The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 35mm f2.0 and the Canon 24-70mm f2.8L USM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Canon 24-70mm f2.8L USM is the longer of the two lenses at 124mm. The Canon 35mm f2.0 with a length of 43mm, is 81mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 24-70mm f2.8L USM also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Canon 35mm f2.0's 67mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Canon 35mm f2.0 weighs 210g, which means it is 740g (77%) lighter than the Canon 24-70mm f2.8L USM which has a weight of 950g.
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 35mm f2.0 and the Canon 24-70mm f2.8L USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Focal Range
Canon 35mm f2.0 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 56mm.
Canon 24-70mm f2.8L USM has a focal range of 24-70mm and 2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 38.4 - 112mm.