements/groups): 18/13
·
Min. focus: 0.38cm
·
Filter thread: 82mm
·
Lens cover: Yes
·
Width: 88cm
·
Length: 113cm
·
Weight: 805g
Pros
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Excellent sharpness
·
Build quality
Cons
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Slight color-fringing at short focal lengths
Verdict
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Test result: 95%
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