Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM | First Impressions

Yesterday was a BIG day for me – I got my first ‘L’ glass lens – the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens!!!

For the last several years my walk-around lens was a Sigma 18-200mm Lens. It was loved and well-used; but about three years ago (around the time we left Italy) I started noticing some problems with it. The photos I was capturing just didn’t seem as sharp as they once had.  For a long time I suspected it was me. I have shaky hands – problem #1, my tripod (which I only used occasionally) wasn’t terribly stable – problem #2, and my knowledge about photography had grown and I had a better idea what to look for in my photos – not really a problem #3.

About a year and a half ago I upgraded my tripod (Induro AKB1 Tripod) and it made a huge difference, but I still was having issues with my photos coming out on the soft side. By shooting on a solid tripod I was able to rule out the shaky hands issue so I knew had a lens problem.  Thankfully my mom had a similar lens I coud borrow while mine was away for repairs so I shipped my lens off to a Sigma repair facility.

A couple of months and over $100 later I got my lens back and everything seemed ok. However, with my last few photo shoots I’ve noticed soft focus issues again. Disappointed, I considered sending it back for another service and contemplated buying a new lens. A new lens sounded like a lot more fun! (and also made more financial sense). My Sigma lens was between $400-500 when I bought it and a new one today is only $399. I’d already spent over $100 on the repair and without a guarantee that it would actually be fixed I didn’t see the point in spending more money on that lens.

Initially I contemplated buying a similar lens – either the Sigma 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM or Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens. I talked it over with a few photog friends and they encouraged me to step up to the Canon ‘L’ glass. I’ve lusted after ‘L’ glass for years and the more I thought about it, if I was going to jump in, now was the time. It was a big purchase and it’ll take some adjustment to go from having a zoom range of 18-200 to 24-105, but I can already tell the tradeoff is worth it!  Just check out the images below:

Incredible, right? I’m thrilled with my new lens and can’t wait to go out and play some more!!

All photos above were shot hand-held with a Canon EOS 7D and Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens in my parents’ yard in San Luis Obispo, CA in the gorgeous Edna Valley.

Have a wonder-filled day!

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