Cheap Canon EF – Macro lens – 100 mm – f/2.8 L Macro IS USM – Canon EF – On Sale
- for All Canon EOS series SLR cameras, f/2.8, to f/32, IS image stabilization
- Canon’s EF 100 mm f/2.8 L IS USM macro lens providesfantastic results and includes a sophisticated image stabilisation system.
- Thisfunction works with the large focusing range, enabling you to takeprofessional-quality close-up snaps, with no loss in detail and a maximum magnificationratio of 1:1, even when a tripod can’t be used. And that’s notall! Because the EF 100 mm f/2.8 L
- Meanwhile, thecircular diaphragm is equipped with nine blades for beautiful bokeh, which createsbeautiful, even backgrounds when isolating subjects. Finally, the EF 100 mm f/2.8 L IS USM has an ultra-lowdispersion (UD) glass element within its design to
- 12-month UK manufacturer’s warranty included.
Canon EF 100 MM F28L MACRO IS USM LENS F EOS CAMERAS 3554B005 Cameras Camera Accessories
List Price: £660.00
Amazing IQ, just watch those colours,
My first L-series lens was the 24-70mm, and I thought it was amazing. The 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM blows it out of the water as far as image quality is concerned. It’s like experiencing that wonderful “introduction to L-quality” moment all over again.
The combination of prime optics and macro magnification mean that this lens gives pin sharp details at incredible scales. I really cannot stress enough just how good the detail resolution is at 1:1 magnification. I use a 7D and was expecting some loss of resolution due to the cropped sensor, but it is simply not apparent in full scale images. This lens is really fun to find uses for and it’s kinda hard to keep it off the camera.
I can assure you that portraits from this lens are first class, especially when used in conjunction with flash bounced off a white ceiling. They are light, airy, and natural-looking. The focused areas are both razor sharp and finely detailed whereas bokeh is smooth and soft. Absolutely spot on! It can be a bit long for comfort on a cropped camera body but it is well worth the extra leg exercise. Using it for portraits and candids has given me an idea as to why people rave so much about the 135mm f/2L.
One area where this lens lacks somewhat is in its focus locking; it can sometimes seek a little, focus off-target, then lock on after a second. This means it is pretty poor at AF tracking – even when using AI Servo in anything less than bright light. Using the proper setting on the autofocus distance limiter is pretty much essential for most types of shot.
I use a Gretag-Macbeth colour chart to confirm colours with my camera/lens combinations and correct any drift. This has shown that of all the lenses I own the 100mm macro is the one which most consistently reproduces accurate colours. It has also shown that the colours most likely to drift with this lens are oranges and middle blues – of particular relevance when photographing insects, flowers, etc.
Unlike other black L-series lenses the main body is made from engineering grade plastic rather than metal. It remains very tough and robust, but is much lighter than it should be as a result. It’s also weather resistant like much of the L range. The serial number of each lens is engraved on the metal docking ring which connects to the camera, as well as a date code which records when and where the lens was manufactured.
Because of the ring USM system, focusing is really quiet, which helps when taking close-up shots of critters. Full time manual (FTM) focus is enabled. The front does not rotate, and all focusing is internal. Minimum focusing distance is just under a foot (0.3m). The maximum magnification of 1x is increased to 1.17x with Extension Tube EF 12 and 1.37x with Extension Tube EF 25. The lens is not compatible with either the 1.4x or 2x Mk II extenders.
For most people the decision as to whether or not to buy the L-series version of this lens will come down to the Hybrid Image Stabilisation. It becomes a bit less useful as magnification approaches 1:1, only giving the full four stops of improvement at 1:5 magnification and beyond. Improvement at 1x magnification is two stops at most, so if you only plan on using the lens for life size macro shots, you might choose not to pay out a couple of hundred quid extra for IS.
If you are also going to be using the lens for portraits and so forth, the IS will certainly pay dividends. HOWEVER, please don’t take away the idea that the IS is useless for macro work; it helps stabilise the image in the viewfinder/LCD which obviously helps a lot. One last thing to note about the IS is that the 100mm Macro uses the Hybrid Image Stabilisation system which natively supports a kind of “Z-axis” stabilisation. At short focusing distances this can compensate for shift movements between lens and subject, as well as the angular movements that conventional IS corrects. This is very useful indeed for hand-held macro work. HIS really comes into its own when you are trying to capture swaying plants, or insects clinging onto stems etc. So it’s not necessarily all about the additional stops!
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|An excellent lens – probably worth the money,
I already own the non L version of this lens, and I was having problems holding the thing still in situations where I wanted to take photographs and didn’t have any readily available support. So I decided to get the L, mainly for the stabilisation.
Optically, I can’t really tell that there’s much difference between L and non L, they’re both incredibly sharp, even wide open. The MTF charts I’ve seen suggest that the new lens is sharper than the old, but, frankly, it’s pretty hard to spot in an actual printed photograph.
The IS works really well, is quiet in operation, and for me, has made a huge difference to when and where I can use this lens. For portrait work you’ll get the full 4 stops, for full on macro it’s much less useful, but has already made the difference between me getting a usable shot or not.
AF is quick, but can hunt a little if you’ve not chosen the appropriate distance range (there are three to choose from), but in practice this shouldn’t be a problem unless you suddenly switch from macro to portrait.
Overall, size and weight are pretty much the same as the non L, but with a larger filter size. The surface of the lens barrel has a textured finish and in profile the lens looks squarer than the non L, without that tapered look. I think it feels nicer in the hand than the non L.
If you think you need the IS, buy this lens, if you think you can do without, the non IS version will give you images of (to all intents and purposes) identical image quality at a considerable saving. It’s a similar situation to the 70-200L zooms, where the only difference between the two was the IS.
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|You get what you pay for,
I bought this lens mostly for portraiture but I’ve just turned in the most amazingly sharp pictures of Dragonflies hatching I think I’ve ever seen. No credit to me I’d add (ok…just a bit of credit then). I did consider the non-IS, non-L series version, but having moved up to a 5d MkII recently I thought I’d push the boat out and stick to the real McCoy. Am I glad I did? no question. This lens is so sharp. Believe me. It comes with a caveat though…if you’re prepared to work hard at depth of field issues (this lens exploits limited DOF) and be really accurate with focussing, you’ll reap the benefits. If you’re lazy though…save a few quid and buy the other one. Razor sharp throughout (but I’d keep away from the smaller apertures), this superb lens will not disappoint, and it will add a new dimension to “creative” use of DOF. My only criticism is that it’s not quite as chunky as some other L series lenses. If you’re used to the “hewn from solid metal” feel of the usual ones you’ll be a bit disappointed when you remove it from the packaging, but maybe all that weight isn’t necessary? maybe Canon have realised that it’s not needed. Is the IS useful? for an extra couple of stops of course it is, but that shouldn’t be the reason you’ve chosen this lens…that will be because it’s got the red ring around the barrel. Sell the car, send the wife out to work, do whatever you need to if you really NEED this lens. But don’t hesitate. Just shop around.
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