Canon 24-105L or Sigma 24-70?

[triptych]

I don't get why the 24-70L is out of your range, it is less than $50 more (not much when you're spending $1700).

Umm the 24-70L is $1600
The 24-105L is $1120
and the Sigma $849

Thats quite a difference in price.

[Scotty72]

Umm the 24-70L is $1600
The 24-105L is $1120
and the Sigma $849

Thats quite a difference in price.

You said the canon 24-70 L was out of your price range, but you were considering the canon 24-105 L.

These two are about the same price, so that is what did not make sense.

Perhaps you are talking of the grey market. Good luck with that Heard too many horror stories there... Remember, there are often good and bad copies of lenses, I'll let you guess where the bad ones are more likely to go... also, you can more easily return your bad copy to a real shop.

Even so, the grey market for both canons bring them both down to about $1100-1200.

Buying from legit stores or grey market: If you can afford the Canon 24-105L then, you can afford the Canon 24-70L

Anyway...

From my experience, the sigmas are good at mid range appertures... where they fall over is wide open. Therefore, I think that getting a Sigma where you are intending to use it at f:2.8 is sort of defeating the purpose. If you intend to use it for tripod work, f:8 shooting landscapes - it will likely be great but, it is a bit silly to spend all the extra $$$ to get a lens that can do 2.8. If you are wanting to use the siggy for indoor, low light where you may need f:2.8 - you WILL be disapointed and would therefore get either of the Canons.

[JM Tran]

Perhaps you are talking of the grey market. Good luck with that Heard too many horror stories there... Remember, there are often good and bad copies of lenses, I'll let you guess where the bad ones are more likely to go... also, you can more easily return your bad copy to a real shop.

is it just me or u seem to make assumptions or opinions and pass it off as fact???

so bad or defect lenses go straight to grey importers and the good ones go to local retailers in AUS or US and around the world? Last time I checked, they all came from the same factories and from the same batches and date coded. You dont think lenses from a store in Aus can and sometimes is tainted by some defect too? Pleaseeeeeeeeee

Also, the 24-105 is $1117 from D-D-Photographics, can pick up in stores in Melb, Syd and Brissy. The 24-70 L there is $1595, bit of a price difference. The cool thing about it, you can walk in to exchange it if its a defected lens, YAY! Grey imports have never brought the 24-70 L below $1500 new, ever.

[Scotty72]

is it just me or u seem to make assumptions or opinions and pass it off as fact???

so bad or defect lenses go straight to grey importers and the good ones go to local retailers in AUS or US and around the world? Last time I checked, they all came from the same factories and from the same batches and date coded. You dont think lenses from a store in Aus can and sometimes is tainted by some defect too? Pleaseeeeeeeeee

Also, the 24-105 is $1117 from D-D-Photographics, can pick up in stores in Melb, Syd and Brissy. The 24-70 L there is $1595, bit of a price difference. The cool thing about it, you can walk in to exchange it if its a defected lens, YAY! Grey imports have never brought the 24-70 L below $1500 new, ever.

It is just you I'm giving my opinion and basing it on my opinions / what I've heard. You are free to take is as Gospel or throw it down the toilet.

But, good! You are making the assumption that I am making assumptions. I kind of meta-assumption - I assume.

In fact, I am working off different sources of info.

a) a camera / lens repair guy (he didn't sell, so I assume (opps) he has no vested interests. He loves the grey market... more work for him.

b) I have heard (from various people) that the lenses that are returned due to defects often find their way onto the unofficial, grey market. Do I have proof? No (the grey marketeers are hardly going to 'fess up). But, if I'm going to part with thousands of my hard earned... I want to take no unnecessary chances.

c) I have never had, or know anyone who had, a problem with a non-grey market lens (1 of mine was faulty but immediately replaced): I do know of several people with problems from grey market suppliers.

The cost.

I assume (opps), that if you are in the grey market, you are thinking mostly about price. You can easily pick up the 24-70 for $1200-1300 on ebay. Obviously, we are thinking different things when we talk 'grey market'. For me, it means - buy cheap: take your chances.

Regardless, buying lenses this way, IMO is too risky.

BTW, I bought my body grey market. But not a lens.

Why? A body will either work or it wont. There are usually specific things you can ID and say 'fix this'. And you generally keep them only a few years.

Lenses: well, they are likely to be 'off' (rather than just fail). The difference betwixt a good and bad copy tends to be a gut-feeling or an opinion which is hard to prove. A good lens (or bad) is something you tend to hang onto for a very long time.

Oh! I don't see a prob buying the 50mm (1.8???) from ebay or el-dogyio's grey marketeers as this is a very simple lens with very few internals to go wrong (and cheap - so not much risk)

Anyway Emma, good luck - which ever way you go.