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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you would like a list of sites with reviews email
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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

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.

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.

This is a review for beginners by some one who's still learning. If you're an experienced photographer, just consider the 5 stars and read other reviews.

The quality of this lens is great. As many reviewers have pointed out, the image quality is sharp and the colors excellent. This should come as no surprise, macro lenses are usually some of the best lenses made. And of course it focuses all the way to infinity as well, so that you can use it as a "general purpose" lens.

Depending on what you use the camera for, this is probably not a carry around lens. The 100mm focal length (equivalent to 160mm on APS-C sensor cameras such as 20D) makes it difficult to use it - I find myself having to move back and reposition myself very often, and may result in a missed opportunity.

A few other accessories will come in really useful to get consistently good macro photos.

- A stable tripod
- A remote release cable
- External flash
- Books about photography, if you don't have them already

I have the first, just bought the second, and thinking about the third. Amphoto has some very good books on photography. I find "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson to be very well written and easy to read.

A remote cord will prevent camera shake when pressing the shutter. I've tried using timer mode to compensate for the lack of a remote cable release. The problem with that is that when the timer goes off, the breeze that died down may have picked up again, and my carefully framed flower is now halfway out of the photo, and is blurry as well. I never realized how windy it is in my backyard until I tried taking macro photos of plants.

Why a tripod? To achieve maximum depth of field (more areas in sharp focus), you need a small aperture. A small aperture means a slower shutter speed to get a correct exposure. Boosting the ISO too far will result in noise. That means that unless there is a blinding amount of light (this is where the flash comes in) you're unlikely to be able to hold the camera still enough to prevent blurring. The only thing worse about a macro photo with only a small area in sharp focus is a blurred macro photo. And remember, stable is the key word. A cheap shaky tripod may not be much better than no tripod.

Speaking of light, try not to take outdoor macro photos (or any outdoor photos) under strong direct sunlight if you can avoid it. You'll find the color washed out compared to an overcast day, or early morning / evening. Or you can use a light diffuser, but that's yet another accessory to carry around.

As an alternative to a remote release, you can use a laptop, USB cable and software. It is rather more difficult to carry around, and you can get a 3rd party remote release for around 1/3 the price of the Canon original.

This lens is great. I will never buy an imitation. Canon is the way to go... The key to using this lens is light. Be aware, If you are planning on taking pictures of tulips in the bright sun, fine. But if you plan to take pictures indoors, I suggest going to for a 50mm or getting the flash ring. And don't consider a tube without it. You lose so much light that your depth is cut down to about ½ of a mm! The flash makes all the difference. This lens sat for a good while until i got the flash. And a standard flash does not work either.
However, the lens does it's job wonderfully. Everything is remarkably crisp and HUGE! You just need the light to focus and get a decent shot.
And BTW - For more controlled environments, the flash ring also has a lamp to focus and setup with. It's extrememly handy with a decent tripod for those indoor shots.

This lens is one of my favorites... not only is it an awesome macro lens, it also can easily be used as a portrait lens. The sharpness that I have seen in my macro work has thoroughly pleased me... it ranks right up there with my "L" lenses.

I read many reviews at fredmiranda.com before I purchased this lens and I was not dissapointed one bit. I was lucky enough to receive a very sharp copy of this lens on the first try. The macro shots were very sharp and contrasty. The center part is already reaching near maximum sharpness at F2.8 Anything beyond F4 is tack sharp. Be carefull with this lens though. The DOF at F2.8 is extremely narrow. Don't mistaken the out of focus shots for being unsharp. Focus properly and crank up the aperture and you'll get some very satisfying macro shots. The only thing I wish this lens had was image stabilizer. Canon, how about a 100mm macro with IS?

This is a fantastic lens not only for Macro shots but for portraits too. Having the extra distance allows for far more flexibility when out and about.
Having tried both the 50, 60 and 100mm - I'm glad I went with the 100mm.

This lens has extremely fast (and quiet) focus, and is razor sharp. What more could you want, when photographing wildlife up close!

I wanted to get a macro lens and everyone told me this was the one to get... I'm so glad I did. With the smaller sensor on my 30D, the 100mm is more like 150mm or so, so it's a nice , wide-open telephoto/portrait lens as well. I've uploaded a few photos I've taken w/ this lens to show what it's capable of in macro and telephoto. I thought the 17mm-85mm IS USM lens that came e/ my camera was sharp - but compared to this lens, the kit lens might as well be from a DIY pinhole camera.

My less than perfect rating is that there is no image stabilization available for the macro lenses. When I'm trying to hone in on bees pollenating a flower, there is a lot of shake. I can't practically use a tripod when the insects are bouncing from bud to bud, so I have to take 100 shots to get one that's not shake blur - and I miss some really cool shots.

In addition to the lack of image stabilization, I am frustrated w/ the sometimes unpredictable focusing that will happen as the lens is trying to decide whether it should be focusing at telephoto or macro. I wish there was a switch on the lens to make it macro only or telephoto only, so it wouldn't be bouncing from one focal length to the other all the time.

I've taken far more successful telephoto shots than macro. The telephoto focal length is a bit long (for those of us who cannot afford a full-frame sensor camera) for most casual photography. I recently used this lens to shoot some promo shots of some massage therapists in a small eatery. I practically had to set up in the restaurant's bathroom to get the photos I wanted, but opted for this lens because it's much faster (2.8) and I wanted to use natural light over flash.

The lens is long and heavy for its range. With the addition of the battery pack grip, this lens added on is very weighty, so I may not take it w/ me in my kit bag on every shoot. Once I add another short fixed focal length lens and a moderate telephoto to my kit, my guess is that this lens will be pulled out for only special occasions.

It's tack-sharp, but it can be frustrating at times.

This is a fantastic piece of glass. Extremely sharp and little artifacts. An awesome lens that I recommend highly. I love going to the local botanical gardens and mounting this baby on my 20D. WELL worth the cost. If you dont have a tripod, buy one.

I bought this lens a little over a year ago for macro shooting. I quickly found out, however, that to shoot Macro-only with this lens is a crime. It is a very versitile lens. Its fast f/2.8 aperture makes for good shooting in low light. I pretty much use this outdoors as the 100mm with the 1.6x crop factor of my Rebel XT eliminates most indoor oppurtunities.

I frequently use this lens for family portraits, the resultant photo is so crisp and clear and the bokeh really helps add snap to the primary subject.

As others have stated, this is a heavy lens. It doesn't have Image Stabilization (IS) so a tripod or monopod is a great accessory to get the best images. I use a beefy monopod for my best shots, although I have a lot of handheld gems...

If you are tight for cash, this isn't the "one lens" that does it all. If you are looking for a versitile lens that can do outstanding macros and portraits, THIS is that lens.

I have been delighted with the quality of pictures I get with this lens. The autofocus is fast and quiet, while the manual focus is very solid and smooth.

I'm finally taking pictures worthy of the jewelry my partner creates!

I purchased this lens primarily for use as a macro lens. Since I shoot mostly wildlife (including bugs) I thought the field of view of 160mm (used with my Canon Rebel XT) would be just about ideal. In reality the FL was not enough. I had to approach the bugs much too close and they frequently left the scene quickly. The pictures taken with the lens were extremely sharp and the bocah (out of focus area behind the subject) was very nice. I wound up selling the lens on eBay since it didn't meet my needs.

This is a really handy lens to have in your bag. I added this lens to my collection several months ago, and I haven't regretted it one bit. I took a trip to Montana in August and used this lens to photograph a ton of wildflowers. I was also using a 70-300mm telephoto lens and a 24-70mm wide angle lens heavily, but most of my favorite shots on that trip were taken with this lens.

Autofocusing is very quiet since it's USM powered, but it's often tricky to get the right focus if you're doing an extreme closeup. This is a general facet of macro lenses, so you'll probably find yourself using manual focus 90% of the time or more. The manual focus on this lens is quite excellent though, and responds well to fine adjustments. It's also quite easy for me to handhold it, as long as I have a decent amount of light or pop up the flash.

With all that being said, this is a nice lens to grab after you have a decent telephoto lens, if you like photographing small things. Otherwise, you might look into getting some other lenses first, i.e. wide angle, fisheye, etc. (unless you already own all of them :-)).

This is hands down the sharpest and most used lens that I own. The combination of macro capability, relatively fast 2.8 aperature, and prime sharpness keeps it on my camera more than anything else. I shoot a variety of subjects from macro nature work to indoor sports, and this lens never lets me down.

One of the major compliments I have for this lens is its versatility (I disagree with many of the reviews here.) I continually find 100mm to be an ideal focal length with my 1.6 APS-c sensor XT for shooting indoor swimming and diving competitions. This length allows for beautifully tight framing, slightly compressed depth of field, and shallow focus to get amazing portrait shots while eliminating distracting background. The speed of the lens allows me to catch swimmers in the air without using a disturbing flash. This is imperative because flash photography is prohibited at the start of a race. Apart from sports events, the lens allows for very intimate portraits without having to be in the subjects face. This performance along with macro capability truly make this a multi-purpose lens.

I usually hand hold for sports photography with good results (the accessory battery grip on my XT is invaluable for this), and usually use a tripod for nature and still-life situations. If I've had one too many cups of coffee I'll use a monopod during sports events. I do wish the lens came with the accessory tripod collar, because it is undeniably a fairly heavy piece of glass, but it is not so important that I have shelled out for one yet. I have no complaints with the AF, and I find that the switch to limit the AF range away from the extreme macro is very helpful. Once you use Canon's USM lenses, you will never buy anything else. The large and easy to use manual focus ring is a luxury. It allows for quick manual override and great control when switching to manual focus. In many situations that I don't want to carry my large bag with me, the 100mm and my 17-40mm L usually cover just about everything I need. (I know that my idea if traveling light is not taking the kitchen sink however.)

This is not an L lens for reasons of the lack of some weather resistance and L level coatings, but don't let that dissuade you. It easily outperforms both my L zooms in sharpness and I find it to be comparable in contrast and color. The level of performance and a price that is a fraction of many L lenses makes this an unbeatable value.

This was my first lens for my merger into the digital world. I use it with the 20D and it is a very sharp lens. Wide open the depth of field is great for portraits, but stop down a bit for macro shots and it greatly improves your shot.

Image colors are a little on the warm side, nothing that photoshop can't handle. The lens is quite heavy, but very well built. Very quiet autofocusing. A good thing for Canon to consider would be putting image stabilization on this baby! This lens is a keeper. I find myself using this on the majority of my nature outings. Bokka is FANTASTIC!!!! A tripod is a must in low light conditions however.

For the price and quality, go with this lens! Highly recommended! check out some of my images at [...]

I have Canon 30D and I needed the macro lens to come with my other 3 lens. I read good reviews on this lens and I don't regret I purchased this. It can take a very sharp pictures. There are more expensive macro lens from Canon, which can take much better macro photos; but, I decided to go with this as I though this lens hit the right balance on the quality and price. The construction of the lens is well made as well.

I have had this lens only a few hours, but am so impressed with its sharpness, even at large apertures and for distant objects. The bokeh (blurred background effect) that you can create with this will really inspire you, and the color saturation is gorgeous. I have a 30D and own several other Canon lenses, including the professional-grade 24-105 f/4L zoom (That zoom is a great, sharp lens, and I think this macro lens is its equal in terms of the way it handles and the sharpness you can get with it.) Autofocus is very smooth and fast, though the full-time manual really comes in handy for those super close up objects. The only downside to macro photography is that for objects in very close range you really need lots of light. I posted three handheld shots just as examples here, but know that to get best results I should set up the tripod and use longer exposure times with higher f stops. So much fun I'll have with this lens!

I purchased this lens recently, with high expectations due to the very favorable reviews found on the net. Even so, the 100mm surpassed my expectations, it is an exceptionally sharp lens, even when fully open at f/2.8. On my Rebel XT it works well both as a macro and as a portrait/tele lens (with a 160 mm apparent focal distance). For the latter usage the auto focus can be a bit sloppy, but as I understand this is an unavoidable consequence of the macro lens design. The minimum focal distance of 31 cm is comfortable, you don't have to squish that bug to photograph it ;). For macro work the auto focus is not a problem at all, as I prefer to always use the manual mode.
All in all this lens is a knock-out for the money - I do not own any "L" lens from Canon, but I would expect the 100m to have a comparable optical quality.
If you are into macro photography I absolutely recommend this lens!

I took a few photos of flowers with this lens. They're great. I even framed one for my friend's birthday, and she loved it. This lens provides excellent Depth of Field.

I have a bag full of lenses and this is easily my favorite (I'm sure I would think differently if I could afford the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 macro.) I've really gained an appreciation for macro photography since buying this lens. There's a whole world of creative possibilties located right inside YOUR house!

For the technical... This is a true macro lens. Many lenses like to claim they are "macro", or have a "macro mode" but if the lens does not do 1:1 magnification, its not true macro. This is the case with Canon's 50mm "macro", which requires you to purchase an additional adapter for nearly $300. You'd have saved money by just buying this lens in the first place.

I really love this lens. I mostly use manual focus, a tripod and RS-80N shutter release when setting up my shots. My mistake was buying an off-brand macro ring light that eats batteries so I am saving to get the Canon MT-24EX which costs more than the lens. This lens does not need much light to get great shots but the effects of macro lighting makes for those colorful vibrant macro pics you see in National Geographic. I have several L lenses and the 100mm Macro is every bit as sharp as those lenses.

I have taken many macro photos over the years, but this is my first quality macro lens and now I know what I have been missing all these years. This lens is a must have for clear macro photography and with the felxibility of the 100mm range, one can take great photos without distubring the subject in cases of photographing incects or other small living creaturs.

This lens is intermediately priced, good Macro Lens.
This focal length is particularly useful since its 100mm focal length (160mm on APS-C lineup) can achieve reasonable result for both Portrait photography and Macro Photography.

With this lens, you can get pretty close to your subject without much of compromise. Focus is reasonably fast, that is somewhat sufficient to chase small animal if used with camera such as 20D, 30D, 1D MKII.

But, if you shoot small creature professionally, you might feel bit awkward at some point as it is very easy to hit limitation of current AF technology, if so, it might be better off switch to MF quickly to chase the subject. And this lens perform reasonably well on the MF mode as well.

But, you really have to use it with full sensor DSLR such as 5D or 1DS series to get your money worth from this lens. You will love bokeh this lens will create when you shoot with this lens.

While it will not match optical performance of EF 180mm f/3.5 L USM Macro Lens (As it cost nearly 2.5 times) as macro lens, it will certainly focus faster, easy to carry, and It is very sharp and perform well for other function such as for portrait .
Of course, I will not say it will match performance of true portrait lens from Canon that sports much wider aperture, but this lens came pretty close, and you can get away with the most of professional assignment with this.

I just recently completed photo shoot for some professional magazine article that catered for designer and photographer, and this lens perform superbly along with more expensive L variety lens. So, this lens is pretty reliable.

Some professional pointed vignetting issue at f/2.8, though I did not notice much. My shooting style does not required to take notice as I tend to stopped down to shoot subject when I am using this lens, but it is possible to be a issue for some people who tend to shoot at wide open.

As a Macro Lens, this lens will really shine when stopped down to beyond f/16 or so, as it is true macro lens designed to shine at those f-stop range.

This focal length are popular for macro photography, and there are other budget solution from third party manufacture, and few OEM brands that sports Auto Focus mode exist, but they will not match optical performance of EF100 f/2.8 USM Macro Lens as this lens is very nice at almost all f-stop whereas third party solution is tend to be good at particular f-stop .

It does not weigh much, so it will not going to be your burden. When I am on the field, I tend to carry 3 large zoom + one or two fixed focus lens, and this lens will be one of such lens to bring if I have to choose among prime lens.

It also makes decent product photography lens, though if you have extra budget, I would go for the TS-E 90mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens as it is a lens designed for that particular purpose. But, when you are on the field, and asked to do quick work on the spot, EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro will handle job just fine.

Pro:

Excellent optical performance at all f-stop. And it is suited for number of purpose. Consider it as utility telephoto prime lens.
Good Starter Lens for Macro Photography, and easiest to master compared to other Macro solution offered at the Canon EF system.

Con:
Hood or Pouch are not included, and you will need them!

this is my first macro lens, and i have to say i'm very impressed.

I'm a professional child portrait photographer. I bought this lens for "fun", just wanting to play around with some macro photography. And it is very fun! Aside from a little extra hunting for the focus, which should be expected from any macro, this lens is a dream. I'm using it on the Canon 5D. The clarity and detail from this lens is superb. The bokeh is beautiful. I've found I'm even using it professionally, and it's working out to be a wonderful portrait lens as long as I have time to let it focus. This is on my list of favorite lenses!

It deserves the red ring on its front end. The optical quality of this lens is on par or even better than some of the Canon L Zooms. The build quality while not like a L lens, it is enough to put a permanent dent in your head if you bang yourself with it.

And then there is Macro too! This is where I think this lens is just insanely phenomenal. Of course if you are new to macro photography, you will get so sick of the autofocus hunting. But you will learn to live with it. However I am told that the competition is worse..way worse.

Prepare to be blown away when you use it. One more thing though, this lens is quite heavy. I mean with my 30D the package weighs quite enough to ache your hand after a while. If you are used to L lenses, piece of cake. But if you are graduating from kit lens (my case), it does take some time to adjust to the weight.

And don't even bother taking macro shots without tripod..you will seriously force the lens to under-perform.

A certain must have in your camera bag!!!

This is now one of my favorite lenses for my EOS30D. I sometimes use it in conjunction with the MR-14EX macro ring lite. But there are some situations every so often when I really wished that Canon would make a macro lens with Image Stablization (that you can turn on or off anyway); none of their three macro lenses have IS. As added blur insurance, either due to lighting conditions or moving subject matter, I find myself sometimes taking extra shots, but that may not compensate for moving insects and objects when the perfect shot framing turns out to be more blurry than the crystal clear image of a less perfect shot.

This is an awesome lens. I use it mostly for Macro photography.
I used it for portrait before i got my 85mmL f1.2. This make a nice portrait lens too, but i wouldn't use it since i have the 85L.

The only problem i had with the lens was the AF which isn't that fast in Dim light... i usually find myself using MF i those cases.
AF is pretty fast in normal light conditions.

When taking macros know your working distance, otherwise you'll have a heck of a time using the AF, and you might miss potential amazing shots of bugs and animals.

But overall this is a great lens. It worth every penny.
The lens is unbelievably sharp for the price. And it gives you great Bokeh to your shots.
If you are not sure to buy it, I'd say go for it.
I've also got the Kenko extension tube for it... which makes the magnification even better (higher than 1).

You can see some of the pictures i've taken with lens on my website:

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This lens isn't just the best Macro Canon has to offer, it can also be used for a great telephoto. I would recommend this to anyone who needs to round out there collection with a fantastic macro lens!

The Canon ef 100mm f/2.8 is a perfect lens for a narrow band of applications. For portaits and life size (full picture of a small object) it serves very well. However, I found it difficult to give up the flexibility of my 17-85mm zoom lens. I don't carry a pack of lenses around so the versatility of the 17-85mm trumps most other characteristics most of the time.

Don't get me wrong, the 100mm is of excellent quality, with no problems. It is capable of very sharp photos and is fun to use. Some people say it's too heavy. I don't think so. Its weight and size don't bother me at all (I use it on my 350xt). I've gotten some very sharp and interesting pictures using it. However, wide angle capability and being able to compose pictures by including or excluding elements of the scene has spoiled me. (I would have liked a little more zoom on the 17-85mm though.)

The net result is that I occasionally use this macro, and very much enjoy it when I do. I'm happy with it and recommend it for portraits and closeups, and even as a walk around lens provided you can compose the picture by walking where you need to be.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
this macro lens is perfect for what I do!....I love the way it handles, and it does what it is supposed to do, this lens also duo's as a medium-telephoto lens for normal photography (such as portraits!) A well worth purchase!

The 100mm macro lens is a must have for any serious photographer. It costs a little more than other primes within it's class but this lens is VERY sharp. Great for taking pictures of nature, as well as portraits. The long body and 58mm filter size seem to hide the silent potential of this mighty lens.

Highly recommend this lens. This lens is so sharp it should be an "L" series lens!

I have done macro flower photography over the last three years. I can honestly say that this is one of the best macro lenses that I ever used. To use it correctly I do recommend that you use a tripod. Keep in mind that unlike some other Canon lenses this one does not have image stabilization. The lens light, and very easy to handle. I highly recommend it.

I am veri satisfied with the Canon EF100mmf/2.8 Macro USM lens, like I said I is Just the best.

What can I say? This is the lens to have for macro. The photos are soooo clear. I am going to use it for portraits also. I'm not sorry that I bought this lens.

No complaints, just cudos. It arrived in good shape and in good time and was just what I ordered. The lens does great close-up work and is easy to use. Quality is excellent.

I have the Canon Rebel XT and buy ONLY Canon lenses. This one, however, is in a class all by itself. It is so sharp and the colors are so warm that I don't like to use any other lens. It will change the way you see the world and the way you take photos. Fun,fun,fun!!

excellent lens. It's not that easy to carry as you use it only when the conditions are right, but the macros that can be done with it make worth the money spent on it.

This is my first macro lens and i'm very satisfied with it. I could take my pictures to another level with this lens. It was worth buying this product.

Let's start with the obvious from all the reviews. The bokeh is fine. The lens is pretty fast. f2.8 to f22 is useful as a creative range. The optics are sharp and the all-time focusing is a boon. So what's not to like?

Well, here's the thing. The Canod EOS40D, which I use, has the ability to use the viewfinder in "live preview" mode, and when doing so, will allow you to zoom in on your focus point (or anywhere else, but that's irrelevant to my point here) such that you can see extremely fine detail. At which point you can manually focus the lens so that it is exactly right. Marvelous, right?

It would be. But the lens has some mechanical backlash problems. Let me explain backlash; if you're not familiar with it, it takes a bit of describing.

Backlash is a problem that occurs in gear trains or arrangements that causes the finest adjustments to repeatedly over or under adjust, depending on which way you are going, because the gears don't (can't, really) fit perfectly together. In simple gearing systems, such as those for old-school FM tuner dials, backlash is often eliminated by two thin gears side by side, one for each drive direction, that have a spring between them that keeps positive tension in *both* directions on the engaging gear, keeping them tight only in the directions they drive, while each of the thin gears is relatively free from tight engagement in the direction it doesn't drive. This means that when you turn the tuner dial, the gear train responds instantly and tightly; if you just barely nudge the tuning knob, the tuner's tuning would nudge accordingly, and all felt and operated wonderfully in both directions.

In a standard gear train, the gear teeth have a little bit of freedom to move before they make contact with the teeth of the next gear in the gear train, and this causes movement of the gear to be without resistance. The gear turns relatively easily, because it isn't actually engaged, and then when the teeth actually make contact a fraction of a turn later, they "slam" together and more of an adjustment is made than one would expect; which in turn requires adjusting the other way, but now the gear has to move back across the non-engaged space and slams into the tooth behind in just the same manner. This can result in a VERY frustrating experience.

So now we get to the issue with the lens. The focus adjustment has a significant backlash problem which becomes evident at the very highest magnification of the EOS 40D's live preview.

I recently took a picture of a small creature (about 50 thousandths across) on the wall of my salt water aquarium. I used live preview, max magnification, and manual focus. Let me tell you, this was an experience of great disagreement between the lens and me. I spent literally ten minutes trying to get the lens to the best possible focus. I would touch the lens ring, and the focus would get sharper, and then slide right past that setting to slightly blurry again. I'd then adjust the other way, and the same thing would happen again. The camera was on a tripod, it was orthogonal to the plane the object I was trying to focus on was attached to, the object was agreeably motionless - all the recipe ingredients for an easy to focus situation. Except we are talking about a VERY small object, and so very fine focus control is required.

Now, is this going to bother you in your application? probably not, unless you shoot very tiny things, as I do from time to time. Even then, we're talking about the very last wisps of focus accuracy the lens is capable of; but after spending almost $500 on a lens, would you not want to get all you can out of the optics? I know I do. If what you're shooting is moving, you could easily lose the best possible shot because the focus is just about uncontrollable in that last percentile or so.

It is possible that I got a bad lens; perhaps others would be so good to check this out before they post their reviews. But I have to review the lens I have, because that's the experience I've had.

The good news: Great lens! I cannot believe the sharpness of this lens on my Canon 5D. Close ups are sharp but it really excels with portraits. Maybe too sharp for portraits! It is as sharp or sharper than my 70-200mm L lens. Like everyone else, I would like to see the lens with an included lens shade. But you can buy a cheaper version on eBay from Hong Kong. Same with the tripod collar.

The bad news: I bought this through Amazon and the seller was Beach Camera. Like a dummy I paid extra ($20) for two day shipping. It took Amazon 2 days just to get the order to Beach Camera. Another 3 days to have the lens arrive. I just barely got it in time for a shoot before the weekend. I then ordered a 580ex II directly from Beach Camera. I paid less than $10 for standard shipping and it arrived in 4 days. Amazon: your 2 day shipping is a rip off!

I was always interested in minute objects so this is the lens for me. This is one lens u can have fun with. But at start its very difficult to get the DOF right. it has a VERY shallow DOF when photographing really small objects as at 1-2x n that makes it very difficult to handle and get right part on focus. But with the learning curve I am now able to get it right. The pics are very sharp n life like. Portrait is also very nice n superb bokeh.
Best piece of glass I have. Highly recommended if u love photographying small flowers & insects.

This macro lense was an A+ buy! It put a whole new spin on photography. The clear details of your images are amazing. If you have been looking for a macro lense, this is the lense to get!!

Simply a superb lens - the images it produces are outstandingly crisp across the frame (APS-C in my case).

The internal focusing of this lens really is a must for serious macro work, as it means your lens isn't moving in and out and poking the thing you're trying to photograph (or isn't scaring the subject off as it focuses). f/2.8 means great bokeh and control over depth of field, leading to some great images.

Moving outside the macro world, this is also a super portrait lens and produces very flattering images with the ability to really play with the DoF and focus attention on the subject.

I would recommend that you budget for the lens hood as well (I think they're essential for all lenses, frankly).

Overall - I have no idea why this isn't categorized as an f/2.8L, but if that keeps the price down, then I'm all for it. You can't go wrong with this lens in my opinion.

I am a wedding photographer and this is my favorite telephoto lens. I use it religiously for all the detail shots and it's 2.8 aperture allows for that in some of the darker churches and reception halls. I do find it's a little slow to focus (goes back an forth) in low light, but after some time you learn how to work around that. There's always the option to manual focus (while leaving it on auto) so I do that then use the auto focus once i've given it a 'hint' on what I want sharp... On my 30D it's about a 160mm so it's great for formals as well- it blurs the background and you get that tack-sharpness that you can only really get from a fixed lens. Excellent buy- It does not have image stabilization, but if you hold still and shoot at 1/125 or faster it's good. Or use a tripod!

Want to talk about sharp!! WOW, this lens is the best. I use it for everything. Macro, portraits, walk around. You can't go wrong with this lens. I think it should be a L lens. Great buy!

This lens is sharp, obviously gives you all the benefits of a true macro lens, and for its quality, is reasonably priced. This is one of the few areas where spending twice as much on a pro lens of the same type won't afford any more sharpness, and realistically very little contrast or color improvement, but gains additional working distance. I can live without it, as can most, and so this lens suits me fine.

Great lens for macro work. I can get great shots without getting so close as is necessary with other macros. It is a heavy lens and not one I pack around on a hike. It should have a tripod to avoid camera shake,however I seldom pack one. I hand hold but if the subject is still I shoot several shots and usually find one that is acceptable.

I bought this lens over a year ago and can say that it has really served its purpose.

There is a learning curve especially when trying to focus the right areas. My suggestion is to use it in manual mode and try to move in and out to get the desired areas in focus.

My copy is tack sharp!

In the end this is a no brainier purchase for anyone who is looking for a dedicate macro which can also shoot decent portraits.

it worth every p....... dont miss it
the 60mm ef-s is good but you must be sooo close to the subject and non movable... so it's good for non life macro's, but this you have enough space
"i have them both< & both are great"

If you've only worked with zoom lenses, you may be pleasantly surprised by the sharpness of a prime lens like this one. I only dabble in macro photography but also wanted a good outdoor portrait lens and this fits the bill perfectly! It's fast, has lovely bokeh and is sharp all the way to the corners. The 100mm length gives you a bit more distance when shooting insects which is a good plus, but be aware that this is a fairly heavy lens and not easily handheld (and does not have IS as many of the zooms these day do.) Use of a tripod is certainly recommended when possible as for good macro shots you do often need to stop down and may have to sacrifice a bit on shutter speed as a result. This may not be marked as an L lens, but it certainly is that level of quality. My only real gripe is that Canon does not include the accessories (hood, case) with the lens, as is typical for lenses in this price range. Otherwise, an excellent lens for anyone wanting to try their hand at true 1:1 macro photography.

For the money this lens preforms very well. Great to get those tiny critters that most of the time we don't even notice. It can also be used for portraits but it really excels when shooting tiny objects. Good bang for your buck.

Sharp, really sharp, great images with loads of detail. The focusing ring is just slightly loose, like the gears could mesh a bit tighter, but it doesn't hinder precise focusing.

Bought this fantastic lense a few days ago. The lense arrived on time and in good condition. This lense is very fast, yes, you have to believe me! Despite without IS, I still manage to get extremely sharp images. This lense is also fairly priced despite it's reputation and performance. A little heavy though, anyhow not really a big issue for me. You've got to try it. It truely deserves a red ring!

this lens is fantastic. It is flexible, durable, and most of all, not wicked expensive for what you get. OK, so I found a better deal and got one for about $400 even, but if i knew the quality was this damn high, i would've paid $600 at circuit city in a heartbeat. Its kinda heavy and long, but i'm used to my Sigma 18-200mm zoom lens which is wider and heavier. The pictures ive taken are amazing. Only thing is, for some reason, with this lens your camera will try to make the image brighter by holding open the shutter longer at spots with normal light for other lenses. Also, there is a switch for a distance limiter, yet it doesn't do anything different for me. Supposedly its better for taking pictures of things that are farther away. Did I mention that its great for a medium telephoto lens too? plus it only has a focus ring.

I am not a professional ... but a very serious amateur ... and I love this lens. It was money well spent.

This is a good lens for macro photography, but it is not without its shortcomings, and if your camera can use Canon EF-S lenses, you may want to consider the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 MACRO USM lens. First, the 60 mm is considerably cheaper. Second, the 60mm lens has a circular aperture - the 100mm lens does not. Next, as the Canon website shows, the 60 mm lens has better MTF than the 100mm lens. Also, the 60 mm lens weighs about half that of the 100 mm lens. Finally, for portraits and other non-macro photography, the 60 mm length may be more convenient, and with its 2.8 aperture, the 60 mm lens can be used as a fast "normal" lens.
All that said, the 100 mm lens does take good macro photos, although it is not always easy. As with all macro photography, you need to close the aperture and use an external flash. The Canon macro ring light will cost you another $450. And, since a tripod is also usually needed, macro photography can become rather expensive.

This is one of my Targeted Purchases for Additional Lenses with my Digital SLR Camera (Canon XSi and XTi). Being FINALLY FREE (As an Empty-Nesting Retiree) .. I've gone back to College ... and a selection of the courses are in Photography. The skills/techniques I am studying necessitated the purchase of a Macro Lens -- and since this one Arrived .. WOW ... I've gotten a LOT of use out of this one lens -- everything from close-ups of the Spring Blooms to Insects/Butterflies and nature in all its wonderous glory. I LOVE it ... but realize this -- if you are photographing blooms -- you MOST likely will be using MANUAL Focus -- for the lens itself will zoom in and out (sometimes repeatedly) -- trying to focus where IT wants to .. so if you want the BEST quality (based on your tastes), set it to MF and go for it!

A very good lens, gives sharp images. Can focus at a 1:1 magnification, so for a full frame 35mm sensor (like the Canon 5D) a 24x36 field of view fills the frame.

This is a great choice for those looking for a macro lens. It's also a good medium range telephoto. I do recommend this highly.

Bought this about 60 days ago and it's been my primary lens since. This is by far the sharpest lens we have and with the biggest aperture. Just yesterday was at our daughter's dance rehearsal and no flashes were allowed. I tried to use the 28-135 telephoto that came with the camera but it's was just way too dark. Moved back a few rows and slapped on this baby and everything became so much brighter and I got some really good action shots at 1600 ISO. By the way, the Canon 40D is so good that 1600 ISO shots are useable.

As to the macro function, it's great. For small insects you will need a monopod, a steady hand, and manual focus.

Can't say anything bad besides the slow focusing. But this is sharp. Awesome macro and tele capabilities.

Good product, Upto my expectation, difficult to find by keywords but atlast found it, fits to my canon camera and wow on result. thanks for this deal

I think everyone else said it better than I can, because I just got this lens a week ago. So far... I love it!

Excellent lens to have in your camera kit. Sharpness is great and the AF is very fast.

This was the first lens that I purchased for my XTi and I couldn't be happier with my choice. I enjoy macro, but I also wanted something that would be equally good for portraits. I have been able to get really captivating candid shots of people with this lens and extreme close-ups of whatever I wish. It is ancredibly sharp and fast, and I believe it is everything ou would want in a lens. This is a MUST buy even if you have to save up for it. You will not be disappointed.

If you are into photography and want to show detail then this is the lens for you. This lens is the best for showing great details in your photos. I photograph nature alot and this lens can even pick up the little white flys. If you want things that small this is the lens. When I photograph people it is awesome with closeup shots in showing how smooth or rough the face and hair are. I think this lens is the best lens Canon could have come out with.

I like this focal length in a macro, and I like the aperture. I wish the L series macro were not 180mm, because I want a shorter macro. But Canon, those cads, don't make a short Macro in a L Series lens. So I had to buy some plastic. Oh well. It's fine, I guess. But not as sensual as my silky smooth L lenses. As a matter of fact, I am kind of embarrassed by it's lack of a red ring, and plasticky-ness. But it works ok, and someday, I pray Canon will make me a nice L Series, honest to god METAL macro in a shorter focal length. Like 65mm, and f2.5, OK Canon gods?

This is a wondferul lens with great sharpness and color. I have owned two over the years and have been very happy with them with the quality of construction and reliability. What makes me even happier is it is a great value since it can be purchased for less than $500 now. The only issue that I have is that due to its age, the lens is somewhat slow to focus compared to my newer lens. I would still recommend this as a great buy, regardless.

Before making the decision to splash out on the Canon lens for my Canon EOS 400D (Rebel) I spent several months comparing reviews and opinions on various lenses. It came down to a choice between the Canon 100mm, the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro and the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens. Each had its plus points but the general consensus of opinion consistently favoured the canon.

I do not regret my choice. For close-up work the 100mm lens is a considerable improvement over the standard 18-55mm lens, and for macro it is excellent. Best results are achieved when using full manual settings, and I find the lens performs at its best roughly between f8 and f22.

Using the lens as a standard telephoto I am not yet convinced, certainly when using it hand held. It is quite a heavy piece of equipment and I find camera shake a problem, but used with a tripod the results are good. But I am not too worried about this as it was primarily for macro photography that I wanted the lens, and on this basis I do not regret my choice.

All I have to say is-This lens will make photos limited only by my skill and imagination. Alright, I need to make more points than just that. This lens is the best for showing great details in your photos. It's amazing! However, why it didn't come with a hood?

This lens works great for food photos. I've hand held this lens when shooting and used a tripod, all of the shots turned out great.

Can't beat this lens for detail shots! I use it for close ups of wedding rings etc at weddings and it makes a killer portrait lens as well. One of the best purchases I have made for my lens bag.

Although this lens is intended for macro photography, it's also a great lens for general purpose shots, or portrait shots. The lens produces beautiful sharp images and is a fast, accurate focuser. The lens is moderately heavy and bulky, so I wouldn't classify it as eminently carryable, and without image stabilization, you might suffer hand shake blur if you're not shooting at the wide end; at smaller apertures, using it with a tripod is highly recommended. But if you're buying it primarily to get into macro this shouldn't much matter as tripod shooting with macro is virtually a necessity, and completely expected.

The 100mm focal length is a nice compromise when you want to get close to small subjects (particularly insects) but are limited to how close you can get before scaring the subject off - as a comparison with the 180mm macro, you would want to factor in a consideration as to what you might like to shoot most of the time - big spiders that you'd rather stay well away from might be an application more suited to the 180mm, for instance, but if you are keen to shoot mostly flowers, the 180 might be more length than you really need.

In short, the 100mm macro is one of my "keeper" lenses, a real performer.

Not much to say as this lens is on a par with all my other Canon lenses. Super sharp images, smooth and easy to use. Perfect for the job it's intended to do.

I'm a hobbyist, and I'm currently using this lens with my 40D (1.6x crop sensor).

This is my first 1:1 macro lens and I've been having a ton of fun with it... getting insanely close details on ordinary things makes for extraordinary photos (it's hard to take a 'bad' photo with this lens, but it takes quite a bit of photographic knowledge to take 'great' photo with it). I've been using it to photograph nature, toys, food (some beautifully unflattering pictures), the moon (although small in the frame, the details are there), and portraits (I love the portraits it takes... not too flattering, but honest in a kind of brutal way). This lens is razor-sharp in the details so even for taking non-macro pictures, you'll get great results.

You'll need a flash to get the most out of this lens when shooting macro. I ran out and bought a flash after getting this lens (and gave myself another thing that'll take me months to learn the basics of). I'm still discovering how best to use all of my gear together, but it's a fun process.

Highly recommended.

I am a novice photographer and researched this lens for well over a year before I finally got enough money together to purchase it. From what I have read and heard, this lens is great for people getting started in macro photography and I felt it was perfect for my needs. It may be a little pricey for people just starting out in photography, but it's WELL worth the cost. This lens pays for itself many times over in just a few weeks of use.

I don't have a problem with the auto focus. It's a little slow, but it works just fine for my needs and is very quiet. If I need to focus precisely, I will just switch to manual focus. My sharpest shots tend to be f/5.6 - f/8. The lens is a little heavy and takes some getting used to if you're not used to heavier, better quality optics. It probably just feels heavy to me compared to the tiny Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens which I bought right before this one and was using a lot. A tripod helps a LOT from my experience, especially in low-light situations where it is hard to stay still long enough.

This is definitely my favorite lens. A whole new world opens up to you when you're shooting with it. It's just amazing and I'm very happy I bought it. Highly recommended!!