Perhaps no lens is ubiquitous than the 24-70mm f/2.8, which is the workhorse of choice for countless photographers and filmmakers due to how adept it is at handle a huge range of genres and applications. That being said, it is far from the only such choice. One intriguing choice is that 24-105mm f/4, and this great video discusses why you might want to consider one for your work.
Coming to you from Connor McCaskill, this interesting video discusses you should consider using a 24-105mm f/4 lens. I have always been a big fan of 24-105mm lenses. While having the f/2.8 aperture can certainly be useful, especially if you frequently work in low-light situations, I have always found the 70mm maximum focal length a bit limiting. On the other hand, 105mm gives you a lot more reach and versatility, which can be quite nice for things like landscape and travel photography. Of course, if you need a lot of light-gathering power, you might be better served by a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, but if frequently work in plenty of light you might be better served by a 24-105mm f/4, which is also often cheaper. Check out the video above for the full rundown from McCaskill.
I switched to a 24-105 (plus 15-35) as my travel lens and I've been really happy with the move. It's lightweight and has great flexibility and quality.
I'm Nikon, and my travel lens is the latest generation of the 24-120. Went to Italy last fall and got some fantastic shots with it. Fabulous travel lens when you want to pack light. I have zero desire to replace it.
I'm always envious that Nikon has the 24-120mm!
The zoom lens is the tool of the devil.
Not for travel. Indispensable.
My Canon 24-105 would be a lot more useful if it was able to focus a bit closer and offer a bit more magnification for close-up work.
At maximum magnification of just 1:0.24, it is useless for any but the largest reptiles and amphibians. I don't need it to do anything like true 1:1 macro, but at least 1:0.40 would be helpful.
NOTE:
For the way I shoot, extension tubes are NOT a viable solution. I hate using extension tubes because AF is slow and clunky with them on and I lose infinity focus and have to keep taking them off and putting them back on ... in my experience extension tubes are a terrible solution for wanting to focus a bit closer from time to time while also photographing things further off.
Can't agree more on the use of extension tubes.
Whenever I use them, it's on special lenses like the Meyeroptik Görlitz Trioplan 100/2.8 ii or the Primoplan 75/1.9. Here they work pretty well with lenses stopped down a bit.
Yeah I don't mind extension tubes on dedicated specialty primes. But when I just want to be able to focus a bit closer with a general purpose walkaround zoom, tubes are exasperating to use.
Yeah I can agree with the extension tubes and you are better off using a dedicated macro lens as extension tubes end up being kinda a janky solution, but then you need to lug around another lens. Depending on what you shoot with you can always crop in a bit more if you got resolution to spare.
I always thought the 24-105 was a bleh lens and kind of still think so after buying one, however it can't be denied how it can be used in many situations. Some of my favorite uses have been for around the town vacation photos, landscapes, long-exposures and even studio portrait work as I tend to stop down the lens to f5.6-8 so the f4 is really no problem there. I'd imagine it would be a great street lens as you can get a bit of wide and also punch in, but I do prefer a more discreet camera and lens setup like a x100 series camera.
Hey Tyler
I see that you say that you think the 24-105 is a "bleh" lens. I have seen others say that it is a boring lens. I have never understood this mindset. Please help me understand.
To me, a lens is not supposed to be exciting. It is the photos we take that are supposed to be exciting. Cameras and lenses are just tools, nothing more. Plumbers don't think that pipe wrenches and pliers are exciting. Woodworkers don't think that sandpaper and saw blades are exciting. So why would a photographer want to think of a lens as exciting?
In photography, just like in plumbing and woodworking, it is the finished product that matters, not the tools. A piping system that flows well and does not leak is what matters. A completed piece of furniture that is beautiful and durable is what matters. And a photo that is interesting and beautiful is what matters. The tools used to make these things don't matter - nobody cares about the wrench or the sandpaper. Furthermore, the experience that the plumber or the woodworker had while doing the work doesn't matter. Only the final product matters to anyone. So why do some photographers seem to care about the lens or the camera or the so-called "user experience"?
Hi Tom, I agree with what you said a lens is just a tool. Some lenses just get me a little more excited than other lenses and for difference reasons. i.e. I have a voightlander 40mm 1.2 and the lens definitely has its flaws (soft wide open and very soft at close distances) but the color rendition of the lens is amazing and just using the lens with its smooth focusing ring is a pleasure. The aperture blades also give a sharp sunstar, so my point I guess is that it has character, while I don't find the 24-105 to have much character. Some lenses are just machined meticulously, have amazing rendering (colors, bokeh) etc..., some have really beautiful flaring characteristics etc... I just don't pick up a 24-105 and ever think I'm about to capture one of my favorite ever images (but that is probably me being a bit close-minded), however that doesn't keep me from grabbing it as its a useful/flexible lens.
I do think the user experience of a camera and lens matter a lot, but it depends on what I'm doing that day. I remember being excited about using my sigma 35 f1.2 for a wedding with my Sony a7iii and boy by the end of the day my hand was killing me... getting an extension to the grip did wonders for me. The weight of the lens also makes me consider going for something lighter. If I'm doing shorter shoots though weight doesn't matter much at all to me.
Also if the tools you use can make your experience better, you'll probably work longer, have a better relationship with your craft, and create better outputs.
Hey Tyler
I think we probably agree, but we are just wording things differently.
I do not get excited about lenses at all. But I get VERY excited about the images that particular lenses can give me!
So, while my new-to-me 15mm Macro Shift lens is not exciting to me, I am super excited to use it and get images that I can not get with any other lens. But the excitement is for the images themselves, not the tool that I use to take the images.
I tend to be extremely pedantic so I probably put a bit too much emphasis on the way things are said and the way they are worded.
Probably OTT, but my EF 24-105 Canon L on a Canon RP contributes 85% of m shots. Landscape, Portrait General photography, street art