Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L USM II Wide Angle Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L USM II Wide Angle Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Customer Review: canon "L" glass
Summary: 5 Stars
What more do I need to say other than it is Canon "L" glass. I believe it is the fastest 24mm wide angle on the planet. Enough said...Customer Review: No alternative in 1.4!
Summary: 4 Stars
I have a trusted FD 24mm 1.4 from the film days I am now using on NEX (=36mm) and Micro 4/3 (=48mm) with adapters. This is an excellent lens which gave me the best photos I've made with it's low light abilities.
I recently purchased the EF 24mm 1.4 Mkii from amazon to replace it on Canon Digital Full Frame (5d Mkii) and Crop Sensor (60D) and worry myself sick after having read here and elsewhere about back/front/inconsistent focus, and softness at 1.4.
I am no lens tester, just Joe (long time )user but here are my findings:
My copy does not have focus problems, although operator error is frequent at this 1.4 aperture.
Compared directly to the old FD at 1.4 (on the same Panny G1 body)the EF have more details and contrast . Even on the 3" screen, photos are snappier.
Compared to the Canon 50mm 1.4 EF at 1.4, the 24mm have more definition. The 50mm has that halo-dreamy look at 1.4. None of this with the 24mm.
Compared to the Sigma 24-60mm/2.8 (another VG lens in my kit and an absolute bargain) at 2.8 and 24mm, the Canon wins hand down.
Compared to the Tokina 16-28mm 2.8 (newly released but reputed the best in its class?) at 2.8 and 24mm, the Canon is slightly better in the center but corners are softer.
Construction, focus speed, focus noise are superior to the other lenses. It is large and heavy though, even when compared to the gigantic 16-28mm. I guess a battery holder will help balance it at least on the 60D. Manual focus, I like the old FD better but of course the old FD does not AF.
I am happy and am going to keep it, as there is no real alternative in this FL and aperture on EF mount. I have considered the Sigmas 20mm/1.8 and 24mm/1.8 but AF is noisier and the manual/AF feature not convenient to me although I can certainly use the difference in price ($1200!). I also suspect that at 1.8 the Sigmas might not be as good as the Canon L in the center at 1.4 but I have no way to tell. I have also considered the Zeiss 18mm and 21mm in the same price range but one opens at 3.5 and the other at 2.8. I'll go with the Zeiss 21mm if I can do with 2.8. The Nikon 24mm/1.4 G might be adapted to Canon EF but it is even pricier and certainly will not AF.
There is the concern of corners softness and vignetting which at the 1.4 aperture very real. In my case, It will actually help me spend less time darkening and blurring the corners in PS :-D
For landscapes (which I have not verified for myself), my guess is this lens at 8.0 is as good as any.
Hope this helps you in your decision. It was a difficult one ($1700) for me!
Customer Review: Focus Problem
Summary: 3 Stars
Well I really wanted to love this lens. I can not get it to focus consistently with the focus sensor on my T2i. It does however focus perfectly with live View but I do not use this mode. I have read many reviews about this lens and either it is perfect with some moderate sharpness loss at wide open. The problem is the 20% of the people like me who have this focus problem. Just go to the Canon web site and read for yourself.
I do not know if my camera is defective or both lenses are but I do not want to keep a $1600 lens while I send my camera in to be checked. I have 6 other lenses that do not have this problem but I do not have another f/1:4 either. I am having my friend bring his camera tomorrow to test the lens so I will update the review if this changes my opinion.
I have spent hours testing this lens with Canon tech support with the final verdict being send it back.
UPDATE
I have now tried it on a 5D mark II and it works perfectly. I have also tried it on 2 other T2i's and one is as bad as mine and one is closer but not perfect.
the decision is to send it back. Canon offered to calibrate the camera with the lens but then I am stuck with the lens if I am not happy.
Robert
Customer Review: Soft at low F numbers
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this lens new a few months ago as a compliment to my F2.8 24-70mm, specifically for lower light stuff (concerts, indoors etc) and although it is robust, will focus fast and quietly, over time I noticed how soft it was compared to the 24-70. So to try and convince myself it was just me I ran a series of like for like tests of the two lens and sure enough (starting at 2.8 obviously!) it is quite a bit softer and the colors are not as accurate either.
When you get down to F1.4 and shoot over any distance (say you were shooting a concert in the early evening and didn't want to use flash) it REALLY soft, (so much so I though the autofocus was not working!)
I love buying the best glass I can and stick with Canon for consistency, but this has been a real dissapointment compared to the versatility of the 24-70. for circa $1650, its a BIG price for something with a large number of quality trade-offs!
Customer Review: More problems
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm on my 3rd Canon 24mm f1.4 L version II, all have had focus issues. The 1st was crazy inconsistent. The 2nd had a huge front focus and was still somewhat inconsistent. The 3rd that I just received is also inconsistent. I've tested the lenses on many different camera bodies and in many different situations. I've even had a Canon engineer confirm the inconsistency issues on the 2nd lens (he recommended I return it for a replacement). I'm beginning to believe that there is some kind of design or manufacturing defect with some of these lenses. Unbelievable. If you get one, make sure you check it out well while still within the return window. Take 3-4 pictures on something static and see if the focus is consistent for each one or if it jumps between the 3-4 shots. Otherwise, it's a fantastic lens and I really wish I could get one that focuses well because I think it would be a wonderful lens.
Good luck!