Compatibility top
I’d get my EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay.
This lens works flawlessly on every and made since 1987.
It work flawlessly on every Canon full-frame and every Canon APS-C DSLR.
It also works flawlessly on every , like my Canon EOS 1V, introduced in 2000, and yes, I tried it on my original 1987 Canon EOS 620 and autofocus is fast and stabilization works brilliantly.
This isn’t Nikon; with Canon, everything just works, even if the camera is over thirty years old.
Use an EF to RF adapter to use this on Canon’s full frame mirrorless cameras.
Use the EOS-M adapter to use this on .
Bad top
Non-compensating diaphragm: aperture does not automatically correct for light loss as focussed more closely. This means nothing to most people and can be ignored when shooting with TTL metering as almost everyone does, however working with manual exposure or external light meters as I do with studio strobes I have to change my exposure settings as I change distance — even though the light isn’t changing! This is obvious because you always can set f/2.8, even at 1:1 where the real maximum aperture is closer to f/5!
For $1,299 all I get is an all-plastic exterior and crappy plastic hood? At least the lens mount is metal, exactly like the $125 Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D.
Except for Image Stabilization, the Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM has equally excellent optics, autofocus and ergonomics, with less weight, for half the price.
For anything at least 3 feet away, the Canon 100mm f/2 USM is sharper, offers twice the speed for moving subjects (f/2.0), a metal filter thread, and is also half the price of this 100mm f/2.8 L IS Macro.
For serious macro work, macro-specialists (and I) prefer the 180mm f/3.5 L USM, because it lets us stand far enough away as not to interfere with lighting or the subject’s attitude, and most importantly, gives a more natural perspective precisely because we’re able to stand further away from our subjects. The 180/3.5 doesn’t cost much more than this 100mm f/2.8 IS.
Three Canon EF 100mm F2.8 macro lenses compared
Here we see the three 100mm F2.8 Macro lenses Canon has made for the EOS system side by side. They’ve grown progressively larger with each generation, and the filter thread has expanded accordingly, from 52mm via 58mm to 67mm. The original 1990 version on the left looks the most compact in this view, but unlike the other two extends considerably on focusing. It’s also the only one with a metal body — the other two have plastic outer barrels. It was replaced by the 100mm F2.8 USM macro in 2000 (the first internal-focusing macro lens capable of 1:1 magnification), which added an ultrasonic motor for near-silent autofocusing.
The latest iteration has grown only a little compared to the older lens, and despite the addition of image stabilization is less than an ounce (or just 25g) heavier. But the red ring around the barrel which designates that it’s a member of Canon’s top-end ‘L’ series adds a hefty premium to the price. Because of this it doesn’t replace the older lens, but rather sits alongside it in Canon’s formidable short-telephoto lineup.
Качество сборки и обработка EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM
Наиболее важной особенностью EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM является то, что он обеспечивает полноценное макро 1:1 и минимальное расстояние фокусировки всего 30 см. Хотя 30 см звучит не так близко, реальность такова, что это измеряется от основной плоскости матрицы, а при масштабе 1:1 объект находится всего в 13-ти см от передней линзы объектива
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro – это хорошо сложенный объектив с металлическим креплением, высококачественным пластиковым корпусом и кольцом фокусировки с резиновым покрытием. Использование пластика, а не металла, для оправы объектива несколько удивительно, учитывая включение объектива в линейку объективов серии L, но, к счастью, использование компанией Canon инженерного пластика означает, что он выглядит достаточно прочным. Такой выбор конструкции позволяет EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM быть намного легче, чем можно было ожидать, особенно с учетом стабилизации изображения и большого количества оптических элементов. Объектив на 25 грамм тяжелее, чем старый Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM и намного легче, чем его аналог Nikon. EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM защищен от влаги и после многократного использования в различных погодных условиях, включая сильный дождь и высокую влажность, я могу сказать, что объектив функционировал безупречно. В целом, мне нравится гладкий дизайн и легкий вес EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM, поскольку он очень удобен и его легко удерживать в течение продолжительных съемок.
Общее управление с прорезиненным фокусировочным кольцом реализовано очень удобно и обеспечивает плавную работу. Для перемещения по всей шкале требуется почти 160-ти градусное вращение кольца фокусировки, и, поскольку большая часть шкалы находится в макро-диапазоне объектива, для нормальных рабочих расстояний остается очень небольшое пространство для вращения. Для перемещения от 0,5м до бесконечности по шкале расстояний требуется только поворот на 45°, а от 1-го метра до бесконечности – невероятно короткий поворот на 15°. В практическом использовании это означает, что при съемке на типичных рабочих расстояниях вы почти полностью полагаетесь на автофокусировку камеры, поскольку кольцо фокусировки недостаточно удобно для точной настройки фокуса вручную. С другой стороны, для макро- или почти макро-рабочих расстояний кольцо фокусировки очень хорошее.
В передней части объектива находится невращающаяся 67-ти миллиметровая резьба фильтра, окруженная креплением для бленды Canon ET-73, поставляемой с объективом. Внутренняя часть бленди сужается, чтобы ограничить любой переотраженный свет, отражающийся от самой бленды и вызывающий внутренние блики. Бленда довольно длинная, но, к счастью, очень узкая, поэтому её легко установить в обратном направлении и она не будет занимать при этом лишнего пространства.
Как и предшественник, объектив использует внутреннюю систему фокусировки и передняя линза не выдвигается при фокусировке. Аналогичным образом при фокусировке объектива его внешние элементы не вращаются, поэтому можно использовать поляризационный фильтр.
В задней части ствола находится свободное пространство для штативного кольца для объектива и ножки для крепления к штативу. Учитывая, что это – макрообъектив, я подумал, что Canon поставит покупателям с объективом также и штативное кольцо. Увы, но они решили заработать немного денег, сделав Canon Tripod Mount Ring D дополнительным аксессуаром.
Объектив имеет три переключателя, которые украшают боковую сторону тубуса объектива и расположены прямо под окном шкалы расстояний. Первый переключатель – это ограничитель расстояния фокусировки, который помогает значительно ускорить фокусировку при использовании объектива для макросъемки или традиционной фотографии путем отделения рабочего расстояния для макросёмки от обычного. Первый вариант, ПОЛНЫЙ, позволяет объективу фокусироваться по всему диапазону. Второй вариант – от бесконечность до 0,5м, который идеально подходит для нормальных расстояний съемки, тогда как последний вариант (0,3м-0,5м) является наилучшим вариантом для получения более высоких скоростей фокусировки при съемке на близком расстоянии.
Второй переключатель – простой переключатель AF/MF. Последний переключатель относится к стабилизатору изображения и представляет собой простой переключатель его включения/выключения.
Lens body elements
| The lens uses Canon’s all-electronic EF mount. This means it will fit all of Canon’s DSLRs regardless of sensor format, APS-C, APS-H or 35mm full-frame. It can also be used with Canon’s extension tubes for even greater magnification.A rubber seal around the outside of the mount protects dust and water ingress. | |
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| The filter thread is 67mm (as used on the 70-200mm F4 L models), and does not rotate on focusing. | |
| The supplied ET-73 lens hood is frankly vast — a full 83mm in depth, to be precise. This is so deep that, at 1:1 magnification, it’s just 5cm from the subject.As usual from Canon it’s made of thick black plastic, and lined with felt to minimize the reflection of stray light into the lens. It reverses for storage, but in the process blocks the focus ring and all of the control switches. | |
| The focus ring is 28mm wide, and as smooth as we’ve come to expect from Canon’s premium lenses.It rotates about 150 degrees between infinity and the closest focus of 0.3m, and the gearing is (not surprisingly) optimized for macro shooting. This can make achieving really precise manual focus in the ‘portrait range’ (ca. 1 — 3m) just a little tricky. | |
| There’s a simple distance scale in feet and meters, which also shows the magnification ratio in orange. It’s not very finely marked (with just six distances plus infinity), but nonetheless is invaluable on an internal focus macro for telling you the currently set focus position. | |
| The array of switches down the side of the lens sets the various control options. The focus distance limiter (top) now offers three options — as well as full and long-range limited (0.5m to infinity) it also offers macro (0.3m to 0.5m). Below this is the usual AF / MF switch, and at the bottom there’s the one for turning the image stabilizer on and off. |
Bokeh
Bokeh refers to the quality of the out of focus areas in a photo. It’s important for a lens to render your subject with sharp details, but it’s just as important that the background not distract from the focus of your shot.
While some lenses have bokeh that’s prized for its unique characteristics, most simply aim to produce extremely smooth backgrounds. In particular, photographers prize lenses that can produce bokeh with circular highlights that are free of aspherical distortion (or “coma”).
Credit:
Reviewed.com / Kyle Looney
EXIF: 100mm, ISO 50, 1/30, f/4.5
With your typical 100mm lens, an f/2.8 maximum aperture wouldn’t produce the subject/background separation necessary to produce truly stellar bokeh. But with its 1:1 macro capabilities, the 100mm f/2.8L IS USM isn’t your average 100mm f/2.8 lens. Indeed, at macro working distance the bokeh is nice and smooth, free of the distracting «busy» quality that plagues lesser lenses.
Credit:
Reviewed.com / Kyle Looney
EXIF: 100mm, ISO 320, 1/1600, f/2.8
At more longer working distances, bokeh is still good, but we weren’t quite as wowed. Points of light in the background, for example, aren’t rendered as perfectly round shapes. They’re smooth and creamy, but you will notice some coma near the edge of the frame.
Meet the tester
TJ Donegan
Former Director, Content Development
@TJDonegan
TJ is the former Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled «Cranberry Capitol of the World,» which is, in fact, a real thing.
See all of TJ Donegan’s reviews
Bellows factor
One characteristic of macro lenses not widely appreciated outside of enthusiast circles is the fact that, at large magnifications, the apparent aperture of the lens changes significantly. This means that you need to use longer shutter speeds than you might think (and would be indicated by an external meter) when shooting at macro distances. Of course the camera’s metering system will deal with this automatically in normal use.
We’ve tested this effect by pointing the camera at an evenly illuminated surface and seeing how the exposure changes on focusing closer. Here we’re comparing the 100mm F2.8 L IS USM Macro with the older, non-IS version and two other recent internal focus macro lenses, one for APS-C and the other for Micro Four Thirds.
| 1:2 | 1:1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Canon 100mm F2.8 L IS USM Macro | -1.3 stops | -2 stops |
| Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro | -1.3 stops | -2 stops |
| Tamron 60mm F2 Macro | -1 stop | -2 stops |
| Panasonic 45mm F2.8 Macro OIS | -1 stop | -2 stops |
All of these lenses behave in pretty much the same way, losing about a stop of light (and therefore requiring a stop slower shutter speed for correct exposure) at 1:2 magnification, increasing to 2 stops at 1:1.
Sharpness
A lens’s sharpness is its ability to render the finest details in photographs. In testing a lens, we consider sharpness across the entire frame, from the center of your images out to the extreme corners, using an average that gives extra weight to center performance. We quantify sharpness using line widths per picture height (LW/PH) at a contrast of MTF50.
Credit:
Reviewed.com / Chris Thomas
Stopping down to f/4 will net you the best results.
In our lab testing, the Canon f/2.8L Macro IS USM produced excellent results across the frame, from wide open at f/2.8 all the way to its peak sharpness at f/8. In that range, it consistently averaged over 2,100 lines across the corners, midway, and center regions. That kind of consistency is a hallmark of macro lenses, which photographers turn to when they want to fill the entire frame with a given subject.
Credit:
Reviewed.com / Chris Thomas
Even at full wide, this lens is a legend.
Sharpness drops off once you move beyond f/8, as the diffraction limit kicks in. By f/11, resolution drops to just 1,800 lines across the frame. At f/16 it dwindles further to about 1,650 lines, and at the minimum aperture of f/32 you’ll get less than 1,100 lines—far too soft for pro-level work.
Studio Tests (Full frame format)
Examine the 100mm F2.8 L IS USM Macro on its native full-frame format, and the results are nothing short of exceptional. It sets a new benchmark in our studio tests, handily outperforming the Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm F2 Macro. Again it surpasses the EF 100mm F2.8 USM Macro (which itself is excellent); it’s sharper and has even lower distortion, at the price of a tiny amount of chromatic aberration and a third of a stop more falloff. Very, very impressive indeed.
| Sharpness | Sharpness is exceptional in the center even at F2.8, dropping to merely excellent in the corners. Stop down and things only get better; at the very sharpest apertures (around F6.3) we see results which are nothing short of superb right to the extreme corners. Stop down further and diffraction progressively softens the image, but apertures down to at least F16 are still perfectly usable; smaller apertures should probably only be used if depth of field is paramount. |
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| Chromatic Aberration | Chromatic aberration is exceptionally low; there’s a tiny amount of red-cyan fringing detectable, but it’s of little practical significance. |
| Falloff | We consider falloff to start becoming noticeable when the corner illumination falls to more than 1 stop below the center. There’s about 1.7 stops falloff at F2.8, which disappears by F4, and shows a slight asymmetry towards the bottom of the frame (suggesting some physical vignetting by the 5D Mark II’s mirror box). Overall not much to worry about. |
| Distortion | The 100mm macro maintains its excellent distortion characteristics on full frame, with just a trivial amount of pincushion distortion detectable. |
Full-frame compared to APS-C
Eagle-eyed viewers will no doubt have noticed that the MTF50 sharpness data at any particular focal length/aperture combination is distinctly higher on full-frame when compared to APS-C. This may at first sight appear unexpected, but in fact is an inevitable consequence of our presentation of the sharpness data in terms of line pairs per picture height (and thus independent of format size).
Quite simply, at any given focal length and aperture, the lens will have a fixed MTF50 profile when expressed in terms of line pairs per millimeter. In order to convert to lp/ph, we have to multiply by the sensor height (in mm); as the full-frame sensor is 1.6x larger, MTF50 should therefore be 1.6x higher.
In practice this is an oversimplification; our tests measure system MTF rather than purely lens MTF, and at higher frequencies the camera’s anti-aliasing filter will have a significant effect in attenuating the measured MTF50. In addition, our testing procedure involves shooting a chart of fixed size, which therefore requires a closer shooting distance on full frame, and this will also have some influence on the MTF50 data.
Macro Focus
| The 100mm, as expected, retains its excellent closeup abilities on full frame. Again the measured closest focus is 29cm, giving a 13cm working distance from the front of the lens to the subject.Central sharpness is extremely high even at F2.8, so much so that stopping down to F8 gives no visible improvement. Corners are slightly softer at F2.8, but by F5.6 reach the same exceptional level as the center. The image starts to soften visibly at F16; at F32 it’s very soft and low in contrast, so best avoided.(Click here for macro test chart shots at F2.8 and F32 — WARNING the latter is not pretty.) | |
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Macro —36 x 24 mm coverage Distortion: None Corner softness: Very low Focal length: 100mm |
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Look and Feel
Like other L-series glass, the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM is an extremely well-built lens. Its focus ring has a pleasing level of resistance and a long enough throw that you can reliably make minute focus adjustments. That’s especially useful at macro working distances, where you’ll want incredibly precise control over the focal point.
Just behind the focus ring you’ll find a switch to engage or disengage the autofocus motor. Just below the AF/MF switch is the focus limiter.
Credit:
Reviewed.com / Chris Thomas
There are plenty of physical switches on the body of the lens for quick adjustments.
You know the long focus throw I just mentioned? Well, it takes the AF system a while to search through the entire throw, which can be a real problem if you’re only using one end of the focus range. When you’re shooting insects, for instance, you can set the limiter to the 0.5-0.3m setting to keep it from trying to find bugs on the horizon. There’s a similar setting for distant subjects, or you can choose to give the AF system free reign.
Image stabilization is also useful for macro work. This was the first of Canon’s macro lenses to utilize its IS system, and it provides up to two stops of stabilization at macro shooting range. That’s essential for handheld work, where every little movement becomes extra evident.
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(2009-today)
How to Shoot Macro Best Macro Lenses Compared
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro (67mm filters, 22.0 oz./623g, $1,299, or about $825 used if you know How to Win at eBay). enlarge. I’d get mine at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website’s biggest source of support is when you use those or any of when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on since you’ll have no way of knowing if you’re missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, , store demo or used lens — and all of allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don’t love your new macro. I’ve used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don’t love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new macro lens before you do. Buy only from the for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
April 2021 Better Pictures Canon Reviews Mirrorless RF Lenses All Reviews
NEW: All Canon 100mm Lenses Compared
RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Review (2021-today)
EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Review (2000-2021)
EF 100/2.8 Macro Review (1990-2000)
EF 100mm f/2 USM Review (1991-2019)
Introduction
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B&H Photo — Video — Pro Audio I buy only from . I can’t vouch for below. |
The Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro L IS is a swell lens. It weighs less than you’d first expect, which is a good thing. it is ideal for use as a general-purpose telephoto, especially if you need close-focus ability.
It’s great that it doesn’t weigh much, but I would also feel a bit ripped-off paying $1,299 for it when the older non-IS Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro does exactly the same thing, without IS, for half the price. Both have exteriors made entirely of plastic, except for the metal lens mount, another reason I would feel shorted paying $1,299 for this lens.
The Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS is a compromise. It’s a lens best carried in the field as a combination macro and medium telephoto. For serious macro work, I won’t use a 100mm lens, because by the time I get close enough to make use of the macro ability, I’m so close that I get in the way of my lights, I annoy any sentient subject, and because I’m so close, the subject doesn’t look as good because the perspecive is unnatural from just a few inches away.
For instance, with the hood attached, this lens can focus as close as than 2 1/4 inches (6cm) in front of the hood. There’s no way you can get light in and therefore use this lens that close, if you really want to shoot macro with the hood.
For serious macro work, like making the product photos of this lens for this review, I use a 200mm macro lens, which in Canon, is the 180mm f/3.5 L USM, which doesn’t sell for much more than this IS 100mm Macro.
Image stabilization (IS) is not relevant to serious macro work, which is done with strobes to allow us to shoot at f/32 to hope to get something in focus. IS is extremely useful for general-purpose hand-held telephoto shooting, but for general-purpose telephoto shooting, the Canon 100mm f/2 USM is sharper, twice as fast, and half the price of this IS macro lens.
If you’re photographing anything alive, especially flowers, they wiggle around either by themselves, or from the breeze, so IS and longer exposures don’t help you. That’s why strobes are so important for macro: they give enough light to let us shoot at f/32, which is optimum for macro, and also have a short duration to stop whatever’s moving.
How do we get sharp photos of butterfly wings? Even at f/32, almost nothing is in focus at macro ranges, so we spend a lot of time making sure that the wings are flat, and do our best to place the wings in our very shallow plane of focus.
These caveats aside, if you’re looking for one telephoto to put in your bag that will do everything well, this is it. The 100mm f/2.8 IS L Macro works great as a general-purpose tele to replace the 70-200mm f/4 L IS II for less money with less weight, and works well as close, and closer, than any rational person would ever want to shoot.
Personally, I bought the 100mm f/2 USM for myself instead, because for general use, the 100/2 USM is smaller, lighter, feels better made, is twice as fast, sharper and costs only half as much.
For dedicated macro use, I wouldn’t use any 100mm lens; I’d get the Canon 180mm f/3.5 L (non-IS) Macro for not much more money instead.
I’d get my EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay.
Итог
Редко можно найти макрообъектив, который не работает превосходно во время тестирования и поэтому я не удивился, что EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM работал почти безупречно. Это – хорошо сложенный объектив с защитой от атмосферных воздействий. Он очень хорошо работает с очень хорошим и очень функциональным фокусировочным кольцом, которое значительно облегчает ручную фокусировку при съемке на макро или близких к макро расстояниях. Отсутствие прилагаемого кольца для штатива (который можно приобрести отдельно) является неудачным решением со стороны Canon. Оптически, большинство макрообъективов сами по себе невероятны, а EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM демонстрирует отличные показатели. В центре изображения резкость уже высока при f/2.8, а изображения становятся по-настоящему резкими при f/5.6. По сравнению с более старым объективом Canon 100мм f/2,8 USM, который он заменил, объектив L, несомненно, немного резче при f/2,8, но к f/5,6 вам будет сложно найти какие-либо заметные различия между ними.
Макрообъектив EF 100mm f/2.8L IS обладает поразительным качеством изображения в центре кадра и очень хорошей резкостью на периферии изображения. Учитывая, что это объектив L, я подумал, что по углам он будет немного лучше и что он никогда не покажет равномерной резкости по всему кадру, как вдвое более дорогой объектив Zeiss Milvus 100мм f/2M. Это не значит, конечно, что он не очень резкий в углах, просто не так совершенен, как его коллега из Zeiss. Единственным настоящим недостаток в качестве изображения этого объектива, который я могу отметить, так это то, как обрабатываются продольные хроматические аберрации, особенно это заметно при f/2.8.