Search the Community

What's the consensus on the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 lens? I have been shooting with primes since I got my Sony A7rii about a year and a half ago. I have the Sony Zeiss 35mm f/2.8, the Sony Master FE 90mm f/2.8 macro, and a Rokinon 12mm fish-eye lens, and have also been using legacy Nikon and Olympus lenses with a couple of different adapters (the Zuiko 50mm, 28mm and 200mm's from my old OM-1 film days and my Nikon 20mm, 50mm and lensbaby). I like using primes and find that my favorite lens on the camera is the Nikon 20mm, with the 90mm Macro a close second. The 35mm is a great walking around lens since it's so light. Love the ultra wide fisheye too but it's heavy and not something I'm going to lug around all day. Both of the 50mm's have beautiful bokeh - the Nikon is an f/1.4 from the 1970's, around the same age as my legacy Olympus Zuiko's. There's something about those old film lenses I really like... but carrying a bag full of primes along with assorted adapters defeats the idea of going light - that's where my Oly and the Sony differ since the Oly mirrorless lenses I have are all so tiny and light. So, I need some advice. Is the convenience worth the price? Will I regret not filling my bag with primes? I resisted buying the 24-105mm or one of the 24-70mm's when I got the camera, but now I'm thinking it would be nice to have a lens that covers so many situations. For example, if I'm headed into NYC for the day, I usually pop on the light 35mm and zoom with my feet, but I'll be doing a photo walk during PhotoExpo in a couple of weeks and realize that it might be really nice to have one lens that will cover so much ground. Can it satisfy a pixel peeper? Is it worth the price for the convenience and is it a good lens or will I find myself in pixel-peeping hell? Alamy has made me into a pixel-peeper, so I worry that I might not find a lens that covers so much ground is going to hold up under such scrutiny, but it would really cover nearly any situation. Is Weight an issue? I think it weighs a tad more than the camera, but less than any of the zooms I used regularly with my Nikons. I made the switch to mirrorless to keep my kit light, and have a bad neck and back, but I don't think it would be too heavy, especially if it was the only lens I took along for the day. Is it fast enough to shoot at night? I like the fixed focal length and given Sony's low light capabilities, I'm thinking it would be fine to use even at night. Thoughts on whether you can use it all day and at night too, without a tripod, also appreciated. I'm used to some fast primes but I think that f/4 will be okay, especially if I use it toward the wider end at night. Sony anti-shake isn't as good as IBIS on the Olympus, but I'm guessing between cranking up the ISO and taking advantage of the OSS, night shooting sans tripod isn't an issue. Am I right? Advice welcome. Thanks!