Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM vs Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM compared with EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM

	CanonEF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM	CanonEF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Overview
Released
Released	2016	September 2001
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Zoom	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	24–105 mm	70–200 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/4	f/2.8
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/32
Optical construction
Optical construction	Seventeen elements in twelve groups	23 elements in 18 groups
Special elements
Special elements	Four aspherical elements	Four UD elements
Coatings
Coatings	Air Sphere Coating; front and rear fluorine coating according to The Digital Picture	–
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Ten blades with a circular aperture	Eight blades with a circular aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	84°–23°20′ diagonal, 74°–19°20′ horizontal and 53°–13° vertical	Diagonal 34°–12°; vertical 19°30′–7°; horizontal 29°–10°
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon EF full-frame and APS-C DSLRs; EOS M cameras require an EF-EOS M mount adaptor	Canon EF mount full-frame and APS-C cameras
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	Canon's manual excludes extenders	EF1.4X II gives 98–280 mm f/4 and 0.24× maximum magnification; EF2X II gives 140–400 mm f/5.6 and 0.36×; autofocus supported but slower
Adaptor support
Adaptor support	EF12 II gives 0.60–0.50× at 24 mm and 0.41–0.12× at 105 mm; EF25 II is incompatible at 24 mm and gives 0.61–0.27× at 105 mm	–
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.45 m	1.4 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.24×	0.17×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	Yes	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	USM autofocus with full-time manual focusing. Canon's manual specifies turning the ring with the shutter half-pressed after One Shot AF	Ring-type USM (The Digital Picture); manual override after One-Shot autofocus while holding the shutter button halfway
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Internal focusing according to The Digital Picture; Canon instructs users to finish zooming before focusing	Internal focusing with a non-rotating front; maximum 0.17× magnification at 200 mm
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Canon claims four-stop optical stabilisation. The exact manual describes automatic adjustment for still subjects and panning, with correction perpendicular to the panning direction	Three-stop optical IS claim; Mode 1 for general shooting and Mode 2 for panning; Canon manual recommends switching off on a tripod to save battery power
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	Yes	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	77 mm	77 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	83.5 mm	86.2 mm
Length
Length	118 mm	197 mm
Weight
Weight	795 g (better)	1,470 g
Controls
Controls	AF/MF and stabilisation switches, separate focus and zoom rings, distance window, infrared index and transport lock at 24 mm	AF/MF, IS on/off and IS mode switches; focus limiter selects 1.4 m–infinity or 2.5 m–infinity
Zoom design
Zoom design	Extending barrel; zoom lock holds the shortest 24 mm position	Internal zooming maintains physical length (ePHOTOzine and The Digital Picture)
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Canon UK describes dust and moisture sealing; the manual identifies a rubber mount ring. The Digital Picture recommends a protective filter to complete front sealing	Sealed against dust and moisture; rubber gasket around the lens mount
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	Maximum diameter × retracted length; size and 795 g weight are lens-only. Caps add 24.2 mm to length according to Canon's manual	86.2 mm maximum diameter × 197 mm length; lens dimensions exclude caps
Weight detail
Weight detail	–	1,470 g lens alone; 1,590 g with the tripod collar according to Canon's instruction manual
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	–	Included removable rotating collar; detach the lens from the camera before removing the collar
Lens hood
Lens hood	EW-83M hood with release button; reversible for storage	ET-86, reversible for storage
In the box
In the box	Lens, E-77 II front cap, Dust Lens Cap E, EW-83M hood, LP1219 case and manual according to Canon UK	Lens hood, tripod collar and lens case (The Digital Picture); manual identifies ET-86 hood, E-77U cap and LZ1324 case
Release detail
Release detail	Canon Camera Museum's exact-model table records October 2016 marketing; its later RF 24–105mm page retrospectively says November 2016. The year is used because the maker gives conflicting months without explaining a regional difference	Marketed in September 2001 according to Canon Camera Museum