Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM vs Canon EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM compared with EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II
CanonEF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USMCanonEF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II
Overview
Released2016March 2011
Optics
Lens typeZoomZoom
Focal length24–105 mm18–55 mm
Maximum aperturef/4f/3.5–5.6
Minimum aperturef/22f/22–36
Optical constructionSeventeen elements in twelve groups11 elements in nine groups; retains the optical design of the original EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS
Special elementsFour aspherical elementsOne high-precision aspherical element
Aperture detail–Minimum f/22–36 with third-stop settings in Canon's EOS 1100D manual; the UK specification also lists f/38 at the long end with different aperture increments
CoatingsAir Sphere Coating; front and rear fluorine coating according to The Digital Picture–
DiaphragmTen blades with a circular apertureSix blades with a circular aperture according to Canon Camera Museum
Angle of view84°–23°20′ diagonal, 74°–19°20′ horizontal and 53°–13° verticalHorizontal 64°30′–23°20′; vertical 45°30′–15°40′; diagonal 74°20′–27°50′
Mount and compatibility
MountsCanon EFCanon EF-S
Image circleFull frameAPS-C
CompatibilityCanon EF full-frame and APS-C DSLRs; EOS M cameras require an EF-EOS M mount adaptorCanon EF-S compatible APS-C cameras
Teleconverter supportCanon's manual excludes extenders–
Adaptor supportEF12 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
AutofocusYesYes
Minimum focus distance0.45 m0.25 m
Maximum magnification0.24×0.34×
Optical stabilisationYesYes
Autofocus detailUSM autofocus with full-time manual focusing. Canon's manual specifies turning the ring with the shutter half-pressed after One Shot AFMicromotor autofocus; no full-time manual override according to The Digital Picture and Focus Review
Focus distance detailInternal focusing according to The Digital Picture; Canon instructs users to finish zooming before focusingFront element rotates and extends during focusing; select MF before turning the narrow manual focus ring according to The Digital Picture and Ken Rockwell
Magnification detail–Maximum 0.34× at 55 mm; EF12 II gives 0.64–0.23× and EF25 II gives 1.00–0.51× according to Canon UK, with wide-angle incompatibility
Stabilisation detailCanon claims four-stop optical stabilisation. The exact manual describes automatic adjustment for still subjects and panning, with correction perpendicular to the panning directionFour-stop launch claim based on a shutter speed of 1/(focal length × 1.6) seconds according to Canon Camera Museum; lens-shift stabilisation
Design
Dust and moisture resistantYes–
Filter diameter77 mm58 mm
Maximum diameter83.5 mm68.5 mm
Length118 mm70 mm
Weight795 g200 g (better)
ControlsAF/MF and stabilisation switches, separate focus and zoom rings, distance window, infrared index and transport lock at 24 mm–
Zoom designExtending barrel; zoom lock holds the shortest 24 mm position–
Weather resistanceCanon UK describes dust and moisture sealing; the manual identifies a rubber mount ring. The Digital Picture recommends a protective filter to complete front sealing–
Dimensions detailMaximum diameter × retracted length; size and 795 g weight are lens-only. Caps add 24.2 mm to length according to Canon's manual68.5 mm maximum diameter × 70 mm retracted length
Lens hoodEW-83M hood with release button; reversible for storageEW-60C hood and LP814 case sold separately according to Canon's EOS 1100D manual
In the boxLens, E-77 II front cap, Dust Lens Cap E, EW-83M hood, LP1219 case and manual according to Canon UK–
Release detailCanon 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 differenceCanon Camera Museum records March 2011 introduction. This is retail-month precision; no separately confirmed UK first-sale day is published in these sources.

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