 |
|
|
ipprime
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 22, 2006
Location: Denmark
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Dec 6, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,025.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Image quality, fast aperture, relatively lightweight, sharpness
|
|
Cons:
|
none
|
|
|
A very good wideangle. I have used it on 1D2 and found it sharp wide open in center - with corner sharpness improving as you stop down past F2.
Color and contrast really good. Flare well controlled.
Very recommendable!
|
|
 Dec 6, 2006
|
|
perpera
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Mar 11, 2005
Location: Denmark
Posts: 2
|
|
Review Date: Oct 10, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $985.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
sharp wide open, contrasty, good color, relatively lightweight
|
|
Cons:
|
flares a bit, but not more than you would expect on a wideangle
|
|
|
Very good available light wideangle. Got it used and is very pleased.
See pro and cons.
|
|
|
Oct 10, 2006
|
|
Snappie
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Feb 7, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 265
|
|
Review Date: Oct 3, 2006
|
Recommend? no |
Price paid: $950.00
| Rating: 3
|
|
Pros:
|
Good build quality
|
|
Cons:
|
Price, poor optical quality
|
|
|
I've owned 3 copies of this lens in the past and never found any to be worth keeping. Compared to its closest sibling, the EF 35/1.4L, the 24/1.4L does not seem to provide the same excellent optical quality of the 35mm. Images are not sharp most of the time, lacking contrast and poor color rendition. AF can be a little slow at times, especially under low light conditions. I finally got a EF 24/2.8 and I'm happier with this cheaper and smaller lens than I ever was with any of the 24/1.4L lenses I ever owned.
I don't recommend this lens to anyone. Go for the 24/2.8 or 35/1.4L instead.
|
|
|
Oct 3, 2006
|
|
handheld
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Aug 6, 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 451
|
|
Review Date: Aug 29, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Excellent reproduction of colour, contrast and shading. Very good sharpness. Compact build.
|
|
Cons:
|
None.
|
|
|
My best wide angle lens. Superior to the 35L in IQ, holds its IQ all the way to f/1.4 which I can not say about my copy of the 35L.
My excellent copy of the EF 24 f/2.8 has kept me from deciding on the L version for a while. However, the beauty of the image as well as being fully useable wide open, has made the expense worthwhile.
The only other WA lens of mine that approaches it wrt IQ is the 16-35 f/2.8.
The 24-70 f/2.8 does not beat it at 24 mm any which way.
The 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM has better resolving power @24 mm but not the same colour reproduction nor the OoF blur quality.
All other traits are as expected from that L type lens.
I must add, contrary to some previous reviews, that the lens feels compact/stubby and light for an f/1.4 L-packaged lens. The EF 24 f/2.8 appears like a toy/training lens in comparison.
|
|
|
Aug 29, 2006
|
|
Alistair1
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jun 1, 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 339
|
|
Review Date: Aug 6, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Very good color rendition, very very sharp, small and fast
|
|
Cons:
|
Expensive
|
|
|
This and the 35L are my most used lenses. The colors are on a par with the 35L as is the sharpness and overall handling. I am impressed with this lens.
|
|
|
Aug 6, 2006
|
|
aero145
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jul 1, 2006
Location: Germany
Posts: 333
|
|
Review Date: Jul 1, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
|
|
Pros:
|
Good quality.
|
|
Cons:
|
Heavy.
|
|
|
A very nice lens. Heavy, but quality excellent.
|
|
|
Jul 1, 2006
|
|
incdigital
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Aug 2, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 226
|
|
Review Date: Jun 8, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $945.00
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Build, L Color/Contrast, Sharp wide open, Very sharp from f/2 up, Compact(compared to other Ls), Low CA
|
|
Cons:
|
Hood hard to get on/off, Edge sharpness not as good as 35L, Not weather sealed
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jun 8, 2006
|
|
jhsymington
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Oct 17, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Jun 7, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Well-built and delivers sparkling results
|
|
Cons:
|
None
|
|
|
I tried to skimp by buying the 28mm f2.8 and I also got an expensive adapter for my Zeiss 28mm but neither of those were great (not bad but not good enough...yes even the CZ to my surprise). Stopped down a bit the 24mm L blows them away and is crystal clear and sharp into the corners of my 1Ds II and 5D. Expensive lens but very worth it.
|
|
|
Jun 7, 2006
|
|
jmraso
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: May 26, 2004
Location: Spain
Posts: 1892
|
|
Review Date: May 18, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Excellent color redition,
Sharpness is unbeatable.
Built like a tank.
|
|
Cons:
|
A litle too big for a wide angle.
|
|
Amazing lens on a FF body, it has almost sent my 16-35 to retirement.
Beautiful pictures and wonderful color.
I do recomend it.
Jaime
www.jmraso.com
|
|
|
May 18, 2006
|
|
Lars Johnsson
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jun 29, 2003
Location: Sweden
Posts: 32083
|
|
Review Date: Apr 16, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
|
|
Pros:
|
Very fast for a wide angle, good built, image quality
|
|
Cons:
|
a bit soft wide open, a bit vignetting also, rather expensive
|
|
|
It's a nice lens with good image quality
|
|
|
Apr 16, 2006
|
|
Memphis
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Mar 15, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 769
|
|
Review Date: Mar 11, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,100.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Wide, great contrast, built like a tank with a solid feel, fast, and sharp corner to corner on my 5D
|
|
Cons:
|
None at all, some might think it's heavy but I think it's just right.
|
|
|
I've heard a lot of bad things about this lens from people, they said it wasn't sharp in the corners, that it looked like total crap on a full frame sensor, that it wasn't worth the L title, and others cried over the price.
My copy of this lens is ever bit as sharp as my 35L. It's tac sharp corner to corner on my 5D and the contrast is right where it should be. It's build like my other L lenses, very solid and heavy.
When I first switched to Canon I got cought up on the Zeiss lens buzz and almost didn't even give the 24L a try because I was holding off for the Zeiss 21mm. I was at the camera store picking up my 35L and just for the hell of it I tried the 24L. After getting home and looking at the shots in CS2 I was blown away and quicky called the camera store and asked them to hold it for me, they did and I'm happy.
If you're looking for a great wide angle lens and you're thinking of getting one of the exotics like the Zeiss and you haven't looked at the 24L yet do so, you might end up saving yourself a lot of cash like I did.
|
|
|
Mar 11, 2006
|
|
nicktphoto
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 18, 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Jan 19, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
It doesnt get sharper than this.
Wonderful bokeh.
Great contrast and edge sharpness down to F2.
Useable in certain situations at f1.4.
|
|
Cons:
|
Obvious vignetting and loss of sharpness at f1.4.
Cant think of anything else.
|
|
|
One of the best canon lenses I have ever used. Astonishing sharpness and contrast down to F2. Bomb proof build quality. No distortion on straight lines. I purchased this lens for documentary use indoors in available light, the punch of the images has to be seen to be believed. The only wide lolight lens that canon or anyone else makes. The 17-40 is good for use as a paperweight by comparison and is impossible to use in dim light and is seriously soft and mushy at f4. This lens will always be in my bag.
|
|
|
Jan 19, 2006
|
|
Film_Ruled
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Oct 20, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 653
|
|
Review Date: Jan 1, 2006
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,100.00
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Widest 1.4 out there. Insanely sharp thanks to an exceptional copy. My favorite lens by far.
|
|
Cons:
|
A bit big for a wide prime, but that is due to Canon's near-medium format sized mount I would suspect.
|
|
|
I fully tested and compared a buddy's 35L & 24L before I decided on this lens. I just use a 24 far more than I do a 35. While the 35 is a good bit better in the corners, remember, this is a 24mm lens folks. At 28mm or wider, it gets REAL hard to make a lens faster than F2.0 optically perfect without some radical design that would make it the size of the 85L. I am still going to get the 35 but the 24 will remain at the top of my chart....and I even own the sweet 85L.
So I got a phenomenal copy. Critically sharp in the center at 1.4 and better than I expected in the corners. In fact, if you take a small, detailed object and stuff it in the very corner of the viewfinder and focus on it, you might be surprised at how sharp it turns out to be.
I have a two page spread in a magazine this month shot with my 5D at ISO 1,600 at f 2.0 that is truly incredible. The focus is about 1 foot away and it looks like you could fall into the page.
Great, great lens!!
|
|
|
Jan 1, 2006
|
|
carlsbadbum
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jul 13, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1961
|
|
Review Date: Dec 26, 2005
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $875.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Very sharp at f/1.4L and no hunting around when focus in low light.
|
|
Cons:
|
Hood is too tight.
|
|
|
This is a great lens to use when flash photography is not allowed.
|
|
|
Dec 26, 2005
|
|
Nu2Digital
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Dec 6, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 47
|
|
Review Date: Dec 15, 2005
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,050.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Low Distortion, Beautiful Bokeh, Excellent Low Light Performance
|
|
Cons:
|
Big and Heavy for a Wide Angle
Lens Hood is pretty big (Lens flares easily without this)
|
|
|
The lens is intended for low light shooting between f1.4 and f2.0. If you need Tilt Shift, buy the TS E 24 f2.8. If you are always shooting in bright sunlight, buy the EF 24 2.8 and keep the money that's left over.
If you have to have a low light lens with this focal length, it's the only game in town. On my 20D, it's more like a 38mm (fine for me since I prefer the equivalent 35mm focal length/angle of view on a FF camera). If I had a full frame camera, I'd go with the 35L.
Sharpness is very good at f1.4 if you have a little distance between you and your subject (benefits from increased depth of field). Up close, obtaining critical focus is essential since there is practically zero DOF at 2 Feet. Because of the limited DOF up close, you have to be careful if you want to obtain an acceptable result...else your subject will look unfocused.
I have been extremely pleased with photos taken at f1.8. I try not to go below 1/50s at f1.8 to maximize sharpness/contrast/color. If I need more light, I usually bump up the ISO.
By f2.5, the lens is extremely sharp (according to my eye).
By f5.6 or f8, color, sharpness, and quality is great as befits the "L" designation.
The bottom line is that this lens helps me gets results that are not obtainable with other lenses at this focal length. I have tried the Sigma 20/24 f1.8's... They are 2/3's a stop slower, and absolutely no comparison to this lens wide open.
|
|
|
Dec 15, 2005
|
|
smac
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Sep 28, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 11
|
|
Review Date: Dec 10, 2005
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,149.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Very sharp, very fast, great contrast and color.
|
|
Cons:
|
|
|
|
I got this to shoot in dark jazz clubs and have found I use it more than any other prime. It is extremely sharp with excellent contrast and is well balanced. It comes into it's own on FF.
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reviews
|
Views
|
Date of last review
|
|
68
|
278352
|
Apr 11, 2012
|
|
|
Recommended By
|
Average Price
|
|
93% of reviewers
|
$1,080.59
|
|
|
Build Quality Rating
|
Price Rating
|
Overall Rating
|
|
9.61
|
8.35
|
9.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
