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

I had one of these several years ago but sold it and all my other Canon gear when I switched to Nikon. Eventually I realized the Canon system was a better fit for me and switched back. I was a little bit surprised to find the first lens I really wanted to get back was not of the more expensive L lenses, but this one. Its just a great all around lens, and if you have to build your kit one piece at a time this is an excellent starting point. The focal range is extremely useful, images are very sharp - especially considering the price of this lens, IS works great, and the versatility is second to none. Its quite usable for portraits if you use focal length and distance to create blur rather than relying only on aperture to achieve an out of focus background. Its also ideal for landscapes on the wide end - but with the flexibility to use zoom to tweak your composition. Not the most ideal choice for low-light situations unless theres little to no motion of course, but if your camera controls noise decently you can get usable images by upping the ISO. If low-light is a very common scenario for your work, thats one instance where Id definitely say to need a faster lens. But for general all-around use, this lens is great.

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I own four "L" series lenses, and the 24-105 is the one that spends the most time on my 60D. The zoom range, from medium wide-angle to medium telephoto, certainly makes this one of Canons most versatile "L" series lenses. There are professional reviews from TheDigitalPicture.com and DPReview.com that present all the technical details, so I wont spend time going over them here; my review will just be my own reasons to buy this lens and why I like it so much. 1. Build quality. Simply superb, as one expects from an "L" lens. The zoom and focus rings are silky smooth. 2. Optical quality. Very sharp throughout the zoom range. Not quite as sharp as my 70-200 f2.8L, probably due to the extra two lens elements for the Image Stabilization system (my 70-200 is the non-IS version). Color rendition and control of distortions are both excellent. 3. Weight and size: Since this lens has image stabilization and a USM focusing motor, it is somewhat bulky, but the weight is not objectionable, and the beautiful "feel" of this lens in your hand more than makes up for the weight. 4. Speed: As an f4 maximum aperture lens, it is a full stop slower than the 24-70 f2.8L USM, but if you dont need the extra DOF of the f2.8, this lens is $1200 less expensive. Conclusion: Simply put, the 24-105 f4.0 IS USM is arguably the single most versatile lens in Canons "L" series lineup. True, it is substantially more expensive than "regular" lenses of this size range, but if you have a Canon camera body with 18+ megapixel resolution, you will not be getting the image resolution quality from the camera that the sensor is capable of if you are using a $150 "kit" lens. Another reason to go with "L" series, even if your current camera is a one of Canons lower end Rebel models, is that all of the "L" series lenses use the EF full-frame mount. This means that if you decide to upgrade someday to a Canon full-frame camera like the 5D, 6D, or 1D, you will keep your "L" series lenses - no need to buy new ones! I have never regretted buying this lens and highly recommend it for anyone with a Canon EF or EF-S DSLR.

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This is my go-to lens for walking around, and my fallback when I dont want to bring a ton of specialized lenses with me "just in case." That extra range between 70 and 105 is great to have when traveling abroad, and with a full frame the low end can get wide enough for most indoor shots youll run into. The IS is nice, as well, if a little noisy. If youre looking for L series glass without having to spend the $$$ for multiple lenses right away, this is a great choice. I did find myself frustrated at times with the f/4; I frequently wish it went one more stop. It can also get heavy if youre carrying this bad boy around all day, especially if you have extra battery packs on the body.

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I was on the fence like so many others with regards to this lens or the 24mm-70mm f/2.8 both version I and II Cost was the biggest factor, I also read about the fact that version II of the 24-70 is only supposed to be around a short while before an updated version with IS, is released. The key features of this lens that I love are: L series quality produces great colors, is sharp, comes with the Petal hood and pouch (Typical for L series) This lens is the perfect compliment to the 580 EX II zoom range in E TTL mode, as you zoom the lens the flash zooms to the same on either end of the range. IS works great as far as it being noisy, I dont really notice it compared to my Canon 100-400 L. weight is not an issue, AF is pretty fast. great zoom range. I think this should be the only kit lens available, especially for the 7D. Distortion is not noticeable in the corners on the crop sensor. Bokeh is not bad, obviously its not the same as a f/2.8 lens but if you use a 12mm extension tube, you can get great results. Love this lens for portraits, its as perfect as a lens can be. Great walk around lens, great general fit and range. I now have this lens on my 7D all the time now. Only cons I see are as follows: The barrel of the lens extends out past the body when zoomed to 105mm. The IS only has one mode on or off, there is no Mode 1 or Mode 2 No zoom lock, not that zoom creep is an issue at this point in time when looking up or straight down, only time will tell if this is an issue. Definitely recommend this lens to all Canon users, it definitely should be the first L series lens purchased to compliment the camera body and utilize the full mp quality of the camera.

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This is my current favorite lens in my kit. Super tack-sharp at the center with very little softness at the extreme edges, even when wide open. Almost no chromatic aberrations (that Ive seen, but Ive mostly used it indoors) and little-to-no vignetting. Fairly serious barrel distortion, specifically at 105mm, but Lightrooms preset fixes that very well. Its a sizeable lens, and makes my 6D fairly heavy, but the combination of being fast enough (f/4) when wide open, the very solid image stabilization, and the 6Ds clean high-ISO performance make this a great party and indoor all-around lens, and the very useful zoom range is just icing on the cake. My 50mm f/1.4 has been gathering dust since I picked this up.

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1. A great travel lens. A fixed f/4 capability, at any focal length in the 24-105mm range, can come in useful. 2. High-quality results, sometimes to the extent that youd be surprised. 3. The diameter is ideal for most filters. 4. On the heavier side, if youre coming to it from - say - an 18-55mm lens, but then lighter than many of the lenses that are capable of wider apertures. 5. Often usable for photography on a tripod (with the IS turned off, if you remember) - it offers a wide-enough angle for most shots. 6. The focusing has been fast enough, and accurate enough, for the vast majority of circumstances in which Ive used this lens. 7. The blur it produces may not be as sweet as that produced by some of the other lenses, but were talking about f/4 as wide open here.

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I had the 24-70L series Canon lens and switched to this lens about 2 years ago and have had no regrets. The stabilizer is a big plus for this lens. There were many times Id be shooting with the 24-70 and wish it would zoom a bit closer. Its very well made, a little lighter in weight compared to the 24-70, sharp, and fast focusing. I shoot a wide range of subjects from studio product images to people/lifestyle images. I also like it as a general purpose travel lens as well.

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This is my first L series purchase and the build quality is exactly what everyone is saying, its built like a tank. Not to waste anyones time but this review is not for someone who wants to know all about the technical details, you can read all about that at the canon website and many others. In short the lens is great and worth the money in my opinion! Its super fast and has a very SOLID feel to it. It fits like a glove on a canon 30D and similar bodies. It does search a bit in low light, but i rarely shoot indoors, you have to expect that from any lens with f/4. In that case just bump up the ISO and use the terrific IS and you will produce fantastic indoor images. You can take great pictures with this lens IF you know how to use your camera settings. It pairs very well with a wide angle lens such as the Sigma 10-20. I found it somewhat difficult at first using this lens on a cropped body. After using the sigma for almost six months it took some getting use to the new view on a cropped sensor 38mm-168mm. I am a landscape photographer at heart, but i felt that if i wanted to be a well rounded photographer i needed to venture out and explore other subjects and i believe that i picked the right lens to do that. As everyone else has mentioned, it is a great travel/general lens and i found the extra zoom on my cropped body to come in handy. I would highly reccommend this lens to you, but more importantly i would make sure that you understood how to use your camera first (using aperture, shutter speeds, exposure compensation, etc). Theres no point in buying a Ferrari if you cant drive a stick.

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This lens has the optical quality of the shorter zooms and the range provides enough opportunities to capture many great photos. The constant aperture along with DSLRs improved ability with high ISOs allows many great photos in low-light that were previously impossible. I originally purchased the Tamron 28-75. It was a lens that took very good photos at times but it had some real limitations. The limited zoom kept me wanting more width at the wide end and more zoom at the telephoto end. Also, it was not good in low lighting. The lens would hunt to focus on the subject. Therefore, candid shots were challenging due to the inability to focus quickly. I decided to purchase the Sigma 18-200. This lens gave me great range and I initially gave it very good reviews. However, as I started focusing on image quality, the superzoom convenience became less important. The compromises in image quality, aperture settings and other aspects became a hindrance. The vignetting and lack of sharpness required me to send it back for service. They fixed everything but my confidence in the lens. I used to purchase the cheaper lens because I didnt believe the difference in image quality was worth the additional price. However, I now have many more "keepers" with the Canon. It focuses much faster than the Tamron. Now, I have many more candid shots of people indoors. The IS gives me handheld opportunities I couldnt get with the faster 2.8. I see more subtlety in color such as my daughters brown eyes instead of looking black. [...] The Canon has changed my perspective regarding professional lenses. Although there are some lenses providing quality comparable to an L lens, I believe in purchasing them now because Ive gone the alternative route and I see the limitations firsthand. The constant aperture, IS, and L lens quality makes this a great all-around lens. People often use the term "all-around" to indicate an implied limitation. However, this lens can be used for weddings, travel, and many other situations. Its a great lens and Ive sold the Tamron and I plan to sell the Sigma also.

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Canon has created a gem with the 24-105 f4. Yes, it would be nice if it were f2.8 but then it would be a longer and heavier lens and more expensive, so I think the compromise is worth it. I have 4 other excellent Canon lenses but I nearly always end up shooting with this lens, and its the only lens I travel with. I use it on my Canon 40D and my brand new 5D Mark II, and get excellent shots that are crisp and clean, with good saturation and pleasing color. On Canons C-size cameras (Rebel, 10-50D, 7D) there is a conversion factor of 1.6, so the 24mm is actually 38.4mm (very mild wide angle) and the 105mm is actually 168mm (respectable telephoto). On the 5D this lens is even better for traveling, as you get the actual 24mm wide angle for scenics and cityscapes. The 5D makes this lens really shine. Image stabilization is excellent which means you can take full-range telephotos hand held and still get crisp shots. Picture quality is nearly comparable to a good quality prime lens, so unless you get a lot of bang for the buck. I highly recommend this lens to advanced amateurs. Most semi-pros and professionals already know how good it is.

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