The Canon EF 24-70 f/4L IS USM has been announced on the same day as the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

Canon has bolstered its EF lens range by announcing the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM. Released on the same day as the all-new EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens, it sits just below the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens and has been designed for use by both professional and amateur photographers.

Combining an everyday focal range with Canon’s premium L-series lens construction, a new macro function optimises the placement of lens groups during macro photography, allowing shooting at a maximum magnification of 0.7x thus reducing the need for photographers to carry additional macro lenses.

The construction is made up of two aspherical elements alongside two Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) lenses, each with optimised Super Spectra Coatings to minimise chromatic aberration, colour blurring and flare. A nine-blade circular iris also assists photographers in making their subjects stand out, delivering out of focus highlights (bokeh) in the background blur to enhance atmosphere.

The EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM also features a newly designed IS system, delivering blur-free images throughout the zoom range. Canon’s advanced optical IS offers a 4-stop light advantage, while Hybrid IS effectively compensates for angular and shift shake during macro shooting for stable close ups.

Superfast AF performance is provided by a small, ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM). Working in combination with a high-performance CPU and advanced AF algorithms, USM technology enables accurate, silent and ultra-responsive auto focusing. Full-time manual focusing also enables adjustments to be made when AF is engaged.

Available in December and just in time for Christmas, the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM is expected to cost £1499 which works out at £800 less than Canon’s EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens.