CanonEF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Standard Zoom Lens

I purchased this lens in 2013 and have waited to get some really good use out of it before posting this review. I use this lens on my Canon 7D and my Canon Mark 5D Mark lll.This is the greatest lens I've ever used... challenged only by the Canon 70-200mm L IS II. It is unbelievably sharp throughout the zoom range. I've taken shots that would rival the most expensive primes. Focusing is almost instantaneous. You target it, and it focuses... . The build is solid and strong. It is not nearly as heavy though as the previous model.This EF lens features a zoom lock which prevents the barrel from zooming out while hanging from the neckstrap and also has full-time manual focusing (like most Canon lenses).The lens diameter is 82mm which is the same as my EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM so IF I wanted to use a filter, it would interchange between these two lenses.This is my workhorse lens in my Fashion businesses. I shoot mostly indoors with a Canon 5D Mark lll. This lens works perfectly on this camera. I use the f/2.8 more than any other f/stop on the lens and it gives me great indoor shots that my business requires. Coupled with the Speedlite 600EX-RT they are a team that works well together.The lens has been redesigned and the main result is improved sharpness throughout.The lens is very fast to focus and works well in all lighting circumstances.It is now more water and dust proof.It is built to last.The hood is a short wing designPROS:- Build quality - feels solid but not as heavy as it's predecessor. Zoom and focus rings are a bit snug but they both rotate smoothly.- AF performance - on the 5D Mk III it locks focus quickly. It SEEMS like it's faster than the original which I have only used one time.- Image quality - Sharp and beyond belief. This lens produces super sharp images of high resolution and produces photos as good as any prime lens.Cons:The only con to this lens is no IS. I was hoping that they were going to release an IS version of this lens but in speaking to Canon at the last Professional Photography Imaging Convention, they have no plans at that time to release this lens with IS, mainly because it would add quite a bit of weight to the lens.I won't say cost is a con. You get what you pay for and if you have chosen this lens you are now enjoying the sharpness and quality build of one of the best if not the best lens Canon offers so no conplaint on the price since anyone using this chose to purchase it at that price.I have shot people, landscape, waterscape, fashion, sunsets and sunrises and birds with this lens in RAW and JPEG. It is definitely over the top for quality photos especially on my Canon 5D Mark lll.

I'm a career photojournalist and bought the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II lens to fill that yawning gap between my 16-35 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8. I've used this lens to shoot a variety of editorial, business, PR and party assignments. My impressions:1. Dang, this sucker is expensive! I coughed up about $2200 with tax.2. As everyone says, too bad it doesn't have IS.3. Somewhat chunky, but anyone who handles pro gear will hardly notice. One disappointment is that the front section slides forward 1-1/2 inches when zooming from 24mm to 70mm. I'm surprised this Canon upgrade didn't incorporate an internal zooming mechanism like the 16-35 and 70-200. This weather-sealed lens uses a latch to lock at 24mm for travel and running around.4. The lens analysis in DPreview.com is dead on: you see significant vignetting at f/2.8, but it settles down at f/4.0 and nearly disappears by f/5.6. Some minor barrel distortion.5. Superb sharpness and contrast even at f/2.8, comparable to the legendary 70-200 f/2.8! Excellent color.6. Truly superior lens flare control, even when shooting directly into light sources! Locking lens hood (included) is shallower than I prefer for optimal protection of that massive 82mm front element. My lens came with a standard snap-on lens cap; I replaced the Canon cap with a Fotodiox 05CAPT82x1 82mm Inner Pinch Lens Cap and it works nicely.7. Close focusing is okay. Not macro quality, but close-ups at 70mm are acceptable, even at f/2.8.Conclusion: this is a real workhorse that will remain attached to one of my full frame bodies from now on. Horribly expensive, Canon is charging all the market will bear. But since I will probably use it for the next decade, I'm not complaining--too much!LOW LIGHT UPDATE: last week I had an assignment to shoot stills on the slasher/suspense movie set "Killing Mr. Right." I used this lens to shoot handheld existing light at f/2.8 the whole time. I was blown away with the razor sharp images! I was tap dancing right at the edge of usable existing light, but the photos turned out great! Yeah, I wish it had IS, but this lens is sharp enough to cut ya!UPDATE 2: I've been using this lens for two years now. It is my "go-to" lens that usually remains glued to one of my 5D III bodies. Optically it as good as or superior to almost all fixed focal length lenses.