This week Canon officially added three new EF lenses to their lineup, including the very much anticipated next generation 24-70mm f2.8 lens as well as two replacements for the very popular 24mm f2.8 and 28mm f2.8 primes.
Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8L II USM Lens
It's been nearly 10 years since the EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM Lens was launched and quickly became a staple in the Canon photographer's kit bag. After a long wait, fans of the original will be excited to hear of the launch of a Mark II version this week: the EF 24-70mm f2.8 L II USM Lens.
A full comparison of the new version with the old version is below, however the key improvements are:
- Next-generation optical design with additional ultra-low dispersion (UD) and super UD elements
- An additional aspherical lens element to correct chromatic aberration
- A new anti-dust and dirt fluorine coating for easy cleaning
- A 9-blade circular aperture diaphragm (compared to 8 in the previous model) for smooth bokeh
In Comparison: 24-70mm f2.8L II USM vs 24-70mm f2.8L USM
| 24-70mm f2.8L II USM | 24-70mm f/2.8L USM |
|
| Launch date | February 2012 | November 2002 |
| Weather Sealing | Yes | Yes |
| Aspherical element* | 3 | 2 |
| Ultra low dispersion element** | 1 x Super UD & 2 x UD | 1 x UD |
| Circular aperture | 9 blades | 8 blades |
| Minimum focusing distance | 0.38m | 0.38m |
| Fluorine coating*** | Yes | No |
| Image stabiliser | No | No |
| Filter diameter | 82mm | 77mm |
| Full time manual focus | Yes | Yes |
| Zoom ring lock | Yes | No |
| Length | 113mm | 123.5mm |
| Weight | Approx 805g | 950g |
Canon EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM Lens
The first of two Canon prime lenses to get an update in 2012 is the 28mm f2.8, another lens that's been in the hands of photographers for a long time. The new version of this popular all-purpose lens is now equipped with image stabilisation (up to four stops), the near-silent ultrasonic autofocus mechanism (USM), 7 aperture blades for softer background blur and focusing from 0.23m, which is an improvement on the 0.30m distance on the older version of this lens.
The full comparison between the new 28mm f2.8 IS USm lens and the previous model can be found in the table below:
In Comparison: 28mm f2.8 IS USM vs 28mm f2.8
| 28mm f2.8 IS USM | 28mm f2.8 |
|
| Lens elements | 9 | 5 |
| Lens groups | 7 | 5 |
| Aperture blades | 7 blades | 5 blades |
| Minimum focusing distance | 0.23m | 0.30m |
| Image stabiliser | Yes | No |
| Filter diameter | 58mm | 52mm |
| Size | 68.4 x 51.5mm | 67.4 x 42.5mm |
| Weight | 260g | 185g |
Canon EF 24mm f2.8 IS USM Lens
Another hugely popular Canon lens getting an update this year is the 24mm f2.8 offering. The Canon EF f2.8 IS USM Lens also boasts image stabilisation, a slightly closer minimum focusing distance, USM for fast, super-quiet focusing and seven aperture blades for beautiful bokeh.
For a full comparison between the new 24mm lens and the old version, see the table below:
In Comparison: 24mm f2.8 II USM vs 24mm f2.8
| 24mm f2.8 II USM | 24mm f2.8 |
|
| Lens elements | 11 | 10 |
| Lens groups | 9 | 10 |
| Aperture blades | 7 blades | 6 blades |
| Minimum focusing distance | 0.20m | 0.25m |
| Image stabiliser | Yes | No |
| Filter diameter | 58mm | 58mm |
| Size | 68.4 x 55.7mm | 67.5 x 48.5mm |
| Weight | 280g | 270g |
Which of these three new lenses from Canon are you most excited about? Or will you be hanging on to your old faithful a while longer yet?
*this helps to correct distortion
**this helps to correct chromatic aberration
***this is an anti-dust and dirt coating
