We actually loved testing the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. It is a step above the usual 24-70mm f/4 lenses and it is a light-weight and versatile piece of kit that’s as completely satisfied capturing landscapes as it’s selecting out wildlife in a area, and even snapping pictures of the household once you’re on trip. In common gentle, it will probably deal with virtually something you throw at it and the lens is gentle sufficient to suit neatly right into a journey bag with out weighing you down or taking over an excessive amount of space. It is an awesome accent to have with you on most shoots. Nonetheless, it is not significantly a low gentle or astro performer.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM key specs:
System: Canon RF mirrorless
Focal size: 24-105mm
Min focusing distance: 0.2m
Weight: 0.87 lbs / 395g
Dimensions: 2.9-in x 3.4-in / 76mm x 88mm
Filter measurement: 67mm
At $1300 in most shops, the 24-105mm is sweet worth for cash. Once more, it handles most conditions for the typical shooter and it makes for an awesome ‘equipment’ lens for an entry-level or fanatic Canon physique. Nonetheless, in case you’re critical about getting one of many best lenses for astrophotography, it’s essential to have a look at a extra specialised piece of kit. Right here at Area, we love astrophotography, so whereas we actually just like the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, we will not actually suggest it particularly for photographers that wish to give attention to astro. This is why.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM assessment
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM: Design
- Moveable because of the light-weight design
- Easy structure and operation
- Telescopic zoom means lens will get greater when zoomed in
Very similar to different lenses in Canon’s mirrorless RF secure, this lens has a easy, uncluttered design. It’s extremely gentle, comparatively compact, and straightforward to navigate along with your palms. It is value noting that this can be a telescopic zoom lens, which suggests the precise lens extends once you enhance the focal size. That is no huge deal and will not impression most filters you possibly can connect to it, however remember that it will shift the burden ever so barely once you’re capturing with a tripod. Equally, it can change the minimal focal size in case you’re doing close-up work.
There are three management rings, as normal. One handles focal size, one other focus, and the final one provides you the power to alter different elements like ISO or aperture. This remaining ring is nearer to the furthest finish of the lens, and it feels nice to make use of, particularly in case you choose capturing via the viewfinder moderately than your digital camera’s display screen.
Elsewhere you’ve got a swap near the flange facet of the barrel which flicks between autofocus and guide focus and you’ve got the choice to show picture stabilization on or off. This lens boasts as much as 5-stops of picture stabilization and we discovered it really works pretty effectively which we’ll talk about extra within the efficiency part of the assessment.
Once you purchase the lens it comes with a lens cap, finish cap and a hood. Weirdly, we discovered it tough to screw the tip cap onto this lens except the crimson mark on the lens and cap have been completely aligned. If you happen to’re centered on a topic and attempting to alter lenses by really feel, this may be fairly annoying. Total, although, it is robust to fault the design of the 24-105mm.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM: Efficiency
- Does effectively in regular gentle
- Some lack of readability round edges
- Stabilization is okay, however not nice
If you happen to’re spending $1300 on a lens it’s essential to be assured it will carry out effectively. We’re completely satisfied to report that the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM does an awesome job in most gentle situations and in case you’re a photograph generalist or a panorama photographer, you may have a good time with this lens. The photographs it produces are sharp and clear within the heart proper via the focal size vary and solely begin to lose any form of readability once you’re at most zoom. Even then, we think about most fans will not often discover this, so except you are knowledgeable and also you want good edge-to-edge sharpness, you will not be dissatisfied with the pictures you get right here.
We did check this lens at night time and we struggled a little bit. Restricted to an aperture of f/4, it is more durable to get pinpoints of stars. It provides first rate landscapes with the 24mm focal width however it’s troublesome to collect sufficient gentle via the lens with out capturing longer exposures (which causes the celebrities to blur and path because the earth rotates). As an astro-specific lens it is restricted. It would not fairly go large sufficient to to seize these huge night time sky pictures that, say, an ultra-wide just like the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM, nor does it will let you open up the aperture large sufficient to maintain the shutter pace comparatively speedy. If you happen to’re capturing a largely darkish sky you may begin to discover these slight inconsistencies on the fringe of the picture, too.
For different low-light conditions, the 24-105mm performs adequately. We examined it with gentle trails and a shot of the moon. The paths have been nice, and the picture we bought of the moon was fairly good as effectively, although it required a big crop even on the longer 105mm finish of the lens.
We experimented with decrease gentle conditions to check the picture stabilization within the lens itself. Whereas it clearly made a distinction to have it switched on or off, we bought some fairly blurry pictures even when capturing round 1/15 to 1/20. This got here as a little bit of a shock, because the stabilization in different Canon lenses we have examined is excellent. In common gentle it is nice however capturing a mattress of multicolored leaves within the shade of a tree we noticed an actual lack of definition on the leaf shapes. Clearly, bumping up the ISO a little bit meant that even 1/50s pictures got here out clear, however we anticipated a bit extra of the shake discount.
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Total, the photographs we bought with the 24-105mm are good. You simply should work barely more durable than regular to accommodate among the options of the lens, particularly in case you’re capturing in low gentle.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM: Performance
- Not climate sealed
- Management ring tuning is okay
- Easy zoom makes it good for video
We must always observe that the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is not weather-sealed in any respect, so we suggest getting some form of safety for it in case you plan to make use of it in moist or dusty situations. That is fairly disappointing for a lens at this worth, whatever the causes for it, and can restrict your skill to make use of it in antagonistic climate.
The usual management ring set-up works effectively and we discovered the torque on the rings ever so barely looser than what we’re accustomed to. That is very a lot a private choice, so it is not a mark towards the lens — simply an remark. Disappointingly, we felt just like the 24-105mm was ever so barely free when related to the EOS R we examined it with. Not sufficient to trigger concern, however it did dent our confidence within the sturdiness of the lens a little bit.
In the case of zooming out and in, the movement may be very easy, one of the crucial satisfying emotions of any telescopic zoom we have used. Once we have been holding it to shoot, the lens felt properly tactile no matter whether or not we have been capturing large or lengthy. The interior motors used for focusing are silent and environment friendly, so there are completely no issues with this facet of the lens.
Usually, we might wish to have a little bit extra performance baked right into a lens, past the third management ring, however with the 24-105mm, we do not really feel the necessity for it. That is meant to be a easy, versatile lens for common pictures and, just a few minor complaints apart, it achieves precisely that.
Ought to I purchase the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM?
If you happen to’re searching for a superb equipment lens that may carry out at night time, this is not the glass for you. Whereas it is a good daytime lens, the 24-105mm is not a low gentle specialist. That is largely because of its incapacity to drop decrease than f/4 and the slight limitation that comes with a lens with such a various focal size vary. If you happen to’re an occasional astrophotographer and common daytime shooter then this can be a good lens and you possibly can moderately add an additional star to the rating we have given it. If that is you, we propose you choose up the 24-105mm in a sale like Black Friday or comparable and maybe buy a 40mm or 50mm f/1.8 as a companion for it, to cowl your astro shoots. It is an imperfect answer, however it’ll work.
If this lens was a little bit cheaper we would be able to overlook a few of its low gentle shortcomings. Nonetheless, at $1300 there are approach higher lenses you should purchase for capturing the celebrities. Equally, if the moon is your factor, we might advise getting one thing with a minimum of a lens with a minimum of 300mm to 400mm in focal size to extend the attain, otherwise you’ll be consistently cropping proper into your pictures.
If the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is not for you
You probably have a bit more money to spend and need a equipment lens that may deal with astro, we suggest the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM. It is fairly a bit more cash, at $2400 in most shops, however it’s a hell of a lens and it is as completely satisfied snapping images of the night time sky as it’s portraits, landscapes and the rest.
On the lookout for extra size? The Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM is a strong choice, and it will considerably enhance your vary. Nonetheless, very like the 105mm, it is not an astro lens, so whilst you’ll pick the moon fairly comfortably do not count on it to have the ability to snap the milky approach as simply.
For these with decrease budgets that also want one thing versatile sufficient for many conditions, we might take into account a hard and fast focal size prime lens. The Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is a magnificence, perfect for a variety of pictures kinds and it is solely $200.
