Canon 24-70mm Versus 24-105mm

[Ignacio Taylor]

In 2005 Canon released their new Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS lens with
Image Stabilization which created quite a difficult purchase decision
for anyone looking for a professional standard range zoom lens. Before
the release of the 24-105mm, the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L was the obvious
choice for photographers looking for a versatile portrait, indoor and
walkabout lens. The 24-70mm produces the best images in its class and
has been praised by professional photographers for years. As good as
the 24-70mm may be, there is one thing that was always missing - Image
Stabilization. This feature ensures sharp images when taking photos
from a hand held stance as well as sharp images in lower light
conditions. Until Image Stabilization is added to the 24-70mmf/2.8L,
heated discussions will take place as these two lenses are fairly
similar, both producing very high quality images, but with important
differences.
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens has an advantage of one f-stop over
the 24-105mm f/4 and therefore prevents object movement in low light
conditions. Also, the additional f-stop can make a significant
difference in the isolation of the subject by defocusing the
background.
The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS has built in Image Stabilization which
effectively adds 3 f-stops and prevents camera shake in low light
conditions and normal conditions. The Image Stabilization definitely
makes this lens more versatile in lower light and indoor conditions
such as weddings. Another important factor for some photographers is
that the 24-105mm lens weighs 10 ounces less (at 23.6 oz) versus the
rather heavy 33oz 24-70mm.
Although some photographers report that the 24-70mm produces better
images, other reports say that the difference in image quality is
negligible, so unless one compares the very finest details of images,
for all practical purposes there is not a real difference.
Both these lenses fulfill very specific needs, while both are quite
versatile everyday lenses. Although an excellent standard zoom lens,
the 24-70mm should be more applicable to very specific photographers
with a need to do photography in low light conditions and/or
photographers with no need for a longer focal length. The 24-105mm
with the longer focal length, IS and good quality is a more versatile
lens and useful in a wider range of conditions.