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lwestfall | all galleries >> Galleries >> Lens Tests > fStopJojo's 24-70EX vs. My Original 24-70EX vs. 70-200/2.8L
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fStopJojo's 24-70EX vs. My Original 24-70EX vs. 70-200/2.8L

100% actual-pixels center crops of 70mm shots of rather harsh afternoon sun (sorry, 20 min to 1 hour apart) taken from the shade with a 20D in Parameter 2, best JPEG, no PP, on tripod (sorry, the shots with my original 24-70EX were taken from a slightly different spot), MLU, with center AF square right on the sign, focus confirmed with Katz-Eye Plus Hi-Lux split-prism focusing screen, ISO 100, Av mode with exposure times identical between the Canon and the 24-70EX from fStopJojo (1/1250s & 1/800s), but unfortunately shorter for my original 24-70EX (1/1600s & 1/1000s).

Amazing how different these Sigmas can be (not that it doesn't happen to Canons) in terms of sharpness. My original 24-70EX matches the one from fStopJojo from 24-45mm, but beyond that the latter is noticeably sharper. After sending my original 24-70EX in twice to Sigma USA Service for repair of this softness with no luck, I finally contacted Sigma Japan about it, and they say, "We are going to investigate this problem, we are going to repair your lens and if necessary replace it with a new product." So I sent it off on Nov. 3 and am eagerly awaiting its return!

BTW, I plan to do a shootout sometime between this sharp 24-70EX and a friend's 24-70L, so stay tuned...

For reference, here's the "announcement" discussion for this story of mine: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=15640130 I'm still wondering whether most 24-70EX's out there are this sharp or soft like my original and several others I've seen samples of... It would be great to see some crops from other 24-70EX owners out there, especially if you think you have a sharp copy!


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FellowTraveller 02-Dec-2005 01:36
Well I certainly hope my copy comes back from Sigma service working as well as fstopjojo's. I've seen mixed results from 24-70 EX owners who sent theirs in. I was having the front focus issue on an XT body rather than a 20D. Hopefully the fix works for RebelXT's as well. I'm getting nervous now.
lwestfall22-Nov-2005 02:45
Anyong, kam-sa ham-ni-da, Jacob! Any crops at 70mm & f/2.8? That's where my two copies differ the most. Honestly, I think 40-50mm (where you shot that sample) is the weakest part of the 24-70EX's range. In that small range my two copies kind of show a bit of the "soft glow" effect I can kinda see in your example and which is very strong at the long end of my original "bad" 24-70EX. But that might not be much different from the 24-70L's results (my friend has a new baby and hasn't had time to do that shootout with me yet), and still I think the 24-70EX is all in all a very sharp lens and great bargain. Happy shooting!
Guest 21-Nov-2005 23:35
Here is a link to a shot i took with the 24-70... I like to believe i got a pretty sharp version, although the focusing isn't always dead on, but when it is, I can't ask for more~

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=15866661
lwestfall03-Nov-2005 03:44
From what I've read (including Sigma's MTF's) the 24-70EX is optically better than the 28-70EX and 24-60EX varieties. And I would certainly hope that the 50/1.4 is sharper than all mid-range zooms, but I can understand your frustration after paying so much on the L zoom. Thanks Excal and Jojo for sharing your experiences here!
Guest 30-Oct-2005 07:20
Testing my Sigma 28-70/2.8 EX vs. Canon 24-70/2.8 L (note the subtley different wide end), I found them very similar, though Canon had the edge even though it went wider. So clearly Canon was better. But... when I checked each of the 4 corners for sharpness, I found some corners the Canon was better, and on other, the Sigma was better. So, do check all 4 corners, not just centre and edge. That was on a 10D and I've since sold the Sigma. My reason was, when I do eventually go FF the Canon will be the better choice (24mm vs 28mm). No doubt, Canon L will be better on FF corners/edges too... at least, it should be for the money. A final note, my Canon 50/1.4 prime blew away every lens (including these 2), that I owned that could do 50mm, set at 50mm. Made me a bit annoyed at the Canon 24-70/2.8 L after I spent so much on it!

Excal
Guest 30-Oct-2005 05:28
Good job, Lincoln. The new Sigma 24-70 f2.8 EX DG Macro is a killer lens (assuming a good working copy). My copy (the one you have now) was always close to my 70-200f2.8 L IS USM and was clearly sharper than both my 24-70Ls. I think in terms of contrast the Ls have the slight edge, but pound for pound, Sigma can put out some gems.
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