First L Lens To Buy
First L Lens To Buy - https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Ftinurll.com%2F2tE8Ns&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw3oFv5A0J4BnMBsxlnIKPtl
The 24-105L is a great lens. I had one a few years ago and some of my bright pictures was shot with it. The IS works fine, you can get 3 stops while handheld. Contrast is absolutely good and sharpness is very good.
The images I get with my 24-70 II, on the other hand, never fail to impress; they're sharp across the frame, with superb contrast and rich colour rendition. I realize that the 24-70 costs much more than the 24-105, and lacks its IS and reach, but in my opinion it's a vastly superior lens optically.
I have both lenses with a 5D and 5dii. Whilst one can talk for days about which lens is "better" the reality is that I use the 24-105 ten times as much as I use the 17-40. And a great deal of what I shoot with the 24-105 is shot at more than 40mm. But of course that's talking about my photography, not yours. But the 24-105 if the one that's on the camera by default, and will be a lot more versatile in the city and with people than a wide angle. And you can go for hours without needing to change lenses.
Quality wise I don't see a huge difference between them. They're both competent lenses, they both suffer a bit from distortion, and I don't think either of them are as good IQ wise as the 70-200 f4 I use as well, but they're both good lenses for me.
I never miss an opportunity to trash the Canon 24-105 F4L. In my honest opinion it is the worst of all the L-series lenses made. I owned this lens for about two weeks and returned it to the store. This is the first and only lens I have ever returned. I already had the Canon 17-40 F4L which again in my opinion is the best L-series lenses you can get at it's price level. it was the last time I checked the lowest priced L-series lens and Does not have nearly the distortion of the 24-105 at 24mm.
However, For my Canon 5D2 the Tamron 24-70 F2.8 VC is one of the best lenses I have ever used only surpassed the Canon 85 1.2L. The Tamron 24-70 F2.8 VC is not as good as the new Canon 24-70 F2.8 II but I put it equal to the Canon 24-70 F2.8 I and considerably better than the Canon 24-105 F4L.
There are several third party lenses like Tamron and Carl Zeiss which in my opinion in some ways exceed or match the IQ and build quality of Canon L-series lenses. Just have to do your research and don't assume ALL L-series lenses are great.
I never miss an opportunity to trash the Canon 24-105 F4L. In my honest opinion it is the worst of all the L-series lenses made. I owned this lens for about two weeks and returned it to the store. This is the first and only lens I have ever returned. I already had the Canon 17-40 F4L which again in my opinion is the best L-series lenses you can get at it's price level. it was the last time I checked the lowest priced L-series lens and Does not have nearly the distortion of the 24-105 at 24mm.
I agree with you: You never miss an opportunity to trash this perfectly useful lens. However, I note that you feel the 17-40 is a better lens. I have both lenses and my experience has been the opposite. Sure, it's slightly better at 24mm, and I use it in preference to the 24-105 at that focal length if I don't need the IS. However, it's not my experience that it's better overall, although I do really like the lens. So I am wondering whether you got hold of a bad copy of the lens. It does happen.
I agree the 24-105 is distorted at its wide extent. It also vignettes. However, both issues can be corrected very easily, practically with the click of a mouse, and without any noticeable loss in image quality. Distortion is the least of my concerns with any lens.
All in all, this lens takes more beatings than a rented mule, but I don't think it deserves them. Like many "kit" lenses, there was a lot of careful engineering that went into it, there's a lot of economy of scale in its manufacture, it is sold at a conspicuously low price point in kit form, it gets no respect, it is ubiquitous on the used market, and it's a screaming bargain.
It is my most regularly used lens on my 5