... but I'm getting a new lens courtesy of my 2 year old.

I honestly don’t know what happened, all I know is I walked into my office and my trusty EF 28-105mm f 3.5/4/5 USM II (the second best value in the Canon lineup after the “nifty fifty”) is lying on the floor with both lens caps off. The glass is dirty as all heck. I try to clean it, and it stays dirty. I look more closely and see that there is gunk on the glass elements INSIDE the lens. It looked like someone disassembled the lens, smeared petroleum jelly on the inside glass, and then reassembled the lens. When put on the camera, the lens wouldn’t even try to autofocus. I can only assume that my two year old power-slobbered all over the lens. I took it to the camera store and it would basically cost more to fix it than to buy a 9+ used version. My wife approved an upgrade, and last week I got a Sigma 24-70 f 2.8 (because I am cheap by nature and photography is something I do for fun on the side, not my living). But I am on the verge of returning the Sigma because I am not happy with its performance, especially at f 2.8 (which is why I got it in the first place). I am thinking "go to L" and get the Canon 24-70 f 2.8 L. I have read a bunch of Sigma vs Canon discussions on these forums and that has helped me justify the Canon to myself.

Anyway, I'm basically just venting because this would be my biggest photography purchase to date and it's driving me nuts. (I'm not even going to start talking about 24-70 f/2.8 L vs. 24-105 f/4 IS L, that has kept me up a couple of nights) Thanks for hearing me out.

toddler drool is the most costic corrosive stuff ever!! I had a friend who beat the crud out of his cell phone. He is a ski instructor and a raft guide by profession (yup, we live in colorado all right) and he has done horrible things to his phone- never skipped a beat.... UNTIL his 1.5 yr old son got ahold of it for maybe a minute and drolled into the speaker and earpiece... and the thing died.

Darn baby drool.

LOL!
T

power-slobbered ... HAHAHA.. just wait until your baby turns 3.. everything within reach is imagined into a hammer.

I blame Handy Manny.

You won't regret it. Just know that there are sharp copies and not so sharp copies of that lens. The only way you'll know is by using them at High ISOs ar like 5.6 or so. Check if the lens is sharp at several focal lengths. I beat the crap out of that lens until I started using primes. I had the sigma you mentioned too. Once I went to 24-70, my life CHANGED! Good luck! Postphotos and your impressions. Don't be afriad to return the copy if you are anhappy with the sharpness.

we've lost 3 mobile phones to our 2 sons - including death by bathing, slobber and toilet drowning. (what honestly goes through their minds??) Thankfully my camera gear is insured and always out of the way!

I had the sigma 24-70/2.8 for my 30D but I never liked it - slow focus, noisy focus, sharpness issues - pretty useless at 2.8 even on a cropped body distortion was evident. I couldnt get rid of it quick enough! I swapped up to the canon 17-55/2.8 IS and I loved that lense.

I sold it to my brother when I went full frame and got the canon 24-70/2.8L.

the 17-55 was an amazing lense especially on a cropped body. That said the 24-70 is also beautiful, sharp and great colours! (Thanks anika!)

Jonathan

Oh he's already into hammering, and he's never seen Handy Manny. He's gotten hold of a real hammer a couple of times and taken it to the walls. Luckily he wasn't able to do permanent damage and we had paint left over to touch up the marks.



That's the kind of talk that scares me. Come on, I'm paying well over a thousand dollars for the lens, it better be so sharp it draws blood every time I take it out.



Focus seemed quick enough for me, but there was one thing it could only focus on using the center focus point. Motor noise wasn't a big deal to me. But the sharpness at 2.8 is a big deal.




So say most of the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L owners it seems.

Yes, it SHOULD! but often they are not and some people don't care or don't know. Also, with these L zooms need to be serviced often because they get banged around, there are more elements and they move.

Best of luck! Show us some photos and your impression. Have you rented one yet?

I own the sigma 24-70 and mine is perfectly sharp. My only complaint about it is that it feels like it's going downhill as the zoom ring loosens up, etc. That said, if you can afford the Canon version, do it. It is faster and quieter to focus and doesn't loosen over time, or at least not as quickly.

I think though that you'll find that a good copy of either lens is indistinguishable from the other in terms of the final result though. As far as the 24-105 F4 vs the 24-70 F2.8, keep in mind that most lenses are sharpest when stopped down 2 stops from their max. If you're always shooting during the day then get the 24-105 as you're probably running F8 or higher anyway. If you're shooting indoors and dim light then get the 24-70.

Most of my outdoor portrait sessions are in shady areas, so I'd like to be able to go to F2.8 if I need it, but hopefully shoot at F4 or 5.6 for better quality and depth of field. I'm not so gung ho on the F4 IS because IS doesn't stop subject motion, and part of my 5 year plan is to buy a body that can, among other improvements, take advantage of the F2.8 lens for autofocus.

Thanks for all your comments everyone, I hope to get it tomorrow.

I thought seriously about the 17-55, but if I ever go full frame I won't be able to afford a body and lens at the same time. Besides, with my style of shooting I want the lettle extra reach of the 24-70.