I've recently purchased a Canon 100-400mm L. The only problem I am having is that I just don't get to shoot wildlife as much as I'd like, which is/was my main purpose for getting this lens. I am now contemplating selling this lens and getting something more practical for everyday photography and to include indoor shooting and landscapes.
I need help in deciding what to get with the money from selling my Canon 100-400L lens. I am thinking of the 24-105L. Is there anything cheaper that I should go after? I know the 17-40L would be a nice choice, but would be kinda limited in my shooting due to the focal length, plus I REALLY would like to have something with IS in it for the times I am taking pics of my family and don't feel like lugging around tripod. If I could do without the IS, should I try to get two lenses with the money of selling my 100-400L?
As a general purpose lens the 24-105L is very good. But as most 'jack of all trades', it is a middle of the pack at best. The zoom range is great but the f/4 is not really all that fast - meaning that the IS comes into play quite a bit. As well the f/4 makes low light shooting really iffy. At the wide end there is quite a bit of distortion. All that said, I have one and love it.
It all all depends what you are shooting and the body you are using. On a crop the 24-105L is a bit on the long side for general shooting. The 17-55 f/2.8IS would be a better bet on a crop.
If you go with the 24-105 consider a 50 f1/4 or f1/8 for lower light situations. No not expect them to see that sharp until f/2.8 but they are useful ( for small prints ) at f1.4
I haven't heard much about it yet, but the 15-85mm IS might be an option if you're using APS-C. An option that is about as expensive as the 100-400mm L IS is the 16-35mm f/2.8L. It is one of the highest quality wide angle lenses that Canon makes. It is the choice of many Pros.
I'd give some thought to the 28-300L. Very similar to size and in functionally to the 100-400L, but gives you a much broader range of applications. This way, you'd still have a little reach for occasional wildlife and achieve enough wide-angle and normal focal length for most everything else.
I would look at the Tamron 28-75 zoom and think of adding a prime or two to it for available light indoor work. EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 100/2 and 135SF are all nice bargain primes.
