24-105

How is this lens for portrait shots used on a 7D. I use a 85mm 1.8 most always and am wanting something wider too for family/grad shots. The 24-105 is the f4

It will work fine, although that being said I have not used it on a crop (I use a 5D3). I do have the 85 f1.8 which will give you a razor thin DOF wide open. You won't get that same effect with the f/4, but that is not necessarily a bad thing depending upon background and distance to the subject. The closer you get to the person at 105mm the shallower the DOF will become. Here is an example:

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I use mine all the time at weddings. When shooting groups, you don't want a narrow DOF. It's also handy being able to go from wide to tight with the turn of a wrist

I use mine on a 7D, mainly for animal portraits. It does a stellar job, especially in the studio. The range is perfect, gives lots of flexibility. When photographing dogs, I personally prefer to have the whole face in focus, so I wouldn't shoot wider than f4 even if I could (I used to have a f2.8 lens and rarely used it wide open for portraits). Outdoors, it's easy to throw a background out of focus at f4, simply by distancing the subject from it. Both these shots were taken using the 24-105 on a 7D.

For a 7D you would be better served with the EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS. The 24-105 is a great studio portrait lens, sharp and versatile. Outside the studio there are more interesting options.

gonzogolf wrote in post #17235433
For a 7D you would be better served with the EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS. The 24-105 is a great studio portrait lens, sharp and versatile. Outside the studio there are more interesting options.

This is kind of why I have both a 17-50/2.8 and the 24-105. In my home studio I can go from whole body to tight headshot without having to change lenses with the 24-105. 50mm is too short for head shots at least for my taste. However the 17-24 and 2.8 are very valuable outside the studio. I will say since you ( the OP) have an 85/1.8 that it pairs very well with a 17-50(55) and I often just take those two lenses with me when I go out.

I don't have a studio so all my shooting is outside. my main hobby is landscape however more and more people are asking me to do family photos. I also was thinking maybe the Sigma 35mm Art. At some point I would like to start shooting F/F so I am wanting to limit the collection of ef-s lenses.

jlstan wrote in post #17236230
I don't have a studio so all my shooting is outside. my main hobby is landscape however more and more people are asking me to do family photos. I also was thinking maybe the Sigma 35mm Art. At some point I would like to start shooting F/F so I am wanting to limit the collection of ef-s lenses.

Buy the lens you need for the camera you have now. Unless you have a date specific when you are going full frame dont buy a lens that would likely be considerably less satisfying for the task you described. If you buy a used 17-55 now you can sell it in a year at the same price as it holds its value as well or better than some L lenses.

Another alternative, and my favorite lens overall on the 7D, is the EF-S 15-85mm. Great IQ, impressive IS and useful focal range. If you need the wider aperture for moving subjects in low light the 17-55mm may be better, if not this is worth considering. There are other alternatives of course, those presented above are the best IMO.

More info:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com …6-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

Good luck!

P.S. I agree with Gonzo, mainly because if you go FF anytime in the next few years the 24-105mm will probably still be a kit lens, and way cheaper than buying separately.

It's a compromise lens. The only thing about portraits is that I don't much care for the bokeh on this lens although the above example isn't too bad.

OTOH I still often use it for family group portraits, even outdoors, but then only I notice the flaws and not being a portrait person (and even less of a people person) I don't really care.

Photographing animals I grab the 135 or sig 85 - where I also know the type of shot I want.

I do agree with the stopping down thing though. On FF f5.6 is my absolute widest aperture for multiple people portraits and even then you have to be careful.

Thanks for the input

Those look great Corey! As a new owner of the 24-105, I'm happy to see what it is capable of in terms of portraits.

I will second the notion that you should buy the lens for the camera that you have now. I'm in the process of selling off some ef-s lenses having gone to FF recently and it's really a pretty easy transition. Personally, I wouldn't go much wider than 50mm for portraits, but you have a lot of good options. The Sigma 35 art that you mentioned, the 35mm f2 IS, the 40mm 2.8 pancake, the 50mm 1.4, etc. If you do want a zoom, how about the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 non-VC? I've heard many say that it is sharper than the 24-105 and it can be had for under $300 used.

In fact, I'm selling mine in the marketplace right now!