My first impressions of The 24-70 2.8

We tried one out on a 30D today at Samy's here in LA and the lens was not as heavy as many people have said. Now granted, I am a 6' tall 200lb+ Male but even to my petite female friend the lens dindn't feel too heavy. Now I do admit that it is a monster but it is not as bad as most people have said. Just my humble opinion. BTW, she is getting the 30D and the 24-70 this weekend. Not bad for your first DSLR.

cali wrote in post #2151626
We tried one out on a 30D today at Samy's here in LA and the lens was not as heavy as many people have said. Now granted, I am a 6' tall 200lb+ Male but even to my petite female friend the lens dindn't feel too heavy. Now I do admit that it is a monster but it is not as bad as most people have said. Just my humble opinion. BTW, she is getting the 30D and the 24-70 this weekend. Not bad for your first DSLR.

well, i don't think there is a heavier zoom in this range. if that's correct the 24-70L is the heaviest.

also, when you really want to like something it usually takes awhile before you can be objective. at least that's my experience.

i really like the 24-70L and there is no other lens that i would want as a walkaround, but it is a brute of a lens.

ed rader

30D and a 24-70 is a mad starter kit! Good job to her!

A01 wrote in post #2151678
30D and a 24-70 is a mad starter kit! Good job to her!

i couldn't imagine using the 24-70L without a grip. on my 20d that set-up weighs about 5 lbs.

ed rader

I like my gear heavy and solid. The weight/size don't bother me.

It's not stealthy, but that's what the D30 w/35mm f/2.0 are for.

cali wrote in post #2151626
We tried one out on a 30D today at Samy's here in LA and the lens was not as heavy as many people have said. Now granted, I am a 6' tall 200lb+ Male but even to my petite female friend the lens dindn't feel too heavy. Now I do admit that it is a monster but it is not as bad as most people have said. Just my humble opinion. BTW, she is getting the 30D and the 24-70 this weekend. Not bad for your first DSLR.

Get out and take some shots with it and post them.

ed rader wrote in post #2151698
i couldn't imagine using the 24-70L without a grip. on my 20d that set-up weighs about 5 lbs.

ed rader

I wouldn't dream of putting a grip on my cameras - the 5D/24-70 is a great combo without it. You shouldn't be trying to support the camera by the grip; your left hand, under the camera/lens combo, should be carryign the weight. You're less likely to shake the camera when releasing the shutter that way.

cali wrote in post #2151626
We tried one out on a 30D today at Samy's here in LA and the lens was not as heavy as many people have said. Now granted, I am a 6' tall 200lb+ Male but even to my petite female friend the lens dindn't feel too heavy. Now I do admit that it is a monster but it is not as bad as most people have said. Just my humble opinion. BTW, she is getting the 30D and the 24-70 this weekend. Not bad for your first DSLR.

do you purchase your equipment from samy's? i find it a bit on the expensive side, and charge your a premium when purchasing in-store. their reasoning was that they had to train their sales associates about camera equipment. their service is great as they're willing to replace copies of any lens you feel is not sharp enough, and they also provide classes and such, but sometimes, i wonder if it's really worth it.

some sales associates dont care about what you want and will try to force a difference decision. it's fine to offer alternatives, but when i want a 30D, i want a 30D, not a nikon d50!

that said, if samy's can negotiate prices/discounts, i will forever be their patron. how's your experience with them in terms of negotiating prices? or getting good bundled discounts?

Thats some set-up, congrats to her

Jon wrote in post #2158762
I wouldn't dream of putting a grip on my cameras - the 5D/24-70 is a great combo without it. You shouldn't be trying to support the camera by the grip; your left hand, under the camera/lens combo, should be carryign the weight. You're less likely to shake the camera when releasing the shutter that way.

hey Jon -- i know how to support a camera and lens, and i prefer a grip. so do many others.

but it's good to hear from the other camp .

ed rader

unix04 wrote in post #2158911
do you purchase your equipment from samy's?

how's your experience with them in terms of negotiating prices? or getting good bundled discounts?

I bought my 20D from The Samy's in Pasadena and as you may well know, I paid a lot for it. Since it was my first DSLR I felt comfortable buying it from them because they were very helpful and aswered all of my questions. As far as negotiating, they did beat a competitor's price when I mentioned it to them so I guess knowing the prices of other retailers is helpful. As far as bundled discounts go it seems like they are willing to work with you as that was my experience when I bought my 70-200 and almost bought the 50 1.4. It has been 9 months since I bought my camera and I have learned a lot about equipment and prices. I have found that Online prices are the lowest and I plan on purchasing my equipment that way from now on.

cali wrote in post #2159590
I bought my 20D from The Samy's in Pasadena and as you may well know, I paid a lot for it. Since it was my first DSLR I felt comfortable buying it from them because they were very helpful and aswered all of my questions. As far as negotiating, they did beat a competitor's price when I mentioned it to them so I guess knowing the prices of other retailers is helpful. As far as bundled discounts go it seems like they are willing to work with you as that was my experience when I bought my 70-200 and almost bought the 50 1.4. It has been 9 months since I bought my camera and I have learned a lot about equipment and prices. I have found that Online prices are the lowest and I plan on purchasing my equipment that way from now on.

im willing to pay the difference in tax if i can get good service locally, which i do at a place out in canoga park (which i found to beat even some online retailers like BH and buydig). however, samy's is less than a 10 minute drive, whereas canoga park is about 45.

i have been hesitant to go samys due to prices. i recently picked up the 50/1.8 from samy's only to realize they sold it for $90!!! i didnt realize because i bought a few accessories with it, it was crowded and i was in a rush, but i saw the receipt afterwards and there it was!! i checked with them and their return policy is store credit only.

im glad to hear they're flexible. perhaps i'll try to negotiate a bit the next time i head out there...thanks for the heads up.

I don't know, I can't imagine using any of my cameras without a grip... Just more to hold onto - especially in a vertical position and with heavy lenses.

Double Negative wrote in post #2159693
I don't know, I can't imagine using any of my cameras without a grip... Just more to hold onto - especially in a vertical position and with heavy lenses.

Ditto - I tend to shoot a lot in the vertical position and it's far more convenient to do with the grip. I did use a 30D for a week without a grip and got used to shooting vertical without a grip, again, but I didn't care for it much!

Waitin' patiently on my 24-70, btw... can't wait

Lens weight isn't something you feel right away-- you start to notice it after holding the stuff for quite a while. For me anyway the biggest thing is pain in the small of my back-- I guess I need to work on my shooting posture.

Now, on the other hand a Nikon F4 + 80-200/2.8 is outrageous and painful-- it weighs, I think, over 7 pounds. Balances well, though.