Lens Review: Canon 24-105mm L

” The real deal now …not a cup”

I thought it was about time to do a review again. This time it’s the Canon 24-105mm L lens. As you well know my reviews don’t contain technical charts and that sort of technical stuff. Mines are more of a practical point of view: Why buy this lens? And how did I experienced this lens?

Lens review made possible by my partner Camex

The most important advantage
The one thing I found most valuable is the range this lens covers, from a wide angle to a more tele. Because of the range it is a very practical and a good choice for commercial work, such as events or weddings.

(click for larger image)

Build
Even though this lens has that nice range it’s still quite lightweight yet strongly build as expected from an L-lens. It’s even weatherproof and perfectly sealed off by a the rubber ring at the rear end of the lens. Another nice feature are the focus and zoom ring, which move smoothly which is important when zooming and focusing when doing video. Also the placing of there rings is good, not to close to the camera body.

Performance
Being used to shooting with fast lenses this one is a bit slow to be honest. I noticed that when shooting in poor lighted situation I had to push the ISO, but that’s normal for a f/4 lens. Nevertheless it focuses really nice and quiet, also delivers sharp images for a zoom lens. This lens even has an image stabilizer which is perfect when using the longer focal length. Therefore it’s also good for doing video (unfortunately didn’t have time to try it out). Keep in mind when using this lens that is quite some distortion when using the wider angles, I even noticed that there’s some noticeable distortion at 50mm …which is a downside of this this lens in my opinion.

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On the go
Because of the small size and its weight this lens is perfect for on the go. Fits easily in your bag and easy to carry around in the bag or mounted on your camera. Another downside for me is that awful lens-hood. It’s quite large and therefore uneasy to take with you …I really have to squeeze it into my shoulder bag.

canon 24-105mm L lens review 3 | ©THE VIEWFINDER
The real lens and my cup-lens side by side

Conclusion
It delivers the quality which you may expect from an L-lens. Even though it cover a large range it’s still a small and lightweight lens and furthermore it’s even weatherproof (with the use of a lens filter that is). If you’re looking for lens that shows less distortion and has a larger aperture, then perhaps you should consider the Canon 24-70mm L (way to expensive for me).

For me this lens is a keeper …unfortunately I had to return the real lens to my partner Camex (still enjoying the look&feel by holding my lens-cup). Want more info about this lens or just want to try it out? Go visit their store in Arnhem or visit their website www.camex.nl. They offer great service and are well experienced.

canon 24-205mm L review camex bag by THE VIEWFINDER