Advice on the Canon 24-105mm lens: My son has a Canon T3i and takes a lot of group shots and is thinking of buying the 24-105 lens - will this give him sharper group shots and what is...

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

My son has a Canon T3i and takes a lot of group shots and is thinking of buying the 24-105 lens - will this give him sharper group shots and what is the lens generally good for - any advice welcome.
Thanks

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

whats a t31

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

JR1 wrote:

whats a t31

Known in the UK as a Canon 600D - I bought mine on the internet and it is described as a Kiss X5 which I believe is the Japanese version. In the USA it is known as a Canon Rebel T3i and as most contributors on this forum are American I have gone with the majority.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Rathyatra wrote:

My son has a Canon T3i and takes a lot of group shots and is thinking of buying the 24-105 lens - will this give him sharper group shots and what is the lens generally good for - any advice welcome.
Thanks

Rathyatra, I have owned both and I recommended he take a good look at the 15-85. The 15/85 is much better suited for the crop camera and the IQ is as good if not better than that of the 24/105. For group shots it will give him much better width. Everybody wants the status of the 24/105, but it's designed as a versatile FF lens and it's focal length is not well suited to the crop camera. At least these are my personal experiences having shot with both lenses and both crop and full frame cameras. Take a look at the 15/85 before deciding, and you will save a couple of $$ as well. The 15/85 is not a constant f-stop ans slower at the long end, but is a 1/2 stop faster at the wide end. Happy group shooting.

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

Not to start a fight or anything but I disagree with the previous post. I have found the 24-105mm lens to be great with a cropped frame body. The image quality I also found to be outstanding. I do agree that it does not go as wide as the other lens but I have rarely needed that for my photography. The constant f-stop is very helpful when taking photos at different focal lengths. A lotof times I like to get a photoof the entire area and the zoomed in area.

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

SharpShooter wrote:

quote=Rathyatra My son has a Canon T3i and takes ... (show quote)

Thanks Sharpshooter - I knew I would get some good advice on UHH - will pass on to my son.

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

haroldross wrote:

Not to start a fight or anything but I disagree with the previous post. I have found the 24-105mm lens to be great with a cropped frame body. The image quality I also found to be outstanding. I do agree that it does not go as wide as the other lens but I have rarely needed that for my photography. The constant f-stop is very helpful when taking photos at different focal lengths. A lotof times I like to get a photoof the entire area and the zoomed in area.

Thanks Haroldross - also thanks for the earlier information you provided on where to get a Quick Release Plate for my camcorder tripod - I decied to go for a stockitem they carry which seemed to match my dimensions - it is on it's way and they say if it does not fit I can return for a refund.

Dallas233 Loc: Pleasantville

If your son upgrades to full frame he can use 24-105, but not 15-85.
I stuck with 24-105 and it serves my needs.

petermerny Loc: Whitby UK

I am a pro press guy in UK I use the 24/105 as a standard on 7D build quality and image stab are great as is fast focus. I only carry two lenses now switch to the 17/40 for wide jobs.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I would say that it depends on how large the group is. If your talking about 5 or 6 people then the 24-105 is fine. What focal length is he using now?

I like the 24-70 lens for groups because it's a bit faster at f2.8 rather then just f4.0 of the 24-105. The 24-105 has the IS advantage though.

If doing huge group shots, a wide angle lens would be better suited i.e. the 10-22mm. The 18-55mm kit lens isn't bad for groups either. There are a lot of lenses to choose from.

George H Loc: Brooklyn, New York

Rathyatra wrote:

My son has a Canon T3i and takes a lot of group shots and is thinking of buying the 24-105 lens - will this give him sharper group shots and what is the lens generally good for - any advice welcome.
Thanks

Well I am a shooting Pro Fashion Photographer, I just finished shooting a 4 day event with the 24-105. Believe me that lens is worth every penny. I know since I just purchased it less than a week after Couture Fashion Week in NYC, wish I had it for that show. This is a great lens that will pay off in the long run.

George

ted45 Loc: Delaware

I use the 24-105 everyday on a Canon 5d MkII. While I have six other lenses I rarely find a need to change. The lense is fantastic and gives me incredible photos. For portriat work I will change to a 100mm but for candid portraits the 24-105 is much better because of the speed that you can refocus.

Jim Peters Loc: Pittsburgh

Rathyatra wrote:

My son has a Canon T3i and takes a lot of group shots and is thinking of buying the 24-105 lens - will this give him sharper group shots and what is the lens generally good for - any advice welcome.
Thanks

We Use The 24 To105 L Series For Every Thing. We Have Many Other Lenses. But It Gets the most Use.

davidcaley Loc: Utah

Rathyatra wrote:

My son has a Canon T3i and takes a lot of group shots and is thinking of buying the 24-105 lens - will this give him sharper group shots and what is the lens generally good for - any advice welcome.
Thanks

Buy the lens designed for the camera. The Canon Rebel can use "S" lenses designed specifically for the "C" sensor and body design. They are wonderful lenses. When I upgraded to full frame 5D I could no longer use my wonderful EF-S 10-22 wide zoom. One of the best lenses. I replaced it the EF 17-40 "L". Now I routinely use the EF 24-105 "L" which is designed for full frame but twice the price of the "S" lens. Wonderful lens but not best choice for Rebel type camera.

CAM1017 Loc: Chiloquin, Oregon

Rathyatra wrote:

My son has a Canon T3i and takes a lot of group shots and is thinking of buying the 24-105 lens - will this give him sharper group shots and what is the lens generally good for - any advice welcome.
Thanks

This an excellent lens and will give him the results he wants. Have used it for several years and normally put it on for group and general photography.