Another cool deal by eBay seller 6ave (99.5% positive ratings): The Canon EOS 6D with the EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS lens is on sale for $2,384.99 (click here). Free shipping. There are bonus items too:

• 32GB SDHC High Speed Memory Card
• 2x – LP-E6 Replacement Lithium-Ion Battery
• Compact AC/DC Charger for LP-E6 Battery
• 77mm UV Filter
• Deluxe Soft Large Camera and Video Case Bag

DigitalRev has the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens, and they sale it at a very good price. The price depends by your check-out location (click here to check the price), it is around Eur 781.20 in Europe, £569 in UK, and $839 in the US (click here). The final price is comprehensive of all import taxes and duties in Europe, and it should be the same if you live in the US. In the past I wrote about how DigitalRev’s pricing and check-out is working.

Very good deal by top rated seller foto-mundus (>42000 ratings, 99.8% positive) on eBay Germany: The Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM lens is on sale for Eur 799.99 (click here). Free shipping and original German Canon warranty. Very good deal considering that the EF 24-105 is usually sold for Eur 929.

photozone.de about the EF 24-105mm:

Regarding its equivalent zoom range (39-168mm) on an APS-C DSLR the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 USM L IS may not be the most sexy lens here but its performance figures are very impressive nonetheless. In fact the resolution results beat those from the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 USM L and match the EF 28-70mm f/2.8 USM L with its much more conservative zoom range (but higher speed). There’s a slight decrease in performance at 105mm but even here the quality remains on a very high level. As to be expected from a modern Canon L lens the construction quality is up to pro standards matching its fasters cousins. The lower price tag plus the extra IS should compensate the slightly more moderate max. aperture for most users. Is it a perfect lens then ? Well, there’re also downsides like pronounced barrel distortions and higher than expected CAs at the wide-end of the zoom range. However, the package remains extremely attractive if you can live with the rather unattractive zoom range on an APS-C DSLR – similar to other 28-xx or 24-xx zooms this lens is really more meant for 1.3x or FF (D)SLRs.

Let me start with the Canon Direct Store. They are offering discounts up to 30% on refurbished Canon DSLRs (click here). To see all refurbished lenses on offer click here. Among the refurbished DSLRs on sale there are:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark III body only for $2,379.33 (click here).
• Canon EOS 5D Mark II body only for $1,495.32 (click here)
• Canon EOS 7D body only for $1,019.32 (click here)
• Canon EOS 60D body only for $611.99 (click here)
• Canon EOS 60D with EF-S 18-135mm IS lens for $815.32 (click here)
• Canon EOS Rebel T4i/EOS 650D body only for $543.99 (click here)
• Canon EOS Rebel T4i/EOS 650D with the EF-S 18-55mm IS lens for $611.99 (click here)
• Canon EOS Rebel T4i with 18-135mm IS STM lens for $781.32 (click here)
• and much much more (click here)

Top rated plus eBay seller getitdigital (>40000 ratings, 99.6% positive) has various good Canon deals for you. All items limited supply, and free shipping and USA warranty. All deals are pretty good, the EOS 6D and EF 24-105mm deals are very good.

The Canon 5D Mark III body only is on sale for $2,925.14 (click here).

Then, they have the Canon EOS 6D (body only) for $1,649.99 (click here).

Next, there are Canon Rebel T3/EOS 1100D bodies on sale for $329.99 (click here). Bonus items: 16 GB memory card and an extra battery.

Finally, they have the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens for $839.99 (click here). Bonus items: UV filter and lens cap holder.

Yes we do, we really like such good deals when they come from a reliable seller. Top rated plus eBay seller getitdigital (39235 ratings, 99.6% positive) has the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM on sale for $840 (click here). That’s around $200 less than usual, even with the Canon Rebates going on. As free bonus items you get an UV filter and a lens cap keeper. Free shipping and USA warranty.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM core specs:

• 24-105mm standard zoom lens with f/4 maximum aperture for Canon EOS SLR cameras
• 1 Super UD glass element and 3 aspherical lenses minimize chromatic aberration and distortion
• Ring-type USM system delivers silent but quick autofocus (AF); full-time manual focus
• Image Stabilizer technology steadies camera shake at up to 3 stops; weighs 23.6 ounces
• Dust- and moisture-resistant; measures 3.3 inches in diameter and 4.2 inches long; 1-year warranty

Image Stabilizer - Ideal for handheld work, IS Image Stabilizer allows use of shutter speeds up to 3-stops slower with no perceptible increase in image blur.
Fixed Aperture – With no change in aperture over the full focal length range, photographers can set exposure at the widest aperture and zoom through to 105mm without slowing shutter speed.
Super UD and Aspherical Lens Elements - Constructed with one Super-UD glass element and three aspherical lenses, this lens minimizes chromatic aberration and distortion. The result is excellent picture quality, even at wide apertures.
Ring USM - Ring USM (Ultrasonic motor) uses ultrasonic frequency vibrations to drive responsive, near-silent high speed auto focus. Good holding torque stops the focusing lens group with precision without overshoot. Full time manual focus override is available without having to switch out of AF.
Super Spectra Coatings – Optimized Super Spectra lens coatings and lens element shaping suppress flare and ghosting – more prone to occur with digital cameras due to reflection off the image sensor. Coatings also help achieve true color balance and increase contrast for vivid hi-fidelity images.

Specifications
Weight: 1.5 lb (670 g)
Length: 4.2″ (107mm)
Filter Size: 77mm
F/Stop Range: 4-22
Minimum Focus Distance: 1.48′ (0.45 m)
Magnification: 1:4.3
Angle of View: 84 – 23° (full-frame cameras)
Groups/Elements: 13/18
Maximum Diameter: 3.3″ (83.5mm)

The Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM (price & specs) is about to become a highly popular lens, at least this is the impression if you look at the many EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM reviews that are published. The latest comes from slrgear. Some excerpts from their review:

• The 24-70mm [...] offers sharp results, but is also the subject of some controversy for its performance at 50mm. We tested three copies of this lens; the first and second had poor performance at the 50mm setting.
• Stopping down the lens does improve its sharpness: corner softness is never completely removed to provide tack-sharp results from corner to corner on full-frame, but it is dramatically reduced. Peak performance is shown at ƒ/8 across all focal lengths
• Results for chromatic aberration with the 24-70mm ƒ/4L were good: overall, CA is kept under control through the majority of the frame
• On APS-C sensors corner shading is not an issue, but on full-frame: the lens creates images with corners that are significantly darker than the center. In the worst case, 24mm at ƒ/4, the extreme corners are a full stop darker than the center
• [...] testing for distortion shows a complicated pattern with a point of near-zero distortion.
• Going from infinity to close-focus takes well less than one second, and point-to-point focusing is lightning quick
• the lens offers an impressive 0.7x magnification [for macro]. There is also some slight fine-tuning adjustment available for zoom and focus in the macro setting

As you have seen, they are nor very satisfied with the performance at 50mm (sharpness-wise). Moreover, they found inconsistencies among copies of the lens (not good Canon!). It is hence wise to test the lens at 50mm before buying it. The issues at 50mm reflect also in the conclusion:

Canon made a smart decision to offer a lower-priced alternative to its 24-70mm ƒ/2.8, in order to give Canon shooters of the more casual or economical nature a way to stay true to the brand name. Unfortunately the lens’ performance at 50mm stands out as unacceptable, especially when you consider [it] still costs $1,500. [...] So what is a Canon shooter to do? If you’re happy with the performance you see from our sample pictures, and you need or want the image stabilization and macro capabilities of the 24-70mm ƒ/4, then you should be happy with your purchase – assuming you get as good a copy as we did [...]

There is always the alternative to go for the good old Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (price & specs), which offers a wider range and the same specs as the 24-70mm. And the 24-105mm is known not only to be a lens of proven quality, but also to have consistent optical performance.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM price check: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, Canon USA, J&R, Digitalrev, eBay, rent it at Borrow Lenses
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM price check: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, Canon USA, J&R, Digitalrev, eBay, rent it at Borrow Lenses

[via slrgear]