First Experience: 24-70 f/2.8L

[yalemba]

Got my "24-70 f/2.8 L" lens yesterday, and have already taken a bunch of pictures. The lens is very sharp, but very unforgiving to a shaky hand and low light conditions.

Are there any special tricks to tame this thing and produce sharp pictures in low light conditions?

Thanks.

[Saturn]

Hello:

Hope my following comments help.

After having shot with DSLR's for about 2 years now (Canon), we've found thru testing that the files produced from these camera's are much more sensitive to shake, vibration, and lens-quality than film-based cameras. Whenever possible, I always shoot on a tripod, with cable release and mirror lock. Using these methods, with any lens, we've found that file quality is noticeably better at any aperture or focal length setting. Files require less sharpening, when applying these methods.

Thanks.

Saturn

[Belmondo]

Saturn wrote:
Whenever possible, I always shoot on a tripod, with cable release and mirror lock. Using these methods, with any lens, we've found that file quality is noticeably better at any aperture or focal length setting. Files require less sharpening, when applying these methods.


True, but not horribly convenient for spontaneous shooting. Image Stabilization does seem to help a great deal on lenses so equipped.

[KennyG]

yalemba wrote:
Got my "24-70 f/2.8 L" lens yesterday, and have already taken a bunch of pictures. The lens is very sharp, but very unforgiving to a shaky hand and low light conditions.

Are there any special tricks to tame this thing and produce sharp pictures in low light conditions?



Keeping the ISO well up to get a faster shutter speed will help. You can get rid of noise a lot easier than blur.

Fitting the Big Ed grip helps balance the camera much better, especially with heavier L lenses.

[DaveG]

yalemba wrote:
Got my "24-70 f/2.8 L" lens yesterday, and have already taken a bunch of pictures. The lens is very sharp, but very unforgiving to a shaky hand and low light conditions.

Are there any special tricks to tame this thing and produce sharp pictures in low light conditions?

Thanks.



Remember to use the 1/focal length hand holding rule with the EFFECTIVE focal length of this lens, assuming that you are using it on a 10D. the 24 is a 38.4 mm lens so the slowest handheld speed should be 1/60 (round up). At 70 this lens is a 112 so 1/125 would be the slowest speed.

Now a number of things. First these are minumium hand holding speeds not optimal ones. All they mean is that your failure rate will be lower that if you dropped down even just one shutterspeed. And second everyone who is just itching to tell me that they can make 16x20 prints out of 300 mm lens shots taken at 1/60 can blow it out their ass. They can't. I can't. No one can. It seems to a sign of manhood that they think they can.

At the end it doesn't matter since there are no prizes for slow hand holding speeds, just for good pictures.

[scottbergerphoto]

The 24-70 2.8 L is a great lens. I use it as my walking around lens. I try to keep my shutter speed over 1/60 minimum and practice locking my left arm against my side and breathing out before I take the picture. If I'm a little wobbly I kick up the ISO to 400. I find my worst pictures are my first few and then I settle down.
Enjoy the new Lens.
Scott