Canon 24-70mm Versus 24-105mm

In 2005 Canon released their new Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS lens with Image Stabilization which created quite a difficult purchase decision for anyone looking for a professional standard range zoom lens. Before the release of the 24-105mm, the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L was the obvious choice for photographers looking for a versatile portrait, indoor and walkabout lens. The 24-70mm produces the best images in its class and has been praised by professional photographers for years.

As good as the 24-70mm may be, there is one thing that was always missing - Image Stabilization. This feature ensures sharp images when taking photos from a hand held stance as well as sharp images in lower light conditions. Until Image Stabilization is added to the 24-70mmf/2.8L, heated discussions will take place as these two lenses are fairly similar, both producing very high quality images, but with important differences.

The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens has an advantage of one f-stop over the 24-105mm f/4 and therefore prevents object movement in low light conditions. Also, the additional f-stop can make a significant difference in the isolation of the subject by defocusing the background.

The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS has built in Image Stabilization which effectively adds 3 f-stops and prevents camera shake in low light conditions and normal conditions. The Image Stabilization definitely makes this lens more versatile in lower light and indoor conditions such as weddings. Another important factor for some photographers is that the 24-105mm lens weighs 10 ounces less (at 23.6 oz) versus the rather heavy 33oz 24-70mm.

Although some photographers report that the 24-70mm produces better images, other reports say that the difference in image quality is negligible, so unless one compares the very finest details of images, for all practical purposes there is not a real difference.

Both these lenses fulfill very specific needs, while both are quite versatile everyday lenses. Although an excellent standard zoom lens, the 24-70mm should be more applicable to very specific photographers with a need to do photography in low light conditions and/or photographers with no need for a longer focal length. The 24-105mm with the longer focal length, IS and good quality is a more versatile lens and useful in a wider range of conditions.

To read more about the 24-70mm and the 24-105mm, click here. To see a more in-depth comparison of the lenses, click here.