Toying around on my computer in Lightroom I discover that my most used lens of 2017 is my 24- 70mm f2.8 L Mark II lens! I used that lens so much that the rubber grip came off. This doesn't mean it's badly built, although at this price tag I believe it shouldn't. If you are looking forward to buying your first zoom lens or want to upgrade from the crappy kit lens... This video is for you.
The 24 - 70mm is the perfect 1st zoom lens for starters and these are the reasons why:
1/ Distance from Subject
For portraiture, you have the perfect distance for me for portraits. You are not too far, not too close, just what you need to be comfortable, both you and your model.
Canon 5D Mark III + 2 Broncolor SirosL 24 - 70mm f2.8L Mark II
1/200sec at f4.5 ISO 200 - 61mm
Canon 5D Mark III + 1 Broncolor SirosL 24 - 70mm f2.8L Mark II
1/640sec at f8 ISO 160 - 50mm
This lens is also great for street photography, leave it on, pull it out and you are ready to capture the world.
I even made an entire CrossFit photoshoot with just that lens! just follow this link to see the result: 2 lights set up on a CrossFit Photoshoot.
I also use it extensively in my dance photography. It was actually the main lens in my last photoshoot made inside the Palais des Festivals de Cannes.
Canon 5D Mark III + 2 Broncolor SirosL 24 - 70mm f2.8L Mark II
1/200sec at f8 ISO 160 - 24mm
Canon 5D Mark III + 2 Broncolor SirosL 24 - 70mm f2.8L Mark II
1/200sec at f11 ISO 200 - 27mm
Canon 5D Mark III + 2 Broncolor SirosL 24 - 70mm f2.8L Mark II
1/200sec at f11 ISO 200 - 35mm
2/ Close to the Human eye
Our eyes are like two 50mm lenses side by side on a full-frame body. So being in the range of the 24 - 70 mm lens it is easy to use and to learn. On one end, 24mm doesn't go too wide and on the other end, 70mm isn't too extreme either.
3/ Architecture and Landscape photography...
I am not an architecture photographer so I don't have examples to show you... Although if you closely look at some of my pictures, architecture plays an important part in my shots. I find that at 24mm I get that perfect balance where I can have a person or performer in front of my lens without having too much distortion and much of the environment in one shot.
Canon 5D Mark III 24 - 70mm f2.8L Mark II
1/60sec at f2.8 ISO 3200 - 24mm
Canon 5D Mark III 24 - 70mm f2.8L Mark II
1/200sec at f7.1 ISO 50 - 24mm (Behind the scenes)
Canon 5D Mark III 24 - 70mm f2.8L Mark II
1/60sec at f3.2 ISO 320 - 24mm (behind the scenes)
For me it was the perfect introduction to wide-angle lenses, I Talked about wide lenses in a previous video ( >> 5 reasons to go Wide! <<), and going wider than 24mm could be disturbing or difficult for some (Distortion / Warping, etc...So in my opinion, this lens is perfect to dive into wide-angle lenses (full-frame). That's why I would not start with a 16 - 35mm or a 17 - 40 at first...You can eventually consider the 24 - 105, but if I had to choose one ...
4/ It's simply a versatile lens!
Takes less space than owning 3/4 prime lenses. So you can get a lot of the job done with only that lens in your bag. I've used it for live events, concerts, and I've done multiple shoots just using the 24 - 70mm. I know I can travel with it and keep it on my DSLR and it will fit nearly all my needs.
5/ The quality overall
This canon 24 70mm performs extremely well throughout the range. At f2.8 it will allow you to use it in low light situations. Of course, prime lenses perform way better, but none of my clients ever told me " You should have shot this with a prime lens" and although mine isn't in a perfect shape anymore it is robust... mine has gone through a lot, I traveled everywhere with it.
So, if you were hesitating in getting a first, good versatile zoom lens, this one is probably the one I would recommend!
What about you? What is your favorite lens? Which one do you use the most?