Canon L Series

[HedgehogFromHell]

Hi Guys,

I've got some money coming in (Army Backpay, finally) and have kept looking at the L Series glass...

I'm primarily looking for an increase in sharpness, clarity and colour, preferably an all round lens over a speciality lens..

I've been looking at the 24-105 f4 L - despite the fact on my 7d it'll return a focal length of c.38-168mm, it does seem a good lens, allowing me to shoot at the wider end, as well as use the extra reach to get motorsport/car shots at the opposite end. It would also allow me to expand and have a decent shot in portraiture.

So why have i started this thread? Well, i'm after example images of the subjects i've listed, preferably from a 7D and user opinions. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for a similar lens boasting the benefits of L series glass and c.£700 i'm keen for examples and experiences on those also.

Regards,

[flat-planedCrank]

24-105 is well regarded, my only question would be whether 24mm on a 7D would be wide enough for general use? If you're more inclined to trade that for longer reach then great

24-105 review (on a crop body) here: http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/423-canon_24105_...


Other choices...24-70 f2.8?...motorsports? Do you have a telezoom like a 70-200?...portraits? Do you have any prime lenses?..etc

[HedgehogFromHell]

flat-planedCrank said:

24-105 is well regarded, my only question would be whether 24mm on a 7D would be wide enough for general use? If you're more inclined to trade that for longer reach then great

24-105 review (on a crop body) here: http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/423-canon_24105_...


Other choices...24-70 f2.8?...motorsports? Do you have a telezoom like a 70-200?...portraits? Do you have any prime lenses?..etc

I'm more than happy to trade off the closer side of the focal range, i find i rarely use anything below 24mm (38mm) on my 18-135mm as it is.

I have currently:

EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS II
EF 50mm f1.8

Sort of swaying more towards EF lenses, purely to save in the future where at some point i would upgrade to FF. Although the 7D will probably remain with me as a second body... Hence the sort of swaying haha.

I must admit, i liked the look of the 24-70 f2.8 until i saw the price tag!

[flat-planedCrank]

HedgehogFromHell said:

I'm more than happy to trade off the closer side of the focal range, i find i rarely use anything below 24mm (38mm) on my 18-135mm as it is.

I have currently:

EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS II
EF 50mm f1.8

Sort of swaying more towards EF lenses, purely to save in the future where at some point i would upgrade to FF. Although the 7D will probably remain with me as a second body... Hence the sort of swaying haha.

I must admit, i liked the look of the 24-70 f2.8 until i saw the price tag!

The new mk2 24-70 is certainly not cheap! ()

The older mk1 is on MPB for around £780-£850 (used) http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/search/24-70?keyw...

..but if you want more reach then I guess that's not an option anyhow.


Do you find 135mm long enough for the motorsports shots you take?

[HedgehogFromHell]

It's not perfect, tends to get me walking to get the shot - which has it's own benefits... it's almost like using a 135mm prime sometimes

[flat-planedCrank]

Guess it partly depends what you do more of - if it's general walk-around shots then a 24-105 sounds idea, but if you do lots of motorsports then maybe a 70-200L is worth a look?

If you do go FF then the 70-200 will make a surprisingly good portrait lens too


Edited to add:
(just to be annoying ) 70-200 f2.8 IS, £1k - http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/used-equipment/us...

[-Pete-]

No single lens is going to do it all. I'd like to own L series lenses but ended up with a Tamron XR DI 28-75 f2.8 and Sigma HSM 70-200 f2.8, both have been very good value for money, and there's no substitute for a wide aperture IMO. The Tamron's my everyday and portrait lens, the 70-200 is good for portrait & motorsport.

[rottie102]

24-105 is OK. It's a good compromise and I always use mine when travelling, but I can't imagine why would you buy it for motorsport over 70-200?

[RobDickinson]

The 50/1.8 is one of canons sharpest lenses if that's not working then look at technique.

The 24-105 is ok. Its never wow's me but it is good and a workhorse.

I would look at the 70-200 first with your lens lineup

[Crafty_]

I use a 24-105 on my 7D, various pics on my flickr http://www.flickr.com/hotrods EXIF is intact on all photos so you can check which lens was used.

Generally I don't have a problem with the focal range for walk around. I like the colour saturation you get from the lens.
Negatives ? I sometimes struggle to get a very shallow DOF, not totally sure why but I can always use a quick prime to do this (50mm 1.8), to get a very thin DOF usually means I'm trying to do something 'arty' anyway (and failing miserably ).
Note: I did buy a 10-22 for a trip to New York last year, but even 24mm on full frame wouldn't be enough there.

What I would say is don't get 'L' fever just for the name. My Dad has a 15-85, which albeit it not quite as quick is a fine lens - if I hadn't got my 24-105 for a good price I may have ended up with a 15-85 instead, from what I see there really isn't much in it unless you're really pushing the envelope (e.g. low light, need fast AF speed etc). I say this because by saving money on the walkaround maybe you can put the rest of the money towards something else ? tripod, telephoto/macro lens etc.
Finally keep an eye out for 5D kits being broken up - my 24-105 came from someone who had purchased a 5D Mk2 kit, didn't want/need the lens so I got it brand new but a fair bit cheaper than a retail boxed version.

Some randoms from the 24-105, all will have had pretty minimal processing:

Battery Park by c20let, on Flickr


Central Park by c20let, on Flickr


Titchfield Abbey by c20let, on Flickr


Top Of The Rock by c20let, on Flickr

Hmm, seems flickr is just about to go down until the morning, so you may have to check back to see photos. There is a group for the lens here http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon24-105/ the content of which which will far exceed my efforts

[rottie102]

RobDickinson said:

The 50/1.8 is one of canons sharpest lenses if that's not working then look at technique.

The 24-105 is ok. Its never wow's me but it is good and a workhorse.

I would look at the 70-200 first with your lens lineup

Great minds think alike?

[checkmate91]

Definitely 70-200, fabulous lens, esp with IS. Also don't discount the 15-85 as a replacement for your 18-135 http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/465-canon_1585_3... Some say...it's the crop equivalent of the 24-105 and an L-quality lens but without the red ring...all we know is it's jolly nice on the front of a 7D!

[Killwilly]

I would agree with giving consideration to the 15-85, it's plenty wide enough on a 7D.

I know I should have moved back to get the apex of the house in the image. I was already leaning backwards over the bonnet of a car, which I didn't want in the shot.



IMG_1746 by killwilly, on Flickr

[gangzoom]

I bought a used Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens. The reviews on the web rave about this lens been pretty much 'L' quality but because its a EFS lens Canon didn't give it a red ring. It's built like a tank and survived been dropped twice from table height onto hard floors. The fact you cannot use it on a FF camera is probably my only complaint about the lens.

Anyways I love the lens, it hardly been off my camera since I bought it It's a great close up lens with enough zoom, as well as been wide enough for scenery. The 2.8 F stop is fantastic.

All these are straight from the camera, no post processing to boost colours etc..






It's probably not enough zoom for Motorsports, but still, the 2.8 F stop is lovely...

Edited by gangzoom on Friday 26th July 08:38

[HedgehogFromHell]

Having had a look around and taken your advice - I'm not sure what the draw to L series lenses are anymore.. It seems there are plenty sharp lenses avalanle in the EF and EF-S 'standard' range.

Current shopping list now sits as

70-200
17-55 f2.8

Thanks very much

[rottie102]

HedgehogFromHell said:

Having had a look around and taken your advice - I'm not sure what the draw to L series lenses are anymore.. It seems there are plenty sharp lenses avalanle in the EF and EF-S 'standard' range.

Current shopping list now sits as

70-200
17-55 f2.8

Thanks very much

70-200 is an L lens

And trust me - you will see what the fuss is all about when you use it.
I have the f2.8 IS mark I and it is simply my favourite lens. Worth the cost, the size and the weight for the images it produces.

[S47]

M4ffu
Totally agree with you IQ from the lens you mention is awesome.
Why does everyone buy a Big,heavy,crap zoom

[Crafty_]

S47 said:

M4ffu
Totally agree with you IQ from the lens you mention is awesome.
Why does everyone buy a Big,heavy,crap zoom

Because they want the flexibility of variable focal length.
I've got a 50mm 1.8 that rarely gets used, I just don't find it that useful. Won't waste money on other prime lenses that I probably wont use.

[HedgehogFromHell]

Damn, decisions seem to be getting harder and harder! Maybe i need to find a canon outlet, take my 7D down and see if they will let me have a shot of either some Zoom or Primes and make my decision based on that. Does anyone know where the nearest canon outlet is in Kent?

I must admit, i have the 50mm f1.8 and i found up until recently i was using it the most, purely over the IQ of the 18-135 IS II...

[flat-planedCrank]

HedgehogFromHell said:

Damn, decisions seem to be getting harder and harder! Maybe i need to find a canon outlet, take my 7D down and see if they will let me have a shot of either some Zoom or Primes and make my decision based on that. Does anyone know where the nearest canon outlet is in Kent?

I must admit, i have the 50mm f1.8 and i found up until recently i was using it the most, purely over the IQ of the 18-135 IS II...

Prime lenses (in general) will out-perform IQ-wise most zooms, though obviously they have downsides.

Can be a hassle changing lenses, if it's a wind-swept coastline I always pick the exact moment a breeze picks up half the beach and throws it at me