Read The Canon 24 105mm Review And Discover Why Everyone Loves This L Series Lens

Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

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Image quality – Rating:
Build quality – Rating:
Ease of use – Rating:
Lens features – Rating:
Value for money – Rating:

The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens has all the hallmarks of a Canon L series lens – quality lens construction, very high image sharpness and superb mechanical operation.

It is no coincidence, then, that the 24 105mm is one of the most popular general purpose zoom lenses in use today.

There’s no getting around the fact that if you want the highest quality photographs possible, then you will need and want the sort of output that the 24-105mm offers.

Another obvious benefit of this lens is the large focal length and variety of uses this lens possesses as a result. Even on a 1.6x body it is moderately wide at 38mm on one end and almost telephoto at the other end at 168mm.

Worried about the filter size for polarizers and the like? This L series lens utilizes a 77mm filter which, while arguably not one of the cheapest filter sizes, is able to accomodate many other Canon lenses including the EF 17-40mm, EF-S 17-55mm and EF 24-70mm.

The 24-105mm f/4 L features a fast, quiet and highly accurate auto focus thanks to the Canon USM (Ultrasonic motor) which makes focusing a breeze and a joy.

Another awesome feature of this lens is the fact that the ring does not rotate when focusing or zooming so the attachment of a polarizing filter shouldn’t be a problem at all.

At a glance…

• Brand Name: Canon
• Model: 0344B006
• Lens Type: Zoom lens
• Mounting Type: Canon EF
• Minimum focal length: 24 millimeters
• Maximum focal length: 105 millimeters
• Minimum Focal Range: 17.7 inches
• Maximum Aperture Range: F/4.0
• Camera Magnify Power: 0.23
• Lens System Special Functions: Zoom
• Focus Type: auto-focus, manual-focus
• Real Angle Of View: 84
• Weight: 23.6 Ounces
• Item Display Diameter: 3.3 inches
• Length: 4 inches

The Good

silent, methodical and super accurate USM auto focus sharp image quality wide open and negligible corner sharpness falloff flare is very well controlled with the exception of certain early model numbers, which Canon will repair or replace to you free of charge if affected. See here for more information. color and contrast reproduction are excellent minimal chromatic abberation except under extreme contrast shooting conditions image stabilization (IS) providing an extra 3 stops of stability when the camera is handheld. Remember – IS does not stop motion blur. IS button on side of the lens is now flat and not raised as with previous models – raised buttons in the past led to accidentally changing the IS or AF settings without realizing (almost as bad as accidentally shooting at ISO 800 for 500 shots!)

The Bad

there is nothing much wrong with this lens, but there is some minor light fall off wide open, especially with full frame bodies

It was really hard to find anything bad to write about in this Canon 24 105mm review and this is typical of most Canon L series lenses really. The only thing that would stop you buying this lens would be the price, but the old saying that you get what you pay for still holds true. I personally own 2 L lenses and they pay for themselves many times over and will last many many decades if they are cared for properly.

Something else that people may have a “problem” (for want of a better word) is that they may be torn between the 24-105mm and the 24-70mm f/2.8 IS. Obviously the latter offers a wider aperture throughout but is more restricted in its focal length.

Conversely, the 24-105mm offers image stabilization which may be the clincher for some people because it may negate the fact that the lens is fixed at f/4.  Needless to say a lot of people would love to see a 24-70mm IS released at some time in the near future.

Overall Rating:

A pretty good basic summary of this lens can be found below…

“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. ” Read the rest of this Canon 24 105mm review here

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