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

One of the best 100mm Macro Lenses available, July 1, 2005
Reviewer: John Kwok

I have heard and read favorable reports of this extremely versatile, quiet autofocusing macro lens which can focus down to a 1:1 life-size reproduction ratio without any additional extension tubes. Although it may not be as stellar an optic as its Carl Zeiss and Leica equivalents, this lens does perform well at least from f4 and below. Even wide open at f2.8 this lens is a fine performer. While the best lenses in Canon's autofocus lens lineup remain the critically acclaimed - and expensive - L series, this macro lens remains one of Canon's best in its moderately priced range. I have been impressed with its performance from seeing photographs taken with this lens. Those interested in nature photography who own Canon autofocus cameras and lenses should strongly consider adding this lens to their kit if they haven't already.

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extremely versatile lens., January 7, 2005
Reviewer: Richard B. Williams "huge nerd"

This is the lens I leave on my camera for general purpose use. At non-macro focus distances, it is a very fast lens in a convenient short-telephoto length. The images are sharp out to the corners. This is one of those great Canon lenses that probably deserves an L-series rating but is available without the red stripe and exorbitant cost.

Tested in an astrophotography context (point sources on black backgrounds - excellent for revealing aberration and coma), I have found that this lens is reasonably sharp at f/4 and completely sharp by f/5.6. For daylight terrestrial photography, the tiny aberrations caused by the wide-open f/2.8 aperture are hardy noticeable and by f/4 the images are exquisitely sharp.

There is a lot of glass in this lens - it is heavy. I highly recommend buying the tripod collar as it allows you to attach the camera and lens to a tripod or ballhead with much better balance.

Also, if you plan on using the macro functionality, keep in mind that the effective f-stop of the lens goes way up when you're focusing at very close range. At 15cm from the front surface, it performs as though it were an f/9. You'll either want a lot of light or a very steady subject and a good tripod (another reason to buy the hideously overpriced tripod collar).

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An excellent lens for the budding nature photographer, December 15, 2004
Reviewer: Scott Burgess

Prospective buyers of a macro lens for a Canon EOS system can't make a better first choice than this 100mm Macro. The extra length over a 50mm macro gives much better working distance (space between lens and subject) in the field, and EOS-compatible lenses by other manufacturers match poorly with accessories and are nowhere near as sharp.

Compared with the earlier Micro motor 100mm Macro that Canon made (which I also own), the USM lens focuses *very* fast. The USM lens also can accept a tripod collar (by use of a small plastic adapter)--I recommend you buy the collar with the lens, as adjusting to a vertical composition with a tripod means repositioning everything. The front element is not recessed in the USM model, which makes lens cleaning easier. And build quality is improved--the earlier model was prone to its switches breaking (could fix it yourself with the ordered part, but really annoying) and eventually the Micro motor gearing gave out (no trouble so far with the USM ring motor). The USM model will work with Canon's 2x teleconverter by interposing a 12mm extension tube, allowing 2x magnification with lots of working distance.

I will quibble with another reviewer--Canon does make sharper lenses (notably their 90mm tilt-shift lens, which is a better choice for studio product photography), and sharpness compared with the earlier model is virtually the same. But this is still one of the sharpest lenses you can buy, and ergonomically a huge improvement over its predecessor.

If you are building up a set of lenses for outdoor/nature photography and you do occasional macrophotography, this might be the first or second lens to buy. If you work significantly at magnifications greater than 1:1, consider the Canon 65mm 1x-5x Macro zoom (which I can push to a decent 10x with the teleconverter).
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Amazing Lens, February 22, 2004
Reviewer: James G. Driscoll

This lens is simply an AMAZING - fast, quiet, great picture quality and color, and MACRO. If you don't already have a Macro (and not the pseudo-macros like the 28-135), you should strongly consider getting one, you'll be quite suprised by the difference it makes.
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Very good piece of glass..., February 13, 2004
Reviewer: Juan Jose Gutierrez "
Ive had this lens for quite a while and used it in several EOS cameras without one single complaint. I was excited when Canon rolled out the Digital Rebel, since it would allow me to use this fine lens in a digital setting. The results are quite good, with fast focusing and excellent image definition. Using it with the Rebel requires some work in Photoshop (unsharp mask) to obtain superlative results. Overall it is one of the finest macros (if not the finest) that I have ever used.
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My best lens., August 21, 2001
Reviewer: Matt "mattfl1" (
This lens without a doubt deserves the "L" label that Canon only puts on their 'best' lenses. Not only are the pictures *incredibly* sharp, but the focusing is fast (includes a USM motor with overridable manual focus), quiet, and the lens is constructed like a tank. It's my favorite lens and I highly recommend it.

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