In this week’s episode of Not Much Else, Frankie Cavone looks back at the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS for their full frame camera line. This lens was a must-have when DSLR’s ruled the camera world with an incredible zoom range and sharp results.

The is a jack of all trade lens making it versatile. It also makes a great run and gun lens for videographers. In the video below, Frankie goes over the pros and cons of using the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens along with showing real world results.  You can also find the key specs and more detailed pros and cons to the lens below:

Key Specs:

• Weight: 23.5oz
• Filter Size 77mm
• Minimum Focus: 17.72″
• Dimensions: 3.29 x 4.21″

Pros:

1. Sharp Glass –  The Canon EF 24-105 is sharp from 24mm all the way to 105mm producing sharp results and great color rendering.  You are going to get great results with decent lighting conditions. It will also make for a great landscape lens since there isn’t much fringing in the corners of the pictures.
2. Versatile Zoom Range – This lens zoom range is remarkable making it a jack of all trades style lens. It is a great lens for photo journalism, concert photography, landscapes and much more. It is also a killer lens to have in your arsenal if you are a videographer. The Canon EF 24-1.5 f/4 is perfect for run and gun situations and we are crowning it the ultimate lens for capturing b-roll. A lot of lenses in this zoom range style have a variable aperture so it is nice that the aperture is a constant  f/4.
3. Great Build Quality – This lens is weather sealed and ready for the toughest of situations. We have used this lens in the rain many of times and feel safe when doing so. The focus rings have the right amount of resistance and the m/f and IS switch are snappy as well.
4. Wallet Friendly – The price of this lens is the main reason why we recommend purchasing this lens, especially if you are buying a full frame camera for your first time. If you can’t yet afford the 24-7. f/2.8 version of this lens that Canon makes, this is the next best option. Coming in around 300-500 dollars, nothing else compares in this price range. The same goes even if you are buying one of Canon’s mirrorless cameras. Don’t waste the money on a variable aperture RF zoom lens to save money when you can buy an L series lens like this while using the EF adapter.
5. Lens Stabilization – Stabilization is a very important feature to have and is crucial if you are a run and gun videographer. Majority of DSLR’s do not have in-body image stabilization, so it’s nice to have it as a feature in the Canon 24-105 f/4. This allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds which can come in handy when you have to shoot in a low-light situation.

Cons:

1. f/4 Aperture Doesn’t Cut It – After a few years of using this lens, I eventually felt like having an f/4 standard zoom lens like this one was holding me back. I felt like I outgrew the lens and after finally figuring out what I like shooting, decided to upgrade. That being said, I learned so much while using this lens and couldn’t have had a better lens to use for my with my first full frame camera.
2. The Lens Has Aged – The Canon EF 24-105 f/4 is quite old being released in 2005. Since then, Canon has released a second version of this lens for the EF mount and a RF mount version for their mirrorless camera line.
3. It’s Heavy – The lens has some heft to it weighing in at about a pound and a half. It is not 70-200 heavy but if you are someone who carries a lot of lenses with you, it could weigh you down.