I have a 17-40L and a 135L. I do mostly urban photography and increasingly prefer to travel light, the result being that one or other of my L lenses gets left at home. I am thinking of selling both and buying the 24-105L. I am not that bothered about the width or reach at either end, but I am wondering about how the 24-105L quality-wise compares wide open with the 135L? Does anyone have both, and can comment? Also, at the wide end how does the 24-105L compare with the 17-40, edge to edge?
i have recently asked a similar question, albeit for the 5D, and it seems that the 135L lens is one of the best canon lenses there is, whereas the 24-105L lens, while good, has lesser qualities, especially for the 5d (vigentting; which probably will not affect you).
i am curious to hear the answers of other of the 17-40L vs. the 24-105L at the lower end.
Thanks for your reply. The news about vignetting is alarming as I do intend to get the 5D before long and if I did proceed with my plan the 24-105 would be my main lens. Can you give some more info on the vignetting, I assume that would be with the 5D being full frame and not the 10D.
I have all three lenses. The 135L is in a different league. As far as the light falloff (more accurate than vignetting) is concerned, all wide angle lenses will have it on a FF camera. At 24mm, the 17-40 has a little bit less than the 24-105 but it's worse at the wide end, i.e. 17mm. They are equally sharp edge to edge. The 24-105 is very sharp wide open. The 25-105 is actually sharper at the corners than the 50 1.4 at the same aperture. People complain about the light falloff on the 24-105 but it's actually a lot better than the Tamron 28-75.
Thanks Linh, very helpful. One simple question, assuming you bought the 24-105 last. Since you bought the 24-105 do you find yourself using the other two lenses less?
I have the 16-35, 135L and 24-105. The 24-105 lives on my 5D now. The 135 is for special occasions (portraits around home port). I have augmented the 24-105 though with the 50f1.4. That way, I am covered for low light situations.
The IS is just wonderful on the 24-105. You have not lived until you shoot a landscape at f10 handheld! Such is (good) life with a wide angle that has IS...
So yes, I would happily do the swap that you are talking about. I travel everywhere with the 5D+24-105 and 50f1.4 and could not be happier.
I just spent 3 weeks in Sedona, Arizona. The 24-105L got the most usage, and the 135L was the second most used. I certainly would not sell the 135L. (But as you might guess from my equipment list, I never sell anything. )
The zoom has to be stopped down to get the corners sharp. The 135L doesn't. That's the biggest difference.
detailer wrote:
Thanks Linh, very helpful. One simple question, assuming you bought the 24-105 last. Since you bought the 24-105 do you find yourself using the other two lenses less?
You're right. I have not used those two lenses at all since I got the 24-105. I found that 24mm is wide enough for me on FF. I'm having a hard time letting them go since they're good copies but eventually I have to.
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