Talk me out of trading my 24-105L

For a 28 1.8, 50 1.4 and 85 1.8

.....and go

Do it!

You have all three focal lengths covered with the 24-105 with IS but assume you need low light capability? And you have five flashes? Don't know your rationale (or what you shoot), but I would not do it. Is your 70-200 at f/4 too slow for what you are shooting? If fast glass is your goal, for whatever reason, then only you know why the 24-105 is not working for you.
John

24-105 is a great lens I just do a lot of low light no flash and need more light transmission.

The other option is I already have all these in Nikon pre-AI flavor and could get a nice adapter with focus confirmation.

i would only get rid of mine if i could cover the range with a 2.8.... then it would go.. but it is my main lens...

I like the idea of 'slow' zooms AND fast primes. To me the extra weight and cost of a 2.8 zoom over a 4 is not enough of a difference. But f1.8 and larger is a big difference over f4.

However, having the 24-105 and 70-200 is such a good all-round combination I think you'll end up wanting to get a 24-105 again.

Instead, start saving for the primes and add them one-by-one to the zooms.

I say keep the 24-105mm and pick up the 28mm, 50mm, and 85mm.

I thought about selling mine, but realized that it is an amazing lens once I started playing with it more.
It's a great wide angle lens where you want to shoot subjects 10 feet in width.
It also takes great scenic pictures at f/11 (where you don't need large apertures)
It's also a great travel lens because you'll never miss a shot changing lenses.
You don't get any chromatic aberration from the 24-105mm! No color fringing like the smaller primes.
You have image stabilizer! The long slow shutter speed wont stop subjects from moving, but at least you can still take great shots of stills at 1/10th of a second! This lets you hold your camera forever as it captures your shots!

shinyknights wrote in post #14197088
You don't get any chromatic aberration from the 24-105mm!

?????what????

Color fringing like fast primes, no, but CA, definitely at both ends of the zoom. However, it's quite consistent with aperture and across the frame and is very correctable in PP. (maybe you are processing in DPP and/or doing an automatic CA correction? - then it would be virtually zero).

I had all three of the listed primes (except the 50mm, I had the 1.8, not the 1.4) when I got my 5D Mk II and 24-105mm. I didn't care too much for the 28mm FL as a prime, it was just too wide to use indoors for people. There was a lot of distortion. So I sold that and purchased the 50mm f/1.4, then sold my 50mm f/1.8. I love the 85mm f/1.8 and will keep it, but probably use it for special shooting only. It's that good I don't want to give it up. The 24-105mm with a flash is more than adequate for most indoor shooting. It's great that it does zoom, you are not often switching lens. The IQ, color, contrast and IS are all Pros for keeping this lens. The reason I am keeping primes, is the weight difference. The 50mm is great for indoor, lightweight shooting and is really the perfect FL for me. I just find at times I prefer the zoom and am not wanting to give up either.

Might have just been my copy, but I was not impressed with the 24-105 that came in my 5D2 kit. It was rather soft even after micro adjustment. FL was great, but for me the 28-135mm is nearly as good at 1/5th the price.

shinyknights wrote in post #14197088
I say keep the 24-105mm and pick up the 28mm, 50mm, and 85mm.

+1.

24-105L = versatility
Three primes = creativity

Depending what you do most, you might be better off with the primes and no zoom. But the majority will find it a better strategy to have a versatile zoom and then add primes as you go.

By the way, the IS on 24-105L makes up for three stops which in low light would be as good as a fast prime (OK for stationary subjects). Remember that fast apertures give shallower DOF which can be a problem sometimes.

Think of it this way! The 24-105 is a great walk-around lens that gets you covered for most situations. The IS is an added benefit, but not having to change lens in the field is even more beneficial. Everytime you take a lens off the body, it gives the opportunity for dust and dirt to get on the sensor. I always hated cleaning the 5Dc sensor and it always seemed to get dirty. Keep the zoom and buy the primes over time used when you can find one at a good price. I think you will want to keep the 24-105 on your 5Dc.

I traded mine away for a 35L and love my 35L dearly.

That said, I do miss my 24-105, as it was the best one lens solution for just about everything. Fantastic vacation lens. I will most likely get another again at some point as its not a fantastic lens, but it works fantastically when you can only have one lens.

Only reason I've thought about trading up is I have a 28-90 USM kit lens that's pretty sharp stopped down and I can barely notice the difference between the 24-105 and 28-135

FWIW, I have a 24-105, 35/2, 50/1.4, and 100/2. As much as I love the small primes, I can't get rid of the larger zoom because for me focal length flexibility with IS really comes in handy a lot.

To go the prime route in dynamic situations, I would have to have a camera bag with the primes ready to go without lens caps to speed up lens swapping.

If you don't find yourself running around taking a lot of pictures at various lengths, I could see going for the smaller/lighter primes. It can be a lot fun. If you decide you made a mistake, there's a lot of 24-105 floating out there, you could easily pickup another copy.