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Archive 2017 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

GMPhotography
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p.26 #1 · p.26 #1 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

Good idea Mike. I will start a Big Bronco thread on it

Mike i got a great loaner it seems. Im at least asking if i can buy it.

My wife is going to hang my arch out to dry.

Jan 18, 2018 at 11:50 AM

Neurad1
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p.26 #2 · p.26 #2 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

Sorry. That's my fault.

Jan 18, 2018 at 11:52 AM

jamato8
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p.26 #3 · p.26 #3 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

On 24mm sometimes I get a noticeable vignetting, as in not corrected at all and other times it is not there (wide open). It is like the camera profiles works most of the time and sometimes it doesn't kick in. Has anyone else noticed this?

Jan 18, 2018 at 12:07 PM

GMPhotography
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p.26 #4 · p.26 #4 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/TdjbfvIN0b

Jan 18, 2018 at 12:11 PM

GMPhotography
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p.26 #5 · p.26 #5 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

I started a Big Bronco test thread.

Jan 18, 2018 at 12:37 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.26 #6 · p.26 #6 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

GMPhotography wrote:
https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/TdjbfvIN0b

That's a humongous download!

Thanks for posting.

Jan 18, 2018 at 12:39 PM

GMPhotography
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p.26 #7 · p.26 #7 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

I went uncompressed . Sorry folks . Hit button go get lunch. Lol

Jan 18, 2018 at 12:41 PM

mjm6
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p.26 #8 · p.26 #8 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

Neurad1 wrote:
@mjm6@: I have both lenses and agree with you completely. I bought the 24-105 solely as a travel lens. If the 24-70 2.8 was lighter I wouldn't have even considered the 24-105. I plan to travel with the 12-24, 24-105, and Loxia 21. I'm not absolutely sure that I really need to take the Loxia, but I want to have a fast prime for indoor shots of cathedrals, etc. I am wondering if an even lighter fast prime like my Batis 18 would be better. I have no wider or faster primes than the Batis 18. I've considered purchasing the...Show more →

I wanted it for a lighter, smaller travel lens, but I'm not sure I want to accept the reduced performance to achieve that.

My problem is that I tend to lenses in the 24mm range a lot, and the GM is really excellent there, and my copy of the 24-105 is clearly inferior. I'm, going to try and determine whether that is characteristic of the lens design or if this particular example is a bit poor. I had bad luck getting a good 12-24, so I'm hopeful that I don't have that again...

My thinking is that I can accommodate a little loss in performance in a zoom for the sake of size/weight, but I'm not sure whether I want to accommodate this much loss, and especially at the wide end, where I seem to do the majority of my shooting. I was thinking that I could lose the speed compared to the GM and then rely on faster fixed lenses when needed, but I'm finding that I just don't pull them out, so I feel like I should hold onto the better performing zoom. The performance of the as-yet mythical 24/25mm Loxia could easily change things, as this was my most preferred focal length when I was shooting non-zoom lenses.

I need to compare this lens at 24mm against the 12-24 and the GM to ultimately decide I think. If this one is worse than my 12-24, then that may be a good indication that it is a not-good copy and I'll get a replacement to compare. If it is equal to or slightly better, then that will make me think it is representative of the lens design, and then I'll probably return it and stick with the GM.

Gaining the extra reach on the long end is a very nice benefit. Sony isn't making this easy for me to decide.

I'm heading to Big Sur for the weekend, so I'll be shooting some, but I don't think I'll be able to do any rigorous lens comparison tests for a few days. If I can, I'll shoot the same scene with the three lenses at 24mm and maybe I can do a decent comparison.

Jan 18, 2018 at 12:42 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.26 #9 · p.26 #9 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

mjm6 wrote:
I need to compare this lens at 24mm against the 12-24 and the GM to ultimately decide I think. If this one is worse than my 12-24, then that may be a good indication that it is a not-good copy and I'll get a replacement to compare. If it is equal to or slightly better, then that will make me think it is representative of the lens design, and then I'll probably return it and stick with the GM.

I compared both my copies at 24mm. The 24-105G is slightly wider at 24mm (even after distortion correction). Resolution/contrast/colors are very similar. My copy of the 24-105G is slightly better everywhere, especially the corners but they are not far apart. If you will be shooting at f/5.6 or f/8, I'd say very similar.
One thing to note is that the 24-105/4G @24mm has higher field curvature compared to the 12-24/4G @24mm. The latter is pretty much flat-field at the long end.

Jan 18, 2018 at 01:10 PM

Neurad1
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p.26 #10 · p.26 #10 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

By the time I pack for my next trip (May, Tuscany) I may change my mind again. But I'll probably take the 24-105 and just one prime. Most likely the Batis 18 now that I've thought about it more. I guess this discussion really shows how folks are different with regard to priorities. I don't want to carry a ton on my shoulder all day and I think the 24-105 IQ is good enough.

My last overseas trip I just took a trio of Batis lenses (18, 25, 85) and the CV 12 (which I sold when I bought the Sony 12-24). I used the Batis 18 more than any of the others...

My "travel kit" is clearly different when traveling overseas and carrying gear all day than when traveling by car and pulling gear out of the boot.

Jan 18, 2018 at 01:14 PM

GMPhotography
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p.26 #11 · p.26 #11 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

I think the big appeal of this zoom is travel with this very nice range. Really just need a wide and maybe a fast 35/40/50. I was able and not sure how I did it in a Peak Design 5 sling was put camera downside with zoom up and you can still stack two small primes. I could get my Laowa and CV 40 in with it being slightly tight. That’s amazing actually

Jan 18, 2018 at 01:43 PM

sandycrane
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p.26 #12 · p.26 #12 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

I just received the 24-105 from Bedford Camera a couple of hours ago. I was going through the"will it be sharper than my Canon 24-105?", and "will I get a good copy?" angst and I gotta say this lens is phenomenal! Crisp! Oh Boy!

Jan 18, 2018 at 02:48 PM

mjm6
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p.26 #13 · p.26 #13 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

Fred Miranda wrote:
I compared both my copies at 24mm. The 24-105G is slightly wider at 24mm (even after distortion correction). Resolution/contrast/colors are very similar. My copy of the 24-105G is slightly better everywhere, especially the corners but they are not far apart. If you will be shooting at f/5.6 or f/8, I'd say very similar.
One thing to note is that the 24-105/4G @24mm has higher field curvature compared to the 12-24/4G @24mm. The latter is pretty much flat-field at the long end.

Good to know, Fred. I'll see how mine matches up with your description this weekend as I run it through some paces.

My impression is that mine isn't as good as my 12-24, but I haven't compared them directly yet.

Jan 18, 2018 at 02:53 PM

Chuck Coyne
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p.26 #14 · p.26 #14 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

mjm6 wrote:
I wanted it for a lighter, smaller travel lens, but I'm not sure I want to accept the reduced performance to achieve that.

My problem is that I tend to lenses in the 24mm range a lot, and the GM is really excellent there, and my copy of the 24-105 is clearly inferior. I'm, going to try and determine whether that is characteristic of the lens design or if this particular example is a bit poor. I had bad luck getting a good 12-24, so I'm hopeful that I don't have that again...

My thinking is that I can accommodate a little...Show more →

I had a very sharp copy of the 24-70mm GM that I tested against the 24-105 G and at f/5.6 - f/16 the two are almost identical in terms of sharpness across the frame. I tested this same 24-70 GM against a very good Batis 25mm and 16-35 f/2.8 GM and it had no problem competing with those lenses at all apertures. I even printed the same scene taken with both 24-70 GM and 24-105 G at 24mm on my Epson 4900 and looking at the 16x24 prints you can't see any noticable difference. Maybe at much larger prints you could but I tend to print no larger than 16 x 24 or panoramas at 16 x 40 to 50.

I think you may have a problem with your copy if it is clearly inferior to the 24-70 GM at 24mm and apertures of f/5.6 - f/16.

After all my testing I decided to order the 16-35 f/2.8 GM and I will be using for landscape shooting the 12-24 G at 12mm-15mm focal lengths, the 16-35mm f/2.8 GM at 16-23mm focal lengths, and the 24-105 at 24 - 105mm focal lengths. I'll either throw in my Batis 135mm or the FE 100-400 GM in the bag depending on the subjects I anticipate. I've pretty much decided to sell my MF lenses and go all AF with A7RIII.

Jan 18, 2018 at 03:14 PM

Neurad1
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p.26 #15 · p.26 #15 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

I guess I could carry the following: Sony 24-105, Batis 18, and either the Loxia 21 OR Loxia 35. I am not sure which of the latter two I'd tuck into the bag, but I have loved and used the 21 more.....I could even fit the Batis 85 in there....

Jan 18, 2018 at 03:29 PM

mjm6
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p.26 #16 · p.26 #16 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

Thanks Chuck.

Your comparisons earlier in the thread appear to show a much smaller difference in performance than mine do, but I was comparing on a 5K monitor, so 1:1 is awfully small to be using for that. I used 3x or 4x on my iMac for the comparisons in LR. If I pull things back to 1:1, the differences become much less perceptible, for sure.

I did very careful comparisons with the 12-24 against my 16-35 f4 and my 24-70 GM back when the 12-24 was new, so I feel I have a pretty solid understanding for the performance of that lens, so once I make some comparisons there, I should have a pretty solid idea for this 24-105.

---Michael

Jan 18, 2018 at 03:58 PM

Gunzorro
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p.26 #17 · p.26 #17 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

You folks are having too much fun!

I just placed my order with B&H, hoping to be in on the next shipment of lenses, maybe later next week.

Good times!

Jan 18, 2018 at 06:04 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.26 #18 · p.26 #18 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

Chuck Coyne wrote:
I had a very sharp copy of the 24-70mm GM that I tested against the 24-105 G and at f/5.6 - f/16 the two are almost identical in terms of sharpness across the frame. I tested this same 24-70 GM against a very good Batis 25mm and 16-35 f/2.8 GM and it had no problem competing with those lenses at all apertures. I even printed the same scene taken with both 24-70 GM and 24-105 G at 24mm on my Epson 4900 and looking at the 16x24 prints you can't see any noticable difference. Maybe at much larger prints...Show more →

There is nothing wrong with overlapping...To me it means less lens changing.

Jan 18, 2018 at 06:17 PM

snapsy
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p.26 #19 · p.26 #19 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

Just got mine. Ran up my favorite hill for my landscape centering tests. I have to step out to walk my dog so I don't have time to process them right now but I ran into an immediate problem I noticed while shooting - all my 105mm shots @ f/5.6 and f/8 were OOF. After some trial and error I realized it's the result of extreme focus shift at that focal length. If I manually focus @ f/4 and then switch to f/8 with Live View effect on (ie, exposure preview which stops the lens down), then I'm no longer in focus, ie focus shift. I then checked to see if my A7rII focuses this lens stopped-down or not and sure enough it doesn't, which explains why all my > f/4 images @ 105mm are OOF. Has anyone else seen this? Was there a firmware update on the A7rII needed for the lens?

Jan 18, 2018 at 07:16 PM

darrellc
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p.26 #20 · p.26 #20 · New FE 24-105 f/4. How good?

snapsy wrote:
Just got mine. Ran up my favorite hill for my landscape centering tests. I have to step out to walk my dog so I don't have time to process them right now but I ran into an immediate problem I noticed while shooting - all my 105mm shots @ f/5.6 and f/8 were OOF. After some trial and error I realized it's the result of extreme focus shift at that focal length. If I manually focus @ f/4 and then switch to f/8 with Live View effect on (ie, exposure preview which stops the lens down), then I'm no longer...Show more →

Saw this on Dpreview yesterday... https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/60653593 sounds like someone is having focus issues with the 24/105 at the long end as well.

Just bought mine on Greentoe for $1250 and it arrives next Thursday... I'll be sure to test for this.

Jan 18, 2018 at 07:27 PM

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