Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Description and Reviews.

Product Description:

Amazon.com Product Description
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens is a totally new version. Focusing over the full range from infinity down to life size (1:1 reproduction ratio), this lens will impress any serious photographer with its image quality, high- performance ring-type ultrasonic motor, and silent autofocus throughout its focus range. This lens allows full-time manual focusing--permitting the close-up or macro shooter to instantly override the autofocus whenever necessary.

Product Description
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Autofocus lens is suitable for macro photography up to life-size (1x) magnification. Inner focusing affords a long working distance of 5.9 inches to infinity.

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Product Reviews:

Sharp, versatile and a bargain, January 29, 2006
Reviewer: G. Clark "hogwallow"

The 100 f/2.8 macro is very sharp, even for general shooting, so it works great for portraits, too. When I'm not using a zoom, this is my walkaround lens for people, relatively tight scenes and even indoor sports. Think of it as a great lens that also shoots macro than the other way around. Hard to beat that versatility at the price.

But it comes into its own at close distances. If you've never had a macro lens, you'll run around shooting everything in sight because everything looks new from a macro perspective.

Canon has several macro lenses. I prefer the 100 mm over shorter lenses because I don't have to get quite as close to that bee or wasp. The 180 mm gives you even more distance from your subject, more background blur and amazing sharpness. But it's much more expensive and in most cases you'll need a tripod, and I shoot a lot of improptu macros as I'm hiking.

For extreme closeups with larger-than-life images, there's the MP-E 65. It goes up to 5X, compared to the 100mm's 1X, but you lose autofocus with this lens. In fact, you set your magnification and then move the camera until the object is in focus! As you get beyond about 2X, the viewfinder gets fairly dark. If you're doing still life macro work, it's amazing. I'll probably get one someday for shooting my mineral colletion.

One thing to keep in mind with any macro is that because of the close distances, you're often in lower light conditions. Althought it's fairly pricey, I'm using the MT-24 EX, which lets you adjust the direction of the twin flashes. The MR-14EX ring light is a couple hundred dollars cheaper but will produce a slightly flatter image. And you can always use one of the standard flashes, though the closeness of your subject may cause some odd shadows.
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excellent macro lens, January 14, 2006
Reviewer: D. Wu

The focus and image quality of this lens is excellent. The colors are excellent, and I love how quiet it is. I use it on my Rebel XT.
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9.6 out of 10, great lens email me for review sites, December 13, 2005
Reviewer: Charles Bittner "

If you would like a list of sites with reviews email
gumby (at) dontquotemeonthat (dot) com

Pros: sharp, contrast, close-up shooting, fast focus, lightweight, build quality, f/2.8
Cons: hood is espensive, size is a little big

Pros: Amazing clearity,I can consider this a "L" series lens even though its not listed as such..well balance,very smooth.over all a excellent everyday shooters lens.
Cons: nothing at all...one of the best 1:1 lens on the market hands down.

if your a newbie here's some info

A lens is "fast" when it has a low f-stop... ok so when you have a smaller number the apature is bigger which allows more light through, so this means you can up the shutter speed. and still have enough light reach the sensor.

ok so lets say you have an out door shot if you have say an f/4 lens the shutter speed could be 1/250 of a second and you would get a good exposer. Now this lens can only go f/4

but if you in the same outdoor setting, had an f/2.8 lens you could jump to 1/500 of a second and get the same exposer. and freeze the action mmore effectivly, this i believe is why it's a "fast" lens.

ok have fun and get it done

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One of the best Canon lens I've used, May 13, 2005
Reviewer: Garcia Marquez "JJ"
This is an excelent lens, I use it to shoot jewellery, such as watches, and the quality is almost perfect, I definitely recomend this Canon EF 100 Macro Lens, altough is Auto focus, the motor is fast and noiseless. I have no complains about this.