# Best 24-70mm Lens 2026: 9 Ranked, Aperture Claims Checked Source: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses Published: 2026-09-18 | Updated: 2026-09-19 | Prices checked on Amazon UK on 2026-09-18 The number most buyers compare first when they search for the best 24-70mm lens is maximum aperture — and it is the number these listings get wrong. The Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM is named f/4, and its own spec table reads 'Maximum Aperture: 4 f'. Yet a bullet on the same £625.48 page promises 'Fast f/2.8 max. aperture'. Meanwhile the Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN and the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM both give their maximum aperture as '2.8 Millimetres' — millimetres measure length, not aperture — and both then list a minimum aperture of 2.8, the same figure as the maximum. Sony's two 24-70mm f/2.8 G Masters are £126 apart, £1,399 and £1,525, and the cheaper original collects 10 one-star ratings in every 100 against 4 for the newer lens. We ranked nine of the best 24-70mm lens options on Amazon on three things you can check yourself: rating volume rather than score alone, the price printed on the page, and whether the spec table contradicts the marketing copy above it. Where a page argued with itself, we say so and give both numbers. ## The ranking ### 1. Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II - Price: £1,525.00 | Amazon rating: 4.7 from 335 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/sony-fe-24-70mm-gm-ii - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09YYY6P98?tag=ranked10-21 The best 24-70mm lens in this ranking: 4.7 from 335 ratings, 87% of them five-star, and only 4% at one star. It takes first place on consistency as much as score: 4.7 from 335 ratings, with 87% at five stars and 4% at one star. In practice that matches the Sigma 28-70mm for the lowest one-star share among the Sony-fit lenses here, and it comes at the highest price in the ranking, £1,525. The headline claim is weight. Sony quotes 695g, over 20% less than the previous model, a barrel 16mm shorter and overall volume down roughly 18%. Inside there are four XD linear motors, a floating focus mechanism and a 9-blade aperture closing to f/22. At the same time Sony quotes up to 30 frames per second and 4K 120p on a compatible body, and the spec table lists a Nano AR Coating. However, £1,525 is £126 more than Sony's own original 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master, and the 82mm filter thread costs more to feed than the 67mm and 72mm alternatives below. Worth noting too: the spec table lists 'Fixed Focal Length: 70 Millimetres' and a 'Screen Size' of 70 Millimetres on a lens with no screen. If you rarely shoot wider than f/4, the f/4 zooms here save you about £900. Pros: 4.7 from 335 ratings, with 87% five-star and only 4% one-star; 695g, with an 82mm filter thread, 9 diaphragm blades and f/22 minimum aperture; Four XD linear motors; Sony quotes 30fps and 4K 120p on a compatible body; Over 20% lighter and 16mm shorter than the previous model, volume down about 18%; Nano AR Coating listed, plus optical stabilisation Cons: £1,525 is the highest price in this ranking, £126 above Sony's own original G Master; 82mm filters add cost over the 67mm and 72mm options; Spec table lists a 'Screen Size' of 70 Millimetres on a lens with no screen; 4% of its 335 ratings are one star ### 2. Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II (Sony E) - Price: £1,169.00 | Amazon rating: 4.7 from 376 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/sigma-24-70mm-f2-8-dg-dn - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D49V35GV?tag=ranked10-21 Second because 376 ratings at 4.7 is the largest sample of any Sony-fit lens here, at £356 less than the Sony GM II. It takes second on sample size: 376 ratings at 4.7, with 88% at five stars and 5% at one star. By contrast the Sony GM II above has 335 ratings and 4% one-star. The price is £1,169 — £356 below the Sony and £537 above the Sigma 28-70mm further down. On paper this is the best 24-70mm lens for Sony E mount in the group. The spec table highlights six FLD glass elements, a 9-blade aperture, a minimum aperture of f/22, an 82mm filter thread and a 2.92:1 zoom ratio. Those FLD elements are there to control colour fringing at the edges of the frame. The catch is the listing itself. Sigma's only bullets are 'Sigma', 'Image & Sound Accessory' and a packing list of front and rear caps and a sun visor. The spec table says 'Focus Type: Fixed Focus' and 'Fixed Focal Length: 24 Millimetres' on a zoom lens, and stabilisation is listed as 'No'. Even so, 4.7 from 376 buyers is hard to argue with. If you need stabilisation built into the lens, look elsewhere. Pros: 376 ratings at 4.7 — the largest sample of any Sony-fit lens in this ranking; 88% five-star and 5% one-star; £1,169, which is £356 below the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II; Six FLD glass elements, 9 diaphragm blades, f/22 minimum aperture; 2.92:1 zoom ratio with an 82mm filter thread Cons: Bullets amount to a packing list; the page explains almost nothing about the lens; Spec table says 'Focus Type: Fixed Focus' on a zoom; No image stabilisation listed; 5% of its 376 ratings are one star ### 3. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM - Price: £1,572.00 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 889 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/canon-ef-24-70mm-f2-8l-ii - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0076BNK30?tag=ranked10-21 Third on the strength of 889 ratings at 4.6 with 86% five-star, and no image stabilisation at £1,572. It sits third because 889 buyers have rated it 4.6, with 86% at five stars and 5% at one star. Only the Nikon F-mount zoom below has more ratings. Crucially, this Canon 24-70mm lens is the f/2.8 version; the f/4L IS USM further down costs £625.48 and adds stabilisation. The optical formula uses a ring USM motor with a high-speed CPU and image-optimised AF algorithms, plus fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements to shed smears and fingerprints. The spec table gives a 9-blade aperture, a minimum aperture of f/22, an 82mm filter thread and a 3:1 zoom ratio. That said, there is no image stabilisation, which the Canon RF version below does list. The price, £1,572, is the second highest here and £946 more than the Canon f/4L IS USM. As a result it only makes sense if you need f/2.8 on an EF body. The spec table also lists 'Screen Size: 1 Inches', which means nothing on a lens. If you shoot RF mount, this will not fit without an adapter. Pros: 4.6 from 889 ratings, with 86% at five stars; Ring USM motor and fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements; 9 diaphragm blades, f/22 minimum aperture, 82mm filter thread; Constant f/2.8 across 24-70mm with a 3:1 zoom ratio Cons: No image stabilisation; £1,572 — £946 more than Canon's own f/4L IS USM; 5% of its 889 ratings are one star; Spec table lists a 'Screen Size' of 1 inch, which is not a lens measurement ### 4. Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM - Price: £1,871.97 | Amazon rating: 4.7 from 159 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/canon-rf-24-70mm-f2-8 - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WQYHH1Q?tag=ranked10-21 Fourth: 4.7 with the lowest one-star share here at 2%, but £1,871.97 and an aperture figure that contradicts itself. It scores well — 4.7 from 159 ratings, 85% at five stars and just 2% at one star, the lowest one-star share of the nine. The catch is the price: £1,871.97, which is £300 more than the next dearest lens, the Canon EF f/2.8L II USM at £1,572. On features it is the best 24-70mm f/2.8 lens here for RF bodies: 5-stop image stabilisation, a Nano USM motor for silent AF, three glass-moulded aspherical elements, three UD elements, a 9-blade aperture, and weather sealing with fluorine coatings front and rear. Minimum focus is 21cm, the filter thread is 82mm, and the lens control ring is assignable. However, the aperture data on the page does not agree with itself. Maximum aperture is listed as '2.8 Millimetres' — millimetres measure length — and the minimum aperture is listed as 2.8, the same number. Lens Type is given as 'Macro' rather than standard. None of that changes the optics, but it is worth noting before you trust the rest of the table. Pros: 4.7 from 159 ratings, with 85% five-star and only 2% one-star; 5-stop image stabilisation and a Nano USM motor for silent AF; Three aspherical and three UD elements, 9-blade aperture; Weather-sealed with fluorine coatings, 21cm minimum focus Cons: £1,871.97 — the highest price in this ranking; Maximum aperture listed as '2.8 Millimetres', a unit of length; Minimum aperture listed as 2.8, identical to the maximum; Lens Type given as 'Macro' on a standard zoom ### 5. Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN (Sony E) - Price: £631.39 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 677 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/sigma-28-70mm-f2-8-dg-dn - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08XBG9XFF?tag=ranked10-21 Fifth: not a true 24-70mm, but 677 ratings at 4.6 and constant f/2.8 for £631.39 make it the value pick. It starts at 28mm, not 24mm, so it is not strictly a 24-70mm — that is why it sits fifth. In practice it still delivers f/2.8 across the range for £631.39, which is £537 less than the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens above it. The review base is strong: 677 ratings at 4.6. The body is built around internal focusing, and the spec table lists a focus mode switch, Nano Porous Coating and optical stabilisation. The filter thread is 67mm, the smallest here; the Nikon Z uses 72mm and the rest use 77mm or 82mm. The aperture has 9 blades closing to f/22, and the zoom ratio is listed as '2,5:1', comma and all. Three lines of data disagree with each other, though. Lens Type is given as 'Telephoto' for a 28-70mm standard zoom, maximum aperture as '2.8 Millimetres', and minimum aperture as 2.8 — the same figure again. Screen Size is listed as 72.2 Millimetres, which no lens has. Even so, at this price the arithmetic is hard to beat. If you need 24mm at the wide end, this is not the lens. Pros: 677 ratings at 4.6, with 77% five-star; Constant f/2.8 for £631.39, about half the price of the 24-70mm f/2.8 zooms here; 9 diaphragm blades, f/22 minimum aperture, 67mm filter thread; Internal focusing, focus mode switch and Nano Porous Coating Cons: 28mm at the wide end, not 24mm; Lens Type listed as 'Telephoto' on a standard zoom; Maximum aperture listed as '2.8 Millimetres', minimum listed as 2.8; 4% one-star and 15% four-star ratings ### 6. Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM - Price: £625.48 | Amazon rating: 4.4 from 419 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/canon-ef-24-70mm-f4l-is-usm - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A2I1D56?tag=ranked10-21 Sixth: the clearest aperture contradiction in the group, but at £625.48 it is the cheapest EF-mount 24-70mm here. It lands sixth on price and honesty rather than optics. The spec table reads 'Maximum Aperture: 4 f', the name says f/4, and a bullet on the same £625.48 page promises 'Fast f/2.8 max. aperture'. Two of those three cannot be right. The ratings are the weakest of the Canon zooms here: 4.4 from 419, with 6% at one star and 3% at two stars. Optically it is a constant f/4 zoom with optical image stabilisation, a 9-blade aperture closing to f/22, a 77mm filter thread and a 0.38m close focus. It uses UD and super UD elements and an ultrasonic AF motor, which Canon describes as near-silent. This is the lens to weigh up if you are deciding on a 24-70mm f/4 vs f/2.8 lens and mostly shoot stopped down or in good light: it costs £946 less than the f/2.8L II USM and adds stabilisation the f/2.8 lacks. That said, f/4 will not do the low-light work of the f/2.8 zooms, and the page's own contradiction is a reason to confirm the specification before buying. 'Fixed Focal Length' is listed as 50 Angstrom, a unit used to measure atoms. Pros: £625.48 — the cheapest EF-mount 24-70mm in this ranking; Optical image stabilisation, which the EF f/2.8L II lacks; 0.38m minimum focus distance and an ultrasonic AF motor; UD and super UD elements, 9-blade aperture, 77mm filter thread Cons: A page bullet claims 'Fast f/2.8 max. aperture' on an f/4 lens; 4.4 from 419 ratings — the lowest score of the Canon zooms here; 6% one-star and 3% two-star ratings; 'Fixed Focal Length' listed as 50 Angstrom, an atomic-scale unit ### 7. Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED - Price: £513.96 | Amazon rating: 4.4 from 936 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/nikon-24-70mm-f2-8g - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000VDCT3C?tag=ranked10-21 Seventh: the largest sample here at 936 ratings, but 4.4, no stabilisation and seven aperture blades hold it back. It has the biggest sample of the nine: 936 ratings. The score is 4.4, with 76% at five stars, 12% at four and 7% at one, which means nearly a quarter of its ratings sit below five stars. Crucially, the price is £513.96 — the second lowest here and the cheapest constant f/2.8 lens on the list. So why seventh? Because of that rating spread and the missing stabilisation. The design is a constant f/2.8 zoom with ED glass, a nanocrystal coating and a 77mm filter thread. Minimum focus distance is 0.38m. The diaphragm has 7 blades, the fewest here alongside the Nikon Z f/4, and minimum aperture is f/22. That said, there is no VR: stabilisation is listed as 'no' in the spec table, while both Canon RF and EF options above offer it. The 7-blade aperture also gives less round out-of-focus highlights than the 9-blade designs. If you shoot a Nikon F body and want a Nikon 24-70mm lens for under £550, this is the one; if you have moved to Z mount, the f/4 S below is £50 cheaper and scores 4.6. Pros: 936 ratings — the largest sample in this ranking; £513.96, the cheapest constant f/2.8 lens here; Nanocrystal coating, ED glass and a 77mm filter thread; 0.38m minimum focus distance and f/22 minimum aperture Cons: 4.4 from 936 ratings, with 24% below five stars; No image stabilisation; 7 diaphragm blades, the fewest here; 7% of its ratings are one star ### 8. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master (original) - Price: £1,399.00 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 275 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/sony-24-70mm-g-master - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BUAVMQY?tag=ranked10-21 Eighth: £126 cheaper than the newer GM II, but 4.3 and 10% one-star ratings are the worst tail in this ranking. It is £126 cheaper than the GM II at the top: £1,399 against £1,525. Meanwhile its rating profile is the weakest of the nine. The score is 4.3 from 275 ratings, and 10% of those are one star against 4% for the newer lens — ten one-star ratings in every hundred, more than double the GM II's rate. It is still a serious lens. The spec table lists XA, ED and Super ED elements, a circular 9-blade aperture, Nano AR Coating, optical SteadyShot stabilisation and a dust- and moisture-resistant design. The zoom is internal, so overall length stays constant, and the filter thread is 82mm with a minimum aperture of f/22. However, it is no longer the best 24-70mm lens Sony sells — the GM II is, on both score and sample. As a result the case for the original rests entirely on that £126 saving, which is roughly 9% of the price. If the saving matters more than the ratings gap, it is defensible. At full price, the newer lens wins. Pros: £1,399, which is £126 below the newer GM II; Optical SteadyShot stabilisation and a dust- and moisture-resistant design; Constant f/2.8 with a 9-blade circular aperture and f/22 minimum; XA, ED and Super ED elements with Nano AR Coating Cons: 4.3 from 275 ratings — the lowest score in this ranking; 10% one-star and 2% two-star ratings; Rated 0.4 lower than the newer GM II by buyers; 82mm filters, the most expensive thread size here ### 9. Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S - Price: £463.15 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 240 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-24-70mm-lenses/nikon-nikkor-z-24-70mm-f4-s - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GPX4HK5?tag=ranked10-21 Ninth: the lowest price here at £463.15 and a solid 4.6, but f/4 and seven blades keep it off the top. It is the cheapest lens in this ranking at £463.15 and one of the highest rated at 4.6, with 81% of 240 ratings at five stars and 3% at one star. So why last? Because it is an f/4, with 7 diaphragm blades and a 72mm filter thread — the smallest maximum aperture and the joint-fewest blades here. For most Z-mount buyers wanting the best 24-70mm lens to start with, that trade is fine. It weighs about 500g, uses ARNEO and Nano Crystal coatings, and has a 2.9x zoom ratio. The spec table lists optical stabilisation and a minimum aperture of f/22. It ships with a lens case CL-C1, hood HB-85, front cap LC-72B and rear cap LF-N1. That said, f/4 will limit you indoors and at dusk, which is why the f/2.8 zooms above cost two to four times as much. The spec table also lists 'Fixed Focal Length: 46 Millimetres' and 'Aspect Ratio: Unknown' on a lens, neither of which means anything to a buyer. If you shoot a Z 50, Z 6II or Z 7II and mostly work in daylight, this is the best standard zoom lens for full frame money on the page. Pros: £463.15 — the lowest price in this ranking; 4.6 from 240 ratings, with 81% at five stars; About 500g, 72mm filter thread and a 2.9x zoom ratio; Nano Crystal and ARNEO coatings, f/22 minimum aperture Cons: f/4 maximum aperture, the smallest here alongside the Canon EF f/4L; 7 diaphragm blades, the joint-fewest here; 3% one-star and 2% two-star ratings; Spec table lists 'Aspect Ratio: Unknown' and a 46mm 'Fixed Focal Length' ## Verdict For most people buying a first full-frame standard zoom, the Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN at £631.39 is the sensible entry: 677 ratings at 4.6, a 67mm filter thread, and about half the price of the 24-70mm f/2.8 zooms above it. If you shoot Canon EF and want the best 24-70mm lens for long-term reliability, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM carries 889 ratings at 4.6, though it has no image stabilisation — the f/4L IS USM at £625.48 adds stabilisation and saves you £946. If you shoot Sony E mount and want the newest glass, the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II at £1,525 has 87% five-star ratings; however, if you would rather keep £126, the original G Master is still the best 24-70mm lens under £1,400 here. Either way, check the aperture line before you buy.