The 24 – 70mm is an all-round great lens for any photographer of any ability level. If you’re an advanced photographer, then you will know that the 24 – 70mm lens is a great first lens to buy as its both easy to use and highly versatile.
However, there are far too many brands, specifications and designs that make picking a 24 – 70mm lens a lot harder than it has to be. This article will address these concerns; showing you the best overall 24 -70mm lenses for your Canon camera that are on the market right now.
A 24-70mm lens represents the focal length of the lens – or in other words the distance between the main sensor located on your Canon camera and the optical center of the lens. This lens is therefore a wide-angle lens but will also function extremely well as a zoom lens as most 24-70mm lenses have a very large field of depth resulting in a sharp focus for objects both close up, and further away from your shooting position.
Things to consider before you pick out a lens are the general specifications, the close focusing capabilities of the lens (if you want to shoot close up shots more often), the versatility of the lens and lastly how the lens functions for you.
Here is our list of the best 24-70mm lens for your Canon camera:
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens for Canon
The Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 lens for Canon cameras is a great lens for any wanting a sturdy, high performance and affordable 24-70mm lens. Sigma produce great lenses that are highly versatile, functioning on any Canon camera.
The versatility of this lens extends to its functionality too. It’s both hardy, strong and perfect for taking on trips whilst it will also shoot perfect crisp and clear close up shots in the studio. As with all 24-70mm lens it’s easy to use since it mimics the viewing of the human eye with its curved exterior viewing abilities.
This lens is perfect for anyone of any ability who wants a great 24-70mm lens. Its heavy duty, high performance and will work with any Canon camera straight out of the box.
Pros
- Sigma products offer fantastic build quality as this lens is no exception.
- Perfect for shooting in the studio or landscapes outdoors.
- Outstanding autofocus capabilities.
- Functions extremely well – even at the widest aperture.
- Handling and performance are both easy, simple and always effective.
- The lens offers great low-level light performance for anyone wanting to shoot with limited light.
- In built auto-focusing system that is silent and extremely quick.
- Extremely sharp snapping capabilities.
- Offers outstanding wide-angle aperture.
- Great for shooting anything. Potentially the most useful lens you could buy.
Cons
- In comparison with rival f/2.8 lenses the Sigma is extremely heavy.
- The lens features no weather resistant coating or sealing meaning that you are unable to shoot in all weather types and conditions limiting the lenses outdoor use.
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Standard Zoom Lens
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L is another great 24-70mm lens for your Canon camera. This lens offers outstanding image quality that is difficult to match. It’s also very reasonably priced for both a Canon product and in comparison, with other models on the market.
Unlike the Sigma lens, this lens is extremely lightweight and perfect for taking on your trips, travels and adventures. It’s a great lens for all-round photography use perfect for anyone ranging from beginners to the most advanced shooters.
This lens is simple to use, easy to learn on and affordable considering the wuality of picture it is capable of producing. Buy the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens if you are looking for a well built, easy to use and lightweight lens to make your pictures sharper, more coherent and ultimately, more professional.
Pros
- Macro/micro modes.
- Image stabilization built into the lens. This includes vibrations which the lens can detect and correct.
- This lens is completely weatherproof – you can take anywhere and shoot in any conditions making it the perfect lens for outdoor exploring.
- On top of the lens coating, the Canon lens is also extremely lightweight, so you won’t notice it in your gear bag!
- Fluorine coating for a hardy body and exterior.
- Extreme magnification rate of up to 0.7x reach.
- Amazing ultrasonic auto focus that is both silent and fast.
- Great price for the image quality on offer.
- Versatile and usable for almost any purpose.
- Similar quality shots to the higher end competition.
- Great glare reduction.
Cons
- This lens won’t shoot very well in the dark so if you intend on shooting lots with low level light either invest in another lens as well or stay away from this lens.
- Poor Bokeh.
- Potential vignetting (especially with amateur shooters).
- Focus shift needs adjusting whilst zooming which can become annoying and time consuming if you are shooting moving subjects or objects.
- Construction can feel cheap in comparison with other models.
Tokina ATXAF247FXC 24-70mm f/2.8 Pro FX Lens for Canon EF
The TokinaATXAF247FXC 24-70mm f/2.8 Pro lens is another great lens that is slightly cheaper than all of the other lenses we will look at in this article. This lens is certainly the best for someone who is working with a tight budget.
But don’t be put off by the price tag – this lens is still an amazing 24-70mm! The performance and picture quality of this lens is fairly indistingualisble in comparison with the other more expensive models we have reviewed.
Take into consideration the fact that this lens will function extremely well for any type of photography and at the price; this lens is absolute bargain. Again, the sturdy build, high quality picture abilities and overall functionality make this lens an extremely wise purchase for anyone working on a budget and in need of a highly useful 24-70m lens.
Pros
- Smooth and sharp shooting abilities.
- Unlike the Canon, the bokeh is perfect in this model.
- Low level light photography is no challenge for this lens.
- The Tokina also shoots extremely well in doors making it the perfect versatile lens.
- Compatible will nearly all Canon cameras (check before you buy) making this a great, cheaper option than own brand lenses and other market options.
- Superior value for money than any other lens on the market right now.
- The sharpness and saturation in images are difficult to beat with this lens.
- SD glass ensures clear, direct illumination through this lens.
- Multi-layer lens coating making this lens fully weatherproof for outdoor adventures.
- Innovative technology is included with the lens that can provide distortions (in the right places) to enhance your images.
- Minimal ghosting in your shots.
- Less glare without the need for a polarizer.
- Great for both wide angle shooting of landscapes etc. and also close up shots of subjects and objects.
Cons
- The focus isn’t as sharp and fast as on other models.
- This lens is by far the heaviest on this list making it difficult to take around with you on long journeys.
- The switch between autofocus and manual focus is stiff and difficult to use.
- Not the quietest lens so if you want to take discrete snaps, this might not be the lens for you!
Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 for Canon DSLR Cameras
The Tamron G2 SP 24-70mm lens functions well as both a wide-angle and zoom lens. This lens boasts perhaps the greatest build quality of all on our lists making it the perfect lens companion for travelling and trips.
The outstanding built in features, as well as handling make this lens tough to beat for overall capabilities. It’s also mid-ranged on our list with regard to pricing making it another worthwhile option to consider before purchasing your 24-70mm lens.
The lens is accommodating to all types of photography types and all levels of ability. The weather shield coating, light weight sleek design and overall functionality of this lens make it a great option for any and every photographer out there.
Pros
- More features than other models such as the movement panning option.
- Added coatings have been applied to the lens to minimize both ghosting and lens flare.
- Moisture resistant build makes this lens perfect for trips and travels.
- Light weight and strong.
- Best image stabilization abilities.
- Good value for money.
- Great for beginners’ photographers as you will unlikely ever outgrow the lenses functionality.
- Silent auto focus.
Cons
- The zoom function doesn’t work well with filming.
- The manual focus option on this lens is both hard to use, and temperamental.
Conclusion
A 24-70mm is a must-have for any photographer whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro. The lenses we have covered are the best right now on the market for anyone operating with a Canon camera.
Whether you require a zoom or a wide-angle lens, this list has all the variable options covered.
