Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM review

The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM was announced a year ago, in February 2012, as an update to the venerable EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM of 2002. It features an all-new optical design, designed to provide improved imaging performance right across the frame and reduced distortion compared to its predecessor. The lens also features a smaller, lighter design and weather-sealed construction, and Canon promises improved robustness due to revised internal construction. It's designed primarily for Canon's high-end full frame bodies (with a price tag to match), but can of course also be used on APS-C SLRs such as the EOS 7D, on which it offers a 38-112mm equivalent angle of view.

The 24-70mm f/2.8 II is intended to be a workhorse lens for professional photographers that has to deliver the best possible results in a wide range of conditions. It uses a suitably exotic optical design for this purpose, with 18 elements in 13 groups, including two 2 ultra-low dispersion (UD) glass elements and one Super UD aspheric element to minimize aberrations. Naturally it uses Canon's ring-type ultrasonic motor for fast, silent focus with full-time manual override, along with a circular aperture diaphragm for attractive background blur.

One feature the lens doesn't offer, though, is image stabilization - Canon says this would require too great a compromise in either image quality or size. This makes for an interesting comparison with the Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD that was announced at about the same time, and incorporates image stabilization into a lens that's almost exactly the same size (and of course, rather cheaper). Users who need IS and prefer to stick with Canon's own lenses will have to make to with a stop slower aperture, from either the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM or the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. In this review we'll compare how all of these lenses measure up against each other in the lab, and assess the 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM's specific strengths and weaknesses.
Headline features

• 24-70mm focal length

• Fast F2.8 constant maximum aperture; F22 minimum

• Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM) focusing with full-time manual override

• 0.38m closest focus, offering 0.19x magnification

• For Canon SLRs of all formats (full frame, APS-H and APS-C)

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM specifications

Price	• $2200 (US)  • £1700 (UK)
Date introduced	February 2012
Maximum format size	35mm full frame
Focal length	24-70mm
35mm equivalent focal length (APS-C)	38-112mm
Diagonal Angle of view	• 84-34º (full frame)
Maximum aperture	F2.8
Minimum aperture	F22
Lens Construction	• 18 elements / 13 groups  • 2 UD glass element  • 1 Super UD aspheric element
Number of diaphragm blades	9, rounded
Minimum focus	0.38m
Maximum magnification	0.21x
AF motor type	• Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor  • Full-time manual focus
Zoom method	Rotary, extending
Focus method	Internal
Image stabilization	• No
Filter thread	• 82mm  • Does not rotate on focus
Supplied accessories*	• Front and rear caps  • Petal-type Hood EW-88C  • Soft lens case
Weight	805 g (28.4 oz)
Dimensions	88.5 mm diameter x 113 mm length  (3.0 x 3.7 in)
Lens Mount	Canon EF

readmore on http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon-ef-24-70mm-f-2-8l-ii-usm/