New 70-200 f2.8L IS II vs. First Version and 24-70 f2.8L

I had the unfortunate experience of having my first 70-200 f2.8 IS lens stolen several months ago.

I loved that lens. But, thought overall that it wasn't quite as sharp as the 24-70 f2.8L that is the primary lens on my 5D MK II.

This past weekend, I needed to photograph a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet, so I replaced the lost lens with the new Mark II version of the 70-200.

Wow!

Because I could walk around the theater during a dress rehearsal, I used the 24-70 f2.8. But, I had to remain in the back of the theater for the actual performance so I used the 70-200 MK II.

The new 70-200 MK II is absolutely amazing and actually, in my opinion, outperformed the 24-70 on several levels, including color, sharpness and focus.

Knowing what I know now, about the serious improvement that Canon made in creating the new version of the 70-200 f2.8L, even if I had not lost the first version, I would sell it and buy the latest incarnation. It is that much better.

But, it's made me hope that Canon decides to upgrade the 24-70 f2.8L in the near future to bring it up to the latest technology.