24-105 lenses has always been known to be versatile, multi purpose and sometimes being so underrated that its dubbed as a kit-lens. That's not the case for me as an avid traveller, where i have been using 24-105 lenses from the Sigma Art 24-105mm f4 DG OS HSM to the Canon RF 24-105 f4 L IS USM.
When I started to do more professional work indoors, the f4 did hit a limitation for low light shots, bumping ISO on my Canon RP up to 12,800 which still gave acceptable results, but not enough for professional readiness.
The Announcement
Then, the 24-105 f2.8 was announced! It was crazy and revolutionary from Canon (IMO), because no one has made such a fixed aperture lens ever yet. I really love how canon is going on their lens ranges, which are understandably expensive. The RF lenses from entry level up to L rings are tack sharp. One of my primary lenses for videography is the Canon RF 35mm f1.8 Macro IS STM which is small, great for gimbal and can be very close to subject.
So back to the 24-105 lenses. The f2.8 version is still very new and we have no idea when will we get ours in Malaysia. Speaking to my trusty supply from KLDSLR, Adrian estimated it would arrive in mid February. So in the end oddly, I went to get the Canon RF 15-35mm f2.8 L lens instead.
The 15-35 is a great street and indoor range. I only got to use it a few times and I could already feel that it doesn't feel enough for me. Having a 24-70 or 24-105 is a much safer focal length to shoot events.
Arrival In Malaysia and Price!
One fine day on the 24th of January, i got a text from KLDSLR saying that the lens has arrived, and theyre holding a set for me! I was like, I will be there after lunch!
The lens is definitely expensive, at about MYR 14,699.00 which you can almost buy 2 L lenses. But this was a target of mine since it was announced, this was my focal length. So I went for it and traded in the 15-35 L to be able to afford this. I'm probably the first in Malaysia to own this lens.
First Impressions
The lens was undoubtedly huge, almost the size of the EF 70-200 f2.8 lens at about 199mm vs the latter at 207mm. The weight tho, was nice. It was very mid heavy but it didnt feel heavy at all. Mounted to my compact Canon EOS R8, it didnt feel unbalanced and I can still shoot with one hand. But more details and visuals on my first impressions in the video below:
Practicality
Last weekend, I got to shoot a graduation ceremony. This has a mix of wide angle family shots, and compressed portrait shots, and some wide portraits with campus backgrounds. This was the perfect lens for the job. Along with it, i had an EF 50mm f1.2L USM mounted to my Canon RP for much shallower portraits.
Overall, I have used the 24-105 f2.8 for at least 90% of the time. The sharpness and background separation is satisfying enough that i did not feel the need to pull up my 50mm f1.2.
Canon RF 24-105 f2.8 L IS USM Z @105mm f2.8
Canon RF 24-105 f2.8 L IS USM Z @73mm f2.8
Comparing to the 50mm f1.2
Of course we cant compare a prime to a zoom lens, but I wanted to compare the lens to the shallowest depth of field I have to show how much depth does the 24-105 f2.8 have.
From theory we know that the f2.8 cant give as much depth and softness as to a f1.2, but it is acceptable in being able to highlight the subject to be in focus.
Videography
The zoom ring has almost no restrictions making it easy to rotate, not to mention it only takes a quarter of a turn (90 degrees) to zoom from 24mm to 105mm. While being handheld, i can easily "power zoom" with my fingers smoothly.
I tried mounting this lens with my Canon R8 on a DJI RS3 mini gimbal and dont bother trying. the weight distribution which is located closer to the lens mount position is hard to achieve, unless you have an external rig to set the plates in balance, but will definitely add more weight to the gimbal. So this lens is a 100% handheld setup for me at this moment.
Known Issues
Update: Lightroom Lens correction has been fixed with v2! and it works perfectly fine now
Previously:
While I was editing my photos in Lightroom, I noticed that the edges were digitally stretched. Confused at first, I went to see if this was an image or camera problem. My RAW photos didnt produce that issue so I narrowed it down to Lightroom. True enough, the lens corrections from Lightroom has a bug where the digital stretching are artificial or there is just no data.
This problem only occurs when Lens Corrections are turned on. Initially I thought i could solve it by turning all of them off, but that is not the case. You still will need lens corrections at around 24mm wide as it has strong vignetting.
without lens correction
after lens correction
This means you have to individually check your images one by one if there are any affected and adjust them accordingly.
I am very pleased with this lens for its IQ and versatility. The size of it (weight is not an issue) and price is what puts me off from this lens. I hope that it will be practical in the long run, as we will only find out after doing rounds and rounds of gigs and see if we can keep up with it.
