Beasimer
"An excellent walkabout lens"
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I first bought the Canon EF 28-135mm IS lens to use with my Canon 10D along with the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Zoom Lens. About four years later I have sold all my original purchases. The Canon EF 28-135mm was my most used lens, and I still had it until March 2006 when I replaced it with the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L.
+5
Being an L lens, the dust and moisture resistant construction of the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L is sturdy. The lens consists of eighteen elements in thirteen groups including one Super-UD glass element and three aspherical lenses to minimize chromatic aberration and distortion. With a standard twist zoom focus, this lens permits for auto or manual focusing depending on how the switch is set.
Some of the earlier lenses had an issue that caused lens flare. This issue was resolved quickly with a recall. If the control number located on the back cover of the lens begins with a UT and the following number is less than 1,000, then the lens is affected and should be sent in for repair.
The Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L lens is compact measuring 5 inches long and lightweight weighing in at about 1.5 lbs/670g, and accepts 77mm filters. Be sure to get a good quality UV haze filter to protect the front lens element. Not only do I see this as a good practice, Canon recommends doing so on their site as well. The f/stop ranges from 4 - 22. The closest focusing distance is 18 in/45 cm. In addition, the lens has a USM drive mechanism for optimum AF performance, and the pulse control diaphragm (EMD) ensures precise aperture control.
The IS system is composed of a pair of gyro sensors to detect vertical and horizontal motion and a microprocessor that compensates for it by shifting special lens elements in parallel with the perceived movement. It is recommended that the IS be off when shooting on a tripod. I have used the IS on my Bogen 3231 monopod with legs successfully. A monopod is not as stable as a tripod though, with or without the legs. Using the IS, you can obtain sharp pictures three stops below where you normally would. This is a huge advantage in dim light or places where flash is prohibited. Just keep in mind, the IS attempts to eliminate camera movement, not the movement of the subject being photographed.
A distance scale ring sits below the focus ring. Turn the distance scale ring all the way to the left and you are set for low magnification close-up photography. Turn it to the right and you are able to set for infinity compensating for changes in temperature as necessary. The distance scale includes figures in red as an infrared index to use when shooting black and white infrared film. Shooting infrared is not available on all cameras. If this feature is a must, make sure this lens is compatible for infrared photography on your camera body.
The Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L includes a 1 Year US Warranty, the front & rear lens caps, the LP1219 soft pouch, and the EW-83H lens hood. The hood will decrease chances of lens flare and increase metering accuracy. If you use filters, Canon recommends against stacking.
The Canon EF 28-135mm lens is similar in build a little shorter and weighs a couple ounces less. Of course the Canon EF 28-135mm has a wider focal range. Both lenses have single mode IS capabilities, and are good walkabout lenses. Having used the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L the difference in weight and length is hardly noticeable. The shorter focal distance is not missed, and I have a constant f/4 through out the focal scale unlike the Canon EF 28-135mm with a 5.6-36 on the long focal range. The images using the Canon EF 24-105mm IS f/4L is sharper and clearer than those using the Canon EF 28-135mm.
If the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS lens' price is not a problem, this is the lens to get. Otherwise purchase and enjoy the 28-135mm IS lens. The great thing about Canon lenses is they tend to hold their value. If you want to upgrade from the 28-135mm, sell it on a popular auction site like I did.
PROS:
A compact L standard IS zoom that is an excellent walkabout lens.
Versatile multipurpose lens
CONS:
A price typically found on L lenses
May become your most used lens
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More Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM... reviews
review by comdet.
September 24, 2009
The Canon 24-105mm f/4 L lens with Image Stabilization is a fantastic lens for those times when you just want to have one lens on the camera but you also want to have a lot of options with your focal range. The range on this lens takes you from a decent wide angle perspective to a mid-range telephoto without any light loss (the maximum aperture is constant throughout the zoom range) and image stabilization keeps focus problems due to hand shake well away. Optical quality … more
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review by slionel.
May 31, 2009
When I took an Alaska vacation in 2007, I did not have the Canon 24-105 lens. What I took with me was the Canon EF-S 10-22mm , the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 and the Canon EF 70-300mm DO - all excellent lenses. But so many times I found myself switching lenses, or having to make do with what I had which was either too wide or not wide enough. This year, when I visited Japan, I had added the Canon 24-105, and it stayed on my camera almost all the time. Admittedly, I was not taking … more
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About the reviewer
LT (Beasimer)
Ranked #2
Ranked #2
I enjoy photography, culinary arts, video games, and a wide assortment of music
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Dust and moisture resistant and incorporating Canon's very finest standards of precision optics, the EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM is designed for reportage, event, travel, and celebrity photographers looking for a lightweight and maneuverable lens with minimal image quality compromise.
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Complementing the EF 17-40mm f4L USM and EF 70-200mm f4L USM, the lens completes Canon's f4L-series zoom lens range. These lenses are designed for professional photographers requiring a light zoom lens with a fixed aperture throughout the zoom range. For outstanding camera-shake reduction, Image Stabilizer allows shutter speeds of 3 stops slower than would otherwise be possible, with no perceptible increase in image blur.
The L-series is Canon's flagship professional lens range, designed to include outstanding image performance, ultimate operability, and weather resistance. The EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM offers a lightweight alternative to the renowned EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM.
Image Stabilizer
Image Stabilizer (IS) dramatically reduces image blur caused by camera shake. Gyro sensors detect unwanted vibrations, triggering the corresponding movement of a correcting lens group perpendicular to the optical axis. This alters the light path, returning the image to its correct position on the sensor or film plane.
The 3-stop advantage means that photographers normally shooting a 105mm lens handheld at 1/125 second can obtain a shake free result with a shutter speed as low as 1/15 second, for vastly extended ...
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