Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Review
The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM ($999.99) is a pricey lens in the company's premium line of L-series glass. Its design is appealing on paper: a 4.4x zoom with a maximum f/4 aperture throughout its range, a tough, dust- and splash-resistant design, and a close focus range that projects images onto the sensor at about one quarter life-size. At wider angles it's quite sharp, albeit with dimmed corners, and if it maintained that level throughout its range we'd recommend it highly. But image quality falls off as you move beyond 50mm. If you're in the market for a 24-105mm, you're better off with our Editors' Choice, the Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM.
DesignThe 24-105mm measures 4.2 by 3.3 inches (HD), weighs about 1.5 pounds, and supports 77mm front filters. Like other L lenses it has a rubber gasket around the lens mount and, when coupled with a front filter, is protected from dust and splashes. A lens hood and carrying pouch is included, along with standard front and rear caps.
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The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens delivers strong sharpness at wide angles, but image quality really suffers when zoomed in—overall, it's priced too high for the performance it delivers.
Long zoom range; Fixed maximum aperture; Solid L-series build; Excellent sharpness at wider angles; Optical stabilization; 1:4.3 macro magnification
Heavy distortion and noticeable vignette at wide angles; Very soft edges at longer focal lengths; Pricey