24-70mm Lenses Reviews Round-Up (Canon, Tamron, Sigma)
The 24-70mm is a wide-angle to medium telephoto range that’s popular with full-frame shooters (e.g. photojournalists), so I thought it would be a good idea to write a 24-70mm lenses reviews round-up. Canon, Sigma and Tamron are the brands of choice. If used on a APS-C sensor, the lenses give you an equivalent of 36-105mm.
Canon recently released the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM II lens ($2300) to succeed the now discontinued EF 24-70mm f/2.8 USM (still available on eBay for around $1800). Canon’s new EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM II has a rather hefty price tag, and no image stabilization. Being an “L” lens it is totally weather sealed, and the overall build quality is on line with Canon’s “L”-philosophy. The video above and the sharpness test below feature the “old” EF 24-70mm, which also comes without image stabilization.
The Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD ($1,299) is cheaper than both Canons and has image stabilization(VC), making it an interesting alternative. The weather sealing of the Tamron is defined as a moisture-resistant construction [that] helps prevent water from penetrating the lens. For a lab test of the Tamron click here. And then there is the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM ($899), no image stabilization, no weather sealing and definitely the less expensive of the three. A review of the Sigma can be read here.
At learningdslrvideo they were particularly interested to compare sharpness. They used a Canon EOS 5D Mark III for the tests. The results are discussed in the video above. That’s what they found out:
- At 70mm
- f2.8: Tamron beats Sigma (Sigma looks bad in the center and edges), Canon beats Tamron ever so slightly at center and edges
- f5.6: Sigma beats Tamron at both center and edges, Canon beats Sigma only at center, edges are a tie
- f8.0: Sigma and Tamron tie, Canon wins slightly
- f16.0: All three tie
- f22.0: Sigma does a nice job beating both Tamron and Canon
- At 24mm:
- f2.8: Sigma beats Tamron in the center, Tamron beats Sigma in the edges, Sigma beats Canon in center, Canon beats Sigma in the edges
- f5.6: Sigma and Tamron tie, Sigma beats Canon in the center
- f8.0: Tamron beats both Canon and Sigma
- f16.0: All three tie
- f22.0: All three tie
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM II price and availability: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM price and availability: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD price check: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM price check: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE