Disappointed with the 24-105. Replacements?

I have a 5dm2, a 50 1.4, and a 24-105L. I'm not impressed with the 24-105, it's not sharp or crisp. It feels bland and soft. If I were to sell it, what are suitable replacements in that price range? 700$. I'm not opposed to all primes, it does frighten me to not have a zoom though. I'd have to have a 24 or a 35.

Edit: This was after using a sigma 70-200 f2.8 II.

You could use the (now discontinued) EF 24/2.8 USM and the EF 100/2 USM. That would give you 24-50-100 in primes.

But before making this move, have you simply had your 24-105 zoom looked into? The lens should be sharp. The 24-105 has its issues (distortion, vignetting) but sharpness is pretty good. Yours may be out of whack.

JeffreyG wrote in post #15823795
You could use the (now discontinued) EF 24/2.8 USM and the EF 100/2 USM. That would give you 24-50-100 in primes.

But before making this move, have you simply had your 24-105 zoom looked into? The lens should be sharp. The 24-105 has its issues (distortion, vignetting) but sharpness is pretty good. Yours may be out of whack.

I agree with this. I've used one of theses for close to 5 years and it's been sharp on three different bodies.

Besides, do you want to make it somebody else's problem?

I know this sort of request can sound like disbelief, but can you post a sample? I've always felt the 24-105 to be plenty sharp, and would like to see what you consider soft.

I've been happy with mine. It's not the sharpest lens I own but so versatile it is always with me.

Mine is crazy sharp, at any focal length, 1-1.5 stops down.
So good, it made my 17-40 look bad. I sold that 17-40.
It's my cheapest lens today, yet it never leave the bag.

Of all the lenses I have owned and sold I still have the 24-105L. It's been around the world with me and survived a number of harsh conditions. Still sharp!

Another vote for the 24-105L being a nice piece of glass. I've found my copy to be both sharp and versatile. To the OP, possibly send it in for calibration if your not pleased with its performance.

MuteGoose wrote in post #15823757
I have a 5dm2, a 50 1.4, and a 24-105L. I'm not impressed with the 24-105, it's not sharp or crisp. It feels bland and soft. If I were to sell it, what are suitable replacements in that price range? 700$. I'm not opposed to all primes, it does frighten me to not have a zoom though. I'd have to have a 24 or a 35.

Edit: This was after using a sigma 70-200 f2.8 II.

Upping your budget by $200 will get you arguably the best 35/1.4 on the market today, the Sigma.

But I own a 24-105 happily alongside my other lenses, if you are disappointed by yours it could simply be in need of calibration.

My f/2.8 zoom is the old 28-70. It's about $800. You'll have to hunt down parts yourself but otherwise it works very well.

Indeed, this is a bomb, I bought it in past, 12yo from a professor at a great price and it was a perfect standardzoom. Due to a prime switch I sold it, now I have 24-70 2.8.

I had 24-105 also in past but it had a lot of vignetting (ok correctable), but I like to have fastest f2.8 zooms for portraits and faster is always handy for outside shots with nice bokeh.

If you exclusively use it in studio, the 24-105 is perfect.

uOpt wrote in post #15825281
My f/2.8 zoom is the old 28-70. It's about $800. You'll have to hunt down parts yourself but otherwise it works very well.

Another option is getting the tamron 24-70 VC. Its pretty good, competitive to the 24-70 mark I, doesn't cost an arm and a leg (maybe just the arm).

I used to have the 24-105. It was pretty good sharpness wise. F/4 was a bit soft at the end part of the zoom, but F/5.6 was extremely sharp all around.

Agree with JeffreyG, your complaints of the 24-105 don't match what most experience with theirs.
Soft or bland are not characteristics of a proper functioning 24-105.
Maybe a little soft on the corners, at 24...