The Canon EF 24-105mm f3.5/5.6 IS STM

 

I recently got the Canon EF 24-105mm f3.5/5.6 IS STM lens, I was undecided but having now tried out the f4 ‘L’ incarnation there’s really nothing in it! In fact I prefer the look and also the handling of the variable aperture STM one. Considering the Canon 6D is good in low light the smaller aperture at longer focal lengths is irrelevant, I can put the 6D on a 1000 iso in dull light such as today 20/12/2024, stop it down to f11 at the long end 105mm and it looks sharp across the frame, and very sharp where you actually focus at. (I wouldn’t go any more than f11 due to the diffraction effect when smaller apertures can start having a detrimental effect)

If I’m up close and personal as I usually am when doing street photography... and its dull/overcast I can always pop my portable flash on, as I did with the above image of a street portrait in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK. @ ISO 100, f5, 1/60s, direct flash, taken with said Canon EF 24-105mm IS STM variable aperture lens @ 35mm focal length on the Canon 6D. An overlooked, underrated lens, whereas in reality it’s a solid performer with great optics. 

The benefits IMO of the variable aperture one far outweigh any advantage of the constant f4, indeed if there are any advantages? Better build quality for sure on the f4 but the other one isn’t going to fall apart on you, it’s not built like a kid’s toy! One of the main advantages of the ‘L’ lenses are the build quality and weather sealing, and is where a lot of the extra cost goes, great if you photograph in torrential rain or thunderstorms, but I’m a bit of a fair-weather photographer I like a bit of sunlight.

In fact my reliable sources tell me this lens performs better with the new Canon mirror less cameras than both the constant f4 AND the newer f4 mk2 model! There’s a lot of snobbery in the photography world, “photographers” more into the equipment than actual photography (and don’t the manufacturers know it!) many “photographers” would look down their noses at the “old” equipment I prefer and choose to use over mirror less, etc. Reality check… the only camera that really matters (even more than a Leica 😀) is the one in your head! That’s where images are really made, sometimes I even construct an image in my head than go out and make it happen. The camera is just a tool in-between you and your vision, creativity and the subject.