I'm a confirmed "camera, antique calculator and anime otaku", according to my wife.
I'm a confirmed "camera, antique calculator and anime otaku", according to my wife.
Member since:25.08.2006
Reviews:16
Overview ------------- I bought this lens to replace a EF 28-135mm IS USM lens.
Build Quality ------------------ Typical high build quality of Canon L series lenses. The 24-105 does feature an extending barrel at the outer end but it does not rotate so polarisers and the like can be used. The controls are firm and have a pretty good feel but compared to the EF 17-40 f4 L and the EF 70-200 f4 L IS, which have non-extending bodies, it does seem less solid and slick in operation. In bad weather and very dusty locations I do worry that moisture or dust may get in through
the moving barrel seal but so far in my travels it hasn't.
Compared to my old standard EF 28-135 IS, the 24-105 is obviously built better.
Performance ------------------- This lens is now my default lens on my 5D body. It does for about 80% of my photos and the additional wide angle of 24mm does make a big difference compared to 28mm. It's also a good partner to the APS sized sensor bodies as the 1.6x crop factor makes a 28mm lens into a 45mm one and the 24mm into a 38mm one. Most consumer cameras usually have a wide angle setting of 38mm so this will be a useful "normal" lens for any 20D, 30D, 40D or 350D 400D owners, although the relatively high price of this lens will probably put off users of the 350D and 400D. The thing is that if you decide to upgrade to a full frame body like the 5D later then the investment in this lens will be protected as it's up to the job of pro-use.
The constant f4 max aperture and constant 45cm min focus distance are useful and you can take decent closeups of quite small objects with it although calling it a macro lens is pushing the description a bit.
At f4 you don't get really deep background blur (bokeh) but the circular iris means that at least it is smooth and pleasing. If you want eye-popping bokeh, use a f1.4 50mm lens...
Focussing is very fast and accurate and the 3 stop image stabiliser works well. This lens eats the battery more than my non-IS lens but not as much as the 4 stop IS on the EF 70-200 f4L IS. If you're short of battery you can always turn the IS off.
One thing I have noticed is that compared to my EF 17-40 f4 L lens, this one does suffer more from barrel distortion at the 24mm setting than the super-wide lens does. So while it would appear to overlap the range of the super-wide optic, in practice the dedicated super-wide does a better job at the same focal length. Whether I can be bothered to change the lens in the field usually depends on the weather in the particular field I happen to be in at the time.
Testing the 24-105 L against the standard 28-135 optic quickly revealed its pedigree. The two are smilar in performance (sharpness and colour fringing) in the center of the image (I used shots of black text on white paper and other graphics) but the L series optic is much better in the corners of the images. This is going to be more obvious on the 5D body as a full frame sensor "sees" into the corners of the lens and exposes the weaknesses.
When I switched from the 28-135 to the 24-105, I convinced myself I didn't need the extra 30mm at the long end... wrong. 105mm is an awkward length... quite good as a portrait lens but not long enough as a telephoto for buildings, landscape or animals. So that's how I came to buy the 70-200 :D
How About the 24-70 f2.8 L? ---------------------------------------- A friend got a 24-70 f2.8 L on loan while trying to decide about that lens or the 24-105. The 24-70 lost. It was massive, too heavy, had a shorter telephoto range and the advantage of 1 stop of aperture was out-weighed by 3 stops of IS. If you've got strong arms and deep pockets, the 24-70 f2.8 L IS may tip the balance but the basic design of the 24-70 is a slightly weird one where it extends both at wide and telephoto settings, whereas the 24-105 is shortest (physically) at its wide setting. Maybe if you really really like deep bokeh it would be worth the extra dosh...
Verdict ----------- A highly capable member of the "f4 series" of lenses. A great travel companion.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Filter Size: 77mmThis easy-to-use 24-105 f4 standard zoom lens can cover a large zoom area ... more
ranging from 24mm wide-angle to 105mm portrait-lengthtelephoto- and its Image Stabilizer Technology steadies camera shake up tothree stops. Constructed with one ...
"The L-series is Canon's flagship professional lens range, designed to include outstanding ... more
image performance, ultimate operability and weather resistance. The EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM offers a lightweight alternative to the renowned EF 24-70mm f/2.8L US...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
This easy-to-use standard zoom lens can cover a large zoom arearanging from 24mm ... more
wide-angle to 105mm portrait-length telephotoand its Image Stabilizer Technology steadies camera shake up tothree stops. Constructed with one Super-UD glass element ...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
This easy-to-use standard zoom lens can cover a large zoom arearanging from 24mm ... more
wide-angle to 105mm portrait-length telephotoand its Image Stabilizer Technology steadies camera shake up tothree stops. Constructed with one Super-UD glass element ...
Postage & Packaging: £3.46 Availability: Usually dispatched within 3-4 business days...
Filter Size: 77mmThis easy-to-use 24-105 f4 standard zoom lens can cover a large zoom area ... more
ranging from 24mm wide-angle to 105mm portrait-lengthtelephoto- and its Image Stabilizer Technology steadies camera shake up tothree stops. Constructed with one ...
Nov 6th, 2007
very helpful by (100%):
