The EF24-70mm f/2.8L lens is often the first L series lens that many photographers opt to buy. It covers a focal range from wideangle to short telephoto and is centred on the standard focal length of 50mm that gives a perspective very similar to that of the human eye. You can shoot everything from landscapes to portraits without having to change lens.

Who is it for?

The lens is often favoured by photojournalists for the focal range, which gives versatility in use, and fast maximum aperture allowing you to continue shooting in low light situations.

Key features

• High-speed AF
• Optimised lens coatings
• Highly resistant to dust and water droplets
• Minimum focusing distance: 0.38m at all focal lengths
• Front of lens doesn’t rotate during focusing
• Manual focus possible in AF mode
• Only lead-free glass is used

The constant f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range means that you always have optimum control over depth-of-field and it also makes the lens a great low light performer, able to make the most of what ambient light may be available before you need to resort to using flash.

 

Side view of the EF24-70mm f/2.8L lens.

With a close focusing distance of just 38cm, you can get in near to your subject to add impact, or take a step back to include more of the surroundings. It is a lens that requires footwork on the part of the photographer to truly get the most out of it. For those that want to get really close to their subjects, it features a maximum magnification of 0.29x allowing for close-up photography as well.

The kens includes two types of aspherical lens elements - one ground glass, one glass mold (GMo) - combined with a single ultra-low dispersion (UD) element to provide high-quality, sharp images with the high resolution that’s appropriate to an L series lens.

To ensure sharp, in-focus images, the lens is fitted with a ring-type USM autofocus motor for fast, silent focusing at all times. Being an L series lens, it is constructed for the harsh conditions it is likely to be put through by professional photographers. When attached to one of the EOS-1 series cameras, the lens retains the dust and weather sealing characterised by those cameras.

• USM autofocus
  A ring-type USM autofocus motor means you can focus quickly, near-silently and with precision. It also provides full-time manual focus so that you can adjust the focus with the focus ring, without first having to switch the lens to manual focus. This allows you to adjust the focus accurately to ensure it is exactly where you want it to be for the most creative control possible.