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

Canon's first 24-70mm zoom with a large maximum aperture.

The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is a professional standard zoom lens for full-frame DSLR cameras. Officially retailing for a whopping £2299.99 / $2299.99, does the Canon 24-700mm f/2.8 offer good enough image quality to justify its price-tag? Read our in-depth Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM review, complete with full-size sample images, to find out...

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 Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens is the company's top-end standard zoom; it's pricey, but a solid performer.

This is as good as it gets for an own-brand Canon standard zoom

Looking for a Canon 24-70mm lens review? Read on to find out what we uncovered in our objective optical lab tests.

Introduced in February 2012, the EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is the long-awaited update to Canon’s pro-grade standard zoom and replaces the highly regarded EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM. Designed with the objective of improving image quality and providing greater durability for daily use with digital cameras, it has a completely revised optical design as well as an enhanced mechanical construction. As full-frame lens, it’s compatible with the firm’s full range of DSLRs including 1.6 (APS-C) and older APS-H (1.3x crop) DSLRs making it an attractive choice to a wide of range users. However, at around $2,500 it’s not likely to be a casual purchase.