Canon 24-105 alternatives

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jimmy83

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Ive been borrowing my friends lens on and off for a while but can't afford as prices are around the £800 mark, was just wondering what alternatives I have? Could anyone offer me any advise on a similar lens which is cheaper?
 
The canon is only f4, do Sigma or Tamron offer lens with a slightly longer focal lenght, was hoping upto 100mm at least really

Do you know how those compare to the canon?
 
How much of a pixel peeper are you? Check my Flickr for a mix of the 28-135 on my current 5D2 and 50 and 40D's.

It's more prone to flare and softness round the edges than the 24-105, but sharpness in the centre at least is comparable.

It's worth you considering for the focal range at least....
 
I believe that the Canon 28-135 is good if you get a good copy. If all you want is a similar range that is.
It also has IS. aperture is 3.5-5.6 I think..
I would suggest trying before you buy though, as I think mine is a bit soft.
 
coldpenguin said:
I believe that the Canon 28-135 is good if you get a good copy. If all you want is a similar range that is.
It also has IS. aperture is 3.5-5.6 I think..
I would suggest trying before you buy though, as I think mine is a bit soft.
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I used to have one and it was a cracker of a lens - and yes F3.5 -5.6, have heard you can get copies that are a bit soft, so would def recommend you try one first if you can. :thumbs:
 
I've just bought the 28-135mm IS USM from someone on here, at a decent price. Has stayed on my body most of the time it's that good. Although I'm no professional with any L lenses to compare, but for the price can't fault it. The IS definitely helps and the focal range is great, especially if you have a wide angle to go with it. I'd suggest getting one 2nd hand for less than half the price of what Jessops sell for. Under £200 for this lens is a steal imo.
 
I lent my 24-105 on holiday to someone with a 28-105 and instantly he said "Wow, how crisp and sharp is that, how good are the colours".

I thought he was kidding so tried his lens. Very disappointing - may have been a duff copy but it was awful.

To be honest, I wouldn't compromise. Save a little bit longer and keep an eye out for them secondhand. They go for around £600ish
 
jimmy83 said:
The canon is only f4, do Sigma or Tamron offer lens with a slightly longer focal lenght, was hoping upto 100mm at least really

Do you know how those compare to the canon?
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Don't forget that on your 400D the 70mm or 75mm end of the Sigma and Tamron are going to give you much the same length as the 105mm does on a full-frame sensor.
 
incapete said:
Don't forget that on your 400D the 70mm or 75mm end of the Sigma and Tamron are going to give you much the same length as the 105mm does on a full-frame sensor.
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But that's irrelevant, because he doesn't have a full-frame sensor. 70mm/75mm is less than 105mm, it's as simple as that.
 
I switched from the 28-135 to the 24-105 and there's a BIG difference in image quality.
 
Ive not seen prices for the 24-105 drop below 750ish on ebay, and ive been watching for a while now on and off.

Doesnt the Sigma or Tamron compare?
 
You have to get one.
I had to, or I'd have spent the rest of my life wondering how good it is, and regretting NOT getting one!!

The best £625 I've ever spent. It really is such an amazing piece of kit.
 
andy_fozzy said:
You have to get one.
I had to, or I'd have spent the rest of my life wondering how good it is, and regretting NOT getting one!!

The best £625 I've ever spent. It really is such an amazing piece of kit.
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Where did you get it for that price?
 
Sigma do an 18-125mm lens with IS for well under £300. It's obviously not quite in the same league as some of the lenses mentioned above, but it does the job, seems pretty well made and is cheap.
 
Anyone know how the sigma 24-70 f2.8 compares?
 
I've a mint 28-135IS complete with box which I'm about to list on the "For Sale" section if anyone is interested.
 
I bought a 24-105 from ekimeno on here a couple of weeks ago for £650 and am absolutely amazed at the quality. Best buy ever.
 
haggis said:
I bought a 24-105 from ekimeno on here a couple of weeks ago for £650 and am absolutely amazed at the quality. Best buy ever.
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When you say quality, what do you mean. The build quailty of the lens?
 
Hi Jimmy - build quality and image quality. I was quite pleased with my Sigma 24-70 f2.8 results until I used the Canon 24-105!

I've now sent the Sigma 24-70 to them for overhaul as the zoom ring had gone a bit stiff anyway so I have asked them to give it the complete works while they have it.
 
The sigma 24-70 is a good lens, and f2.8 gives you a little extra to play with. But the 24 - 105 is never off my camera these days, such a great lens. Build quality and image quality are very good, as they should be for L glass.

And also chuffed it only cost me £579 new from Warehouse express, but it was 18 months ago. This pesky recession and the fall in the price of sterling has a lot to answer for !
 
Drofmats said:
The sigma 24-70 is a good lens, and f2.8 gives you a little extra to play with. But the 24 - 105 is never off my camera these days, such a great lens. Build quality and image quality are very good, as they should be for L glass.

And also chuffed it only cost me £579 new from Warehouse express, but it was 18 months ago. This pesky recession and the fall in the price of sterling has a lot to answer for !
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Wow, good price! What do you mean by L glass?

hsuffyan said:
theres one going for £700 at the link below, and no im not the seller. I am after the 24-70 2.8 L as I atleastr need 2.8 on my lenses

i hope i dont break any rules, just helping another tog getting the gear he wants
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Thanks, but cant afford one at the minute ***
 
Had a play with the 24-105 again! So want one! Looking at the canon 28-135mm IS USM again, how come its so small in comparison to the 24-105? It looks quite dated :s
 
I've been messing about with different 24-105's for a few years but only bought one yesterday on here for £650 (will be arriving tomorrow - thanks Dave). :)

I also use a Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 but I really wanted the extra reach on one camera for weddings and the 24-105 will suit that purpose very well.

Cheers,
Si
 
Having got the 24-105 with the 5Dmk2 as a kit I absolutely love it. Great build and great image quality. I wished that the 17-55 i had with my old 40D had the same build quality.

The distortion at the extremes is easily corrected in post if it is noticeable.

As others have said, try and pick a used copy up. Used or new, being a respected L they hold their value very well so the total cost of ownership when you finally part company will be reasonably low.
 
Hi Jimmy83.....you asked about the 24-105mm L I have in the classifieds...but after reading this...are you looking for something to make your photography better? What are you going to be using it for?

If it's an everyday walkabout lens your after...go with a Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 or a sharp copy of a Sigma 27-70mm, for extra reach...there is nothing out there to match the 24-105mm L in build and IQ, but it comes at a price (£)

It's an investment, and your always better upgrading glass than body.

All depends on what you want from the lens and what your planning on doing with it.
 
One thing I've noticed with the 28-135 and the 24-105 is that the L has a magnesium alloy body, whereas the 28-135 is only plastic. Makes for a much better feel of a lens. Love my new one.
 
I have the 28-135 IS and it is a cracking lens, it will never compare to the L glass you are looking at in IQ but if money is a problem then maybe this could be an alternative till you save the pennies for what you really want, it is still a cracking lens.

Spike
 
Hi again

Well.......since owning the 28-135mm IS USM for a while, it did a great job and is cheap. I'm actually looking to sell mine on now, as I have recently upgraded to the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. I must say the image quality is far superior to the 28-135 and matches the 24-105 L and the fact that it is f/2.8 makes a massive difference. It cost a lot but definitely worth it........I was torn between the 17-55 f/2.8 and the 24-105 L f/4 as they are similar priced but I got a great deal on it so went for the 17-55 and have not regretted it, mainly because i'm loving the constant f/2.8. Also, I think the 24-105 would not be wide enough as a main walkabout lens too on a crop sensor, especiallly for landscape shots when travelling about as I notice I use the 17-24mm focal range a lot!

If you are on a tight budget, I can't fault the 28-135mm for the price, and I've got some great shots with it but the more expensive lenses are in another league for IQ and has the constant aperture. I'd suggest like what I did, get the 28-135mm until you save up, and then just upgrade and sell it on.
 
James

Fact of life for a Canon owner. Once you've used L glass there is no going back. As you've borrowed your friends you already know it. Get a budget lens you can afford, save, scrimp, beg and sell your soul. You know it is the WORD !
 
coldpenguin said:
I believe that the Canon 28-135 is good if you get a good copy. If all you want is a similar range that is.
It also has IS. aperture is 3.5-5.6 I think..
I would suggest trying before you buy though, as I think mine is a bit soft.
Click to expand...

It might be your body causing it to be soft, my 450D does it in quick-AF a lot of the time, particularly when focussing to infinity. If I use MF, or contrast-detect AF however I get tack sharp results no matter what lens I use.

I think the 28-135 is a good alternative to the L lens, and it costs way less. It's likely going to be my purchase next month, as i have got the nifty fifty this month.
 
trencheel303 said:
It might be your body causing it to be soft, my 450D does it in quick-AF a lot of the time, particularly when focussing to infinity. If I use MF, or contrast-detect AF however I get tack sharp results no matter what lens I use.
Click to expand...

Sorry for taking this O/T, but where in the camera do you set/check this? I can't find any reference to it in the manual :shrug:
 
Check what?

Well to check the sharpness of an image I just captured, I play it back and zoom in on it to see how good it is. I've since gotten into the habit of this since realising my 450D has poor quick-AF, and really it's good practise because you just can't tell if a photo is decent on a 3 inch screen without zooming.

To do contrast-detect AF in live view, you have to turn it on in one of the custom menus. Can't remember where but it's under 'custom function' somewhere. You'll see a bit about focus in live view, you want to turn on CONTRAST DETECT AF, and not Quick AF. Then to do it you press the 'zoom out' button on the top right of the body when in live view. You'll hear the lens seeking, and after a few seconds, providing the light is acceptable, you will have a perfect focus lock. I'd help you just now but I am at work with not a camera today.

Hope this helps?

I'd also like to add, that after looking about a bit the Canon 28-105 is significantly cheaper than the 28-135, a bit smaller and lighter, and apparently has better IQ. Not only that but it's only a 3.5-4.5 aperture rather than a 3.5-5.6. Could be a winner, this one.

Canon%20EF%2028-105%20mm%201%203.5-4.5%20II%20USM.gif


I think it may lack IS though, which may well be a deal breaker for me.
 
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