 Best macro lens by far |
| Review Date: October 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Peter J. Chon, San Diego, CA USA |
I love Canon. Although there were times when I shot with Nikons (D700, D300) and were pretty impressed with the result, I always came back to Canon.
This is the first is macro lens for Canon and they got it right. I have used the 60mm, 100mm, & 180mm macro before and by far this is the best!
Now, if you already own a 100mm macro you should try it before upgrading because the IQ of the lens are identical. I usually use this lens for portraits (yes, I know the 85mm & 135mm is a better portrait lens.) of my daughter and the IS is awesome. Hand holding 1/40 I can still get a sharp picture.
The thing that I really hated about the non-IS 100mm macro was the distribution of weight - it was the most awkward thing to shoot with. This lens feels lighter because of the even distribution of weight and size (gradual taper) and it includes a deep hood.
I know $1K is a hefty sum of cash, but considering what you get and how long it can last you - I don't know why you would settle for the non-IS.
--- Edit ---
I found that for portrait, the bokeh on this thing is incredibly smooth. Instead of the angular blurs (lights, flowers, etc), you get a smooth circular blurs due to its spherical diaphragm. But I guess that's in the eye of the beholder... |
Everything you might expect, IS behaves well
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| Review Date: November 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Electronics kid, Provo, UT USA |
I wasn't certain this lens would be a good value or choice for an APS-C camera. Having recently purchased a 7D, I felt the focal length might be too long, but didn't want the EF-S 60mm macro, when I expect to purchase a body with a full-frame sensor in a couple years. For anyone considering a 100mm Macro, I'm 6x6" tall, and was able to squeeze in an 8x11" sheet of paper on the floor, while standing with my 20D.
I evaluated the EF 100mm Macro and this lens side-by-side. The older 100mm Macro has a great reputation. From the specifications, you'll see that the new lens is slightly longer, and weighs more. The build quality is excellent and consistent with an L lens. Optics are precise. Color and Bokeh are outstanding, as review samples attest.
Auto focus and manual focus are smooth and deliberate. As with other Macros, the focus is precise, but moves slower than a standard telephoto lens of the same focal length. It takes approximately 2.5 seconds to focus from infinity to .3m. It takes approximately 3.0 seconds to focus from .3m to infinity, as the mechanism delays .5 seconds when autofocus is initiated.
The focusing limiter selector switch functions well, eliminating the time to focus, if you know your subject will be between .3m to .5m, or .5m to infinity. The ranges offer a good compromise between focusing element travel and practical subject distances. .3m to .5m represents a 180 degree turn of the focusing ring, and .5m to infinity represents about a 150 degree turn of the focusing ring.
I purchased this lens over the older 100mm Macro for the image stabilization. The image stabilization allows the hand held use of the lens under brighter lighting conditions. The image stabilization certainly behaves differently from other L lenses at 100mm. Telephoto IS may allow you to pan, this lens does not. Better shots will be obtained with IS on while tracking a moving subject; however, IS on this lens is no substitute for a telephoto with panning IS ability. The new IS technology does seem better suited for macro shots than earlier IS techonlogy. The subject seems to "stick" on this lens, as compared with images that seem to "float" with other IS lenses.
IS compensates for movement quite well, but I will shoot low-light subjects on a tripod. With IS on and and shooting at 2.8, the depth of field is extremely shallow. Any movement toward or away from the subject will result in an out-of-focus image. My 1.6 sensor certainly exacerbates the problem. If you need to obtain a more adequate depth of field, you must shoot at 8.0 or above, which will require longer shutter times under low lighting.
Outdoors, this lens will provide unique opportunities in allowing one to complete hand-held shots of bright-lit subjects, especially if you have a full-frame sensor. |
Sharpest lens I have ever had.
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| Review Date: November 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: KatherineSD, San Diego |
| I hardly ever write reviews but I felt that I really needed to write a quick note about how amazing this macro lens is. I used to be a Nikon gal until I sold my D300 for the Canon 7D. I also gave up my beloved 105mm Nikkor macro lens at that time, with much trepidation. Would I ever find a lens as sharp with as good IQ? Well, I have no more fears -- the 100mm IS macro fits that bill and more! It is simply amazing. I have the 24-70mmL and 70-200mmL lenses and this macro blows both lenses out of the water as far as IQ and sharpness. I cannot describe the beauty of the colors of my macro flowers! I posted a couple pix with this review... It is also a sharper lens than my 70-200L IS f/4, which I think is a superb lens on it's own. The bokah with this lens is also smoother than the 70-200. Again, a pleasant surprise since I also love that lens. I cannot ever imagine anyone being disappointed with this macro. Just buy it with a credit card that gives you cash back or miles because the price tag is steep. |
Effectively two lenses for the price of one
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| Review Date: January 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dave Millman, San Jose, CA USA |
I bought this lens as a macro lens, for close up work. Wow, what a lens. My 11-year-old daughter picked it up the next day while I was at work and took some spectacular photos of her bearded dragon lizard. She got right up to it, 1:1, and got amazing shots of the lizard's scales. Please note that I did not give her any training on the lens. She just picked it up and started shooting in manual focus, image stabilization on. We've been wandering around the house and yard taking closeups of everything we can think of.
What I was not expecting was the value this lens provides for portraits. It is so amazingly sharp, it gives amazing results. This is a benefit I was note expecting, but wow. I've effectively gotten two lenses for the price of one. You'll want good lighting, as with all portrait shooting.
My sole complaint, which almost feels petty, is the weight. We have a Canon EOS Rebel T1i, an EOS small-body SLR. Strap on this lens and a Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash, and you have a lot of weight on a smallish SLR body. Please note that my hands are large, while my daughter's hands are small. She loves the feel of the camera and doesn't feel the lens is to heavy. Big performance in a lens means its going to be heavy, so no points off for this. |
One of the Sharpest Lens in Canon's Lineup
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| Review Date: November 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Electric Boogaloo, Norman, OK USA |
I am an occasional macro shooter who mostly does portraits at this focal length of 100mm. So why did I get this lens instead of the non-image stabilized 100mm macro for $600 instead and use other dedicated lenses like the 85 f/1.8 or 70-200 f/2.8L? There are a number of reasons:
1. The image stabilization is of the latest generation and compensates for nearly 4-stops in which angular movement or pitch is compensated for. The effect of this is that it is incredibly sharp for portraits wide open at f/2.8 in comparison to the standard macro 100mm f/2.8 or a heavier lens like the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. The files coming from a 5DMkII are absolutely amazing in sharpness.
2. Contrast and bokeh are excelleny and pleasing to the eye. The background blur is superior to the 100 f/2.8 non image stabilized macro.
3. Relatively light weight at 625g makes it easy to carry and balance. It beats carrying the 70-200 when you don't need it. It is also lighter than the Nikon 105mm f/2.8VR and has a better MTF performance.
4. The AF is somewhat faster than the standard 100mm macro and very quiet.
5. The build quality is worthy of an "L" lens. Although its made of engineering plastic, Canon made the right decision to keep its weight low.
The only drawback I can see with this lens is price. If you wait around, sometimes Amazon has had it for $1000, but I think its more appropriately priced at $850-$900. At the end of the day, this is fun lens which is hard to put down. If you can get this lens for $1000, then just do it, and you won't regret it for a second. As I said before, the files coming from this lens are absolutely beautiful and makes me look like a better photographer than I actually am. |
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