Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L on Canon 5S MKII-a bad copy?

<p>I have been shooting with Canon 24-70 f/2.8L on my 5DII for two days now, it is a rental lenser that I picked at a reputable local camera store and I was told that is calibrated "good" copy. I wanted to try this lens before purchasing it as my standard lens for 5DII, however so far my experience has been very frustrating. Yesterday I took the lenser to the Cal Academy of Science in San Francisco and it was a total blow up, I shot several hundred shots with only a handful of good ones, mainly because of poor sharpness and color fringing. I tried the lens today as well with different outdoor subjects but results were very poor. Basically it is useless at f/2.8, nothing is sharp and at f/4 a very small circle in the center picks up in sharpness while the rest of the frame is blurry and even at f/8 corner performance is unacceptable to my standard. Chromatic aberration is extremely high and clearly present even at f/8. My main usage of 5DII is very large prints so imperfections like this is very critical to my work.<br>

I am starting to think that despite what I was told this lens may indeed by a very bad copy, I would appreciate any comments from owners of this lens who have used it on a <strong>full frame </strong>camera. I have attached some samples (all RAW files converted with DPP). It would nice if someone with a "good" copy can post some 100% crops from center and corner from a typical scenery so I can decide whether this is the lens for me or not.<br>

Thank you.</p><div></div>

<p>crops from above</p><div></div>

<p>Here is a sample at f/8</p><div></div>

<p>and 100% crops from areas indicated above</p><div></div>

<p>Oops the crops were misplaced the 1st crop set is for 2nd image and 2nd crop set for 1st image, sorry for bad post. Here is a sample of color fringing at f/8</p><div></div>

<p>this shows the CA, it is not just in highlight area but anywhere with an edge an contrast, people's faces, tables etc.</p><div></div>

<p>Reminds me of when I tried a friend's EF-S 18-55 IS. I'm serious, these look just like them!</p>

<p>So maybe it is a bad copy: renters kicking it around and elements have drifted out of alignment. I'll ask the obvious: did you try the microfocus adjustment but to no avail? If not give it a try. I've owned a few lenses that were sharp on one body but not another so shit happens.</p>

<p>There is another possibility. Every once in a while a camera ships with the CMOS slightly skewed from the film plane. One of my friend's 20D was blurry on the same side no matter what lens he used (tried several of mine!). After blaming his lenses for months Canon finally asked him to send in both lenses and camera. Everything was sharp thereafter.</p>

<p>Puppy,<br>

It's not the camera because I can produce tact sharp images with my telephotos.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Puppy,<br>

It's not the camera because I can produce tact sharp images with my telephotos.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Looks like a bad copy of the lens, the 24-70 has pretty much perfect sharpness all the way through. Deffinitly don't judge the 24-70 by this lens alone. Rental lens are often abused.</p>

<p>Thanks Sam, can you post a sample from a good one?</p>

<p>I guess you adjusted the microfocus and it didn't help? I found it a miracle worker for one of my lenses. Once programmed it corrects focus every dad burn time. Some people upgrade for just that particular feature...</p>

<p>I guess you adjusted the microfocus and it didn't help? I found it a miracle worker for one of my lenses. Once programmed it corrects focus every dad burn time. Some people upgrade for just that particular feature...</p>

<p>I guess you adjusted the microfocus and it didn't help? I found it a miracle worker for one of my lenses. Once programmed it corrects focus every dad burn time. Some people upgrade for just that particular feature...</p>

<p>F2.8 1/4000 iso 640. It's focused on the scarf, taken while moving and couldn't be too indiscreet with unknown subject.</p>

<p>Puppy,<br>

In the above shots subject is more than 300 yards away so DOF is from ~60ft to +infinity, focus micro adjust is really irrelevant for infinity DOF.<br>

<a href="http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html">http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html</a></p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks Al,<br /> But can you post a 100% crop? My images look good at small size too (like the full frames above) but not when printed at 18X12 and larger.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Arash, send the lens and body in. It will make a world of difference. Read my comments here about this process posted just a few minutes ago.</p>

<p ><a href="../canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00SdOK">http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00SdOK</a></p>

<p > </p>

<p >I will be sending my body and any new lens in that I get from now on to be calibrated. Dispite the microadjust. My 1D3 has it. But it will still go. The difference was so increditable, its worth it. You have a bad copy. Mine is razor sharp. With in range. I'm using 10mp cameras so the detail recorded at 300-500 yards wont be as great as yours. Just send them in together. In fact, if you do it, send everything you have since its going anyway. Then all your gear will rock. Good luck, I know exactly how frustrating this can be.</p>

<p>David,<br>

Can you post a sample from the lens? Any crop will do. Although 1D3 does not quite see the corners due to 1.3 crop but still I am very interested to see the sharpness accross the frame.<br>

This was a rental lens so there is no sending in :) I have not had good experience with Canon "calibrating" my gear so I take the gear as is sold, if it doesn't perform it goes back to store, just like I don't expect to buy a brand new Porsche and take it directly from the dealership to repair shop ;)</p>

<p>I understand completely. Currently, my 1D3 is at Canon. I just popped a shot outside as its getting dark here. Its from the 24-70 that was calibrated on a 1D3, but this shot was actually from my 40D. Check your email. I'll send the full JPEG. Its RAW processed through DPP as is right to JPEG no sharpen or NR. Everything default. I'll dig and see if I have anything else to send.</p>

<p>Arash, I found something even better. A shot at 2.8 35mm and its spot on with the 1D3. Shoot me an email so I have an address to upload the RAW file to. If its too big, I'll send the JPEG.</p>

<p>Heres a crop. Hope this works</p>

<p>Sorry, crop from RAW. Focus point is right eye. Exif is :</p>

<p>Shooting Mode Manual Exposure<br />Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/80<br />Av( Aperture Value ) 2.8<br />Metering Mode Evaluative Metering<br />ISO Speed 400<br />Lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM<br />Focal Length 38.0mm<br />Image Size 3888x2592<br />Image Quality RAW<br />Flash On<br />Flash Type External E-TTL<br />Flash Exposure Compensation 0<br />Shutter curtain sync 1st-curtain sync<br />White Balance Mode Auto<br /><strong>AF Mode AI Servo AF<br /></strong>Picture Style Standard<br />Sharpness 3<br />Contrast 0<br />Saturation 0<br />Color tone 0<br />Color Space sRGB<br />Long exposure noise reduction 0:Off<br />High ISO speed noise reduction 0:Off<br />Highlight tone priority 1:Enable<br />File Size 10851KB<br />Dust Delete Data No<br />Drive Mode High-speed continuous shooting<br />AF Microadjustment 5</p>

<p>Thanks David, I just sent you an email.</p>

<p>Here's another data point for you:<br>

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pjNmF1rF6K-GkrLTqYoL6Q?feat=directlink<br>

(Click on the magnifying lens to see the uncompressed view.)<br>

No EXIF data; it is a Coolscan5000 scan of Fuji Astia. Lens is the 28-70 F2.8, purchased two months ago.</p>