I purchased the 24-105 back in Oct. The main reason for getting it so soon after it was released was because I was missing a lens that covered the 40-70mm range and was going on a trip to Crete. I took all my lenses with me and this is the one I used the most. Ok this was partly due to the convenient range, but also because the contrast, colour and sharpness was amazing. I had this copy of the lens replaced because of the reported lens flare problem and am happy to report that my replacement copy is just as good as the original. For sample pics, check my Crete portait shots on my photoblog, they were all taken with the 24-105.
