A short while ago, the Canon 450D (XSI) was all I had and defiantly for a
long time as a beginner it satisfied my needs and wants as photography
was mainly a hobby, something for the weekends! However all of that
started to change as a friend called me up and after chatting for a
while he explained he was going on vacation and didn't want to bring a
large DSLR with him so he offered to lend me his Canon 7D for a month,
which was ultimately what re-spiked my interest and made me upgrade.
The Canon 7D was mounted with a 18-135 EF-S Lens with
Image Stabilization my Canon 450D on the other hand was using a Sigma
24-70 without image stabilization; F2.8 (aperture). Even though these
are two entirely different lens's for two entirely different purposes I
appreciated the Canon's smaller size and lighter weight, the Sigma on
the other hand if not mounted on a camera body with a battery grip felt
way to heavy since it was a metal construction. The 24-70 still managed
to produce some razor sharp images and was one of my favorite lens
despite it being so heavy, after using it lightly for almost about 6
months it started developing issues with focusing and the front element
(zoom barrel) began to feel loose and actually wobbled side to side. I
had the Sigma repaired since Sigma Canada has one of the best warranties
in the business
Canon 24-105L (LEFT) Sigma 24-70 (RIGHT)
for 10 years, and decided to sell it to save up enough money for my Canon 24-105 L.
That was a while ago now I am using a more professional grade Camera
like the Canon 5D Mark II and the 24-105L lens is actually the
lens that's offered with the kit and since it worked out to be less if
buying it as a package I decided that was the lens for me.
Initial impressions of the 24-105L is its lightweight the perfect size
and unlike the Sigma I love the feel of the lens, the Sigma has a
rubbery texture all over the lens, though feels relatively nice on your
hands it attracts dirt and grease from your hands and is almost
impossible to clean, after using the Canon for about a month of so it
still looks like the day I bought it and I actually have a friend who
has been using the same lens for about three years and it looks
identical to my brand new one.
With lens hood mounted.
So the lens ages gracefully and looks nice with its signature red ring,
is that all that sets it apart? not quite! with Canon lenses you get
build quality that's already really good but jacked up to almost
military grade when you purchase a L series...okay not really but you
get the point the 24-105L is water resistant and I've actually seen
tests on the internet where water is pored all over the barrel and its
still fully functional, though I wouldn't try this obviously.
Ready to go on the Canon 7D
The Lens also has a Ultrasonic motor that focuses quickly and is
extremely tack sharp; more importantly then tack sharp The lens's
focusing motor is very quite which is important when shooting in any
setting such as a temple or church. The Lens has no lens creep and has
been a delite to use which is expected when you go to professional grade
gear.
Defiantly check out the L series Canon 24-105L it has my two thumbs up.
Whether it will steal sales from Apple, only time will tell. It will
be powered by a third-generation Core i5 3337U ‘Ivy Bridge,’ and pack in
discrete Nvidia GeForce graphics for CAD work, or 3D gaming. The U560
comes in both SSD and HDD combinations and connectivity includes USB 3.0
ports and HDMI out.
