The EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM is an EF mount wide-to-telephoto zoom lens. It was introduced by Canon in 2005 to complement the well-regarded 17–40mm f/4L USM and 70–200mm f/4L USM.
The EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM lens is often compared to the other L series zoom of comparable range, the 24–70mm f/2.8L USM, losing one full stop but gaining image stabilization (IS) in return, stabilizing camera shake up to three stops. It also has rubber gaskets for moisture and dust protection, although weather sealing is only effective if the photographer uses a weather-resistant camera body. Some early production models of the EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM lens had a flare problem (reportedly the first 10,000 batch) and Canon offered to repair them for free.
This EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM lens is available in kits packaged with the EOS 5D Mk II, 5D Mk III and EOS 6D.
The EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM is a newer 'low cost' alternative to the EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM. It has the same zoom range, but a non-constant aperture range which is typical of many non-professional zoom lenses. Both lenses have image stabilization (IS). The EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM and IS II USM version use a ring type ultrasonic motor, whereas the new EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM uses Canon's STM stepper motor, which is quieter during video usage. The new EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM weighs slightly less (525 g / 18.52 oz versus 670 g / 23.6 oz) and costs roughly half the price of the EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM.
An improved version of the EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM, the EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM, was announced in August 2016. It has a better image stabilizer and less distortion. The EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM lens is available in kits packaged with the EOS 5D Mk IV.
On a 1.6x APS-C camera body, this lens' field of view is equivalent to that of a 38–168mm lens on a 35mm film camera; this is a very useful range, covering most normal to medium-telephoto needs.
Features
The lens includes sealing against dust and water, although it is not waterproof. It includes an 8-bladed curved diaphragm which remains nearly circular from f/4 to f/8. Like many Canon L-series lenses, it uses common 77mm filters. Characteristic of zoom lenses, it exhibits some barrel distortion at its shortest focal length. It contains a single Super-UD glass element (dark blue in diagram) and 3 aspherical lens elements (green in diagram).
Specifications Attribute 4L IS USM 3.5-5.6 IS STM 4L IS II USM ImageKey features Full-frame compatible colspan=3 Image stabilizer colspan=2 Environmental Sealing Ultrasonic Motor Stepping Motor L-series Diffractive Optics colspan=3 Macro colspan=3 Zoom Lock Lever colspan=2 Technical data Maximum Aperture f/4.0 f/3.5-5.6 f/4.0 Minimum Aperture f/22 f/22-32 f/22 Construction 13 groups / 18 elements 13 groups / 17 elements 12 groups / 17 elements # of diaphragm blades 8 7 10 Closest focusing distance Max. magnification 0.23x 0.3x 0.24x Horizontal viewing angle 74° - 19° 20′ Diagonal viewing angle 84° - 23° 20′ Vertical viewing angle 53° - 13°Physical data Weight Maximum diameter 83.5 mm / 3.3" 83.4 mm / 3.3" 83.5 mm / 3.3" Length 107 mm / 4.2" 104 mm / 4.1" 118 mm / 4.7" Filter diameter 77 mmAccessories Lens hood EW-83H EW-83M Case LP1219Retail information Release date October 2005 September 2014 August 2016 Currently in production? colspan=1 colspan=2 MSRP (US$)$1249.00$599.99$1099.99
References
Notes EF24–105mm f/4L IS USM at Canon's Camera Museum Service Notice at Canon USA site
Citations
External links
canon.com: Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM Third party reviews: