So let me say that though there are those who would scold me (Ed Pierce) for shooting so much with greater-than F2.8 lens, I love my 24-105L F4.0 IS lens on my 5D!  Its maximum aperture of 4.0 limits what you can do with depth of field and Bohek (that buttery background blur in photographs).  So I’m not crazy about it for people portraits and weddings, but it has been perfect as a versatile, tack sharp, go-to lens on this portfolio-building trip.  The image stabilization more than makes up for the slow max aperture, and during the times that I’m shooting architecture, landscapes and artifacts, I’d rather have the IS than the faster aperture anyway. I’m getting sharp images at 10th and a 6th of a second shutter speed hand held.  The 24-105 range takes away the need of lugging around my usual assortment of lenses when it is inconvenient (like on long hikes or in the subway).  It’s even turning out better then my trusty 24-70, which I left at home due to travel weight and size constraints.

Soon to come: many night and low-light images (Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame) taken with the Canon 24-105 F4.0 IS on my 5D.