Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Art or Cannon EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM

[I @ M]

I will assume "the shutter" means "Half-depress Shutter Button".

You assume correctly.

[Langers]

Thanks for the replies guys. So does anyone actually have any real world experience with this particular Sigma Lens? Think that is the way I am leaning. Oh and not saying that the Canon is not sharp and a great lens otherwise I would not be considering it just been told that the Sigma is a hair sharper and better build quality from the reviews I have read.

Thanks again for all of the info and insight.

[William W]

. . . Oh and not saying that the Canon is not sharp and a great lens otherwise I would not be considering it just been told that the Sigma is a hair sharper and better build quality from the reviews I have read.

For clarity – I did not say nor did I mean to imply that the Canon EF 24 to 105 F/4 L USM was the best Canon Lens (Image Quality) that I have: or that it was sharper or better than than the Sigma. In fact I don’t think I even mentioned that I have that Canon Lens. Mine suffers zoom creep, add that to the list of possible "don't buy me" reasons.

What I do find is that the 24 to 105 is an incredibly good zoom compass on a 5D Series Camera: ideal for “every day” or “walkabout” or “holiday” uses.

Both the two Canon EF 24 to 70 F/2.8L lenses are “better” in all other aspects than the 24 to 105 F/4L IS, but I find the Image Stabilization is a most fantastic feature to have in across that zoom compass. Not wishing to replay what has already been written – but that’s the main reason why I wrote what I wrote, because I gleaned from your other thread that you too valued Image Stabilization.

And the extra telephoto end is quite useful when travelling with only one lens or with a very light weight kit.

As I mentioned in my first response: I have not used the Sigma.

Perhaps, in any case the best option for you is to fossick around camera stores until you find a Sigma Lens that you can test out.

Even shooting several frames in the camera store renders very valuable information. I did that with the Tamron 24 to 70/2.8 VR that I was considering for a Video application – it took about 2 weeks to find one in a store over this side and I had to travel a bit to use it, but it was worthwhile waiting and using the lens with a specific purpose of testing it.

Good luck with your choice.

WW

[Fruengalli]

AAAAnd back to the original question. I've got the 24-105 (came with my 5DII) & haven't had any issues with it at all (so far). Sharp & quick & an excellent all rounder on the full frame. I have recently bought a 35mm & 50mm Sigma Art primes & both are quite stunning for the price & the ability to micro tune for the body is an added bonus. Sigma has leapfrogged Canon in a lot of areas lately (particularly on their older lenses). Haven't used the Sigma but all reports are very good. The one thing is that they are not weather sealed like the L's if this is a concern.
Cheers

[ameerat42]

Thanks for the replies guys. So does anyone actually have any real world experience with this particular Sigma Lens? Think that is the way I am leaning. Oh and not saying that the Canon is not sharp and a great lens otherwise I would not be considering it just been told that the Sigma is a hair sharper and better build quality from the reviews I have read.

Thanks again for all of the info and insight.

LAngers, sadly not. The CLOSEST I can come it taking a 2ple of shots with the 105 version, but the bloke was NOT (with a capial N) selling that one, and after a while I deleted them. Nothing great
that I took, just items on a bench. He showed me a few pics and they were quite good. But even a 2nd time (later) he still did not want to sell it.

But Fruengalli mentioned weathersealing... I cannot find that in the specs for the 150.
Am.

Some time later...
- - - Updated - - -

What a head!!! Why didn't I think of this before, Langers?

I just said "flickr sigma 150mm macro" to Google, and off he went...

[Langers]

What a head!!! Why didn't I think of this before, Langers?

I just said "flickr sigma 150mm macro" to Google, and off he went...

Now why didn't I think of that. cheers, will come back to you.

[twister]

I'm in the same boat at the moment...trying to decide between these 2.

I'm still leaning for the Canon though...

[Tannin]

Going on recent history, Canon's 24-105/4 is more likely to break on you at some point in the future than the Sigma 24-105/4(that we know of)
The Sigma is only a new lens so has, as yet, an unproven track record .. but the C 24-105mm has. That I remember, I think 3 AP members have experienced issues with this lens.(could be more, but three that I can remember) The Canon's issues has something to do with an error displayed on the camera. Maybe someone with more insight can explain it more accurately.

Not relevant anymore, Arthur. There is a known problem which was discovered some years ago and has been designed out in all new-build 24-105 f/4L lenses. The production change was implemented quite a while ago - about three years, from memory. The new-design part is fully compatible with older-build lenses and is supplied to repairers as standard, so anyone striking the problem with an old 24-105 who has it fixed can be confident that the problem won't recur. In a new lens, of course, it isn't an issue.

[arthurking83]

.... In a new lens, of course, it isn't an issue.

Aha! .. didn't know this(not being a Canon person).

But the point was more along a generalization that potential problems can occur in any instance where two separate parts can be connected to form a single device.
(as a response to WW's reply that because the other lens is a Sigma, and in the past Sigma lenses have had communication issues with Canon cameras .. etc, etc).

If a problem is documented well that there is a known issue between product X and product Y, I tend to avoid product X or Y .. not the manufacturer that produced it.

Nikon is also well known to break compatibility between it's own products too(I dunno about Canon). Where they produce a particular product that works perfectly with almost all of their accessories.
Then, some years later, produce a new accessory and they introduce some weird incompatibility between this new accessory and some of their older products .... turns out Nikon to Nikon products can be a bit of a lottery too!(hopefully Canon avoid such irritating 'advances' with their products).

I like it when manufacturers offer the ability to fix compatibility issues out quickly, easily and efficiently(ie. Sigma's newer lenses and the USB dock system. )

[Tannin]

I agree, Arthur. We are way too prone to think that all products by Manufacturer X are just the same as the one and only Man X product we are familiar with, where in reality they all have their great products and their duds. You just can't say "Pentax Model XYZ was fantastic, therefore all Pentax products are fantastic". Or vice-versa. You have to look at each case on its merits, and if there is a major camera gear manufacturer around making every product to the same standard that's news to me.

By the way, Canon are very, very good at ensuring compatibility between their many different products; it's one of the nicest things about the company. (And possibly also a contributing reason to their sometimes sluggish and conservative product release schedule: I think they like to dot "i"s and cross "t"s, and the wait for new stuff can be annoying.) Of course, there are product likes that are explicitly not designed to work together (full-frame cameras and EF-S lenses is the obvious example) and advertised as such, but apart from that, non-cross-compatible Canon gear is very rare, and (in my experience) the exception is made quite clear in the product documentation.

[ebuk]

I was in the same scenario, deciding between the Canon 24-105, Sigma 24-70 or the Tokina 24-70. Last night I stopped waffling and went with the Canon lens. Why? No specific reason I guess, there were so many reviews for each lens and from what I read they ranged from "this is the lens you will have on your camera 70% of the time" to "this lens has xxxx problems etc". Not that any of that is a bad (or good) thing.

At least in a week I'll be able to take some comparison shots between this new lens and the kit lens from my 650d.

[Bennymiata]

From a long time view, I think you made a good decision.

Not that this has much to do with it, but Sigmarumors is saying that the Sigma 24-105 is no longer available in the US.
I don't know why.

If you're as happy as I am with my 24-105L, you'll enjoy it for many years.