Canon EF 24-70mm F/4L IS USM vs Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 DG OS HSM | A — Which Is Better?

The Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 DG OS HSM | A and the Canon EF 24-70mm F/4L IS USM are both full frame standard zooms covering the same 24-70mm range, so they compete for the same travel, event and everyday work. The Sigma is a 2017 Art-line lens, the Canon an L-series model from 2012.

The Canon is the far lighter carry for a day of walking, weighing 600 g against 1200 g for the Sigma, exactly half the load. It is also more compact, 93 mm long and 83.4 mm wide against the Sigma's 107.6 mm and 88 mm. Front filters fit both, in different 77 mm and 82 mm direct-fit sizes.

The mount difference matters before anything else. This Canon EF lens fits Canon EOS bodies, and this Sigma record is the Nikon F mount version. Sigma also publishes this Art zoom in a Canon EF mount, so a direct Canon fit is possible.

The Sigma is the better pick when you need light, because its aperture opens to f/2.8 across the whole zoom range, while the Canon stays at a constant f/4. That light helps at indoor events, evening receptions and dim interiors, and eases depth-of-field control for portraits.

Close-up capability is a near match between the two. Both reach approximately 0.21x maximum magnification, and the closest focusing distances differ by just 1 cm, 37 cm for the Sigma and 38 cm for the Canon. Both use a nine-blade automatic diaphragm, with autofocus and manual focus available.

Image stabilization is a shared strength, and each lens is rated at four stops. That rating supports handheld shooting in subdued light across the shared range.

Protection and convenience features match here too. Both lenses have weather sealing, a fluorine coating that helps dust and smudges wipe off the front element, and a zoom lock that stops the barrel creeping when carried. Neither supports teleconverters.

The Sigma takes a more elaborate optical path, 19 elements in 14 groups against the Canon's 15 in 12, in a 2017 design versus the Canon's 2012.

The special-element specifications match. Each lens uses one aspherical element and one low-dispersion element to control distortion and colour fringing, and neither uses internal focusing.