Is 24-105 obsolete in 2024?

NAwlins Contrarian · Oct 31, 2024

Rakosky said:
For Opticallimits it's superior to Canon and Nikon

"The Sony lens isn't flawless, but just to provide a framework for comparison - it is superior to both the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 USM L IS II and Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G VR. So it's certainly a lens we can recommend to Sony FE users"

https://opticallimits.com/sony/sony-fe-24-105mm-f-4-g-oss-sel24105g-review/

To be fair, that is talking about older SLR lenses, not the newer mirrorless lenses, which are the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM and the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S.

rashid7 · Oct 31, 2024

Jacques Cornell said:
rashid7 said:

nice travel pix! which lens?

Click to expand...

Thanks. On my Corsica trip I used a Panasonic GX7 with 7-14/4, 12-35/2.8 and 35-100/2.8. Wandering the back alleys of the old port of Bastia, I was frequently switching from wide for the immediate surroundings to long tele for distant details, and that's what made me get a 14-140. This reduced lens count from 3 to 2, which is effectively what I've done recently in going from 17-28, 28-60 & 70-300 to 20-40 & 50-300 with my Sony kit.

J, thanks. Another example of how you don't need FF cam to score lovely shots!

I've owned those 4 m4/3 lenses and the GX7, 8, 9.

Its an age-old conundrum whether to opt for versatility of super-zoom vs faster standard ones, no?

when traveling afar, or back-packing in remote places, i opt for weight-savings and versatility.

When traveling in my own car, I can bring more!

When out for the evening, i may just bring one prime (-;

moficera · Nov 1, 2024

NAwlins Contrarian said:
NAwlins Contrarian said:

I totally agree. A 24-105/4 was one of the first lenses I bought when I switched to Sony four years ago. Makes a decent one-lens walkabout kit and covers everything from wide scenics and interiors to tight portraits. It was, for me, a dual-use lens for both my paid event work (lit group portraits) and my walkabout scenic adventures.

But, I ditched it this summer. I strongly prefer more reach for walkabout, and after considering a 28-200, I went, instead for a 20-40 & 50-300 combo, as this is still very portable and I can combine the 20-40 with my 35-150 for event work.

If there were a decent, smaller 28-135/3.5-5.6 for under $700, I might be interested.

Click to expand...

IMO there are three basic issues, and all really come down to person preferences and tolerances:

(1) Are you willing to carry more than one lens and swap lenses in the field?

To me, as an amateur, the answer the large majority of the time is no. So whatever the merits of the 20-40mm + 50-300mm combo (or anything like that, e.g. 16-35 + 70-200mm), the two lenses are not satisfactory for me. But obviously you and many others disagree. There's more than one reasonable personal preference!

I don't want to swap lenses in the field, but the solution is simple. Bring each lens with a body and you can go back and forth easily.

sportyaccordy · Nov 1, 2024

Ab S said:
sportyaccordy said:

..

Sensors do so much more heavy lifting for IQ these days. A "bad" lens on a 40+ MP sensor can generate surprisingly impressive resolution. My old EF 24-85 on my A7R2 absolutely blew me away. So for optical performance on the cheap, get a high res sensor.

Click to expand...

This I don't understand: If the optical resolution of the lens is lower than that of the sensor, how can a higher resolution sensor give you a better result?

This isn't how resolution works. Yes the lens has a resolution limit on its own, but ultimately the resolution that matters is system resolution, which If I understand correctly is lens resolution * sensor resolution (* AA filter resolution). So raising the resolution of any element in the system will usually raise the resolution of the whole system.

The main exceptions are fast lenses with terrible peripheral resolution. But even those will benefit from more megapixels when stopped down. In 2024 the main benefit of expensive glass is wide open performance.

sportyaccordy · Nov 1, 2024

NAwlins Contrarian said:
NAwlins Contrarian said:

For Opticallimits it's superior to Canon and Nikon

"The Sony lens isn't flawless, but just to provide a framework for comparison - it is superior to both the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 USM L IS II and Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G VR. So it's certainly a lens we can recommend to Sony FE users"

https://opticallimits.com/sony/sony-fe-24-105mm-f-4-g-oss-sel24105g-review/

Click to expand...

To be fair, that is talking about older SLR lenses, not the newer mirrorless lenses, which are the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM and the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S.

Another reason why lens reviews can be of limited value. Older reviews usually don't get updated with newer cameras/sensors either- I think the bulk of OL's Canon EF reviews are on the 5D3 for example. The current 20MP FF sensor has much less AA filtering so the same lens with the same MPs might yield more resolution on an R6/R3 etc.

Jacques Cornell · Nov 1, 2024

rashid7 said:
Jacques Cornell said:

rashid7 said:

nice travel pix! which lens?

Click to expand...

Thanks. On my Corsica trip I used a Panasonic GX7 with 7-14/4, 12-35/2.8 and 35-100/2.8. Wandering the back alleys of the old port of Bastia, I was frequently switching from wide for the immediate surroundings to long tele for distant details, and that's what made me get a 14-140. This reduced lens count from 3 to 2, which is effectively what I've done recently in going from 17-28, 28-60 & 70-300 to 20-40 & 50-300 with my Sony kit.

Click to expand...

J, thanks. Another example of how you don't need FF cam to score lovely shots!

Indeed. I've got crisp, detailed 24" prints of some of those shots.

rashid7 said:
I've owned those 4 m4/3 lenses and the GX7, 8, 9.

Its an age-old conundrum whether to opt for versatility of super-zoom vs faster standard ones, no?

when traveling afar, or back-packing in remote places, i opt for weight-savings and versatility.

When traveling, I brought two GX7s, the 7-14 and 14-140, and a 20/1.7 and 45/1.8. Plus a small flash. It all fit in Tamrac's smallest Rally shoulder bag.

rashid7 said:
When traveling in my own car, I can bring more!

When out for the evening, i may just bring one prime (-;

Rakosky · Nov 1, 2024

NAwlins Contrarian said:
NAwlins Contrarian said:

For Opticallimits it's superior to Canon and Nikon

"The Sony lens isn't flawless, but just to provide a framework for comparison - it is superior to both the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 USM L IS II and Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G VR. So it's certainly a lens we can recommend to Sony FE users"

https://opticallimits.com/sony/sony-fe-24-105mm-f-4-g-oss-sel24105g-review/

Click to expand...

To be fair, that is talking about older SLR lenses, not the newer mirrorless lenses, which are the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM and the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S.

Right, sorry

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Is 24-105 obsolete in 2024?

NAwlins Contrarian

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rashid7

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moficera

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sportyaccordy

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Jacques Cornell

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