Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 - DPChallenge Forums

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

07/29/2015 04:49:06 PM · #1

I've almost exclusively been shooting with my 50mm f/1.4 and am very very much in love with it. That being said, I kind of feel like I deserve a new lens :) I have a Tamron 18-200 that I almost never use because of poor image quality and a Canon EF-S 17-85mm that somehow got a hair in it. I had a Canon EF-S 10-22mm which I liked, but didn't get as much use as I had hoped, and which I sold during some financial hard times.

Those of you with the Canon EF 24-105 f/4, do you love Love LOVE it? I think I would love the 24-70 f/2.8 even more, but I can't justify the pricetag. There's a part of me that wants more versatility than I can get with a prime lens, but there's another part of me that worries I'll get a new lens and discover that my 50mm still never leaves my camera. I'm just a hobbyist with no plans to go pro.

smardaz

07/29/2015 04:53:41 PM · #2

I've enjoyed mine quite a bit. Some friends said I should go for the 24-70 but my other lenses are the 50mm and the 17-40 so I wanted something with a little reach.

Some of my efforts with it so far, the last one may be the most helpful to you as it was a minimal editing challenge:

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

07/29/2015 05:49:58 PM · #3

When I got my 5D, that was my walkaround lens, and it suited me just fine. On full frame cameras it's wide enough to be considered wide-angle but it has a bit of reach as well. Now I have the compact Sony a7r FF and the Zeiss 24-70mm f/4 as my walkaround, and I do confess I miss that extra 30mm on the long end. For whatever that's worth...

But YOU'RE putting it on an APS-C cropped sensor, so for you it's less wide and more long. Now Penny had a 7D, and she liked using my 24-105 so much on it that she bought one of her own; she thought it was the ideal walkaround for a cropped sensor. And we still have a 70D and that 24-105 and the 10-22 were the only Canon lenses we kept for it, so, yeah...

It worked (and works) for us :-)

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

07/29/2015 06:31:24 PM · #4

its ok, nothing special, if you are on a crop you could go for the Tamron 28-75/2.8 or the newer 24-70/2.8 used prices are ~$300 and ~$700 respectively.

i had the 28-75/2.8 on my 60D and i loved it, now i use the 24-70 on my 5D.

you may want to look into the Canon 15-85 that some many crop owners seem to love as well.

Message edited by author 2015-07-29 18:32:55.

Tiberius

Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH

07/29/2015 09:46:43 PM · #5

I used the Tamron 28-75 2.8 on my 40D and loved it. The 2.8 was great. I am very pleased with the 24-105 but I used it on 6D full frame. However as Mike said good but nothing special.

I know L glass is very tempting and yes I own 3 L lens but truly Tamron is a very good option.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

07/29/2015 10:59:08 PM · #6

Originally posted by Tiberius:

It IS, for a cropped-sensor camera, but it doesn't have the edge-to-edge performance to work well on FF. I had to move on when I went to 5D, though I loved the Tammy on the 20D. Also, the 24-105mm is better built, better sealed, and it has IS, which the Tammy does not.

Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens

07/30/2015 12:43:09 AM · #7

Hmmm...That definitely gives me something to think about. 2.8 is very appealing, but so is the IS and extra reach of the 24-105. In the time since I posted this, I found out my car needs work done and I got the pre-school tuition invoice, so I may have to love my 50/1.4 a while longer.

skewsme

Canon EOS-6D

07/30/2015 12:56:12 AM · #8

I have found renting to be a great way to learn whether a lens is worth buying. (I use lensrentals.com, they also have a rent-then-buy program) I'd expected the 24-105 to wow me and it didn't. That and the 24-70mm are heavy too... especially compared to the 50mm. And primes really spoil you. I have the much cheaper 28-105mm and rarely use it.. and have just never found a really good walk around, wide range zoom. Instead I heft the 50mm, the 10-22mm, and the 200mm 2.8L and those at least cover most types of subjects... but it's certainly not ideal. Good luck with your search!

Eta, didn't realize you had the 50 1.4... when I mentioned comparative weights I was thinking of the featherweight 50 1.8.

Message edited by author 2015-07-30 01:01:39.

07/30/2015 01:21:39 AM · #9

Originally posted by skewsme:

I haven't ruled out the idea of just accumulating primes ;)

P-A-U-L

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

07/30/2015 02:24:50 AM · #10

If you did want another prime I would highly recommend the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM. Until I got that my 50mm 1:8 was my favourite lens but now the 85mm is my favourite.

I also really like my Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM apart from the fact I recently broke it and it is costing me an arm and a leg to repair it.

Nicht

Nikon D3100

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G

07/30/2015 03:01:36 AM · #11

For 24-70, I see no reason to not go for Tamron 24-70 f2.8 (Di VC USD). It's an amazing lens. 24-105 will give you a bit of telephoto, but you're on APS-C, so the wide end isn't all that wide. For APS-C, have a look at the Sigma 17-50 f2.8; it's a lot cheaper than the Canon 17-55 and just about as good. 17-50 will give you about 27-80 equivalent. As far as primes go, if I had a Canon, I'd have bought the 24mm and 40mm pancakes long ago.

It's definitely worth doing a bunch of research (look at all sorts of options), and although third party manufacturers are usually questionable, there are a few gems, like the Tamron 24-70 and Sigma 17-50. Once you have a bit of a shortlist, go try before you buy. Just my 2c... :)

For excellent Canon mount lens reviews, check this channel out: Christopher Frost Photography.

Message edited by author 2015-07-30 03:04:58.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

07/30/2015 07:48:44 AM · #12

Originally posted by Nicht:

For 24-70, I see no reason to not go for Tamron 24-70 f2.8 (Di VC USD). It's an amazing lens.

can confirm.

sharp, IS, not too nheavy, focuses close to get poorman's macro. inexpensive.

Its better than the the original Canon 24-70/2.8 which is known as "the brick" for its weight and the canon doesn't have IS and it still expensive for its age, even used. The new Canon 24-70/2.8 mk2 is far superior in sharpness, but still no IS and its upwards of $2k!

The canon's are better built and extremely solid performers but the tamrons offer better value, IMO.

when i need flat out sharpness and IQ and creamy bokeh, i go with my primes, but i love the tamron.

Message edited by author 2015-07-30 07:50:17.

MAK

Leica M Monochrom

Voigtlander Ultron 21mm f1.8

07/30/2015 07:56:50 AM · #13

Another Canon prime to consider is the old 100mm f2 (not the macro) it was wonderful render as does the 85mm f1.8 both good primes and well priced.

Another option is manual focus lenses with an adapter and I can recommend Leica R glass as reasonable price with exceptional IQ even the zooms.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

07/30/2015 02:34:22 PM · #14

canon apparently has a new 24-105 IS STM. you may want to consider that if price is a concern.