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fteter
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Registered: Jan 24, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Jan 25, 2013
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Sharpness. Versatility. Rich colors.
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Cons:
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It's a bit heavy.
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So, yes, I wrote a review on this lens back in 2008. Wanted to throw in a little update.
I've been shooting with this lens on a Canon 5Dc body for some time now and am loving the results. Been muttering about getting a new crop body for some time, so my beloved wife gave me a new T4i for Christmas. Thought seriously about purchasing a walkaround lens for the Rebel, then came up with the idea of trying the 28-70 on the T4i for still shots. Darned if it's not magic on the crop body as well.
So, 4 years later, my recommendation remains the same. If you can find one, buy it. You'll be amazed.
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 Jan 25, 2013
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Nozzleforward
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Jun 15, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 769
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Review Date: Jun 2, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast, solid, very clean shots, super fast focus, it's an L, works well as a defensive weapon.
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Cons:
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Price, weight (Obviously, it's an L)
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There isn't much to reviewing this lens. It's one of the nicest I've ever shot. If you can afford the $800-$1100 for one, buy it. As with all the L-series lenses, you get fantastic performance and images. Solid build and high quality optics means more weight and cost, while the fast aperature and (very) useful zoom range mean it can cover a majority of your gear needs (meaning you can buy less stuff, saving you money). If you only want one lens for day to day use, buy one of these, you will not regret it.
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Jun 2, 2012
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Robert Layne
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Registered: May 30, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 65
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Review Date: Mar 22, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very sharp, even at 2.8
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Cons:
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None
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This was my first L. lens. Bought it here on the FM used in 2010. This lens is amazing. Very sharp wide open.
The seller had the lens sent to cannon repair to replace the focus motor. Note, this was a early model over 12 plus years old. total cost, 113.00 including shipping.Cannon only charged for the labor, LOL. so I got a rebuilt L for 670.00 bucks.
I shoot weddings and this lens has produced excellent images.
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Mar 22, 2012
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tomaselli
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Registered: Sep 10, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Mar 12, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp optics, build quality
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Cons:
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None
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My first ever L lens bought in April 2000, have bought many more since and this always comes out the bag for what it produces 
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Mar 12, 2012
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mahonet
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Registered: Nov 30, 2008
Location: Finland
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Sep 24, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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very good colours, contrast and saturation. Minimal vignetting and distortion also at 28mm. Good bokeh and sharp.
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Cons:
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Not in production any more. In wide angle area the sharpness in borders not as good as with Canon L primes (vs 24mm f1.4 II), but matches well with all non L primes. No reason to complain!
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Simply the best Canon L zoom. I have used 24-70L, 24-105L, but this is the best. I am happy I could still find a little used copy of this pearl among the zooms.
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Sep 24, 2011
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canon3133
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Registered: Apr 15, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 64
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Review Date: Mar 22, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great walk around lens, very sharp, good zoom range on full body
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Cons:
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discontinued
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Got this lens to replace my 40D/17-55 f2/8 IS combo after upgrading to full frame.
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Mar 22, 2011
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fusionphoto
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Registered: Apr 16, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 17
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Review Date: Sep 29, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $980.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharpness, reliability,quick focusing, color, bokeh all superior
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Cons:
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weight
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I use this lens mainly on my 1Ds where its range is good. It sharp wide open but does improve if stopped down a touch. Color and bokeh are great and its a super general lens just a shame they don't build it anymore. I would certainlt recommend it for a FF camera where 28mm is truely WA..
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Sep 29, 2010
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melchiorsen
Offline
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Registered: Sep 12, 2010
Location: Denmark
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sep 28, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,000.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great zoom range on a full-frame body. Nice colors and contrast. Fast lens. Low noise AF
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Cons:
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AF a bit slow compared to e.g. 135mm f/2.0. Old lens
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On my 5D it has a great zoom range. The lens produces nice colors and a great contrast. The AF is not as accurate and fast as I'd like it to be. It takes a bit of time for the lens to really get objects in focus so I need to take some extra shots just to be sure I end up with the right focus. Otherwise the lens is highly recommended if you can find it cheap second hand.
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Sep 28, 2010
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dbehrens
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Registered: Jan 12, 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 1181
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Review Date: Aug 16, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $750.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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A pro lens. Fast and sharp! ...from corner to corner. No CA or flare.
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Cons:
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None
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I've had two of these lens and both are very sharp - even wide open. Its every bit as sharp as my Canon 50mm f/2.5 compact macro (and with the same macro capability).
Although only 28mm wide this coupled with a wide zoom (for me a 15-30 Sigma) and a long zoom (for me a 100-400) makes an awesome 2 or 3 lens arsenal.
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Aug 16, 2010
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LPrimeFreak
Offline
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Registered: Jul 29, 2010
Location: Belgium
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jul 29, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $600.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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The best standard zoomlens for fullframe, primesharp pictures at all mm's, f2.8, solid build, cheap 2nd hand
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Cons:
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Old (probably difficult to find replacement parts if needed) so take care ;)
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I just bought the 5D MK II and I had not much choice for a great standardzoom, on my 40D it was easy, the 17-55 2.8 IS.
I tested the 24-105 F4L IS, but too much vignetting in the corners and only f4. Then I thought about the 24-70 f2.8 but this one isn't so perfect either (some copy' not sharp, expensive and heavy).
I didn't even know the 28-70 f2.8L existed untill I saw a second hand advertisement from a university teacher for only €600. First I doubted cause this lens was 12 years old (but as new, not so much used).
When I checked the review and saw the highscore on this site, I knew this would be the one.
Prime-sharp pictures on all mm's with nice soft f2.8 bokeh, a truly amazing lens that I would immediately buy again!
I have no problem with 4mm less wide-angle, it also doesn't have vignetting from 28mm, don't miss the IS either, that's more interesting for long telephoto lenses +200mm.
Forget that 24-105 & 24-70, think about the quality on all mm's instead of a bit less range and check the secondhand photography markets!!!
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Jul 29, 2010
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dkmiles1
Offline
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Registered: Nov 19, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 503
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Review Date: Jul 24, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $850.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Solid Construction, Great rendering of color, Images come to life when paired with my 5Dc
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Cons:
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Its a risky investment because at a minimum they're 8 years old. Canon's gotta be getting low on parts inventory so repair could be a costly venture
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I agonized over this one for awhile. Do I plunk down the $1350 or so for the 24-70 or do I take a chance on a used 28-70mm, which according to several reviews is just as good if not better than the 24-70 (see photozone.de - both samples tested better than the three 24-70s he's tested over there) and save $400 - $500?
I saw a mint one on eBay and took a chance. It's been blissful! I've used it in the gym for basketball games under crummy lighting and it just shines. I've used it for portraits and my subjects just LOVE the results. I've used it for group shots and panoramic photos (with photoshop CS5) - in nearly every application the results have been just stellar.
Build quality is excellent - though not weather sealed - the zoom works backwards, the wide end had the glass extended and the zoom has the lens contracted... If you have the big lens hood on no one will notice, just an oddity...
If you're willing to take a chance, you can save yourself some money and grab a good one of these on eBay or here on FM. You won't be disappointed, I'm glad I did!
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Jul 24, 2010
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James pf Chow
Offline
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Registered: Jan 19, 2007
Location: Malaysia
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Apr 30, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness, 2.8L, AF speed, silent USM, top notch IQ, bokeh, 28/35/50 & 70 mm in one, colour saturation/contrast, and build quality
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Cons:
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Discontinued model (what ashamed!) and not water-sealed
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Looking for this walk-around gems for a while to fill in the gap between my 17-40mm f4 and 200mm f/2.8LII as I do not want to spend so much to pay for the 24-70mm f/2.8. I always wanted a f2.8 for this focal range rather than f4 after getting obsessed with the IQ of my beloved 200mm f/2.8LII. Found this excellent copy recently but the price still held up quite well. I partner this lens with 5D.
Initially I was not overly excited with the first impression of the IQ. After getting used to the characteristics of this lens by getting the parameters right for each shot, the IQ just pops up. The sharpness, colour saturation & contrast, and bokeh of the IQ are just fantastic. In addition, I am really impressed with the unbelievable speed of AF and the quietness of the USM, it is just so wonderful to use.
Apart from that, the build quality of this lens is excellent especially considering this is a used copy with the zoom mechanism and the exterior of the lens barrel are still in top notch conditions, even though there are some noticeable used marks on the hood and a couple of marks on the thread of the lens for the hood.
I am not really bordered with the weight of the lens. In fact, I love the balance of this lens with the battery grip attached to the 5D; the balance with the grip of the whole unit is just marvelous.
Overall, this is a fantastic and highly recommended lens, and it is definitely a keeper to me.
My recommendation is, if you come across any good copy, grab one immediately as Canon do not make this model anymore. I believe that its IQ is as good as, if not better than, that of 24-70mm f/2.8, and note that it cost so much less.
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Apr 30, 2010
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photoelle
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: May 1, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 242
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Review Date: Sep 20, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, sharp, sharp! Great colour & contrast, excellent build quality.
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Cons:
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A bit heavy, but so is most f2.8 glass.
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I bought this used lens here on FM. I shoot primarily indoor, poorly lit horse shows. This lens makes every shot super consistent, and scary sharp. I can set it and forget it.
Its a perfect compliment to my 1DM3 for low light and action.
Highly recommended, I rate it a 10.
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Sep 20, 2009
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huhuh
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: May 10, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jul 11, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $850.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Image Quality, Build Quality, lighter than 24-70L
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Cons:
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No~~
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It is the only lense for my EOS 5D MK2, and I feel much enough. No more lenses needed anymore. The 28-70L is lighter, smaller, and even 400$ cheaper than 24-70L. However it always makes better or same image quality. I highly recommended it.
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Jul 11, 2009
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agnius
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Nov 10, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 69
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Review Date: Nov 10, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Good quality, durable, good image quality
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Cons:
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Eventually zoom mechanism broke - would not zoom all the way. Canon repaired for around $100
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Folks,
I have purchased this lens based on the reviews of photo.net from the mid 90's. I have gotten over 10 years of good service from this lens. Now, after being repaired, it is going strong again. It has been stepped on during a bus tour in Baja Mexico (the little plastic window on the top of the barrel got cracked) but it still kept on ticking for the number of years. Eventually it jammed inside the Shiva temple in India, just to be restored to new state once back home and again continues going. That is some strong construction. I rented ef 100 2.8 macro, and I don't think it would survive as much use as the 28-70 has. 100 macro just feels way to fragile.
I have noticed that 28-70 is one of those lenses that as per Ron Popeil you just "set it and forget it". It is good for over 90% of type of photography that I enjoy. I have been thinking about getting a lens for a backup (in case of a break or jam again) but I am hard pressed to justify the weight and because of the recent overhaul I will keep using 28-70 for a long time.
The initial high price has been long forgotten and the quality of the lens will continue to perform for years to come.
Verdict: Workhorse lens.
Definitely recommended.
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Nov 10, 2008
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Murray Thompso
Offline
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Registered: Nov 27, 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Oct 18, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Image Quality, sharpness and saturation. I doubt you will miss the extra 4mm.
Price.
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Cons:
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Not weather sealed, but buying used you should know this.
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I had been thinking of getting the 24-70 for some time, but was then offered the 28-70 for £250. I wouldn't normally buy second hand, but felt this was too good to miss. After reading the reviews I decided to go for it. It may be a used model but results are great, sharp and saturated colours. I only have L lenses, in my opinion they are worth the money, and this one is as good as any of them. You get used to the weight, build quality is good, but this is a good zoom ratio for keeping on the camera at all times. I have a couple of weddings to do soon and this will be a great help doing those. I only gave it a 9 because it is second hand and nothing is perfect.
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Oct 18, 2008
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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73
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293944
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Jan 25, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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96% of reviewers
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$889.33
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.48
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9.39
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9.7
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