Posts Tagged ‘24-105’
Photoshoot with Natasha Wood
In my insane schedule leading up to our departure on the “big adventure” it’s been important for me to still get some great photoshoots in. I believe it’s important, even if you’re a professional photographer, to still accept TFP work and get out there as often as possible. The people you meet and experience you gain will help you make money in the future so there’s never a reason to turn it down.
Natasha Wood is a multi-talented actress, singers and dancer who’s creative resumé puts mine to shame. We had a rather impromptu expedition around the streets of Brighton finding some great locations. The shoot was very last-minute and given the time constraints I’m pleased with what we achieved.
Eye Spy – Matt Preston
We did set out to create a more theatrical set of photos. Shying away from the usual serious pouty look. As you can no doubt tell we only managed that at certain times and to be honest Nastasha looks great when serious and pouty! I think those eyes and lips really lend themselves to that look.
Stairway to Heaven – Matt Preston
Lines and Curves – Matt Preston
It’s definitely given me a taste for more creative portrait photography. In fact I’ve been busy building the concept for a series of heavily directed on-location shoots. With just a few weeks left before we go and a whole life to pack up, time may not be on my side for that one.
Going, Going…. – Matt Preston
Sweet Smile – Matt Preston
Check out my Flick Photostream for the full set.
One great thing about continually getting out there and challenging yourself with as many shoots as possible is you really get to know your camera and lenses well. You also find your creative style becomes more pronounced. You find new ways to control it and make best use of it. I feel very at home with my Canon 5D Mark II now and absolutely adore my 24-105 F4 L. At first it’s wide angle felt very alien to me as i’m always drawn to facial detail. I’ve managed to manage my creativity in a way that now suits that wide lens very well. I also adore my “nifty fifty” 50mm 1.8, a lens that everyone should own.
A big thank you to Natasha for her hard work and a great friendly afternoon.
As ever your thoughts and comments are very welcome.
Choosing a new lens
We photographers like our gadgets. We’re surrounded by them. Whether you’re film or digital one of the great perks of the job is buying lovely new equipment!
Now that I’m “full frame” I needed to upgrade my lenses. To get the most out of my 5D Mark II I wanted to put the best glass on it. if you’re a Canon user the best lenses you can buy are Canon’s L Series. They offer amazing quality, rock solid design and great reliabilty. Everyone agrees that L is the best series of lenses… but not everyone agrees which one you should have in your kit.
They are a serious purchase with a serious price tag so when I needed an L series wide zoom lens it wasn’t an easy choice.
The Contenders
The two main contenders are the 24-70 F2.8 L and the 24-105 F4 L.
Both amazing lenses, the 24-70 offering a wider aperture while the 24-105 has image stabilization.
Hot topic
There’s heated debates on which is best. Which covers the most needs, even which is the best in low light. Flickr is a hot-bed of Canon users with strong opinions. The group discussions are often filled with “which lens should i buy?” topics. I myself have posted a few as they’re a great place to get a good cross section of responses.
There’s great arguments for both. The 24-70 covers a shorter range with less elements and a faster aperture. But it’s weight is dramatically increased to incorporate this. Surprisingly so. The 24-105 weighs less, covers a wider range but has a max aperture of F4. Choices choices!
In the end I chose the 24-105 F4. It came down to a number of factors.
Weight
I will be on the road, possibly for months at a time. While I am willing to carry heavier lenses if the benefits are worth it. For me personally the 24-70 F2.8 doesn’t offer enough of an improvement to warrant the extra weight. I’ll be happier shooting with the 24-105. Happiness and harmony with your equipment should not be overlooked, especially on an expensive purchase!
Range
Another on-the-road factor here as the less I need to change lenses the better. The extra reach the 24-105 gives me is a great advantage. Possibly even helping me achieve more spur of the moment shots I would have otherwise missed while changing to my 70-200 F4 L.
Image Stabliaztion
Before trying this lens I thought IS was a bit of a gimick to help reduce camera shake. I had however overlooked one obvious advantage to this. If camera shake is reduced you can shoot at lower speeds. Lower speeds means more light. The lack of 2.8 aperture on the 24-105 is more than made up for by this feature. I also plan to shoot HD video with my 5D Mark II so the IS really comes in handy for smoothing out those hand held shots.
I’m very happy with my purchase. Frankly I would have been happy with either lens but the true test comes when you’re out in the field with your camera bag and limited options on what you can take. A happy photographer is a creative photographer!
I’ll post a full review in a month or two.
If you have any questions about these lenses or an opinion the lens you purchase do comment.
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