pho7ographer

This was my first Canon L Lens purchase and had very high expectations for its performance.

Current inventory: Canon 50 1.8 & Canon 18-200EFS 3.5-5.6

The 18-200 is half the price of the 24-70L and at similar focal lengths the 18-200 came out on top on what I thought was a 'sharpness' factor (details of back focusing below). As for depth the 24-70L and wide aperture was very noticeable. Also nice bokeh.

Shooting within the 1m range of the subject, the 24-70mm was solid, but realistically I am not going to be that close to my subjects for all my shots especially at 70mm.

Results of my battery test:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/philiphoang/4257634136/sizes/o/">Battery Test</a>

Shooting 1m+ of the subject and at 70mm. The batteries are stacked at roughly 2 inches and 45 degrees to the next. This shot was taken roughly 1.5m away from the center subject (#4). The focus is subtle, but you can read the fine print on #5 as compared to the center. In fact, #6 (though not shown in 100% zoom) is slightly sharper than #4 as well.

For $1250, I was hoping for quality performance and quality control. Take my review with a grain of salt, I've talked to much more experienced photographers who have all told me their 24-70mm is a gift from heaven. I hope my next copy will yield better results.