I just got my 5d MkII body (not the kit). I want to replace my old 28-70 f2.8L lens because I did a test comparing it against a 24-105 f4L on my 50D and the 24-105 was much better in both contrast and sharpness.
The question is whether the ability of the 24-105 is going to be an issue with the AF system of the 5D MkII since it cannot take advantage of the center sensors which work with f2.8 or faster lenses, something the 24-70 f2.8 L lens could do. Since I often am working with people in lifestyle or sports types of situations, I wonder if that would be an issue. I like the idea of the longer reach of the 24-105, and the IS, but focusing ability is certainly the most important issue in my work.
Anyone out there have these three items and tested the results yet?
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This doesn't answer your question but bear in mind that with the 5dII you are going to see softness in the corners if you use the 24-105, at least at its wide angle settings. I understand that this might no be always an issue. It is for me when shooting landscapes.
The 24-105 is a superb lens but you would have to compare its corner performance vs. the 28-70's, and for that you need to shoot both lenses with a full frame camera. The tests that you did using the 50d don't address corner performance of these lenses.
I don't have the 5dII but I do have the 5d and I wouldn't use the 24-105 for landscapes at wide angle settings since it is too soft in the corners for this application. I wouldn't use the 24-70 either, I would only use primes. The only reason for this is corner performance.
Maybe for your applications this is not an issue but I just wanted to bring it to your attention, just in case.
Regarding focus performance I have never had a problem using the 5d with the 24-105 when shooting people or sports. I can only imagine the 5dII/24-105 combo being at least as good.
If corner performance is not a deal breaker for you I think you'll be happy with the 24-105, specially considering the high ISO performance of the 5dII.
I have been using the Canon 28-135 IS on my 1Ds for about five years now. It is surprisingly sharp on a full frame sensor. I bought the 24-70 2.8L last year for a job that required some indoor photos and it is very good in low light.
I just got my 5d MkII body (not the kit). I want to replace my old 28-70 f2.8L lens because I did a test comparing it against a 24-105 f4L on my 50D and the 24-105 was much better in both contrast and sharpness. The question is whether the ability of the 24-105 is going to be an issue with the AF system of the 5D MkII since it cannot take advantage of the center sensors which work with f2.8 or faster lenses, something the 24-70 f2.8 L lens could do.
The center sensor has additional sensitivity at f/2.8 or faster, but it obviously works fine at f/4 as well.
Considering the usage (people in lifestyle or sports types of situations) you've described, I'm wondering if you've considered the 70 - 200 f/2.8 IS?
Unless you're particularly sensitive to weight and overall lens size, it's just about ideal on a full-frame sensor body when you don't want to be intrusive; yet, need a relatively fast lens with a very usable zoom range. The IS capability coupled with the Mark II's low-noise ISO range makes it a winning available-light combination indoors or out.
It's my most-used zoom on the 5D and I don't see that changing when my Mark II comes in.
Further, I agree with Raul concerning (lack of) edge sharpness when using the 24 - 105 on a full frame. That's actually one of the reasons mine rarely sees service on the 5D...there's a big difference between using it on my full frame versus the 1.6x crop where the 24 - 105 excels. Plus, I needed the extra reach on the full frame which the 70 - 200 provides.
OTOH, I don't want to mislead you by indicating that the 70 - 200 is perfectly sharp at all apertures and zoom ranges. It's not! But Canon's compromises have certainly mitigated the majority of the negatives for most users. It's just a 'fact of life' that sensor development has outstripped zoom-lens development. In the general tele range we're discussing, my 135 f/2.0 prime is superior in all respects...as long as shoe-leather framing is an option.
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White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
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