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Canon 24-105mm f4
IS L
Zoom Lens! |
This is my favourite zoom lens for
travelling abroad and also for general use
when I seek a change from my other gear. If
I could only have one lens then it would be
the Canon 24-105mm f4 IS L Zoom Lens on my
Canon 5D MK1 DSLR camera.
This zoom lens (my copy) is exceptional for
image quality throughout the focal range of
the zoom and with its f4 'wide open'
aperture at all focal ranges, the lens is
great to use in all lighting conditions.
There are only two obstacles to overcome
when using this lens, the vignetting that
occurs on the corners of images at f4
especially at the 105mm part of the zoom and
distortion at the wide end of the zoom at
24mm. Both these areas are quite easy to
'fix' in software and as I always shoot my
images in 'RAW' file format, neither is a
problem.
The lens is well built as you would expect
for a Canon L Lens and it has the distinct
red line around the front of the lens barrel
to signify the L. The zoom ring is
smooth to use and there is NO zoom creep.
Coupled with my 5D DSLR, the overall size
and weight which includes a fitted filter
and hood, does not pose a problem for me at
my age as long as I support the combination
when it is hanging around my neck by the
camera strap. I usually cup the camera and
lens in my right hand as I am walking
around.
1,650
Pixel Size
Full
Size
When it comes to using the combination for
landscape work, it is superb. This image of
the castle at
 Sirminone
at Lake Garda, Italy is an example of a
'classic' tourist shot and you will often
see a similar image of this scene on travel
magazines promoting this Italian holiday.
I visited Lake Garda in 2006 with my
girlfriend Carol and we travelled mainly by
boat around the lake. The towns around the
borders of Lake Garda are utterly superb,
especially if you are romancing a woman. I
still managed to get a few pictures as I had
just bought my 5D and 24-105L lens and I was
desperate to try it out.
The 'Castle' image was taken 'hand held' at 55mm,
ISO:200, aperture f22 and shutter 1/100secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software. I tried out the lens at f22 to get
a large 'depth of field' covering the water
in front of me all the way back to infinity.
This
 next
image was taken at Giza in Cairo, Egypt. A
difficult shot with the Sphinx in the
background and I half expected the guard to
warn me
off but he just smiled. I had always wanted
to travel to Egypt and that trip in 2008
consisted of three days in Cairo and eight
days travelling down the Nile by cruiser and
visiting the towns and most of the temples.
It had taken me six years to persuade Carol
that it was safe to travel there and we both
enjoyed the holiday. I found Egypt one of
the safest countries I have ever visited, it
was properly policed as every country should
be and armed guards were at all the docks
and the temples.
The 'Sphinx' image was taken 'hand held' at 58mm,
ISO:100, aperture f11 and shutter 1/160secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
There was quite a large distance between the
guard and the Sphinx but at an aperture of f11
which is well stopped down, the lens
held the 'depth of field' and the image
quality remained excellent.
This next image was captured in
Venice,
Italy and when I saw the brightly coloured
umbrella, I could not
 resist
it! The artist was a 'cool' dude, sitting in
the middle of St Mark's Square.
The 'Artist' image was taken 'hand held' at
65mm,
ISO:200, aperture f4 and shutter 1/800secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software. I wanted the background slightly
blurred out so I shot the image with the
lens 'wide open' at f4 and it is not bad.
We travelled in Venice by boat and my stock
images on this website all reflect a great
number of shots taken from a moving
platform. The lens stood up to the movement
and the image stabilisation performed very
well to steady scenes for capture. I of
course steadied Carol with one hand, whilst
taking pictures with the
other..............ever the true romantic!
Prague is probably one of the most beautiful
cities in the world and I would recommend
 visiting
it, especially in the warm summer days and
nights but if you are adventurous it can
be very romantic even at Christmas time for
a winter week-end, all wrapped up warm and
snug and out in the snow amongst the
Christmas lights.
One warm summer, Carol and I went there for
a weeks holiday and enjoyed the magic of the
place. I managed to get a fair number of
images, once again see my stock page, and
once again we used the boats a lot,
travelling up and down the river.
This image of the three musicians standing
by a 'Bass Resting' was a nice scene and I
snatched the shot whilst walking past. It was taken 'hand held' at
73mm,
ISO:200, aperture f9 and shutter 1/100secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
The next image was captured at
Pafos, Cyprus
and is a picture at night time of the 'Fort'
in the harbour
 area.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 24mm,
ISO:800, aperture f4.5 and shutter 1/20secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
The image quality is not half bad when you
consider that it was taken at a fairly high
ISO rating and was 'hand held' at 1/20sec
shutter speed. The lens image stabilisation
seriously delivered for me.
I have taken shots even slower than this at
night time and each time the lens has not
let me down. Quite remarkable when you
consider that the widest aperture I can
achieve is f4 when usually I would prefer
f1.4, f2, on a 'prime' lens for low light or
night shots.
Cyprus is the 'all year' holiday place to
visit, the weather is great during all the
seasons. I have been there
 a
few times with Carol and it is usually a
holiday for just 'chilling out'. This shot
was taken from the back of the 'Alexander
the Great' hotel overlooking the sea at
sunset. We were relaxing and I was drinking
a very large cool 'rum and coke' which was
in my left hand and my camera was in my
right, sneaking a few shots at the sunset.
Carol has this right eye that seems to raise
itself up when my camera appears near my
face.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 58mm,
ISO:400, aperture f5.6 and shutter 1/500secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
This next image is quite extreme and I never
expected it to be reflective of the actual
scene. It was taken in Cairo during that
2008 holiday and I was walking back to the
hotel with Carol, when I grabbed the shot.
We had a very nice meal in the revolving restaurant up
on the top of the Hyatt Tower and
 during
the walk through the back streets to the
bridge where the shot was taken, Carol
whispered "there is a man following us'. I
laughed and explained that the guy was an
armed policeman keeping an eye on tourists
and sure enough he gave us a wave as we
walked onto the bridge which was part of the
main street.
This image has 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 60mm,
ISO:800, aperture f4 and shutter 1/10secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software. Can you believe that shutter speed
and remember I paused, fired the shutter and
then kept on walking................fearing
the wrath of C.
The Canon 5D DSLR and the 24-105L lens is
an amazing combination. I invariably shoot
in aperture priority; set the aperture and
the camera sets the shutter speed (dependent
 on
the ISO rating used). With all of these
images, I made minor adjustments with the +
and - controls for exposure compensation.
This shot of the kids at Lapad beach near
Dubrovnik, Croatia was one of several but I
liked the silhouette of the figures in this
image against the bright contrast of the
setting sun.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 40mm,
ISO:100, aperture f8 and shutter 1/25secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
I love the bokeh of the 24-105L lens. It is
surprising that even at f4 and at some
distance to subject, it still
 delivers
a very reasonable 'out of focus' background.
This image is of our tourist guide, he loved
his red torch, which was often hidden from
him, much to his annoyance! Here he is, in
one of his typical 'informative' routines,
as he swirled around to make sure that all
the party was still there and had not
wandered of as usual.
Its not the best of 'constructed' images but
it catches the moment and delivers the
memory of the occasion. As the main subject
he stands out fairly well from the
background, all be it that it would have
been better if he had been more to the
right, away from the guy at the back.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 105mm,
ISO:100, aperture f4.5 and shutter 1/800secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
As well as nice bokeh, the combination
delivers great colours.
 This
image was taken in a church at
Cavtat a town
in Croatia. Its a great place to visit and
is a few miles out of Dubrovnik. We went by
coach which was a little bit hairy on the
road that travelled around the cliffs,
especially as I was the one looking down
from the window of the bus. I suggested that
we returned to Dubrovnik by the ferry boat
which took 40 minutes.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 67mm,
ISO:800, aperture f4 and shutter 1/50secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
Rome is a lovely city and there are so many
opportunities for 'classic'
 tourist
shots. I think it is important to get those
type of images and many photographers call
them 'snapshots' but as I get older and l
look back on them, they remind me very much
of the moments of my life with Carol. It is
very difficult to achieve very much else
with photography when you are in a romantic
city with a girlfriend but now and again
something different can crop up as you are
walking about.
This image was taken at the Colosseum and I
thought the parasol was a lovely colour and
a contrast to the ruined, grey walls of the
building. It was deliberately shot at
aperture f4 to place the background into a
slight 'out of focus' perpective and yet it
still manages to capture the atmosphere of
the ruins.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 73mm,
ISO:100, aperture f4 and shutter 1/1600secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
Whilst walking about in the
Teatro Di
Marcello area, I looked up and saw this
 figure
high up on the building. The lens delivered
the goods and the shot places the figure
slightly to the left to highlight the frame
work of the building around it, I think it
adds a bit more atmosphere? There is red
paint or chalk on his face and I can only
imagine that someone managed to climb down
from above to do the dirty deed.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 80mm,
ISO:100, aperture f4 and shutter 1/800secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software.
The Canon
 5D
MK1 DSLR and the Canon 24-105L Lens are more
than capable of producing monochrome images
converted from colour or by setting the
camera to black and white in 'RAW' file
format. Either way it really does not make a
great deal of difference as I use Lightroom
to post process my 'RAW' files and at that
stage, I can select colour from a black and
white shot and vice versa. I usually shoot
in 'RAW' standard colour file format.
If you ever visit Lake Garda in Italy, try
and travel down the lake by boat to Lazise.
It is a beautiful town and you can spend all
day there, it has a lovely harbour and
waterfront. Mind you all the towns around
the lake are fantastic to visit. I loved the
lamposts in Lazise, beautifully ornate and
great for pictures.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 45mm,
ISO:200, aperture f11 and shutter 1/100secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software, softened and converted to
monochrome.
Further up at the top of the lake is Riva, a
town that nestles against the cliff faces
 on
one side with beautiful mountains as a back
drop. It has an 'old world' style harbour
which cuts into the centre with cafes,
restaurants and hotels overlooking it. One
day I am going to go back to Lake Garda and
really spend some time on my own to 'do
justice' to the diversity of the subjects
for my photography. This image of the
bicycle against the lampost with the hotel
and harbour as a back drop turned out very
nice.
It was at Riva that we saw Barry 'Manifold'
I call him that, I always have but I don't
know why? Mr Manilow was there as a guest
along with George Clooney for a lavish
wedding that week-end of a local dignitary.
Barry was
'off duty' dressed down and blended in very nicely, I
don't think anyone 'cottoned on' who he
was...............no, I did not take his
picture, the man was enjoying his visit and
deserved his privacy.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 24mm,
ISO:200, aperture f22 and shutter 1/60secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom
Software, softened and converted to
monochrome. Most photographers might avoid
f22 but I often use it for a very large
'depth of field' and especially with an
image that I might later soften. In any case
the 24-105L lens still provides very good
image quality at that aperture.
Edfu
 is
a little town on the Nile in Egypt. The
cruiser docked there and we travelled
through it by horse and carriage. This image
was shot with me hanging out of the side of
the carriage and the lens image
stabilisation really 'cut the mustard'.
The 24-105L lens with the 5D DSLR, has never
given me a bad image. Sure some pictures
might suffer from a poor layout but they are
always in focus where they should be.
This image has not had any 'noise reduction'
applied and it was taken 'hand held' at 73mm,
ISO:200, aperture f6.3 and shutter 1/250secs.
It was developed in Adobe Lightroom Software
and converted to monochrome.
The is no such thing as a perfect zoom lens,
especially one from 24mm through to 105mm.
This lens has its weaknesses but once you
recognise them and work with them, this lens
is simply awesome for travel on a 'full
frame' digital sensor DSLR camera.
To visit Canon's website, the link is -
Canon UK.
To see more images from these holidays -
please visit my
Stock page.
I am in the process of converting all my
'old' Front Page webs to Adobe Lightroom
versions.
If you have enjoyed this article - please donate to my
Charity of Choice - The Sick Kids
Richard Lawrence
Scotland
United Kingdom
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