24-105 - versions?

[KimH]

As i wait - still - for a 5DIII body (that has not been pulled out of a kit) i was wondering whether there is a reason to buy the kit - anyway. An escuse - if you like.

Is there anybody that knows whether the 24-105 that was introed 5-6 years ago is EXACTLY the same as is being sold today. Has there been any level of stealth improvement over the years?

I'm sure there could be a good conversation right there 8)

 

[Invertalon]

Generally it will be the exact same. But you never know if Canon made any changes and will never know, either.

My thoughts is that production and stuff improves over time, even if the parts/assembly instructions do not. The glass making, IS assemblies, etc... Generally will benefit from an improvement somewhere. Probably not enough to ever know, but that is why I always prefer to have the newer makes of even older lenses.

 

[dstppy]

If ANYONE is going to know, it's Roger over at LensRentals.

When they sell their stuff, they mention when the date code is 'good'.

That said, I don't recall seeing that comment on any of the 24-105s for sale.

 

[Loswr]

No 'stealth' changes. There was a service advisory for the earliest copies (UT1000 and prior) of the lens due to a 'rays of light' flare issue.

It was and remains a great lens, quite sharp (yes, there are sharper lenses), suffers from distortion at the wide end. But honestly, it's a very convenient lens for a FF general purpose zoom, not too heavy, IS is a big benefit.

 

[awinphoto]

It should have the light flare fix that was a problem when it first was released way back when but other than that, they typically remain the same "if it's not broke dont fix it"...

 

[stabmasterasron]

Having been in manufacturing for many years, I can tell you that problems can come up any time. Even on a mature product, you can have supplier issues, personnel turnover, or any number of other problems. Yes, the problems become less with time - the first production run is usually not the best one to buy. But after a few years of stable production, it doesn't help to get any more mature. As an example, a supplier could try to lean out there process and start making inferior products - that still pass the things you have been inspecting for! There is lots of tribal knowledge that never gets written down that can walk out the door at any time. Lots of issues. Creating a stable manufacturing process is not easy - a lot of things have to come together all at once.