Equipment Introductions with Rob
Today I'm introducing the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L. We call it a Walk Around Lens; Walk Around Lenses being our favorite lenses for multiple conditions. At a little over two pounds, the 24-70 is not our lightest lens, but its versatility makes it worth the haul for weddings. It syncs well with our Speedlite 600EX-RT flashes (look for a future review), but as a f/2.8 it does well in lower light situations as well, and also has some macro capabilities when at full zoom.
Great For The Following:
- Wedding Photography
- Portraits
- Family Formals or Large Group Photography
- Macro Photography (if you can't yet invest in a Macro lens)
Would Not Recommend For:
- Street Photography (too bulky)
- Sharp Wide Angle Shots
- Super Low Light
Outside of the convenience and quality afforded by this zoom lens, it's worth noting that the focus is sharpest when zoomed all the way in.
I took this picture of a dried flower on my Field Notes, zoomed all the way out to 24mm:
However, as shown in the picture below, the sharpness does not lend itself to cropping during editing:
Keeping all other things the same, I zoomed to 70mm:
The refinement gained really pays off in editing:
There's no definition to those hairs at 28mm. Are tiny hairs on a dried flower often important during a wedding? No, not really, but you can only edit what you record. If the subject of photograph is the details, you are better off if you keep in mind to shoot at 70mm with this lens. Rarely when moving within crowds am I looking for that level of detail; the ability to pull back to 28mm allows me to capture more of the spirit of things without being obtrusive. The ability to slide back and forth between these strengths is what makes this such a fantastic lens for weddings.
Stay tuned for more equipment reviews from me in the coming weeks, and check out the album below, all taken with the 24-70.
--Rob
