24-105 Experiences, please

B

Bobonli

Well-known member
I'm looking at the 24-105 as my first Canon AF lens to accompany my 7D. I've had the camera for almost a year now and have been shooting with Nikon primes and a Zeiss ZE. No problems with this arrangement except I'm also looking to use the camera more for stills and miss the auto everything that comes from having the OEM glass.

I have a Nikon D200 but find I no longer want to schlep the Nikon for stills and 7D for video/stills but I'm not quite ready to completely abandon my Nikon glass. So I'm looking for a good, all-purpose zoom for the 7d that can be used for stills and the occasional video where I don't have my Nikon glass.

Please share your experience with this lens. I've read elsewhere that some think 24mm is too long on the low end for the 7D; the 17-55 is recommended. As I understand it the 17-55 is designed specifically for the 1.6crop cameras and I rather not confine myself in that way in the event I step up to a 5D or different camera.

Thanks for your help.
 
I would agree with what you've heard. The 17-55 range is perfect on the 7D.

But…

I have used the 24-105L on both the 5D and 7D, and if you're comfortable with that range, right on. If you go that direction, you might add the 16-35L to cover the wide end. This way you'd have a good range covered with two lenses that would work with any Canon body you have.

Just my two pence.
 
Thanks Stephen. I never thought I'd be shopping for Canon glass, as a die-hard Nikon fanboy but after using the 7d for 10 months for video I realize I've been cheating myself out of it's stills capability.

I'm really reluctant to go with a format-specific lens. I have the 17-55 Nikon and I go out to 17 about 35% of the time but I kick myself in the pants every time I consider going to a full frame camera and I see that lens in the bag!
 
I hear you. Keep in mind that you can always pick up great second-hand gear at places like Fred Miranda or POTN.com. I buy/sell quite a bit of gear there.
 
I shoot a lot of stills on the 7d and I love the 24-105's focal range. Obviously, it's a great lens, no question. But it's helpful to know what kind of shooter you are. I happen to like getting in close and often fill most of the frame with someone's face. Also, if the 16-35 along with the 24-105 is too much of an outlay and you don't need f/2.8, the 17-40 is an awesome lens and it's quite a bit cheaper.
 
The 24-105L lives on my 7D for most things- it's great for pretty much any run/gun situation for either filming or stills. It's not parfocal, so focus won't be consistent when zooming. I also keep my Tokina 11-16mm handy for wides, as the 24-105 can be a bit long if you need to open up tight spaces.
 
on the 7d id go for the tokina 16-50, it focusses the same way as nikons so will work if you ar mixing with them

I think the 24-105 is too long on the 7 for a general lens

as a lens

imo its a little floppy when extended (steadicam jitter), and is quite barrelled at 24 wide (on full frame)

but on a 5 there is no alternative really in this class

For a 7 why would you pay in terms of money and mass to get a lens that covers FF

S
 
Bobonli said:
I'm looking at the 24-105 as my first Canon AF lens to accompany my 7D.
Click to expand...

The 24-105 is not the fastest lens but has a beautiful picture quality as with many other Canon lenses. I shot a commercial with one a few months ago and the result was amazing for a zoom.
 
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