Suggestions for Zoom Lens for Canon Mark 5D Mark iii

[Denyen]

Well as one suggested. Have a go at the 24-105mm. They are pretty easy to find used and I have also seen them very heavily discounted in stores. It's a ton of fun, really versatile and (imho) has good IQ.

 

[Loswr]

For a general purpose zoom, the 24-105L on FF is excellent. For a tele zoom, the 70-200/4L IS is also excellent (IQ on par with the 70-200/2.8L IS II).

Heidi, which is more important - a general purpose lens or a telephoto zoom?

How about used? There are a couple of 70-200/4 IS on my local Craigslist for a bit over $800, and 24-105's list for ~$700-800 and I expect often sell for a little less.

 

[heidi.nelson]

I have also considered the 24-105mm f4 L IS lens....I am actually mad at myself for not buying it as part of a kit-package when I bought the Mark iii at the time....

 

[Jay H]

As an owner of a 70-200mm 2.8 IS, I wish I would have opted for the 4.0. The 2.8 is heavy.

Between the 24-105mm and the 70-200mm, I would pick the 24-105. You get IS and it is a great walk around lens.

 

[heidi.nelson]

In terms of sharpness, would one say the 24-105mm f4 L lens and the 70-200mm f/4 L lens are going to be similar?

 

[Toronto]

The 70-200 F4 is very sharp as is the 24-105, the difference will be distortion which the 24-105 has a bit off. Which lens will depend on what your shooting, remember that a long zoom ( the 70-200 ) is great for portraits and some sports but it is suddenly lost indoors for groups or when ever you need a wide angle for landscapes. The 24-105 while an excellent walk around lens distorts a fair bit at the wide end enough so that a cheaper 3rd party wide angle would be a better buy if your needing to shoot wide. I know your on a budget but sometimes it is worth it to use what you have and save a while longer to invest in the gear you really need later rather than playing the lens buy and sell game. I have my own studio and have gone through dozens of cameras and lenses to find out that at least with lenses your almost always at one extreme or another, wide or slightly long and rarely in between. In the end my 2 most used lenses are the 70-200 and 16-35, my 85, 50, 135 24-70 are collecting dust as are the aps bodies ( we have canon mkII/Nikon d700 for FF and nikon D300/D7000 pentax aps ). This is all over time and if I know one thing is that you will always want to eventually get one of those big white lenses eventaully, so why not save and make the investment once, not several times over.

 

[RGF]

not listed - 70-300L

 

[Loswr]

not listed - 70-300L

I thought about that, but the OP lists outdoor portraits as a main intended use, and for that the wider the aperture, the better. An f/5.6 lens isn't ideal for portraits.

 

[heidi.nelson]

Thank you for all of the advice -- it is really appreciated as I am expanding my equipment. Such great information! I've gone back and forth on the 24-105 a lot as well as the others....I have been able to narrow down my choices down some which is great. As we still have several feet of snow outside I still have some time and some upcoming projects in which to put money towards a lens so I'll have to see if I can bump up my budget or look for a good used/refurbished lens.

 

[drock1317]

If your buying a 5D mkIII put good glass on it, the 70-200 F2.8 IS II, accept no substitute! I'm not being elitist but don't skimp on glass with full frame and IS does make that much of a difference.

NO SUBSTITUTE! For sure the 70-200mm 2.8 IS II is one of the best lenses ever. But if money is an issue, the 70-200mm 2.8 IS mkI is already an extraordinary lens. I was able to get mine 3 years ago for $900 because the seller was switching to Nikon. Great for videos as well.

 

[TrumpetPower!]

If you can only have one multi-purpose lens for the 5DIII, the 24-105 would have to be it. It's probably the best standard zoom combination ever made for any format, ever. Yes, it'd be nice if it was faster, but it's got a fantastic focal length range, image stabilization, and awesome optics.

As has also been mentioned, the original non-IS 70-200 f/2.8 is another superlative lens, probably second only to the new IS version amongst telephoto zooms.

You might also want to put some thought into your preferred holy trinity of primes. You could do a lot worse than to get either the 28 f/1.8 or the 35 f/2 plus the 50 f/1.4 plus either the 85 f/1.8 or the 100 f/2. It depends a lot, of course, on what, exactly, you're shooting as well as your style.

Cheers,

b&