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

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Some people overlook this lens for the fact that it is a "kit lens." Honestly, I dont understand why. The 24-105 is one of the most versatile lenses I have ever used. It has fast focus, sharp--very sharp-- images and a nice D.o.F. These dirty feet of mine have stepped and worked in 5 different countries last year and, even though I dragged tons of gear with me :=) , the 24-105L and my 85mm 1.8 were all I needed to get the job done. If your goal as a photographer is a very shallow D.o.F this lens isnt for you, for whatever else you need, it will get the job done.

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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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So sad about this lens! Aperture cable has ripped. This is a well known design defect of this lens model. If you buy brand new, youll have this problem in a couple of years of use. If you buy used, it is about to happen at any time. Search the Err 01 at 24-105 f4 on the internet and you will find all buyers talking about this subject. A truly good lens as long as you dont have this manufacturing problem.

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Looks Good/Well-Built and a useful range on Full Frame..Less so on APS-C as the "wide" end becomes 38mm Its built MUCH better than almost any EF-S lens so theres that peace of mind factor... Color/Contrast is nice and the autofocus is quick...Ive had this lens several times and it retains its value well.. It feels much better than any kit lens as well.. I think its a fantastic lens to keep on your full frame camera most of the time if you are taking a lot of travel/people/landscape photos outdoors... IF you take mostly indoor photos, such as Cathedrals, sporting arenas, etc. youll be better served with a 1.8 zoom from Sigma..But youll pay a lot more for it... Buying it pre-owned is the best way...I just bought it for $520 (instead of close to $1000! for the new 2 version) and I was completely happy...TRY to buy one that includes the box/HOOD/lens bag and front and rear caps as that usually means its been well-cared for..

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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 actually owned the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras before this lens which I used as a walkabout lens on my 40D. Then I upgraded to the 5D, which can be unforgiving on less-than-"L" lenses and I really noticed the bad IQ with the 28-135. Ive owned this lens over a year now and have to say the 24-105 image quality is superb, and build quality is what youd expect from am "L" lens. I wish the lens was faster like the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras but I guess what you give up in speed, you gain in reach. Since I find myself zooming in a lot, its more useful to me than the 24-70. There is some slight vignetting at 24mm especially wide open at f4. I cant complain much since I shoot raw and just use the slider in the "lens correction" portion of ACR to correct it. My one and only complaint about this lens (why only 4 stars) is the lens hood doesnt seem to fit property. Its very tight to get on and off, I almost worry about the long-term effects on the turning portion of the zoom, but I try to be careful.

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