Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM question please

mickeyt

mickeyt

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Hi..need your expert advise please

I've decided to possibly take the plunge for the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM,as I want the best all round every day lens(for canon 1dx) to use and have found the reports that this is the one to go for..but boy is it expensive and does not have stabilisation.

Any views please ?..I didnt like the 24-105 as I didnt find it sharp enough.

and importantly ,where is the best place you would recommend to buy on at reasonable costs uk please..not a dodgey importer?I remember someone mentioned a scottish supplier?

cheers for your help on this or better recommendations ?...I have the 70-200 2.8 mk 2 which is superb but want a small all round use lens that really ticks the boxes.:bonk:
 
The 24-70 ii is staggeringly good in my view - much much better than the 24-105.

Phil
 
Kerso - flash camera online for the lens.

I wouldn't worry about the lack of is.

Personally I prefer a wider smaller lens like the 16-35 over the 24-70
 
Hi the 24-105 is sharp enough 'if' you get it calibrated to your camera. If it's under warranty it will be done free. The new 24-70 f2.8 is a STONKING lend but you pay for it! Don't re out the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 VC. It is also very good too.
 
Thanks guys ..this is really good advise and I very much appreciate it.

cheers
 
Have 1DX and worried about cost of the lens? :lol:

You can also consider 24-70 f4 IS which is cheaper than f2.8 and have IS. Sharper than 24-105.
 
The 24-70 II is the ultimate general purpose lens for Canon FF bodies, offering better build and IQ than any alternative. Many people (especially within the USA) recommend the Tamron 24-70 VC USD as a cheaper alternative. It sits in-between the Canon 24-70 mkI and mkII in terms of IQ, adds VC (image stabilisation), yet costs almost half as much as the Canon alternative.

Personally, I am saving for the Canon, but I am a badge snob and want the best image quality, even if it can only be noticed at 100% magnification.
 
I also have the 70-200 mkII and use it more than the 135f2

I was also wondering about the 24-70 .. is it as good as the 70-200? on a par ? if so then would replace my 35 and 50 primes.. but would need to be as good as the 70-200 ?
 
KIPAX said:
I also have the 70-200 mkII and use it more than the 135f2

I was also wondering about the 24-70 .. is it as good as the 70-200? on a par ? if so then would replace my 35 and 50 primes.. but would need to be as good as the 70-200 ?
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Better than the 70-200 II IMO
 
If you had taken the plunge before the cashback offer came to an end (there were question marks about whether Kerso's sourced lenses would definitely pay out the cashback, due to some wording in the T&Cs), but Camera World (two bricks and mortar shops) sell them for £1685 with a special last bank holiday at £1625 (with cashback brought the price down to £1390).
 
thanks guys..third mortgage just taken out....i'll report back how I get on when it arrives.I do hope Kerso is to be 100% trusted..thanks for your recommendation..He gave a small discount fyi.

cheers
 
ahh well..there will always be cheaper ones pop up when I purchase but thanks Andreas.

Stunning photos by the way...really really nice!
 
vulcan2912 said:
You do realise you have just bought a USA import lens???

Cheers
Gary
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They are all born Japanese. The only noteworthy differences is the price premiun we pay for direct shipment (official distribution) to the UK, rather than taking a ~20% cheaper route via the USA or Hong Kong. I personally would rather pay Kerso, HDEW or OneStop-Digital than pay through the nose for a Canon UK sourced lens. All L lenses carry a full International warranty.
 
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They carry an international warranty if you can provide a Uk vat receipt to go with your lens when you send it in to be fixed(unless you send it back to the county it was imported from). That's why Simply, Panamoz, HDEW etc all provide their own 1 year warranties. It looks like Canon are also tightening up on other things too with the 24-70 MK2 cashback not being given out on purchases from Kerso.

Gary
 
hi..im not fussed and am happy with my purchase.

there are enough positive feedbacks to assure me this guy Kerso is ligit and warranties are given so I see no downside .

if anyone has had an issue with him,i'd like to know please

cheers

mike.
 
mickeyt said:
there are enough positive feedbacks to assure me this guy Kerso is ligit and warranties are given so I see no downside .
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Just to add somehting... I asked canon.. I was spending about 6 thousand pounds on a 400mm f2.8 from kerso.. so I asked canon about warranties as the info is a bit more reliable straight from them.. they said so long as I source it from a UK company then the warranty is covered... I have bought the 400mm and the 70-200 mkII a 135mm and other lens from kerso... believe me you dont need to lose any sleep over it..

Also this mention of shop/company own guarantees... pft ... canon guarantee is the only one that counts.. cuts out the middle man and weeks of waiting if owt goes wrong..
 
I got mine from Digital Rev. They offer a 1 year return to HK warranty or you get Canon to fix it over here and they reimburse you the full cost.
Hopefully ill never need to test that out. Unless Canon or whoever are offering a longer warranty period i think we are all in the same boat after the first year has expired.
I love my 24-70. Ive had 3 24-105L's over the past 5 years and although i didnt have an issue with any of them (not IQ wise anyway) its a lens ive always found boring. Good workhorse though.
Im not sure my 24-70 is a "stellar" copy but its sharp enough for me, and a lot nicer to use than the Tamron 24-70 IME. That lens felt a bit cumbersome and "clunky" to my hands.
 
You'll struggle to find anyone with a bad word for Kerso.

I've used him on numerous occasions over the years for various cameras and lenses. Top person to deal with. My last purchase was a 5D3 which Canon happily accepted(with receipt) when I sent the camera to them to get checked out and have the light leak problem fixed.

Gary
 
dave_bass5 said:
I got mine from Digital Rev. They offer a 1 year return to HK warranty or you get Canon to fix it over here and they reimburse you the full cost.
Hopefully ill never need to test that out. Unless Canon or whoever are offering a longer warranty period i think we are all in the same boat after the first year has expired.
I love my 24-70. Ive had 3 24-105L's over the past 5 years and although i didnt have an issue with any of them (not IQ wise anyway) its a lens ive always found boring. Good workhorse though.
Im not sure my 24-70 is a "stellar" copy but its sharp enough for me, and a lot nicer to use than the Tamron 24-70 IME. That lens felt a bit cumbersome and "clunky" to my hands.
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Your problems with the Tamron are the main reason I never tried one after getting 2 very poor copies of the 24-70.I was very tempted at one stage.

Gary
 
vulcan2912 said:
Your problems with the Tamron are the main reason I never tried one after getting 2 very poor copies of the 24-70.I was very tempted at one stage.

Gary
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Im pretty sure mine were isolated incidents but it was very worrying, especially as they were from completely different batches.

I am happy to report that i haven't missed VC/IS. I thought i would as ive always had a IS lens as my main lens.
Maybe my shooting habits have changed.
Im sure i could do with it but ive learnt to live without it.
 
If you buy from Kerso or Hong Kong, the absolute worst case is that you may have to pay ~£20 to return a faulty product for repair/replacement, and have to wait an extra week. With saving's of £300-£400 available on import 20-70L II's, it is well worth the risk. Why else do you think Canon UK can afford to offer cashback promo's every 6 months? Their markup is massive.
 
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Orville said:
If you buy from Kerso or Hong Kong, the absolute worst case is that you may have to pay ~£20 to return a faulty product for repair/replacement, and have to wait an extra week. With saving's of £300-£400 available on import 20-70L II's, it is well worth the risk. Why else do you think Canon UK can afford to offer cashback promo's every 6 months? Their markup is massive.
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Bear in mind that VAT on a £1700 UK sourced lens is about £300, so really most of it is not markup, but tax, the rest is £100 markup.

With the recent cashback offer, it made my UK purchase only cost £30 more than OSD.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have considered UK unless the offer was on - my 5D mkIII is HK sourced (and admittedly the electronic spirit level is incorrect, but I'll live with it).
 
Matholwch said:
Bear in mind that VAT on a £1700 UK sourced lens is about £300, so really most of it is not markup, but tax, the rest is £100 markup.

With the recent cashback offer, it made my UK purchase only cost £30 more than OSD.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have considered UK unless the offer was on - my 5D mkIII is HK sourced (and admittedly the electronic spirit level is incorrect, but I'll live with it).
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There is no VAT payable on OSD purchases. They use cunning methods to ensure you avoid it (quote value of item below £20, list it as a repaired item or gift etc), and OSD will fully reimburse you if you are unlucky and get clobbered by Customs.

edit:Apparently :police:
 
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