Joelbarton87 Loc: Hereford u.k

Hi everyone I need some help to choose im buying my first L series lens I mainly shoot portraits but cant deside between the canon 24-105mm f4 L or canon 50mm prime L any segestions would be appreciated.
Regards.
Joe

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Especially if you are on full frame, I recommend 100 F2 for portraiture- much cheaper than your selections ....but not an "L"

Joelbarton87 Loc: Hereford u.k

I have a croped sensor on a 60D

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I still like the 100F2 even for crop sensor - but the 85F1.8 is probably favored by most. The 85 is slightly cheaper. If you like more control/softer out of focus areas - then the 100 becomes preferable.

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

I agree, the 50mm is too short. Go with an 85mm or 100mm prime instead of the 50mm or 24-105mm lens.

Joelbarton87 Loc: Hereford u.k

Is the 24-105mm L a good lens I read somewhere that it was only a kit lens and not as good as some of the others

Wendy2 Loc: California

If these are your only choices, go with the 24-105mm. If the 24-105mm is an "L" lens, it is NOT a kit lens. L is Canon's highest quality.

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

Yes, the 24-105mm lens is included as a kit lens for some of Canon's higher end cameras but it is not a 'kit' lens in the same sense as 18-55mm EF-S f/3.5-5.6 lens is a 'kit' lens.

The 24-105mm has the standard 'L' series build and performance. It is not the best performing 'L' series lens and it does have it's quirks but overall it is a very good general purpose lens.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

But it is part of the 5D MK III kit. Still, not a "kit" lens...

Joelbarton87 Loc: Hereford u.k

Thanks people

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

A 50mm lens is a bit too short for portraits on a 60D IMHO.

Joelbarton87 Loc: Hereford u.k

As I said above its a cropped so 50 becomes around 80mm

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Yes, I realize that. I have a 60D and a Canon 50mm f/1.8. I still think its a bit short for portraiture. Perhaps your definition differs from mine. I consider a camera portrait to include the head and upper torso only. You don't want to be too close to the subject as the face will suffer from lens distortions. I believe an 85mm or greater focal length on a crop might be a better choice based on my definition and distortion concerns.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Joel, you have not said WHY you are leaning to the 24-105. Are you also looking to use it as a walk-around(WA) when not doing studio duties? If so, it's a very good choice. I use the 24-105 all the time for portraits and as a WA.
If its mainly studio, you'll be using it mostly at the longer lengths. So have you given any thought to a 70-200? The f4, non IS is much less money and as good or better for portraits. And for just head shots, it's a better lens.
I'm not so familiar with the crop studio shooters, but the FF studio shooters use the 70-200 almost exclusively. The 70-200 f4 non IS is a beautiful lens and very small, light and compact. I'll admit, it's less usefull outside, though some report they use it for a WA.
The only reason to use a fast prime is for the added bokeh, which is way better with a fast prime. From that standpoint the 50, 1.4 is better, and on your crop it's a decent portrait lens. Maybe not as ideal as some of the other slightly longer primes, but they don't produce the bokeh of the fifty 1.4. And as a WA it's as good as it gets for a WA. I use mostly the 24-105(on FF), but used a 50, exclusively for 20 years.
If you are thinking the 24-105, you can get 2 or 3, non L primes for the same money, and they are much faster lenses.
Good luck with your choices. SS

Wendy2 Loc: California

You are right, it is not your typical "kit" lens.