If not 24-105mm L series, then what?

[KeeFy]

I was responding to the previous post of the 24-105 vs 28-135.

[William W]

I'm ready to make the giant leap out of kit lenses (except for the 50mm prime).. . .The reason I settled on this lens [EF24 to 105F/4L] as my first foray out of the kit lens wilderness is because of it's all-round usability. . . I would like to start building a useable kit. At present I'm practicing portraits and shooting things reasonably close, using the 50mm. I currently have: Canon 350D, 50mm 1.8, Canon EFS 18-55mm, Canon EF 75-300mm. Where to from here?

Firstly there have been persistent reports about Error 01 and the 24 to 105/4L and the reports are more prevalent and more persistent than other “reports” which are often “whipped up”; and many have supporting evidence.

Secondly, negating the ribbon breakage / Error 01 issue which, SOME have, (unquantifiable small percentage and undefined pattern), there are a VAST NUMBER of 24 to 105 lenses in service and: the 24 to 105F/4L is a fantastic lens, in every manner.

Thirdly, if you are building a useable kit: the reason “because of [the 24 to 105F/4L] all-round usability” does not make sense to me.
I can understand “all round useability” if it were to be perched on a 5D; or is it were to be mated with an EF-S 10 to 22 with a 350D; or if it were for a 350D and the limit of tasks was Portraiture, generally. But it occurs to me that you want this lens as your “main working zoom” for “Generalist Photography” and in this regard 24mm is not wide enough.

I would encourage you to set your 18 to 55 at 24mm and stick a bit of removable tape on the zoom turret ring – and use that lens to take some landscapes and some interiors and some large groups of people and some market places and some urban street scenes . . . and decide if there are any limitations for what you want to do.

Lastly in building your “useable kit” I suggest you start with a blank sheet of paper and write down what the kit is you want to build with a defined use for each tool. Pretend that you have nothing, not even a camera.

The problem that many people have when “building a kit” is that as they develop as a Photographer, they “add-on” gear to what they already have – “adapting”; and this is not necessarily the best way to develop nor to make a useable kit.

WW

[sdenness]

A few people have mentioned the 15-85 as a good lens. Given you're on a crop sensor, the 24-105 might feel not wide enough.

I highly recommend the 17-55 2.8 IS. I'd seriously consider replacing the 18-55 with it. On a crop, it gives you the equivalent focal length of the 24-70, and while it's not L construction, it's L optics. It's the lens that stays on my 40D most of the time.

[KeeFy]

A few people have mentioned the 15-85 as a good lens. Given you're on a crop sensor, the 24-105 might feel not wide enough.

I highly recommend the 17-55 2.8 IS. I'd seriously consider replacing the 18-55 with it. On a crop, it gives you the equivalent focal length of the 24-70, and while it's not L construction, it's L optics. It's the lens that stays on my 40D most of the time.

27-88mm npt 24-70mm.

[OwenS]

Pfft! My 24-105 has been round the world with me, stayed on my camera the whole time without a case. Its been in rain, snow, dirt from 45C to below zero. Never had an issue with it. Its sharp, its got I.S., its tough as nails. Its a champion lens. To be honest though, I HATED it on my cropped sensor camera 500D, though I would rather have sold my camera than the lens, so I did, upgraded to a 1ds2, and its a match made in heaven. Rather than buy the 18-55 or the new (or soon to be released 15-85) I would get the 24-105 and a 5D classic. You can pick them up for $800 now.

[unistudent1962]

Well Bec, any closer to a decision?
It would seem that the focal range of the 25-105 is more suited to full frame cameras, which makes sense since that's what it was designed for.
Any future plans to go full frame?

[KeeFy]

Pfft! My 24-105 has been round the world with me, stayed on my camera the whole time without a case. Its been in rain, snow, dirt from 45C to below zero. Never had an issue with it. Its sharp, its got I.S., its tough as nails. Its a champion lens. To be honest though, I HATED it on my cropped sensor camera 500D, though I would rather have sold my camera than the lens, so I did, upgraded to a 1ds2, and its a match made in heaven. Rather than buy the 18-55 or the new (or soon to be released 15-85) I would get the 24-105 and a 5D classic. You can pick them up for $800 now.

Them as in each for $800 not both. :P

[Arg]

For general purpose use the 24-105 is intended to be 'just right' on a 44mm sensor body. It doesn't really go wide enough on a 28mm sensor body like your 350D. For 28mm Canon make the 17-55 f2.8 and the 15-85 as a great one-lens solution for general use. I suggest one of them.

[Analog6]

No manufacturing process is perfect - think about all the lemon cars 'out there'. I owned the 24-105 lens which William had a problem with before him and I loved it. I would not hesitate to buy another one if I ever get another Canon kit. As a walk around for crop or full frame sensor it is perfect.

And as has been said - you only get to hear about the ones with problems.

[Gunna]

As Becds has a Canon 350D, it will probably be a while before s/he upgrades to full frame.
The best all purpose lens for this camera, & the next upgrade to a better, but probably still a crop camera, is the 17 to 55 mm f2.8 lens.
Its almost glued onto my 40D [upgraded from a 350D some time ago]

[Max]

would have to agree, unless you are into wildlife photography and want weathersealing, you may get more use out of the 15-85.

[William]

Just a couple to show from the 24-105 on a Crop Sensor Canon 30D , Pretty handy, This is taken after the Ribbon problem, Still my favourite lens

@35mm

"Wedding Photo's" by sunrisechaser, on Flickr


@24mm


"Weird Sky" by sunrisechaser, on Flickr

[inplace]

no issues with my 24-105 either, on the 40D or EOS 30, as other posters note it could be a little wider at the wide end on a cropped body.

[Bennymiata]

My brother-in-law has had his 24-105 for around 5 years, and has never had a problem with it.
It's taken thousands and thousands of shots, and the focus ring and zoom ring feel a little loose compared to my copy, but it still works perfectly.

[Tannin]

I poo-pooed the Error 01 posts here a while back, arguing (as others in this thread have done) that there are thousands upon thousands of Canon 24-105/4 IS lenses out there and a few failing is no cause for concern.

I was wrong, and my own words have come back to haunt me. My 24-105 died the other day with the exact same error, and it has not had a hard life by any means. It's only four years old.

So what do I do?

Pay through the nose for a repair and wait for it to happen again?

Buy a new one and hope for the best?

Or throw the baby out with the bathwater and buy a D3s and a Nikkor 24-120/4 VR instead?

I am seriously thinking about jumping ship to Nikon with this premature failure coming on top of the 1D X disaster.

BecdS - if you are happy with the APS-C format and not itching to go into a 5D II or similar, then Canon make a vastly superior lens for your purposes: the 15-85. It's cheaper, lighter, much wider and more useful at the short end, and still plenty long enough.

[bobt]

+1 on the 24-105 buy, nothing wrong with them. I have been using them for a few yrs for travel photography and possibly in more environmentally worse conditions than most would use it at, I havent had a problem or heard of them until I saw it on AP.

Ad my name to the long list - my 24-105 is the only lens I really use now, and I've taken it overseas and haven't had it off the camera for yonks! Great all purpose, sharp fantastic lens.

[pod3009]

I have had a 24-105mm lens for about 15 months now - maybe too short a time for any problems to emerge (touch wood). It is great. My wife got the 24-70 f2.8 at the same time. We have compared shots of similar things at similar times of day on the same subjects and find they are just about as sharp as each other. I was a little envious of her abilty to go to f2.8 for some shots and blur out the background, so at the same time I bought the Tammy 17-50 f2.8 non VC which is also really sharp. These two lenses were about the same price as her 24-70. I like the combo!

[Old Skool]

Interesting that there are always a lot of 2nd hand 24-105L lenses for sale on EBay - wonder why so many people sell them if they are meant to be such a great lens - are there any other issues with them (distortion etc) that they find they can't live with??

[LJG]

One thing I learnt is never say never to camera upgrades! I do however agree that the 15-85 makes a whole lot more sense on a crop sensor than the 24-105. On a 5DII the 24-105 is perfect. Bec just needs to decide is she going to stay with a crop snesor, or maybe go FF. I said I'd never go FF and set myself up with a nice array of EF-S lenses, then went FF. Now I am buying EF L series lenses to suit it and have to decide do I sell all my EF-S gear and 50D to fund better glass for the 5DII, or keep both. I will say though that I certainly did not regret buying the 15-85 for the 50D, it really is a terrific walkaround and general purpose lens on a crop body.
My head hurts

[William]

I poo-pooed the Error 01 posts here a while back, arguing (as others in this thread have done) that there are thousands upon thousands of Canon 24-105/4 IS lenses out there and a few failing is no cause for concern.

I was wrong, and my own words have come back to haunt me. My 24-105 died the other day with the exact same error, and it has not had a hard life by any means. It's only four years old.

So what do I do?

Pay through the nose for a repair and wait for it to happen again?

Buy a new one and hope for the best?

Or throw the baby out with the bathwater and buy a D3s and a Nikkor 24-120/4 VR instead?

I am seriously thinking about jumping ship to Nikon with this premature failure coming on top of the 1D X disaster.

BecdS - if you are happy with the APS-C format and not itching to go into a 5D II or similar, then Canon make a vastly superior lens for your purposes: the 15-85. It's cheaper, lighter, much wider and more useful at the short end, and still plenty long enough.

Tony you can get them fixed and serviced in Brisbane for $300

PS : Look here : http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...4-L-Died/page5