Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM: Review

Posted to Lenses 2009-06-19

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Review:

The new Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens makes an excellent macro and portrait lens for digital or film photography. Yielding up to a 1:1 magnification, the EF 100mm f/2.8 offers a workable lens to subject distance of 5.9 inches at maximum magnification. And the 100mm focal length makes it a perfect portrait lens at the other end of the focus scale.

Measuring a medium-sized 3.1" diameter X 4.7" long and weighing only 21.1 oz., it won't weigh your camera bag down unnecessarily. The USM (UltraSonic Motor) makes for fast focusing speeds and quiet operation. The lens also features inner focusing, meaning that the length of the lens stays the same as it is focused - this is very helpful in macro photography. The lens is constructed using 12 elements in 8 groups and takes 58mm filters, so buying filters should not be an expensive proposition.

Rating:

4.4 out of 5

Quality

When compared to the lens that it replaces, Canon has added the USM motor, which has greatly improved the focusing speed of this lens and also provided for quieter operation. The overall build quality is also excellent. The optics are excellent, and this is one of the sharpest lenses made by Canon, at any focal length. All of this comes at a relatively high street price, but the price is well in line with the competition for a 100mm macro lens this fast.

Performance

The EF f/2.8 Macro USM delivers excellent performance throughout its focus range, and the front element does not rotate, which is also nice for macro photography and use with certain filters. FTM (Full Time Manual) Focusing is available, which makes it a very convenient lens to use. The lens is sharp wide open at f/2.8 and even sharper when stopped down slightly, with corner sharpness showing the most improvement. The true 1:1 macro capability makes it excellent for closeup photography, and the 100mm focal length make it ideal for portrait work as well.

Summary

If you do close-up work, and you're looking for a good overall 2nd lens to go with that new camera, the EF 100mm f/2,8 Macro makes an excellent choice. Ideally coupled with a full-frame sensor film or digital camera, excellent results can also be achieved with this lens when combined with digital SLRs with smaller than full-frame sensors. All in all an excellent offering from Canon.

Pros

100mm focal length, f/2.8 maximum aperture
Up to 1:1 magnification
5.9
USM focusing motor is fast and quiet
Excellent build quality

Cons

There are no cons for this product