28 April 2009
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L versus the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS
Posted by Jaco under: Canon; General; Lenses; Reviews .
Before the release of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens, the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens was one of Canons most popular general purpose lenses and it was easy to decide to purchase the lens. However, the 24-105mm f/4L brings Image Stabilization into the equation and although some photographers will find that this complements their current 24-70mm lens, the reality is that these lenses are expensive and many cannot afford to own both of them. For this reason, many photographers have to choose between the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L and the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS and, with both lenses producing images of high quality, it’s not an easy choice to make.
Both these lenses are L-series lenses and therefore both of them produce images of very high quality. Build quality is also great and in line with one’s expectations from L-series lenses. In physical size the 24-70mm is slightly longer at 123mm versus the 107mm of the 24-105, but both have a diameter of 77mm and therefore use the same size filters, lens caps etc. Although they look similar, there are quite a few other differences between these lenses.
Click Here To Buy The EF 24-105mm F/4L IS Lens from Amazon with Free Shipping
Click Here To Buy The EF 24-70mm F/2.8L Lens from Amazon with Free Shipping
Canon EF 24 105mm f4 (left) and 24 70mm f2.8 (right)
Physical parameters. As a result of the extra glass required for the f/2.8 aperture, the 24-70mm also weighs 10 oz (280g) more at 33.5 oz (950g), which is expected for this quality lens, but the extra weight may be important to some photographers. For me personally, weight isn’t much of a factor when I compare it to the increase in image quality that comes with it.
Focal length. The extra 35mm that the 24-105mm offers, is quite a nice advantage, especially in circumstances where a long focal range is required. In more controlled conditions, such as studio photography and indoor photography, the 70mm is more than adequate, especially when used on a APS-C sensor camera (such as the Rebel), which ads a magnification of 1.6x to the EF lenses.
Aperture. The 1 f-stop advantage that the 24-70mm f/2.8 has over the 24-105mm f/4, means that the 24-70mm allow twice as much light in to hit the sensor. In low light conditions, this makes a BIG difference, especially if the subject is not static. The f/2.8 aperture means that the shutter speed can be double that of the 24-105mm in the same conditions which can be the difference between a sharp and a blurred image. This higher shutter speed is important in action photography, so the full extra stop of the 24-70 mm f2.8 lens clearly gives it the edge. The IS of the new lens may give you up to three stops when hand held, but that doesn’t help to freeze motion.
Image Stabilization. So far the 24-70mm seems to be the logical choice, but the Image stabilization of the 24-105 is a very nice feature to have. I personally own the 24-70mm and have to take great care to avoid camera shake - in fact I’ve lost quite a few images when I started to use this lens because of camera shake. Canon’s Image stabilization is really good and the IS ads up to 3 stops advantage in low light conditions. This is a great feature to prevent camera shake in ALL conditions, but keep in mind that in darker conditions, the IS prevents camera shake but cannot prevent subject movement like the 24-70mm with the larger aperture.
Image quality. Both lenses produce superb images, but it has to be said that experienced photographers find the image quality of the 24-70mm slightly better than that of the 24-105mm. However, this shouldn’t make a big difference unless you’re planning to produce large prints of your images.
Below is a summary of the main differences between these two lenses.
If one takes into account that for all practical purposes these lenses produce images of the same quality, it is clear that the 24-105mm has more advantages than the 24-70mm. This doesn’t mean that the 24-105mm is a better lens than the 24-70mm, but that it is more versatile and practical that the more specialized 24-70mm. For this reason, except if one absulotely need the extra f-stop, the 24-105mm is a better and safer option than the 24-70mm.
Read our reviews of the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM and the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lenses.
Click Here To Buy The EF 24-105mm F/4L IS Lens from Amazon with Free Shipping
Click Here To Buy The EF 24-70mm F/2.8L Lens from Amazon with Free Shipping
