Canon EF 100mm f/2, Superb macro & portrait lens

Just the best macro lens that canon makes. Image stabilizer works amazing, even handheld up close to your subject. Image quality is astounding regardless of which camera you use it with. Mine gets even more use as a fabulous portrait lens.

Amazing quality, fast auto focus with some focus hunting depending if you are close to or a little out from the minimum focus distance to the subject. Other than that great feel, with helpful is and focus limiters.

I’m my own biggest critic; i think most photographers are the same, and i’ve lost count of the number of times i’ve returned from a field trip and found i’d captured nothing that gave the impression that i’d been photographing colourful, living creatures. It is apparent now that by messing about with a non-specific macro lens was just wasting my time and causing much frustration. Now i’ve been using this lens for a while, my only regret is that no one pointed me towards it sooner. I suppose i held back because i saw the results others had achieved and thought ‘mine wouldn’t be as good as that’. They are, and yours can be too.

I’m relativey new to the pro world of digi and that lens has not disappointed me – i love taking close ups of plant and insect life and boy does that show the detail so well via my eos5d mk3. There’s no point in covering ground that many users have before me but my research into the reports earlier users have provided confirms that canon have a brilliant lens for users who want macro capabilities and more and with the lens being100mm it allows the user to sit well back and not disturb too much the subject. 8 gives the user a brilliant choice with depth of field.

This is a great lens – extremely sharp for macro photography. I toyed with the idea of buying the cheaper (non-l) version and also buying a canon ring flash but i’m glad that i opted for this lens instead. The image stabilisation is really useful if you want to try to shoot handheld and you can get extremely cheap ring flashes that work really well. You can couple this lens to an extender if you also mount an extension tube between the camera body and lens. The cheapest canon extension tube is fine. This combination can increase the magnification for macro to greater than life size (on the sensor). I picked this up at a promotional price when there was also a cash-back offer from canon, so it was ridiculously cheap. Definitely pays to watch out for offers, both from amazon and also from canon.

Bought for my wife who absolutely loves the images she can capture with this lens.

Used for taking shots of bugs, especially timid ones where i need a bit more reach on the lens without having to be a few inches away from the subject. Autofocus is blisteringly fast and made even better with the fact you can adjust the focal range with a switch on the side of the lens. Image quality – even on a cropped sensor camera is stunning. In my opinion, definitely worth the price, feels good, takes great shots and can feel the quality. Comes with a lens hood which can be turned around and stored on the lens when not in use (at the trade off with been able to use manual focus). All in all, incredibly happy with it although now after getting my first ‘l’ series lens – i want to upgrade all of my other lenses to ‘l’ too.

Key specs for Canon EF 100mm f/2.0 USM Telephoto AF Lens:

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• Canon lens – 100 mm, f2.0
• Suitable for Canon EF lens mounting systems
• Automatic and manual focus adjustment
• Min focus range: 90 cm
• Filter size: 58 mm

Comments from buyers

“Stunning IQ – my favourite L-series lens.
, Make sure you read the right reviews
, Deal price is very bad!
“

As always with canon lenses you know what you pay for you get in terms of quality and reliability. 8 macro lens is pin sharp and for all my detailed filming work this is the essential workhorse.

I have fallen immediately in love with this lens. I honestly do not think i would expect or need it do be any better. But to be honest anyone serious about macro or close up knows that you should really be supporting the lens especially for decent low iso macro shots and i. Is pretty useless on a tripod anyway and can actually work against sharpness if no vibration exists. I do use it inside mostly so weather sealing is not a major issue. I find this lens has rekindled my desire to actually go out and find things to take pictures of again and you cant put a price on creativity. Colours excellent and crisp. I am so happy i would definitely buy this again in a second.

It’s on black friday deals 2017 at 799, but i purchased this lens full price from new (amazon) a few months ago for £685. So the deal price is £114 more than the normal price?. Don’t buy it – wait for a better price. Token review: it’s a great lens, i’m on my second copy in 10 years, wouldn’t swap it for the world. Great for portraits, good in the studio, and wonderful for chasing pieces of dust or bugs if that’s your thing. As for me, this is a no-brainer for weddings and product photography.

First of all amazon are wrong to group all canon 100mm usm together as there is a big price difference between the three versions and i don’t see a way of choosing the one i purchased. The superior one is l series and has is. My budget at the time could not stretch to the more expensive one so i have the one without is. Despite this it’s a great lens and i use it lots. Colours and details are fantastic. I wish i’d saved up for the more expensive one though but i’ll make good use for this now.

Love the crispness of the macro shots with this lens, would highly recommend. Works great as a portrait lens too. Comes complete with hood which i would recommend using for outdoor macro shots.

I bought this lens after upgrading to a full frame slr as my current selection of prime lenses seemed far too wide, and i wanted a short telephoto for some portrait and candid work. It’s a solid weight, a mix of metal and plastic construction, but an absolute joy to use and work with. F/2 is fast for this sort of focal length, the only other fast short telephoto is the 135 f/2, and that’s 2 or 3 times more expensive and heavy. I debated between this and the 85 for a while and eventually chose the 100 because after using a 50 on an aps-c sensor =~85mm i wanted something a little closer. It’s sharp as heck at about 5. 0, and wonderfully usable at f/2, with a great shallow dof. It’s sharper than most lenses i’ve used, and far far sharper than any zoom. If you’re doing anything in low (natural) light, and want to get a little closer in on the action then give this lens a go by all means.

I thought i’d ordered the macro lens as they are all shown in the same listing. The lens appears of good quality although not to ‘l’ standard and has no is. It would be a useful lens for portrait or landscape on a tripod. I do neither of these so it was returned.

Don’t leave many reviews but felt i had to for this. Fantastic lens , very impressed. Canon have certainly done well here. As an amateur photographer i did worry a little about the price tag but the year saving was definitely worth the wait. I’ve found the image clarity amazing with the 9 blade aperture you get fantastic blur around the image. I’ve had great fun snapping pics since i brought this lens. It’s opened a whole new world of photography for me. Would recommend for anyone looking into macro photography.

Had the non is version previously, is is just fabulous, can do without tripod more and be more spontaneous and take more keepers.

Can sometimes take a long time to hunt for focus, but that’s to be expected with this type of lens and is really my only small gripe.

This is a great lens for close up work. There is image stabilization so works even without tripod. It will need an adapter to attach ring flashes to the front but so far i have found no downside.

I bought this lens a week or so back, and i am really glad i bought this one. The pictures from it are as sharp as a razor, and that includes not just macro’s but also portraits. The lens cap is difficult to put on and off with the hood attached but i can live with that. I thought canon would have made this l lens out of metal instead of plastic though, on saying that i think the weight is just right, no problem hand holding to take shots. So if your thinking of buying this lens, just do it you will not be dissapointed.

It lived up to my expectations and i have used it a lot and it is usefulness grows the more i use it.

Having had this lens for just over a week now thought i’d upload a review. Beautiful to hold, solid quality build. I’ve coupled this with my 7d and having so much fun haven’t had time to try it on my 40d or 350d (i’m a canon junkie ). The images are beautifully sharp as you’d expect from an ‘l’ lens. No focusing problems whatsoever, a real joy to use. I love flower / macro photography and the bokeh from this lens is gorgeous. This is my 4th ‘l’ lens and is fast becoming a favourite.

Difficult to use in af mode via viewfinder when true 1:1 macro shooting – best to select single-point af, focus reframe breathe out gently and gently shoot. Or use tripod and touch-screen focus and shoot in live view. Such an amazing improvement on my older non-usm 100mm f/2. 8 macro lens, for my type of hand-held close-up and macro photography,.

Pin sharp with a smooth and creamy bokeh. The is system is very effective but you will still need a tripod if you are focusing down to 1:1 or thereabouts. Use the focus limiters as you will find it tends to hunt quite a lot if you are not in the right range. The biggest thing you need to know about this lens it to make sure the is system has stopped running and is ‘parked’ before you remove it from the lens. I have not done this a couple of times in haste and it leaves the inner element in a free state, rather than being locked safely in place, rattling around inside the body, which can be a bit scary initially and could cause damage over time if not addressed. However, the two times i have had this happen, it has not caused any damage whatsoever and the lens is still in perfect condition and functionality. Well worth every penny of the price. It is a bargain in my mind and is rarely off my camera. I also use it as a general walk-about lens for landscapes and portraits etc.

Tried the non-is version for my 5d mkiii and couldn’t capture any satisfactory handheld images. Replaced with amazon’s help (very easy process) and am staggered by the quality of this lens and my macro shots. I like to capture wildlife using my 100-400mm and wanted a macro lens for close up opportunities. Now spending my time with both lenses about 50:50. Highly recommend the extra spend on this is, solid feel, weather-resistant l lens.

This is the lens i use most for food or flower photography. I take over a hundred pictures each week with this lens. Bokeh is great and this lens copes well in low light. If my house went on fire, i would run in and rescue this lens.

As expected from a canon l-series lens this is an excellent piece of kit. With the correct use of the limiting switch it snaps almost instantly into focus. I’m looking forward to spring when the flowers and insects are about in large numbers and i can use the lens to its best effect. With a 100mm focal length it’s useful for more than just macro work and would make a good portrait lens as well. Not cheap but worth every penny.

Well constructed quality lens enabling great photography in low light. Focal length is excellent for portraits and produces sharp images whilst blurring the background. Aperture and length also great for indoor pet pictures without being intrusive.

Fantastic lens at a great price for an l series. I already knew it ti be a great portrait lens so had no issue adding to my kit. Yes i got it primarily for macro, however it has other uses beyond macro which makes it an even more useful lens to have at one’s disposal. Very happy with the images i’ve captured using it thus far.

I was a little cautious about buying such an expensive product over the internet. However it arrived fine in good condition and has worked perfectly. Great quality lens for macro work. It is very quiet and the image quality is superb.

Please note – some of the reviews here are for the non-l macro lens. Just to be clear, this is for the canon ef 100mm f2. This is, quite honestly, a stunning lens – and i write as someone who has several l-series lenses. Image quality is startling – better than my go-to ef 24-105mm f/4 l is usm; colour rendition faithful and bright. (of course, it is a prime lens, but even so. )as a walk-around lens, this has performed well for me as a medium telephoto – making me think about composition and using the ‘foot-zoom’ has been fun. It is very well made and solid in feel without being heavy – as you’d expect from an l-series lens, build quality is excellent. But of course it is the macro performance that is the best feature of this lens. Close focus is excellent, and the (supplied) lens hood allows you to get very close to the subject without worrying about contact with the glass – a real benefit of the 100mm macro lens against those with shorter focal lengths.

By golly this lens is sharpi thought i’d seen sharp optics before, but this lens is in a different league, it’s tack-sharp all the way from wide open at f/2. 8 through to the point at which diffraction starts to become noticeable at around f/22. You can safely use it at any aperture and be assured of image quality which will exceed almost anything else on the market. Build-quality feels slightly plasticky for a canon l series optic, but it does have metal where it counts along with a weather-sealing rubber gasket. The hood’s a little on the large size, and when reversed it completely covers the focussing-ring, distance scale, and focus/image stabilisation switches which is a pain. The is system seems to operate very well, it’s one of canon’s latest hybrid systems which is supposed to compensate for both up/down/left/right and tilting movements, and it’s very quiet compared to the earlier (3-stop) incarnations of the is system. Focussing is near instantaneous and as near silent as you can get. It’s a big lens for it’s focal length, and the elements are large (especially the rearmost element) as it’s relatively wide aperture, all of which makes it reasonably heavy but not overly so, and it’s nicely weighted. It’ll reproduce a 1:1 image, like most true macro glass, but the 4-stop is only offers a 2-stop advantage at 1:1 which isn’t really a problem as the depth-of-field, even at smaller apertures, is sufficiently small that you’ll want to use a tripod to steady the camera. Overall this is a great lens which i’d wholeheartedly recommend for anyone wanting a good macro lens.

This review is for the f2 version. A large front element greets you on removing the front cap. The lens feels heavy and has a metal mount. There isn’t much difference to the 85mm f1. A nice lens with a good old fashioned design having a wide focus ring should you need it. The lens is sharp and crisp perhaps slightly sharper than the 85mm. A nice slightly longer reach for portraits too. All in all a good quality product from the canon stable.

Great lens, silent and fast focus. Works with extension tubes with contacts giving excellent results.

Great lens for macro photography and good for portraits. Highly recommended but takes practice. A tripod and remote benefits well.

As a very amateur photographer, with a keen interest in nature, i did think about this for a while before buying as obviously it’s not that cheap. I used it on a photography day for insects/reptiles and i have to say the detail was fantastic -much better than i was getting with close up filters and a bog standard lens. I also used this for a portrait photography class and managed to take some great pictures – so much so the tutor asked me if i had cropped them at all. I’m not an expert and i still have lots to learn but i love this lens. I can’t wait until the spring when all the insects reappear so i can get back outside to photograph. I’m hoping with the use of a tripod, which i have yet to buy, i will be able to see just how much detail this lens can give.

I absolutely love this lens. I am just an amateur photographer and debated with myself for quite a while whether it was worth paying this amount. I finally ordered it when there was a discount, so paid just under £700. It is quite hefty once on the 80d body, but it is on the tripod more often than not anyway. The quality of photos, straight out of the box without much practice, is superb. Delivery, as usual with amazon, was quick and as promised, and it was well packed.

A friend suggested that i upgrade my camera lenses, to the canon f2. 8 throughout lenses, and so i said goodbye to my tamron 90mm macro and got this beauty. Well, i have just come back from my first day shooting. To test the lens i decided to do handheld shots with the is on. Just look at the image to see the detail captured. The focusing is very fast and assured. The image quality, well it far exceeds expectations, the sharpness is superb. I could not be more impressed.

Beautiful lens, makes any shot a bit special. Am using as portrait lens at the moment but looking forward to tryng the macro out. Update – having used this lens for a little while now i felt i should expand a little. The image quality is just superb. When i download my pics and go through them i instantly spot ones taken with this lens – even compared to my nice 70-400 f4 l. I guess you’d expect a prime to be very sharp, and it really is, and the bokeh is dreamy. I’m not a pro so don’t have years of experience, or a lot of other lenses, to compare it to, but i can say for sure it’s my favourite lens. I’ve heard good things about the non-l 100mm but never having tried it i can’t say whether it’s worth paying out almost double the money for this beauty. But on it’s own merits i’d say it’s worth every penny. One note of caution – depth of field is *very* shallow if you’re open wide, but i guess you’d expect that.

Best lens ever (well, i would say so). But seriously, it is a flawless lens, suitable for macro photography and for portraiture.

The is helps a lot on this model if you like to wander round the garden (like me) and shoot hand held. Everything is smooth and creamy for macro, and pin sharp if you use it as a general prime lens. Probably one of the most versatile and best quality lens i have used, and i have a few l series lens for my 7d.

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