More Canon lens discounts at site sponsor B&H. I have listed both the newly announced deals and some of the earlier ones in the following list:
- Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II lens $1799 after checkout discount and mail-in rebate.* Eligible for 2% B&H “reward” and free shipping. (NEW)
- Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens for $999 after checkout discount and mail-in rebate.* Eligible for 2% B&H “reward” and free shipping. (NEW)
- Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II – your cost is $1.349 after checkout discount and mail-in rebate.* (listed yesterday)
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II – your cost is $1899 after checkout discount and mail-in rebate.* (listed yesterday)
* The process for getting the listed “final costs” above requires several steps. First, use the links to go to the B&H page where you’ll see the regular list price. Add the item to your cart and a new, lower price will appear. Then make sure to download the Canon mail-in rebate form, read the terms, and then fill it out carefully and mail it after you receive your lens.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Dan,I did read it before I posted Sat.and I think I’ll stick w/ my 24-105 since it does take excellent photos and it has the IS.I’m not new to slr photography(got the bug in ’75)just dslr and I bought the 5D MKIII a yr ago and it has opened up so many things.Many people rely only on auto programs and miss out on stopping down to get that”bokah”(love the new terminology)the 70-200 2.8l II is great for it but I do the same w/ 24-105 w/ great shots of ornaments on my Christmas tree!There are others who would love to have what we do and we need to be content w/ what we have and not feel we always have to have more.Greg
Greg, I know what you mean!
I’m going to give you both sides of this one, despite the fact that I could easily have a bias towards encouraging you to purchase the lens (from B&H through my links).
A few preliminaries:
1. I own both lenses. There is more background about the multiple Canon options here, in an article I wrote earlier this year: (Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II vs. 24-70mm f/4L IS vs. 24-105mm f/4 L IS
2. There are typically a lot of short-term specials around the holidays, and for folks who have made a lens decision this can be a good time to purchase. While there are “rebate” and “instant rebate” offers at other times of the year, what I’m seeing right now are that these rebate offers combined with additional discounts. For example, currently there is a $300 Canon mail-in rebate offer on the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II and the sale price of the lens has been discounted by $200-$300. A few weeks ago, this was enhanced by a 4% “reward”offer at B&H, taking nearly $700 off the final cost of the lens! (Right now the offers took off something in the $500-$600 range the last time I checked.)
So let me give you a quick summary of my feelings about the 24-105 and the 24-70. (And do read the link above, since it goes into more detail than I’ll cover here.)
In my view, both are excellent lenses. I know that it is popular in some quarters to bad-mouth the 24-105mm f/4 L IS as a “kit” lens or to point out that other lenses may measure better on the test bench. But all of that aside, it is a very good lens that has a lot going for it – the decent price, very good image quality (especially after correction in post), a larger focal length range, image stabilization, the “traditional” 77mm filter thread diameter. Its “minuses” are well known: it vignettes more that some lenses at f/4, especially at 24mm, and it exhibits noticeable barrel distortion at 24mm. But it is important to both keep in mind that those things are easily corrected in post and that it offers a very useful set of features. I made a number of my own favorite photographs using the lens.
The 24-70 f/2.8 L II is also a very fine lens, and it has a reputation for providing state of the art resolution in a zoom. The f/2.8 aperture can be useful in certain types of low light situations in which subject motion is the issue. On the “minus” side are, of course, the much higher price, the more substantial size and weight, the lack of image stabilization, and the shorter range of focal lengths.
To be honest, sometimes when I’m using the 24-70 I wish I had brought along the 24-105! And sometimes when using the 24-105 I wish I had brought the 24-70! (The article might help you tease out which way you’ll go more often.)
Good luck with your decision!
Dan
See my Deals Page for current offers at B&H on these and other products.
This time of year they have so many sales w/rebates (inc the dbl dipping)it makes it sooo tempting to buy not knowing if it will be this cheap again.I have the 5DmkIII w/ the 24-105 & have been happy w/it but I do a lot of walk around indoor shooting w/out flash(adds even more weight)24-70 f/2.8l is 1699.00 after rebate Just hate to pass it up.Help an L-cholic.