Canon 24-105 ???dust

[Kieron Nevison]

Hi all

I've just got a job to go to Gambia to photograph a village out there. I'm just thinking about the problems with the dusty enviroment. I'm intending to take my 24-105L and my 70-200L. My question is- is the 24-105L a dust sucker or should it be okay?

 

[hyakuhei]

Can't imagine why it would be, its weather sealed, well baffled and a great L lens

 

[AliB]

As far as I know it's all pretty fixed! It's not like a 100-400 which acts like a blooming bellows. I have one too and it's fine. Just make sure you have a way of cleaning your sensor. In that kind of environment, changing lenses is almost an invitation for dust bunnies.

Good luck and enjoy

 

[sportysnaps]

If you can - clean the sensors to two cameras make them spotless and then leave the lenses on the two cameras....

if not then keep the 24-105 on the camera and only use the 70-200 when you really need to and change carefully

 

[Kieron Nevison]

Thanks folks. Sportysnaps your advice is just what I was thinking of doing as I could do without trashing two sensors.

 

[MisterE]

You question whether or not the 24-105 is a dust sucker. It's not the first time I've heard this lens described in this manner. It has been discussed at length on another forum, so I guess some people have noticed it. I have one. It's my most used lens and I do have ongoing continuous dust problems (5D body). The fact that it is an L lens with weathersealing to some degree doesn't change the fact that it's a telephoto whose internal volume has to change. As such it has to breathe air in and out. Where it breathes from is a matter of speculation but it has been suggested in the case of the 5D and 24-105 combination that the lens sucks air in to the sensor chamber through one or two specific places in the camera body. Therefore others' experience of this lens will vary according to body, and how well it is assembled even.

I've given some thought to leaving a 1.4 TC more or less permanently attached when I'm in a dusty environment to see if that helps but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[Kieron Nevison]

Where it breathes from is a matter of speculation but it has been suggested in the case of the 5D and 24-105 combination that the lens sucks air in to the sensor chamber through one or two specific places in the camera body.

This make sence as if I use the lens on my 5d, sometime I can feel the air on my face as it is been sucked in and blown out of the body.

 

[pearce_jj]

a non extending lens might be a better choice like the 70-200mms perhaps