Trading my new 24-70mm f/2.8L lens for something else

Littlelillie

If you only had ONE lens for everything what would it be? I currently have the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L which was pricey. Honestly, I love the photos captured by my 50mm f/1.8 so much more! Everyone told me it was the best, but I am not achieving the results I want. So what lens would you recommend?

Moose

Howdy @Littlelillie - As strange as it might sound, it would probably be the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L. The zoom range is perfect for everyday shots, portraits, family photos, etc... and the super bright f/2.8 aperture helps isolate subjects against buttery smooth backgrounds. It's razor sharp and is super quick to focus.

My "guess" as to why you don't prefer it over your 50mm f/1.8 is because of the maximum aperture (f/2.8).

The maximum aperture (lowest available f-number) determines how much of the scene is in focus. Lower f-numbers reduce the area in focus, which allows you to blur the majority of the scene into oblivion.

The 50mm can obtain an aperture of f/1.8, while the 24-70mm can obtain an aperture of f/2.8. Thus the 50mm would capture a shallower depth of field (DOF).

If you like the shallow DOF look, then you might think about upgrading to the Canon 50mm f/1.4 (see here) or the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 (see here).

These lenses will produce a smoother background blur and render sharper details when compared to your 50mm f/1.8.

The caveat, is that you're stuck at the 50mm focal length, whereas with the 24-70mm you have some freedom to compose a variety of shots in many different environments.

Hope that all makes sense and happy shooting! :)