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

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)

Tamron SP AF17-50, Panasonic 14-45mm, Sigma 18-200mm, Olympus 12mm, Tamron SP AF 10-24mm, Lensbaby Edge 80, Canon EF 20mm , Nikon 1 10mm, Sigma 30mm, LENSBABY Composer PRO, Voigtlander Ultron , Tamron AF 28-300mm, Sigma AF 70-300mm, Fujifilm Fujinon Lens, Tamron SP AF 17-50mm, Nikon 12-24 F4, Lensbaby Fisheye Optic, Sigma 70-200mm, Sigma 70-200mm, Sony Alpha 100mm, Sigma 15mm, Zeiss 35mm, Sigma 70-300mm, Sony SAL18250, Tamron SP AF 90mm, Lensbaby Sweet 35, Sigma 10-20mm, Olympus VF-2, Opteka 500-1000mm , Olympus 17mm, Ricoh Viewfinder GV-2, Nikon 16-85mm, Nikon 105MM, Sigma 30mm, walimex pro Lens, Pentax SMC 50mm, Nikon 60MM, Olympus 40-150mm, Nikon 16Mm, Tamron SP 70-200mm, Olympus 14-150mm, Loreo 3D , Tokina ATX 4 0, Canon EF 400mm

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.

This is the perfect replacement for the 28-135 variable lens. I did not want to give up the reach but I wanted to gain a fixed f stop. Also, I knew my pics with the 28 - 135 lens were nice but I wanted awesome. I must say it's such a sharp lens. If it's not sharp - I messed it up. And may I say I tested the 24-70 2.8 lens and I think this one is sharper. And it's sharp on every f stop. As for the IS, I was amazed that I was hand holding this lens at 1/15th of a second. Usually I can't go below 1/80th as I am so very picky about how sharp the pics are but this one is amazing. Some complain about the weight - well, you get what you pay for. i don't think it's bad but I often shoot with a 70-200 2.8 and that's a beast for me.

I was hesistant because of the price, but please don't worry. And if you aren't sure..get it from B&H photo as they have a 15 day return policy (however, you won't be needing it).

It is the lens that stays on my camera literally 95% of the time unless I need more distance then I go for the 70-200 or if I want more bokah then I go for the 50 1.8. Incidentally if you shoot at 105mm f4 your pics will be so blurry in the background you will not be wanting the 2.8 (I did tests). ALso check out fredmiranda.com as well as http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/; amazing sites with great reviews.

Blaming soft pictures on the lens however is a whole other story. You can't expect exceptional pictures using the camera's auto settings and shooting without an external flash and diffuser. It's not going to happen. (OK maybe 1 in 100). But let's be realistic here! When I shoot at events 1 in 100 will not do. 1 in 10 will not do. Heck 1 in 5 won't do! I get 1 chance to take the shot. If I am very lucky it's maybe 2 but that's rare. Every shot has to be spot on! It's the difference between getting the gig or not.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR, 500mm Telephoto, Tamron SP AF 10-24mm. , Nikon AF-S 70-200mm, Sigma 18-250mm, Sigma 70-300mm, Sigma 10-20mm , Sony SEL1855, Sony Alpha SAL35F18, Nikon 24Mm, walimex 500mm, Lensbaby Composer, Lensbaby Muse, walimex pro 35mm, Nikon 20Mm, Samsung 3 5-6 3 , Pentax SMC 35mm, Canon EF 50mm, Sigma F4-6.3 , Sony SAL-70400 , Pentax smc DA 21mm, Sigma 50mm, Tamron AF 18-200mm, Tamron AF 18-270mm, SAMYANG 8 mm, Opteka 500-1000mm, Nikon Micro-Nikkor, Sigma 18-125mm, Olympus 17mm, Nikon 28-300mm, Tamron SP AF 70-300, Canon EF 100mm, Nikon Zoom-Nikkor, Tamron 18-200mm, Tamron AF 17-50mm, Canon EF 14mm, Sigma EX 2 0x, Sigma 18-200mm, Tamron SP 90mm, Opteka 650-2600mm, Voigtlander 25mm, Sigma 70-200mm, Walimex Pro 7.5mm
So stop crying about how bad this lens is because it's not! To learn how to take pictures in manual mode, pick up a book or two and take a few classes. You will realize in no time that this lens is a great and versatile performer.

Some reviews rant on and on about how bad certain lenses are without providing any feedback on what equipment they use. What settings did they use? What time of day? Inside or outside? It would be very helpful if they provided more information other than stating why the lens is soft or not performing. Half of the time I wonder if they actually own the item. Some may just be Canon haters.

That said I currently shoot with a 20D (waiting for a 5D Upgrade). I use the 580EX II and the 430 EX Speedlites with the Lightsphere II and the WhaleTail. My primary lenses are the 24-105 F/4L IS and the amazing EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Lens.

The pictures I have been able to take with this lens are remarkable. I do event photography and this lens helps me capture a great deal of the action and has just landed me another gig for a big event. They sent out pictures of other 5 photographers and took a vote on who's pictures where the best. I ended up getting the most votes. I got a little creative and I think that did it.

Photography takes a lot of dedication and money. Learning all the acronyms and figuring out how it all fits and works together. No one said that it's going to be easy. But we all started there at one point in our lives. Just please don't blame a lens for your inability to take a crisp or creative picture.

It's all you!!! (Unless you really got a lemon)

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 DSLR's improved ability with high ISO's 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.

Sigma 18-200mm, Sony 50mm, Canon EF 35mm, Panasonic H-PS14042E-K, Canon EF 70-200mm, Sigma 17-70 mm, Samsung NX 20mm, Sony SEL24F18Z.AE, Nikon 1 NIKKOR, Canon CU77500D, Sigma 50mm, Tamron SP AF17-50mm, Sigma 18-200mm, Pentax smc DA 35mm, Lensbaby Composer , Sony SEL30M35, Sigma 30mm, Walimex Pro 8mm, Sigma 18-250mm, Sigma 70-300mm, Nikon 14-24Mm, Nikon 85mm, Tamron AF 90mm, Canon EF 70-200mm, Canon EF-S 55-250mm, Sigma 17-50mm, Tamron SP AF 28-75mm , Canon EF - Macro lens, Sigma 105mm, Pentax smc DA , Panasonic Micro Four, Nikon 85Mm, Panasonic Leica, SAMYANG 85 mm, Nikon 10.5MM, Sony Alpha 50mm, Canon EF 50mm, Panasonic Lumix G, Olympus 9-18mm, Canon EF3514LU, Nikon 18-200mm, Nikon 18-200MM, Sigma 17-50mm

I used to purchase the cheaper lens because I didn't 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 couldn't get with the faster 2.8. I see more subtlety in color such as my daughter's 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 I've 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. It's a great lens and I've sold the Tamron and I plan to sell the Sigma also.

This lens is on my 40D about 80-85% of the time. I waited until I've taken at least 10,000 frame with this to review it, and now I feel quite comfortable going with my original gut impression, which is that "this lens rocks!"

For me, I tend to use the focal length range of 50-100mm the most on my crop camera (40D), equating to 80-160mm equivalent on a full frame. I just like to take tight pictures. My main uses are candid portraiture and outdoor sports, and this lens is excellent at both. In most conditions, f/4 is wide enough to give me shutter speeds of 1/250 and better even at a conservative ISO; I was worried at first about not having f/2.8, but that has been a non-issue for my uses. I do own the 135 f/2L, as well as the 85mm f/1.8 and the 50mm f/1.4 - but the versatility of the zoom range here makes this one my usual go-to lens. I also have an excellent 70-200mm f/4L IS lens, which is my second pick for my sports events. Its image quality is quite comparable (perhaps even slightly better), but the 70mm is a bit long on a crop body to allow me the flexibility to take some other creative shots.

Nikon 1 White, Canon EF 100mm., Nikon 50mm, Canon EF 70-200mm, Canon EF-S 18-135 mm, Canon EF-S 17-85mm, Olympus M.ZUIKO, Sony SEL16F28, Panasonic H-X025E, Canon EF - Zoom lens, Olympus 70-300mm, Canon EF-S 60mm, Nikon R715 AF-S, Nikon AF-S VR, Canon EF 100-400mm, Canon EF 16-35mm, Canon EF-S 17-55mm , Canon EF 70-300, Olympus 40-150mm, Olympus VF-2, Tamron SP AF 70-300, Canon TS-E 24mm, Panasonic H-PS45175E-K, Canon EF 24-70mm, Nikon AF-S 24-70mm, Nikon 1 4 50mm, Sigma 18-250mm, Nikon AF-S DX 16-85MM, Nikon AF-S DX, Nikon 18-105mm, Tokina ATX 2 8 , Tokina ATX 116, Sony SAL30M28, Sony Alpha 75-300mm, Sigma 70-300mm, Tokina ATX 116 , Sony SEL18200 , Kenko Teleplus DG AF, Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL, Nikon AF-S Nikkor , Tokina ATX 2 8, Nikon 1 NIKKOR

It's also a great little travel lens, and the 24-50mm range of the lens helps with quite decent landscape shots. The IS is excellent and reliable, and the lens matches very well with the weight and size of the 30D/40D/50D series, and of course fits well with the 5D as well.

It's not that often I need wider than 24mm, but for those occasions I do have the Canon 10-22mm lens. It's fun, but produces nowhere near the sharpness or colors of the 24-105mm.

The price was a bit steep, but in this case, I think you get what you pay for. I have previously used the 17-85mm, and there is NO comparison - this one wins hands down in pretty much every category that is relevant to me.

The build is solid, as you would expect from any Canon lens with a little red ring. Put on a top-quality UV filter, and you're all set. I also use the included hood quite regularly, both as protection from the elements as well as shade from the sun.

If the focal length suits you, this is a great choice. If you're currently using a crop body but eventually considering going full-frame, no worries - this lens was really made for full frame cameras; it just so happens that it works GREAT for my uses on a 40D.

Many reviews for the EF 24-105 discuss the reasons for choosing it over the EF 24-70 and this review is no different.

The quality of the pictures between the two lenses is probably very similar. I read a great number of reviews and many professional reviewers give a very slight edge to the 24-70 --- slight edge and not under all picture circumstances. In any case the possible picture quality advantage of the 24-70 was not enough for me to eliminate the 24-105.

Here is the list of deciding factors for me;

1. Weight; 24-105, 1.5 lbs vs. 24-70, 2.1 -- that extra .6 lbs is significant if you are going to carry it around all day.

2. Length; 4.2" vs. 4.9" - the extra .7" means the 70 won't fit in my Canon shoulder carrier and if mounted on the camera won't fit in the Canon camera case either.

3. Cost; the 105 is $300 less than the 70.

4. Image stabilization on the 105 - not as good as the faster 70 f2.8 but without `IS' the decision might go the other way.

5. Focal length; the extra 35mm on the 105 vs. the 70 is an important factor as it can avoid a lens switch in the field.

I have a Canon EF 70-200 F4L telephoto but the 105mm usually suffices. As we all know switching lenses while out in the field increases the risk of getting dirt in the camera sensor.

Pentax MZ-S Date, Canon EOS 60 D, NIKON D300s , Canon EOS 350D, Canon EOS 60D . Canon EOS 40D, NIKON Entry-level, Canon EOS 7D, CANON 600D, Canon EOS 550D , PENTAX K-5, Canon EF-S 55-250mm, Nikon AF-S DX, Panasonic H-fs045200e, Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR, Canon EF 50mm , Sigma 10-20mm, Canon EF-S 10-22mm, Canon EF-S 55-250mm, Sony High Zoom , Sigma 10-20mm, Canon EF 70-300mm, Tamron AF 18-270mm, Panasonic Lumix G , Panasonic H-FS100300E, Canon EF-S 18-200mm, Tamron 18-200mm, Panasonic H-H014E, Panasonic DMW-LVF1E , Canon EF 85mm, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR, Canon EF 24-105mm, Tamron AF 18-200mm, Sigma 70-300mm, Sigma 70-300mm, Tamron AF 18-200mm, Tamron SP AF, Canon EF-S 15-85, Sigma 17-70 mm, Canon EF 17-40 mm, Sigma 18-250mm, Tamron AF 18-270mm

Now that I have made many photo shoot field trips I can vouch for the wonderful quality of the pictures it takes. Pictures are sharp, edge to edge and colors are very good. It also takes good low light pictures, thanks to the image stabilization (except if the subject is in motion - the 70 has the edge here). Bokeh is good, particularly at the 105mm although probably not as good as the 24-70 f2.8 but very satisfactory - I also have a 50mm f1.4 which does have superior bokeh so I do have something to compare with.

I agree that there is an advantage for the 24-70 f2.8 because it allows for faster shutter speed in low light (and better bokeh), however the IS in the 105 almost makes up for it. Indoor action photography would be better handled by the 24-70 but I think outdoor photography would be better with the 24-105 largely because of the added focal length.