Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens

Image-stabilised, full-frame macro lens offering exceptional image quality.

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  Stunning MTF performance

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  Nothing of significance

Just occasionally a lens turns up which delivers such implausibly good results in our studio tests that I have to go back and repeat everything, double checking all settings to make sure I haven't done something wrong.

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  Superb optical quality, Fast, silent, and accurate autofocus; full time manual focus, Highly effective image stabilization (for longer subject distances, at least), Solid build, including dust and water sealing

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  Hybrid Image Stabilization still not particularly effective at macro distances, Precise manual focus at 'portrait' distances slightly tricky, Very expensive compared to non-stabilized alternatives

Love macro shooting? This is the perfect lens if you want to go pro.

Lens expert Gary Wolstenholme takes a look at Canon's EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. This 100mm lens from Canon costs around £779 and provides life-size magnification at its closest focus, image stabilisation, weather-sealed construction and an ultrasonic focusing motor.

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  Build Quality, USM focusing, New Image Stabilisation system, High resolution, Useful Focus limiter switch

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  Supplied lens hood is a little deep for use at close distances, Focus breathing can make composition tricky

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens is an extremely fun lens to use. It combines excellent image quality with a useful focal length, a relatively small/light body, fast/quiet AF with 1:1 (1x) macro capabilities - and HIS (Hybrid Image Stabilization).

Canon's really raised the bar with this lens: exceptionally sharp, even wide open at f/2.8, with strong results for resistance to chromatic aberration and distortion. Corner shading can be a tad high at f/2.8 when used on a full-frame body, but for macro work, I imagine most people will be using...

Canon’s premium 100mm L-series macro offers 123mm of sturdy plastic design, but with a respectable weight of 625g. The standout feature is the Hybrid optical IS, helping negate rotational and linear camera shake and giving back 4 stops, though less at 1x magnification.

Canon's EF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM lens is the first to incorporate a new Hybrid IS system, which corrects for both rotational and linear camera shake. The new technology builds on the company's widely-employed Image Stabilizer, and is said to be particularly effective for subjects shot at close...

Canon's first macro lens with image stabilisation. Here we see whether it's one 'L' of a lens.

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  Build Quality, USM focusing, New Image Stabilisation system, High resolution, Useful Focus limiter switch

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  Supplied lens hood is a little deep for use at close distances, Focus breathing can make composition tricky

Back in July 2009, Canon announced a new ‘hybrid' image stabilisation system designed for macro photography. Able to compensate for both the standard angular movement and the small shifts in the angle at which the lens is pointed during hand-held shooting.

I love to do macro insect photography and have owned the Canon 100mm without IS for several years, This lens has been great through the years, but as a photographer that is in her 60's and has bad knees, it was getting harder each year to get into the positions needed for insect photography.

I enjoy photographing details and portraits at weddings with this lens. Focus is snappy and images are great. We probably use it 50/50 for indoor portraits, versus non-human subjects. The bokeh is not smooth like an 85L but it's slightly busy look is distinctive. Two negatives.

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  Great image quality wide open. Fast and accurate AF in decent light. Distinctive bokeh.

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  AF hunts in marginal conditions, even on a 5D4. Image stabilization mechanism "rattles" if you don't switch it off before removing from camera. Bokeh might be busy for some.

Extremely clear and sharp pictures, weather sealing, built-in image stabilization, solid build... yes, this is definitely high-end L glass from Canon. I've lab-tested this lens against the non-L Canon 100mm macro lens while copying old 35mm slides, and they're both about equal optically in the 1:1...

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  Weather sealing, image stabilization, crystal-clear image quality, excellent build

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  It's a bit heavier than the non-L "standard" version of Canon's EF 100mm macro lens, so if you're going to work on a copy stand or tripod indoors, you can save a lot of money by going for the standard version.

I use this fine macro lens on a Canon 5d to digitize 35mm slides on a converted Kodak carousel rig. I can see the actual Kodachrome film grain on the digitized images. I definitely recommend this lens.

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  Sharp macro lens.

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  The lens outer shell is plastic.

Quality glass, durable, and consistent top performance. Expensive until the return on investment is formed. It's not my go to lens but like my wife's jewelry ROI, my ROI begins in just owning an outstanding lens and then seeing the results from a few great photos which adds immeasurable...

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  Consistent Output, Durable, Fast / accurate auto-focus, Nice Bokeh, Rugged, Strong Construction

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  Heavy

I've been wanting this lens for quite awhile and finally splurged. I'm so glad I did. So in love with this lens. I can get fantastic handheld macro shots and Canon's magic means something is always in focus.

The lens is even better than I expected. Clarity is excellent. Depth of field is exactly as expected. My very first pictures were hand held and the IS worked very well. Others commented that the AF was loud - I found it to be barely audible.

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  The lens is even better than I expected. Clarity is excellent. Depth of field is exactly as expected. My very first pictures were hand held and the IS worked very well. Others commented that the AF was loud - I found it to be barely audible.

Great lens, clear pictures, great macro uses.

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  Consistent Output, Lightweight

This lens has blown me away. It is my first IS lens from Canon. I own a 85 1.2L and it is slow to focus and forget about hand hold as it has no IS. This 100 2.8L macro is super sharp, fast auto focus and accurate as well.

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  Consistent Output, Durable, Easily Interchangeable, Fast, Fast / accurate auto-focus, Hand hold with ease, Lightweight, Manual focus feels good, Manual focus override, Nice Bokeh, Rugged, Strong Construction, Very Sharp

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  NONE