Thanks for the explanations. It makes sense now. I love this lens!

My new Canon EF 24-105 mm 1.4 L IS USM lens is actually an F4, according to the specs. Any idea why the lens says 1.4 on it? I own several Canon lenses, and haven't seen this before. This is my first L.
Looking for knowledge :-)

He's using a Canon T3i :-)

What about the nifty fifty, the 50MM 1.8? Wouldn't that be a low cost addition that would be useful in a lot of circumstances? That's one I would consider.

That's exactly what I was wondering! Usually, where there's smoke, there's fire, and so many people were questioning price, condition, US or gray market, it made me do my homework before ordering. To be clear, it was on Amazon and I read a lot of buyers comments, and looked for fulfillment by Amazon.com before making the buy. I am totally satisfied with the entire transaction. I haven't purchased from anyone but Canon's online store and local retail prior to this buy, so I'm in new territory. I know there's a great base of knowledge and experience here, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn!

I'm thrilled with this deal, and the company I bought it from. I would have no problem purchasing from them again. I was just surprised at how many skeptical people were posting with comments on the Web about gray market and refurbished goods being sold as white box, and I wondered if there was any merit to it...but not so much that I passed on a great opportunity! (grins)

And, I brought a refurbished 60D last year from Canon, and I couldn't be more pleased with it.

Canon has different levels of lenses to cover all levels of photography. The L lenses are the top line. This link will give you a good overview. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/hands-review/canon-l-series-lenses

As for the white box, let's say a dealer orders a camera package from Canon which includes a lens. You want to buy the camera, but for whatever reason, you don't want the lens that came with it. The dealer has the option of selling the camera separately from the lens. The lens was packaged with the camera, and isn't in the retail box Canon would use for selling the lens as a stand alone item. So, the dealer puts the lens in a generic white box, with the accessories and warranty card, and sells it at a reduced price.
My experience buying this white box was a good one. I hope this helps you :-)

It was a good deal. I hope they have some more of this type in the future! I also have a 60D, and I can't wait to shoot some pictures tomorrow at the family Easter gathering.

Thanks, Cameoblue! I got it Tuesday, and have already been out a couple evenings with it mounted on the 7D I just bought. The clarity is amazing. My pro buddy said this lens would change my life, and I would soon be selling off my other lenses to get more L's! <grins>

You're welcome :-) We had two camera stores in my town, one in the mall and another locally owned, and both have closed down. The box stores carry a couple models of cameras and a handful of lenses, but I have bought all that's available here, and I'm at the point of having to order anything I need. I can't even find a lens cap locally over 58 mm!
For a short time, til others figure this out, there should be some good deals at the pawn's. Happy hunting!

I just bought my first L Lens, the EF24-105/4L IS USM, on a white box sale. The lens was new, came with the bag, caps, and a hood, and the warranty registration card. I saved a few hundred dollars on the deal.
Until I saw this ad, I hadn't been aware of white box deals. The seller had a high rating, so after doing some research, I made the purchase.
But, I saw where a lot of prospective buyers were concerned about gray market products being sold as white box, and some even asked about refurbished items being sold as new.
I was wondering what experiences, if any, others have had with white box purchases. I'm happy with this one, but if there are any pitfalls, I'd like to know!

A couple weeks ago, I decided to spend a couple hours browsing pawn shops where I live, just to see if I could find any Canon items I could use. At my last stop, I found a Canon 7D that looked to be in very good condition. I called a pro photographer buddy who has owned that camera. He brought a memory card with him, we took several pictures inside and outside the store, and everything was in excellent working order.
I didn't buy immediately. We ran a shutter count and I was thrilled it was in the 7300 range. So, a couple days later, I bought the camera, packaged with a nifty fifty and a 75-300 lens for 850.00. I already had the 50 and a 70-300, so within a couple days, I sold the lenses and recouped 175.00 of my purchase.
Something I learned in visiting the shops in my area. The majority of them are no longer taking cameras on pawn. The owners and managers said it was because so many people are using the camera in their smart phones, they can't find buyers for the cameras and lenses in stock! A couple stores were planning on getting rid of everything camera related and use the space for items they could make money on.
So, for now, it looks like a buyer's market on used gear. The shop with my 7D dropped the price over 400.00 from what they were asking, and the manager said it had been in inventory for a long time.
There's bound to be some great deals out there!

Thanks for taking a look at this. I hope the idea spreads.

Beautiful bird, great shots!

A friend of mine is involved in a group of local photographers who wanted to give back to the community. So last year, they decided to take family portraits for those who can't afford them. It was a success, and they have planned for a larger event this year. The shoot is in conjunction with the local Salvation Army, and is scheduled for December 6, so the families should have the pictures in time for Christmas.
I don't know if this is being done in other cities, but it's a great idea! I'm planning on taking part. If you want to learn more, here's a link.
http://www.helpportraitocala.org/about/