While this lens should not be considered an all-in-one lens, it comes close. Most serious photographers will have at least two and maybe three lenses to capture all the images that they may want to take, and not every photographer will need the same two or three lenses. This one, however, will be an excellent anchor lens for most small-number lens sets. Unless you have a special commitment to telephoto photography or ultra wide-angle/macro photography, this lens will probably take up to 90 percent of all the images you might ever want to capture. It is good for general wide-angle work up through short telephoto (ideal for portraits), and it even has a limited "macro" ability to shoot close-ups. In pure terms it is actually not a true macro lens, since that term defines a lens that will let you capture a life-size image of the object you are photographing; in a full-frame camera this would be a focused frame-filling image of an item about 1.5 inches wide and an inch high (reverse the dimensions if you are shooting in portrait mode). This lens is instead a close-focusing zoom that will let you take good photos of single flowers, but not get down inside to register tight images of pistils and stamens except with the largest blooms.
The lens is one of Canon's "L" (or red ring) lenses, which are their best. It is an image stabilization lens, which allows you to shoot somewhat slower handheld shots than would otherwise be possible. Both the IS and autofocus features can be turned off in response to special photographic circumstances. If you are using a tripod, for example, you may wish to turn off image stabilization, which if left engaged can in some circumstances actually give you a softer image than a tripod alone. If you are shooting close-ups with a tripod, you may also wish to defeat autofocus in order to force the exact focal plane you want for the item you are recording.
Canon makes a similar 24-70mm zoom lens that is an f/stop faster than this one, but it is heavier and doesn't have the focal range of this one. Evaluate your likely usage to see if that lens would be a better choice for you than this one. But I have to believe that this lens is probably the best central-range lens in a three-lens system for almost anyone.
To set a context for my evaluation, my basic three-lens system consists of this lens, a 17-40mm zoom for very wide angle or interior photography, and a 70-300mm zoom for telephoto work. Since I am also a macrophotographer, I have a couple of dedicated lenses for that kind of image capture. I specifically chose individual zooms with overlapping ranges for general photography so that I could minimize lens changes if an image I wanted to take was right at the capture boundaries of two separate lenses. But Canon makes several different zooms, and picking a lens set with different focal length continuity is certainly possible for people who have different ideas about the best focal lengths for their image priorities.
For individuals who prefer to buy a Canon camera body and lens individually rather than a complete kit with lens included, this is an excellent candidate for the first lens you should acquire to make a functional camera package.
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L is USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras
4.4 | 837 ratings
Price: 799.95
Last update: 10-28-2024
About this item
24-105mm standard zoom lens with f/4 maximum aperture for Canon EOS SLR cameras, Macro Focus Range : 0.45 m
1 Super UD glass element and 3 aspherical lenses minimize chromatic aberration and distortion
Ring-type USM system delivers silent but quick autofocus (AF); full-time manual focus
Image Stabilizer technology steadies camera shake at up to 3 stops; weighs 23.6 ounces
Dust- and moisture-resistant; measures 3.3 inches in diameter and 4.2 inches long; 1-year warranty
E7Magnification - Extension Tube EF25 II - ¹ Only compatible at tele.
1 Super UD glass element and 3 aspherical lenses minimize chromatic aberration and distortion
Ring-type USM system delivers silent but quick autofocus (AF); full-time manual focus
Image Stabilizer technology steadies camera shake at up to 3 stops; weighs 23.6 ounces
Dust- and moisture-resistant; measures 3.3 inches in diameter and 4.2 inches long; 1-year warranty
E7Magnification - Extension Tube EF25 II - ¹ Only compatible at tele.
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 4.21 x 3.31 x 3.31 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 1.48 pounds |
| ASIN | B000AZ57M6 |
| Item model number | 0344B002 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars
837 ratings
4.4 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #639 in SLR Camera Lenses |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | September 14, 2004 |
| Manufacturer | Canon |
| Country of Origin | Japan |
Top reviews from the United States
David Wilson
Excellent general purpose lens for Canon EOS bodies
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2013
Nathan Hobbs
Amazing Lens!
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2007
Nathan Hobbs
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2007
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)
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.
Images in this review
