Customer Reviews

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

5 star:		(176)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a hobbyist and this review is for people like me. What I mean by that is that I take pictures for fun and nobody buys my pictures. I mostly shoot landscape, nature, and portraits of family, friends, and relatives. I will refer to 24-70mm as the 70, and the 24-105mm IS as the 105. I first made the mistake of buying the 70, then I returned it with a hefty restocking fee and bought the 105 - I don't have the slightest regret and I could not be happier. I'm taking my time to write this review so that you can spend your hard earned money wisely. Let's analyze the trade-off between the two:
* Both lenses have excellent build and image quality. So these are not differentiating factors.
* The one and only advantage of the 70 is the one smaller f-stop. For me, this means more blur when I shoot portraits, so this is all good.
* The advantage of 105 over the 70 are as follows:
- You get an extra 35mm, which is 50% more zoom. I like this.
- You get a 3-stop IS. For me, this is a great advantage, because I rarely use tripods and IS saves the day. I would choose the 105 over 70 for the IS alone.
- The 105 is 10 ounces lighter and close to half an inch shorter.
The last part is the most important part: that additional 10 ounces make a heavy lens TOO HEAVY, and that extra length makes a big lens TOO BIG. Carrying the 70 on my 50D was a pain. I can assure you, the 70 is just too heavy to walk around and take pictures for fun. The keyword here is "fun". The 70 is a pain, the 105 is fun. The 105 is still heavy, but not too heavy. It's still big, but not too big. After having the 70 for a few weeks, I lost all my joy for shooting. It just made me very uncomfortable (and I'm 6-foot 2). When I replaced it with the 105, it did make a difference. I enjoy taking pictures now, once again. Pros might like the 70 because they need it for their professional work. But if you're shooting just for fun, stay away from the 70 and get the 105.

The name of the game here is portability, flexibility, and good but not incredible image quality.

This lens is often tagged a "walkabout" lens, and that's a good description. There's nothing better if you want to carry camera and lens about and get a variety of shots in the range from wide angle to short telephoto. It's difficult for lens designers to make all the compromises necessary to have a lens go from wide angle to telephoto, and have a max focal length over four times the widest focal length, but Canon has done a good job here. The image stabilization works excellently when hand held (it cuts image quality if you use the stabilization from a tripod, though). The f/4 maximum aperture cuts the size and weight down quite a bit. Image quality is excellent for a zoom from about 30mm up to 90mm, good from 90mm to 105mm, and tolerable from 24 to 30mm (getting better in the 28 to 30mm range). As expected, image quality is best stopped down to about f/8, but is still good wide open at f/4.

I can't say the lens has major flaws, but relative weaknesses are the wide angle performance, and the f/4 maximum aperture. The lens is not fast enough for shots of moving subject indoors. For stationary subjects, the image stabilization lets you take shots with slower exposure times than you'd expect, but stabilization won't do anything to improve a moving subject.

Build quality is excellent as expected, but the lens is quite compact and light, much better than the 24-70/2.8 zoom that is its obvious rival.

Also, if you are after the absolute maximum image quality, prime lenses will do better than this lens in the normal and telephoto range (35 to 105). My $75 50/1.8 lens far outshines this one in sharp, crisp imaging. Zooms that don't have to accomodate both wide and telephoto focal lengths will also outperform this one--My 70-200/4 lens is much sharper and more contrasty, and even my 16-35 lens outperforms this one in the 24-28mm range (the 24-105 does do better from about 30-35mm, though). All these things aren't surprising, and they are no reason to condemn or even criticize the 24-105.

If money isn't a major concern for you, and you want a superb compromise lens, this is the one to pick. The only lens that can hold a candle to it is the old 28-135 IS zoom. If you get that one, you'll get inferior image quality and much less effective stabilization. But you'll also save quite a bit of money!

This is a great range for use as an every day walk around lens. It's very versatile, light and produces great image sharpness throughout the range. There is a bit of vignetting at the wide end, which I actually like. But there is also quite a bit of barrel distortion at the wide end, which I dislike. This is quite noticeable when shooting interiors architecture; it can be corrected in software however it can be a hassle.

Also, being an f4 lens, this lens is simply not fast enough for me. I shoot a lot of images where I want the out of focus areas (bokeh) to be glassy smooth and creamy (for weddings, macros, portraits and such) and you cannot get that with this lens as good as you can with the 24-70 f2.8. Granted, in the 70mm-105mm range at f4, the bokeh looks pretty great and the 24-70 can't even get there. If you zoom all the way in, your DOF will be low and pretty darn smooth though in my case, I just prefer the look and bokeh of the 24-70 overall rather than this lens. I found myself wanting to shoot at a wider than f4 aperture a lot of the time.

The 24-105 f4 lens does have image stabilization which will help you to hand hold and get the shot in lower light situations, but there is not much that can be done to get that super smooth bokeh with it in the 24mm-70mm range. Although the 24-70 f2.8 lens is super heavy in weight compared to the 24-105.

The image stabilization in the 24-105 does also help quite a bit when shooting video however keep in mind that if you are using the built in mic, you will hear the IS motor loudly in your video, which makes it unusable; so you you will want to turn of IS anyway unless you have an external mic for your DSLR.

I'm a professional photographer and so while my needs and likes are geared towards preferring the 24-70 f2.8, this doesn't mean the 24-105 isn't ideal for many if not most. After all, it is quite a bit lighter than the 24-70 to carry, it gives you more range at the long end and has image stabilization.

I was looking to spare my shoiulder from the weight of my Canon 24-70MM L lens. The 24-105 L IS seemed like a good replacement: it got good reviews, has more reach, AND it has IS. I got the 24-105 from Amazon (always fine service) and promptly took numerous exposures for comparison, ready to sell my 24-70.
On identical exposures, sharpness was almost undestinguisahble with the 24-70 just slightly sharper.
I could live with that if the 24-105's other attributes put it ahead. But then I took a closer look at the comparison images and what I found was a surprise. Even though sharpness was ok on the 24-105, the actual detail and contrast with this lens was noticeably lacking when I looked at zoomed-in images on Photoshop comparing both lenses. The 24-105 looked just fine when there was no comparison, but as soon as comparison was done it was no contest. I showed these comparison images to someone who is less of a photographic "nit-picker" than I am. I did NOT tell this person which image came from which lens. It only took a few moments for her to (correctly) deterine which lens had produced a superior image and it wasn't the 24-105.
I usually read "internet reviews", especially from non-pros, with a small "grain of salt." So I wouldn't blame anyone for being skeptical about my criticism of a lens that has gotten nice reviews from others. So, DON'T BELIEVE ME. Instead, do the zoomed-in comparison yourself and look for the relative lack of contrast and detail. If YOU see no difference (or don't care about the difference) then go for the lens. For my money, even though the 24-105 is a very nice lens indeed, it's no 24-70, and it was, regretfully, returned via Amazon's courteous return policy.

I have owned two copies of this new lens (Nov 05 and Jan 06 builds). Both consistently front-focused on my Canon calibrated 20D. I kept the Nov 05 lens (much sharper than the Jan 06 copy when manually focused) and sent it to Canon for "calibration." The Jan 06 lens went back to Amazon with a note indicating how it was defective. The calibrated lens now provides very sharp and contrasty images, even wide open at f4 for 24-85mm. Image quality fades somewhat as 105mm is approached but is still excellent if the aperture is stopped down to f5.6. I've conducted controlled tests and this lens is just as sharp at f4 as my Canon 50mm f1.4 when stopped down to f4 and at 70mm it matches the image quality of my excellent 70-200 f4L. The image-stabilization really works and allows sharp photos of stationary or slow moving subjects to be taken in the same light as an f1.4 lens. I'm happy with the final outcome but Canon's poor quality control makes getting a good lens a matter of luck and/or determination.

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

I believe where this lens meets it's expectations is the ability as a walkaround that can shoot everything with quality.

I was looking for a lens that would allow me to have two lenses on a shoot. One being a longer zoom, or one a prime portrait low light, whichever needed, along with my new 24-105Lf4IS... I got tired of lugging alot of lenses around.

The Image Stabilization in this lens is superior to the older version, which makes up for low light situations. It would have been nice though if Canon could have managed a f2.8-4 instead, but the lens takes excellent quality L shots, better quality and color than the 17-85IS. Hand held at 1/7s no prob.

It has become my "always on" lens, the colors are very pleasant, replacing my 17-85IS. If you are looking for a step into the "L" world, this lens is it. You can add the primes later. Now I'm hooked on my first "L".

The 24-105L coupled with the 70-300IS would make a complete package for quality range and pro shots.

I've had my 24-105L IS for about two months and have shot everything from jewelry and landscapes to portraits and a wedding reception with it. It has replaced my 24-70L and 28-135 IS as the lens I use for both "serious" work and walkaround duty with my full-frame DSLR. The extra focal length and IS make it more versatile than the 24-70L, and the two lenses run equal with sharpness and color response. The IS works, and to me, more than compensates for the the 24-70L's speed. The 24-105L has the 28-135 IS beat for sharpness and color response. Some post-processing is sometimes called for to realize the lens's full potential, but it captures a wonderful amount of detail. It's also much more manageable in size and weight than the 24-70L. This is a great lens.

This lens is miles above the 28-135 IS, its built much better feels better in your hands and the controls are a delight to work with. Your getting every penny you pay for this in quality and technology with this lens and rest assured it WILL preform.

Of course we all could wish it was cheaper, but professional camera gear is just this way... when I go out to do landscape and wildlife photography my jeep triples in value as soon as I put the camera bag in the back.

The Image Stabilization system in this camera is great, leave it on always, its sensitive enough to even help absorb the flicker of the mirror in your camera. You don't have to switch it off when you mount it on a tripod. While it will not save every shot and blur is always a possibility when you go below 1 60th of a second with any lens but I have had great luck using this to hand hold images down to as low as 1/4 of a second some of them turn out some of them dont but the fact that ANY of them turn out is impressive to me and proof the technology works.

You need to know HOW to use the IS however, its important that you allow the internal gyros time to spin up before you take the shot this takes about a half a second. Learning to see the photo before it happens and anticipating the shot is all part of this process, allowing the lens a half second to spin up to speed will allow you to utilize the full potential of IS

The circular aperture of this camera works well and allows you to get the depth of field you want with out the annoying jagged edges in out of focus items that lenses with normal aperture blades will give you. Bokeh is a little weak but we are only at f4 so that is expected.

Speaking of F4 it lets in a fair amount of light, I have not noticed any Vingeting at any focal length, but shooting on a 1.6 sensor crops out the edges...

Compared side by side with the 28-135 on a rebel xti the shots taken with this lens are easily recognizable as more contrasty and sharper. (the 28-135 IS is STILL a great lens however)

As with any lens this one has its own characteristics that you will need to get use to. Flare is very minimal in all but the most extreme lighting situations. However when you do encounter flare (usually only happens when your TRYING to get the lens to flare out on you) you usually get a sharp jagged object with a halo around it, If your trying to create a purposeful flare effect that looks good this is not the lens to use.

If you just bought the rebel XTi this is the kind of lens you are going to need to utilize all ten million pixels on the camera.

So if you buy this lens, congratulations you have just reached the top of technology and optical performance. If treated right this lens will provide you with a life time of images of uncompromising quality.

After using this lens for a month, I can say this is my favorite Canon lens of all time. (The day after this lens arrived, I put my EF 24-85, EF 28-70L, and EF 28-135 IS up for sale, as this replaced the trio.)

PRO: 1) The Focal length is a in good range. A 24mm on the 10D, with the 1.6X crop factor, is just wide enough where I can travel with one single lens if I wanted to. 2) The Image Stablization works extremely well, allowing hand holding at 2-3 stops slower than without IS. 3) The glass is L quality, producing sharp vibrant images. 4) Solid construction. The zoom and focus rings has a solid feel to them. There is no lens creep, even when it's pointed straight up.

The only downside is the price, but you soon get over it after you see the results.