buy the 24-70 4 IS... or wait for the 2.8 IS?

[Laktibrada]

so uuuuuhm... i got a decent bunch of extra money on side and been pondering an universal lens...
got a 5D III along with 70-200 4 IS, 50 1.2, and the zeiss 100 2 wannabe-macro
my first thought was the inexpensive 24-105, but since i lack anything wide-angle i read that the 24-70 4 IS performs a TON better at 24mm
secondly... i would prefer the luxury of IS over hauling a tripod with me... i probably have a special kind of epilepsy that kicks in only when i hit the trigger cause even with the 50mm at 1.2 on sunny days i manage to screw up photos... so IS is a must
thirdly and most importantly... all my lenses are 2nd hand and i would like to buy a general purpose lense which would be more or less my final addition

should i buy the relatively inexpensive 4 IS... or wait (god-knows-how long) for the (god-knows-how-expensive) 2.8 IS?

what would you do?
and no... tamron is nice but id rather stick to canon :

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

At 24-70, with a FF, you do not need IS unless you are doing handheld video. If you need a good lens, get one now, if you don't actually need one, then there is always another rumored lens in the pipeline. The 24-70mm f/2.8 IS has been rumored for several years, it might happen this year, or in 2020.

 

[Khalai]

24-70/2.8 II is hell of a lens. No need for IS in this focal range, unless one has Parkinson/coffee addict/video affection issue. Get one now, you won't be disappointed...

 

[Don Haines]

I really like the 24-70F4IS lens. It is very sharp and is a lot more portable than the F2.8 version.

 

[iaind]

It will be a long wait!!!!!

Looks like Canon strategy is f2.8 non IS and f4 IS for both 16-35 and 24-70 L series lenses

2.8II is a great lens

 

[wickidwombat]

I'm waiting for the sigma 24-70 f2 os
Not in any hurry so happy to wait

 

[Khalai]

I'm waiting for the sigma 24-70 f2 os
Not in any hurry so happy to wait

Another unicorn lens

 

[Ruined]

I doubt 24-70 f/2.8 IS is coming anytime soon.

If I were you I'd rent a 24-70 f/2.8 II. I think you will love it, even without IS.

 

[cid]

hi laktibrada and welcome to the forum!

24-70/2.8 II is hell of a lens.

+1, it really is, I never missed IS with 60D, and I really don't feel it even with 5DmkIII, so don't worry!

PS: Z nicku odhadujem, ze by si mohol byt zo slovenska

 

[MadHungarian]

On a related subject, does anyone know whether Canon ever fixed that Focus Shift issue with the 24-70 f/4 ? It would seem likely to be something they could fix with a simple firmware update. And I read a rumor somewhere that they had maybe fixed it but i don't know for sure.

 

[cid]

On a related subject, does anyone know whether Canon ever fixed that Focus Shift issue with the 24-70 f/4 ? It would seem likely to be something they could fix with a simple firmware update. And I read a rumor somewhere that they had maybe fixed it but i don't know for sure.

I haven't heard about this issue yet, but if it's not huge shift, then micro adjustments should do fine

 

[Laktibrada]

thanks for all the replies and suggestions

yeah... the 2.8 II is bloody tempting...

however, i am almost sure i will buy the 2.8 IS when it finally comes out of the closet...
my only concern and the main reason i even consider the 4 IS is the depreciated value i would sell my lens for, when upgrading to 2.8 IS...

4 IS should not "lose" much of its current value on the 2nd hand market even after the 2.8 IS is introduced (buy for 800 - sell for 600);
the 2.8 II however will probably go through a decent price drop and at the same time the 2nd hand market market will most likely be quite flooded with them, due to people upgrading (buy for 1600 - sell for ????);

2 main factors come into the equation for me:
1) when will the 2.8 IS pop up - the answer can be found in the land of lotteries, wizards and unicorns
2) is the 2.8 II so much better than the 4 IS as to justify a couple 100 of EUROs difference in the re-sell value?

If I were you I'd rent...

- thats an excellent suggestion... and now that i think about it - even easier/cheaper would be to wait for one of the marketing events where canon lets people try out their products...

PS: Z nicku odhadujem, ze by si mohol byt zo slovenska

- Nad Tatrooou sa blyyyska ;D

 

[cid]

I don't think mk II will loose too much price, it's excellent lens and if you don't demage it then there will always be value in that glass

First of all, thanks to sites like this one, you will be informed soon enough, when 24-70 f/2.8 IS will be anounced, then you can sell non stabilized version wait for few months and buy the new one. These things are selling on the second hand market as hell even in slovakia

 

[NancyP]

24-70 f/2.8 II users: do you think your copy is soft at minimum focusing distance at 70mm?

 

[Skirball]

It seems nobody read the part in the OP where he said "IS is a must".

If that's the case it settles it right there, get the f/4 IS. Waiting for Canon to release anything that doesn't have a published release date is a fools errand. Chances are you'll be sitting here a year from now posting again if you should still hold out for the 2.8 IS or just get the 4. If you want the lens now, get it now.

 

[cid]

It seems nobody read the part in the OP where he said "IS is a must".

It seems you haven't read what other people wrote. We were only suggesting that IS is not such a must at this focal length and wide aperture.

If we were talking about 70-200mm then I'm on the boat and IS is must, especially when you have shaky hands.

 

[wsmith96]

Go for the f4 is. It has some macro capabilities too. There will always be a newer and better lens, but, as previously pointed out, it could be years before you see it. Or it might be tomorrow.......

 

[gshocked]

thanks for all the replies and suggestions

yeah... the 2.8 II is bloody tempting...

however, i am almost sure i will buy the 2.8 IS when it finally comes out of the closet...
my only concern and the main reason i even consider the 4 IS is the depreciated value i would sell my lens for, when upgrading to 2.8 IS...

4 IS should not "lose" much of its current value on the 2nd hand market even after the 2.8 IS is introduced (buy for 800 - sell for 600);
the 2.8 II however will probably go through a decent price drop and at the same time the 2nd hand market market will most likely be quite flooded with them, due to people upgrading (buy for 1600 - sell for ????);

2 main factors come into the equation for me:
1) when will the 2.8 IS pop up - the answer can be found in the land of lotteries, wizards and unicorns
2) is the 2.8 II so much better than the 4 IS as to justify a couple 100 of EUROs difference in the re-sell value?

If I were you I'd rent...

- thats an excellent suggestion... and now that i think about it - even easier/cheaper would be to wait for one of the marketing events where canon lets people try out their products...

PS: Z nicku odhadujem, ze by si mohol byt zo slovenska

- Nad Tatrooou sa blyyyska ;D

+1

The 24-70 lens is fantastic! I've been renting one on and off for the past few months now. I will eventually buy one buy renting is the best option for now.

 

[Marsu42]

should i buy the relatively inexpensive 4 IS... or wait (god-knows-how long) for the (god-knows-how-expensive) 2.8 IS

First off, I don't see Canon releasing a 24-70L/2.8-IS lens anytime soon, not with their current lens release lag and two other 24-70 already on the market.

As for your requirements, it's simple really: Do you shoot movement? If yes, then IS doesn't do you any good, that's why Canon released their L2 w/o IS. If you shoot static subjects you most likely don't desperately need f2.8 but should be happy with f4 and a ~4 stop IS on top of that. If you shoot both: Buy two lenses :->

Go for the f4 is. It has some macro capabilities too.

I thought about buying the f4 and then discovered the macro capability is good as a free addon, but the setup is rather clumsy: You cannot just move in like with a real macro lens, but first have to lock the lens in macro mode. The most pressing problem is the working distance: Even 100mm on full frame is very short, your shadow gets in the way and flashes need a different setup than on camera or on a bracket...

... so macro on the 24-70 is "nice to have" for travel and shooting repro images, but imho hardly a deciding factor for or against this lens.

 

[StudentOfLight]

thanks for all the replies and suggestions

yeah... the 2.8 II is bloody tempting...

however, i am almost sure i will buy the 2.8 IS when it finally comes out of the closet...
my only concern and the main reason i even consider the 4 IS is the depreciated value i would sell my lens for, when upgrading to 2.8 IS...

4 IS should not "lose" much of its current value on the 2nd hand market even after the 2.8 IS is introduced (buy for 800 - sell for 600);
the 2.8 II however will probably go through a decent price drop and at the same time the 2nd hand market market will most likely be quite flooded with them, due to people upgrading (buy for 1600 - sell for ????);

2 main factors come into the equation for me:
1) when will the 2.8 IS pop up - the answer can be found in the land of lotteries, wizards and unicorns
2) is the 2.8 II so much better than the 4 IS as to justify a couple 100 of EUROs difference in the re-sell value?

If I were you I'd rent...

- thats an excellent suggestion... and now that i think about it - even easier/cheaper would be to wait for one of the marketing events where canon lets people try out their products...

PS: Z nicku odhadujem, ze by si mohol byt zo slovenska

- Nad Tatrooou sa blyyyska ;D

I do not think the 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS is the highest priority for Canon. The 24-70mm f/2.8L II still has the best optics for a zoom in that focal range across all brands. As a result I do not think that everyone will flock to get an f/2.8 IS if one is released as the only benefit might be (potentially) a slight bump in IQ and the inclusion of IS. If an IS version is released it would simply be priced above where the 2.8L II currently is but both would eventually drop over time.

It is a pity that you dismiss Tamron's 24-70mm f/2.8 VC. I find that Tamron offering is a good placeholder and is backed by a solid warranty and decent after-sales service. In South Africa the 2.8L II was about 30% overpriced (compared to other parts of the world) so I didn't let brand loyalty stand in the way of immediate value. With the $1,000 balance I saved I managed to get a 600ex and the ST-E3-RT.