Hi,
I'm thinking about getting this lens.
On paper it look pretty decent. Although the f/4 makes it a slightly 'slower' lens I mostly shoot outside during the day, and I've got a decent Speedlite.
But does anyone have any experience using the lens?
note that the f4 is constant through the range... sure f4 at 24mm is slow, but f4 at 105mm is a whole new thing... no it will not beat the collection of 4 primes that this lens covers, but still a good lens...
Answer by EBA on 06 Jan 2010 07:35:09Below, I listed links to reviews of the lens, including Amazon and B&H Photo where there are customer review of item.
Hope this helps.
Mark
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras
[URL Truncated]
Review: I first bought the Canon EF 28-135mm IS lens to use with my Canon 10D along with the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Zoom Lens. About four years later I have sold all my original purchases. The Canon EF 28-135mm was my most used lens, and I still had it until March 2006 when I replaced it with the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L.
Being an L lens, the dust and moisture resistant construction of the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L is sturdy. The lens consists of eighteen elements in thirteen groups including one Super-UD glass element and three aspherical lenses to minimize chromatic aberration and distortion. With a standard twist zoom focus, this lens permits for auto or manual focusing depending on how the switch is set.
Some of the earlier lenses had an issue that caused lens flare. This issue was resolved quickly with a recall. If the control number located on the back cover of the lens begins with a UT and the following number is less than 1,000, then the lens is affected and should be sent in for repair.
The Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L lens is compact measuring 5 inches long and lightweight weighing in at about 1.5 lbs/670g, and accepts 77mm filters. Be sure to get a good quality UV haze filter to protect the front lens element. Not only do I see this as a good practice, Canon recommends doing so on their site as well. The f/stop ranges from 4 - 22. The closest focusing distance is 18 in/45 cm. In addition, the lens has a USM drive mechanism for optimum AF performance, and the pulse control diaphragm (EMD) ensures precise aperture control.
The IS system is composed of a pair of gyro sensors to detect vertical and horizontal motion and a microprocessor that compensates for it by shifting special lens elements in parallel with the perceived movement. It is recommended that the IS be off when shooting on a tripod. I have used the IS on my Bogen 3231 monopod with legs successfully. A monopod is not as stable as a tripod though, with or without the legs. Using the IS, you can obtain sharp pictures three stops below where you normally would. This is a huge advantage in dim light or places where flash is prohibited. Just keep in mind, the IS attempts to eliminate camera movement, not the movement of the subject being photographed.
A distance scale ring sits below the focus ring. Turn the distance scale ring all the way to the left and you are set for low magnification close-up photography. Turn it to the right and you are able to set for infinity compensating for changes in temperature as necessary. The distance scale includes figures in red as an infrared index to use when shooting black and white infrared film. Shooting infrared is not available on all cameras. If this feature is a must, make sure this lens is compatible for infrared photography on your camera body.
The Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L includes a 1 Year US Warranty, the front & rear lens caps, the LP1219 soft pouch, and the EW-83H lens hood. The hood will decrease chances of lens flare and increase metering accuracy. If you use filters, Canon recommends against stacking.
The Canon EF 28-135mm lens is similar in build a little shorter and weighs a couple ounces less. Of course the Canon EF 28-135mm has a wider focal range. Both lenses have single mode IS capabilities, and are good walkabout lenses. Having used the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L the difference in weight and length is hardly noticeable. The shorter focal distance is not missed, and I have a constant f/4 through out the focal scale unlike the Canon EF 28-135mm with a 5.6-36 on the long focal range. The images using the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L is sharper and clearer than those using the Canon EF 28-135mm.
If the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS lens' price is not a problem, this is the lens to get. Otherwise purchase and enjoy the 28-135mm IS lens. The great thing about Canon lenses is they tend to hold their value. If you want to upgrade from the 28-135mm, sell it on a popular auction site like I did.
PROS:
A compact L standard IS zoom that is an excellent walkabout lens.
Versatile multipurpose lens
CONS:
A price typically found on L lenses
May become your most used lens
Hey,
I always thought this was a great lens, with no softness at f/4.
Well, I was wrong. Maybe I had a bad copy but this lens was too soft to me at f/4. It was better at f/5.6. I have used this lens on a 5D Mark II, this camera is Full Frame.
This doesn't mean it's a bad lens! Go to a camera store with lenses and try this one if they allow you to. 24-105 is a great range, IS helped me in low light a bit and USM is one of the best possible features a lens can have.
If I had to buy one right now, from what I saw, I wouldn't. I'd rather buy a faster lens but maybe less range.
With respect to the 24-105mm f/4L, the answer is an unqualified "yes." It is a great lens and one of Canon's most popular lenses. Many people will debate buying this lens or the 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM which offers a faster aperture, less distortion at 24mm, and slightly better image quality overall. However, the downsides of that lens are that it is larger, heavier, slightly more expensive and lacks the IS feature. Additionally, the f/2.8 aperture isn't much of an advantage in daytime, outdoor photography and the giant hood of the 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM does you no favors when it comes to being low key either.
The point lurking in all of this is that the 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM is actually a better choice for many people because "slow" apertures aren't an issue outdoors during the day. With modern DSLRs producing usable images at such high ISOs, the "slow" f/4 aperture isn't necessarily a deal breaker indoors either. It just means you'll be shooting at 1600-3200 ISO with the aperture wide open to maintain decent shutter speeds. That said, this lens is actually pretty sharp wide open so again, the slower aperture it isn't necessarily a deal breaker.
For what it's worth,I am fortunate enough to own both the 24-70mm f/2.8 L and the 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. I recommend them both because they fill slightly different rolls for me. The 24-70mm f/2.8L is my "money shot" lens or the lens I use for special occasions, special projects and/or photos I might actually want to sell. The 24-105mm f/4L however is the lens that now "lives" on my camera and it's the lens with which I usually travel. I might also take along the 70-200mm f/4L IS USM because my f/2.8 lenses are often more bulk/weight than I'm willing to handle on a trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment