24-70mm f2.8L vs 24-105mm f4L

[M_Six]

We're heading to NYC for a week this May. I'll have 5 days by myself to wander the city. Since I can't afford to buy these lenses before then, I'm thinking about renting one. I seem to remember reading some less-than-flattering comments about the 24-70 here. Would the 24-105 be a better choice to rent for the week? I could also afford to rent the 70-200mm f2.8 as well as one of the others, but I'm not sure it would be that useful in a city environment.

Thoughts? Opinions?

[rodi]

24-70 for sure.

[rodi]

but the former photo-professor in me says to suggest you get a wide prime and force yourself into creativity. ie 24 or 35mm.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by rodi

but the former photo-professor in me says to suggest you get a wide prime and force yourself into creativity. ie 24 or 35mm.

I have a 10-22mm that I'll be bringing along, as well as a 35mm f2 and a 50mm f1.4.

[rodi]

pack the 35 and leave the rest at home.
try it. seriously.

[remmib]

On the zoom end, I rather rent the 135mm f/2L than the heavy 70-200 to log along.

[BMW F22]

I had both lenses at one point and was debating which one to keep. In the end I kept the 24-70 and sold the 24-105. The main point for me was the 2.8 aperture (think bokeh). Sometimes I do wish I had the reach of the 105. Then again I could just take a few steps closer to the subject.

In a city, I don't think you're going to need the 2.8 all the time so maybe the 24-105 would be a better choice (gives you a little more reach for the times when you can't take those extra few steps). It's really up to you: go with the 24-70 if you don't need the extra reach but want a faster lens and go with the 24-105 if you don't need the 2.8 and would like the extra reach. Of course the best of both worlds would be a 24-105mm 2.8 IS. Man I would be all over that lens in a heart beat.

[ChasVS]

Depends on what you will be looking to shoot. With a 24-70 and 70-200 you've got it all covered. It'll weigh a ton to carry both and the 70-200 will stick out big time. Since you own a 10-22mm you have an EF-S camera which means the 24-70 is really a 38mm - 112mm. Not a bad range for urban shots. Bring it all and carry just what you need for the day.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by ChasVS

Depends on what you will be looking to shoot. With a 24-70 and 70-200 you've got it all covered. It'll weigh a ton to carry both and the 70-200 will stick out big time. Since you own a 10-22mm you have an EF-S camera which means the 24-70 is really a 38mm - 112mm. Not a bad range for urban shots. Bring it all and carry just what you need for the day.

That's also a concern, especially with a rented lens in NYC. I'll bring the 10-22, the primes, and the probably the 24-105. I'll have a larger laptop/camera bag to haul it all out and then switch to my sling bag for walking around with the camera and a couple of lenses. Looking forward to some interior shots of cathedrals and maybe Grand Central.

[The1]

if only outside, the 24-105 will be handier, if trying to use it indoors, you're going to want to have a good flash as the slower f stop will be very noticable (though the IS does help)

if you want shots of people and blured backgrounds as well as the ability to shoot indoors, i would lean towards the 2.8

generally what i've read, and in talking to people, the 24-70 is supposed to be the sharper of the 2, but that comes at a price, if you're walking around a lot with that lens, it is very heavy after a period of time, where the F4 is considerably lighter, that in itself can be a large selling point

so if you're renting these, staying outdoors, and walking a lot (my nyc experience was 90% outdoors) i would lean towards the 24-105 you'll have a better time, and your neck won't hurt as much.

if you're playing with the dinosours in the museam of natural history and such, that 24-70 might be a nice option.

[Chewy734]

The 24-70 f/2.8L is what I would use. Yes, it's about two iPhones heavier than the 24-105 f/4L, but it's noticeably faster and has better IQ. If you want a smaller/lighter in the telephoto, look at renting the EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens. Bringing those two, along with your EF-S 10-22 should have you covered easily.

[dcstep]

EF 24-105mm f/4L IS, all the way. IQ is excellent and the extra reach will come in handy. For all these zoom lenses you have to consider IQ after processing and correction, not out of the camera. All the leading programs correct for both of these zooms' known weakness at their wide ends.

Here's my trips to NYC last year, all taken with the 24-105mm:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcstep/...7623758624662/

Here a Fave, out the cab windshield in a light rain:


Flatiron building from our cab by dcstep, on Flickr

Dave

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I have a 10-22mm that I'll be bringing along, as well as a 35mm f2 and a 50mm f1.4.

Unless you like redundancy, I'd leave the primes home. If you want to carry some extra weight, the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS is stunning and will give you some perspectives that you can't get with the gear listed.

Dave

[Trijicon]

I had both and ended up selling both, kind of a boring range IMHO.

I had three copies of the 24-70. This lense is great when you get a good copy. It has too many QA issues. I then got the 24-105 for video. Perfect lense for video; the range and IS. But its only sharp starting at f5.6. Might as well get a kit lense.

Try the Tamron 28-70 f2.8. Super sharp, decent bokeh, not as good color as the "L".

[rodi]

cough

Originally Posted by rodi

pack the 35 and leave the rest at home.
try it. seriously.

cough

[Chewy734]

What rodi suggests may be a good idea. I think it would be fun and give you a reason to hone in your skills as opposed to swapping lenses constantly. 35mm would be light as hell too.

[UdubBadger]

24-105 if you shoot FF... 70 just never seems zoomed in enough.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

What rodi suggests may be a good idea. I think it would be fun and give you a reason to hone in your skills as opposed to swapping lenses constantly. 35mm would be light as hell too.

I actually loaned it to a colleague about three weeks ago and haven't seen it since. I need to think of a polite way to ask for it back. The only thing keeping me from missing it is the 10-22.

<Insert opinions about loaning equipment here>

I can appreciate rodi's suggestion, but I only get to NYC once a year and I really am in love with the 10-22. I'd kick myself if I walked into a nice cathedral interior and couldn't get the shot I wanted with the 35.

I've toyed with the idea of going with just the 10-22, the 35, and my nifty-two-fifty. Would certainly keep things light and all three fit easily in my sling bag. I was going to order the 24-70L today from borrowlenses.com, but I'll be buried in a project for the next 10 days so I won't have time to use it. Maybe after next week I'll rent it and see how I like it.

[rodi]

how many people before you have walked into that cathedral and got the same 10mm shot that you're thinking of?

think about walking into that cathedral with a set frame, where you have to choose what you want to show. not just show everything that a human sees when they are standing in that space.

ok, i'm done. ha.

[UdubBadger]

he does have a point...

[M_Six]

Do you think there's an angle of the Eiffel Tower that someone has *not* used to grab a picture? I doubt it. But does that make the tower any less picture worthy? I can see Prof. Rodi's point as an academic exercise, but for my own purposes I'd rather have my full range of weapons at my disposal. I've spent a small fortune in the past month putting together this lens collection. It would be idiotic of me to leave them all at home on my one and only trip to NYC this year. I'll have the 35mm with me. If I'm suddenly struck with a dose of artistic imagination (unlikely for me), then I'll have it use.

[dcstep]

Another learning technique is to force yourself to take ten different shots of the same subject. The first three or so are easy (zoom in, zoom out, move in close, move away), but then it starts getting tougher.

I grew up when film and prime lenses were the norm. I'm over that, give me zooms any day. Still, as a learning exercise, forcing yourself to work with one prime is a useful exercise, but I'd do that at home rather than NYC.

Dave