Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Believe the hype! – This is a very good Lens. It is impressively sharp at all focal lengths and apertures and focuses fast and silently. It is built like a tank and the weather sealing provides peace of mind. Problems? As I said, it is built like a tank and with this comes size and weight. The lens is bulky and heavy, but I find this an acceptable trade off for its image quality and durability.

Gorgeous lens – Was convinced to buy this lens recently while on holiday. Had my heart set on the L series but after comparing the two, bought the above and so far, am impressed. Image quality as good as the L, faster focus and much lighter. Works on crop and full-frame sensor cameras. Recommended.

My copy of this lens developed a fault – This lens has a design fault that one of the ribbons will eventually develops a fault, resulting in the Error 01. (please see dpreview.com/forums/post/50063652). It seems that it is a widespread problem that eventually this lens will develop such a problem. Since it is a design problem, I have asked Canon to address to the issue. Canon has replied with standard email, but would never address why this expensive 'L' lens would have such a design issue. As canon web site shown, there is no product recall for this lens. It is very disappointing indeed.

It also has the aperture blades problem, resulting in very dark photos after adjusting the aperture from a higher value back to a lower value. L lens quality will eventually develop a fault

Excellent – Took this lens and several others away on a trip. Could have left the others at home as I used this 99% of the time. The images were true to colour and razor sharp, even under difficult conditions. Great performer. Highly recommended lens. Great all purpose lens. Razor sharp. Quick auto focus.