24-70mm L or 24-105mm L?

I chose the 24-70, but only because the price was absolutely right. Had it been the other way around, I would have taken the 24-105 in a heartbeat.

When you buy the 24-70, you buy it under the assumption that optically it is a great lens and that realistically you are buying it for the F2.8, the bokeh and the excellence gained by stopping it down. That being said, many review sites put the 24-105 and 24-70 at the same level in regard to sharpness in the apertures and focal lengths they share.

If you bought a 24-70 that wasn't really sharp at F2.8 and you had to stop it down to F4 to find the quality you're looking for, what is the real point of having it? You probably could have gone with the 24-105 and gained IS plus a longer focal range. (in a much lighter setup as well)

Get the 24-70 for the F2.8. Get it for the bokeh. Love it. Otherwise, there is great value in the 24-105.

Elisha wrote in post #9554280
Ok lets put that all aside.

Sharpness wise, isn't the 24-105L sharper than the 24-70L?
Even with both on f/4, the 24-105L is still sharper.

Could be due to a newer design. But the Canon 24-70L is not the best in class class 24-70mm compared to the Nikkor and the Sony's CZ.

I believe to me it's speed does not outweigh it's flaws and the cost associated with it's flaws compared to the 24-105L.

Sharpness from both lenses are about the same. At f4 - f5.6 the 24-105 may be a hair sharper edge-to-edge. Negligible, even if you pixel peep. If the OP is seriously interested in going FF in the near future then a couple of other characteristics of the 24-105 should be mentioned. The 24-105 has more pronounced distortion and vignetting on FF.

I would recommend you buy 24-105 as a very good general use lens with L quality image that you seek. I would then complement this lens with a fast prime or two. Maybe a 35L 1.4 and/or 135L 2.0. The 135L would be great for isolated portraits and is relatively cheap (for a L lens). The 35L would be great when there's not enough light - interiors, restaurants, museums, evening/night city stroll, etc. My philosophy is to buy small aperture zooms for convenience and low weight and supplement them with large aperture primes for the more creative and demanding shots. I really think that 35L 1.4 and 24-105L are a great combination for both full frame and crop(as long as you don't crave more options on the wide end).

Forgot to add...The 17-55 IS f/2.8 is a really very very good lens and just like everyone said is the perfect match for a crop camera. It has the same glass as L lenses, just doesn't have the L in the name. If you ever decide to go full frame, you could sell it for 80% of its value and buy whatever you desire at that point.