Lens Dilema

quango2k

quango2k

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Rick
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Hi all,

I am hoping someone can tell me if my idea is bad or not.

OK, I have a quite a few canon lenses which cover the focal ranges I need...
17-35mm f2.8
50mm f1.2
85mm f1.2
24-70 f2.8
70-200 f2.8

The only one that gets very rare use is the 24-70 f2.8, even as a walk about I usually take the 50mm and just compromise. I am toying with selling the 24-70 f2.8 and buying the 24-105 f4 (as a walk about) and the 135L f2 as I can get both of those with the money from the 24-70.

Is this worthwhile? I will retain the versatility with the 24-105 but I know they are not the greatest of lenses. In one hand I dont want to because then I wont have the famous f2.8 trio...which is a pathetic thing to think about lol..But I know the 135mm will be heavily used.

Really dont know what to do :)
 
Selling a lens that you rarely use for one you predict you will use heavily sounds like a good plan - regardless of the specific lenses in question.
 
At one stage I had both a 24-70 and a 24-105. I sold the 24-70 and kept the 24-105. I took into account various factors when I made this decision. First the 24-70 has (not unreasonably) a nickname of the brick. It is as you will know very heavy. The 24-105 is a lot lighter to lug around all day. The 24-105 also has extra reach. But most importantly my copy of the 24-105 was the sharper of the two lenses. Taking into account all these factors the decision was a no brainer.

I hope you have done your sums but at first take expecting to get a 24-105 and a 135mm lens for the money you raise from selling the 24-70 seems to be a bit of wishful thinking to me. The price of second user 24-70's seems to have dropped a far bit since the mark 2 version of this lens was launched. For your sake I hope I am wrong but it might be worth you exploring the archived threads to put values on these three lenses.

Good luck with your decision.
 
If the 24-70 f2.8 i a mk1 version, mpb sell them for around 600-700. The 24-105 f4 is around 400-500 and the 135 f2 is around 550-600.

I don't think you can get both after selling the 24-70. Unless your 24-70 is a mkii version then you probably can.

Used price maybe cheaper in here to buy but it won't be too cheap to grab both with the fund.

Take the price in mpb as approx and work out the maths and budget.
 
Thanks Grumps! Ive had a few 24-105 in the past as kit lenses and never had a problem with any apart from the barrel distortion at 24mm which is easily fixed PP.

Dont worry, my sums are good :)...in the last few hours I listed my 24-70 on Ebay at £1000 and sold it within 30 mins and have been paid already. There is a seller on Ebay for both lenses, new unused and he has a fair amount of both in stock and it comes to £990...after Paypal took their cut I had £930 so I will have to chuck another 60 quid in but no big deal :)

FYI, my (ex) 24-70 is the Lii version :)
 
Thats all cool. Sounds like a good plan to me.

I'm like you, I don't use my nikon 28-70 f2.8 as a walkaround due to weight but I can't sell me because I use it for work lol.
 
Despite the quality and speed of the 24-70 F2.8, ultimately the best lens is always the one on your camera and the 24-105 offer so much more flexibility that you are likely to get much more use out of it.

In the past, I have been tempted by various primes based on the improved image quality but unless I was using them at home, I couldn't be bothered to lug them around with me or indeed, if I did, sometimes opted not to stop and swap lenses. The ones that have always gotten the most use from me have been the zoom lenses offering the most flexibility in focal length.

My view, anyway ;)
 
I like the 24-105. Selling something you don't use to have something you will use and is of good quality IMO is probably the best choice. You said you take the 50mm out and "compromise"; barrel distortion at 24mm that's easily fixed in PS is a minor compromise so why can't you live with that? Good choice to sell and buy I'd say. Happy shooting!
 
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