one lens has to go
 

24-105 or 24-70
i have to sell one to buy the D5 body
which one should go?
aloha
tito

OK I'll bite.
Why do you need to sell a 24-105 or 24-70 lens to buy a 5D body?

I have both lenses and I find myself almost always using the 24-105 with the 5DII. IS is a benefit for both video and stills, and I use the extra reach fairly often. I can't tell any difference in image quality between the lenses. And use a fast prime if you want shallow DOF.

i inherited a canon EOS 5D and three lenses EF 24-105 F-4, EF24-70 2.8 and 50mm 1.4
my interest is video, my camera is a sony EX-1
i want to upgrade to a Mark II so i have a second video camera and a good still camera
i am not a photographer, but my interest in video production and my isolated location have forced me to do camera work. in my limited knowledge i believe that my EX-1 lens is about a 31-440mm lens in 35mm speak so i think i might have the long end covered. i also envision my needs for the Mark II to be in tight shooting situations and ones where i am looking for a certain kind of shot, a close up or a lot of depth of field.

lastly i want to develop my equipment and knowledge so that it will attract a competent camera person and i will be able to communicate my wants to him/her.

Money is an issue so i was hoping to defray some of the 5D Mark II cost by selling one of the zoom lenses. i believe, that for the most part for my video work i would be using cheaper prime lenses and the one zoom would cover my still shot needs.

my local camera dealer has suggested i sell the 24-105 and claims the 24-70 is recognized as a superior lens by those in the know. they could be looking after their own needs for all i know so i decided to ask here on the forum for a real expert opinion.
aloha
tito

First of all, it's a 5D, not a D5. Canon puts the "D" after the numeral (noted exceptions: D30 and D60), while Nikon does the reverse. It's not a Sony 1EX, is it? :)

The 24-70/2.8 and 24-105/4 are both excellent lenses optically. The differences are fairly obvious: f/2.8 vs IS and longer reach. Personally I'd keep the 24-105; the 5D2 has outstanding high-ISO quality and I rarely need to open up past f/4. Image stabilization does come in very handy sometimes as well.

Daniel
i have made the corrections, thanks for pointing it out
Image stabilization only with the 24-105 and not the 24-70?
and the F 4 usable in a wider range of light?
sorry for my ignorance
aloha
tito

The 24-70 does not have IS. It is a faster lens, though, and can be opened up to f/2.8 (which lets in more light than the 24-105's maximum aperture of f/4).

That's the tradeoff. Do you need IS, or do you need the light / DOF from f/2.8?

Daniel
i see your point. mostly if i am using the camera for tight shots and particular looks i think the light might be more important. since i doubt that there will be much "run and gun" the IS seems less important. but why give it up if i can compensate with shutter speed and still have the IS. am i starting to get the point yet?
aloha
tito

You'll get more money for the 24-70 because the 24-105 is a kit lens and there are loads of them being sold on ebay so that people can get a different lens (probably the 24-70). That being said I don't dig the 24-105 at all so I'd sell that one.

For video, the 24-105 is my "go-to" lens.

Love it.

24-70 wins by far, the extra stop of light coupled with the high iso capability of the 5D helps tremendously
24-105 is more of an expensive kit lens

Since still photos take back seat to your video, keep the lenses and sell the EOS 5D body,
then purchase a EOS 7D body.

I'd hardly call the 24-105 a kit lens. It's an L series lens that sells for $1150 at BH.
It's also a half pound lighter and almost an inch shorter than the 24-70.
IS trumps that extra stop in my book.........

But a tripod/jib/dolly/steadicam trumps IS.

As usual, it all depends on what and how you plan to shoot.

I'd much prefer the faster, and in my view better lens, the 24-70mm f/2.8 (and would never need IS on such a lens anyway).

The other option is of course to sell both the 5D body & 24-105, keep the 24-70mm and use the money towards a 5D Mk II and another lens, such as a macro or medium telephoto.

I am aware of the 7D and I am reading that forum also. the cropping does seem to effect people's lens selection.
my thoughts on what i will use the camera for would make me think i will be on sticks, but life experience tells me that it is best to be prepared for any eventuality.
in the back of my mind i can hear the man who i inherited the 5D from saying "when you sell it , you don't own it any more." simple but true
please continue to comment on all possibilities, i am learning and asking myself questions from every contribution.
thank you all
aloha
tito

You have to decide what you are shooting. IS is great for handheld stuff where there is enough light to stop your subject but for other circumstances like concert shooting you'll need the extra stop of light.

From a video perspective F4 would be a slowish lens, but because you're dealing with a fairly large sensor the high ISO performance (gain) is better than most camcorders. In any case I wouldn't advocate keeping both lenses unless you are going to carry around two bodies.

thank you all for your input.
i am going to sell the 5D EOS camera body on ebay.
after i get the 5DMark II i will try both zooms and see if i want or need both.
aloha
tito

I would keep the 24-70. I have both and use both regularly. I like the extra reach of the 24-105 and the IS. I like the extra DOF control and low light performance of the 24-70. For still photography, it's a wash. For video, the 24-70 is my favorite.

One reason is the wider aperture. I like the extra DOF control. While IS is nice, it is of limited value in video. You can only lower your shutter speed so far without having motion blur problems.

Another big negative for the 24-105 is barrel distortion at the wide end. With still shots, it is easy to correct. It's harder with video. It you shoot scenes with vertical lines (wall corners, door frames, etc) near the edge of your frame, they appear distractingly bowed.

thank you Mark
that makes a lot of sense to me
aloha
tito