Allow me to first state that I want people to learn from my experiences below (initial review) - a bad unit can bite you, and depending on the seller, getting your money back may be harder than with others.
I have upped the star rating from 3 to 5 based on receiving a functional, refurbished unit that I received directly from Canon. If the lens was not up to the highest possible degree, I would have kept the review at 4 stars, based on my bad experience after purchasing my first lens. It exceeded all of my expectations once I received a fully functional lens. I will try to explain how in the following review.
I have now used this refurbished lens to take (at time of this review) around 700 pics in the last couple of weeks. I could not wait to update the review.
My initial impressions are extremely positive. Most reviewers have already gone over how the lens feels sturdy, the focus ring is smooth with a nice throw for easy manual focusing, and how the lens is tack sharp. I could not agree more. After getting a working lens (the autofocus now operates as I would expect) I can report that all of these statements are true. The thing that struck me the most, though, was the accuracy and speed of the autofocus system. At macro range, it will track an object and keep it in sharp focus even though my hands are twitchy and the subject may be moving around. There are a few moments where the focus will stop tracking, but a quick retap of the autofocus button will resume the search. As was stated in one of the comments, the autofocus does not like going from macro range to standard range, but this is a good thing. It tries to anticipate where the focus will be, instead of hunting all over the range.
The sharpness of this lens is the next massive asset in this lens's bag of tricks. The level of detail you get from pictures taken in a standard magnification range is absurd. Every line of every feather is in sharp contrast on a bird (assuming you can get close enough to fill a good portion of the frame at 100mm). Get close and the smallest details pop out. The tiny hairs on a grasshopper are present in the photo, and compound eyes become a nest of interwoven latticework.
Because this is a 100mm lens, in theory, one only needs to be 1/160sec on a 1.6x crop lens to avoid visible blur from camera shake (not sure if this translates to macro though...) which means you can hand hold this lens in moderate light (I have a very good amount of keepers at 1/160th). My recommendation, though, is to have a flash unit. I have a 430 ex ii which has been wonderful. I do not miss the lack of image stabilization on this lens due to the fact that I mostly use an external flash. I have tried to use the lens without a flash and unless you have fantastic natural light you're better off with a flash. Also, some claim IS assists in composing and framing. Composing a hand held shot is not difficult to me, even at maximum magnification and without IS. As I stated before, my hands are shaky, too.
If your photos require a close up perspective, this is a fantastic option. The results from a working version of this lens speak for themselves. In the first 5 minutes I was hugely impressed, and with a small amount of experience my love for this lens has only grown. I have also used the 100 f/2.8L which is very similar to this lens, but with the addition of IS and a red stripe (ok - a few other things, too). In practice, I have not seen an appreciable difference between the two lenses. The non-L is good enough for me.
Hope all this helps!
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Original Review:
The autofocus on this lens did not operate. It would hunt for focus for a few seconds and then stop trying. This was the case in all light levels. I also tried this with multiple focus distance limits (the switch on the side) as well as multiple camera bodies.
This is so sad because the lens has so much potential.
1. The pictures taken really are tack sharp.
2. The auto focus ring is smooth and has enough throw to finely adjust as needed.
3. The lens really opens up a world of fun in your photography. I found myself shooting everything I could to "test" the broken mechanism. It was hard to send back, even though I knew it was broken.
As far as the return process, I purchased this from Amazon, sold by Adorama (a company I've followed for quite a while and have trusted). They claimed that because I did not purchase directly through them (but rather on Amazon's site) I could not receive an exchange for a working unit. I could only return for a refund. They were going to charge me retroactive shipping from them ("free" on the original order), a restocking fee, and I had to foot the bill to ship back to them. WHAT?!? After a [mostly] calm conversation with their phone support I was told I would receive a full refund and a shipping label to ship it back. I'm out no money for a defective product shipped to me, so I'm now a happy camper.
Since the refunded money has already been reallocated, I now have to save up for this lens again...It's that good that I wouldn't go without it for too long after briefly having it in my possession. Thus it hurts to give it a 3-star...I just can't give higher without receiving a working unit. :(
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This Item  Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Fixed Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Black |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $350.00 | -9% $999.00 Typical: $1,099.00 | $1,089.00 | -48% $679.57 New Price: $1,299.00 | $156.99 | -10% $449.00 List: $499.00 |
| Delivery | Get it May 17 - 21 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it May 21 - 24 | — | — |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Auto focus | ||||||
| Image stabilization | ||||||
| For portrait photography | ||||||
| Sold By | Unique Photo, Inc. | Amazon.com | Minty Gadgets (we track serial numbers) | Port Hole Renewed | TEKlinq | SolidSignal |
| lens type | Telephoto | Macro | Telephoto | Macro | Telephoto | Telephoto |
| compatible mountings | Canon EF | Canon RF | Canon EF | Canon EF | Canon EF | Canon EF |
| lens design | Prime | Prime | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Prime |
| focus type | Ring-type ultrasonic | Auto Focus | — | Ring-type ultrasonic | Auto Focus | Auto Focus |
| minimum focal length | — | 100 millimeters | 100 millimeters | 100 millimeters | 75 millimeters | — |
| max focal length | — | — | 400 millimeters | 100 millimeters | 300 millimeters | — |
| fixed focal length | 100 millimeters | 100 millimeters | 400 millimeters | 100 millimeters | 300 millimeters | 100 millimeters |
| model name | 4657A006 | Canon RF100mm F2.8 L MACRO IS USM | ef | 3554B002-cr | 6473A003-CR | macro lens |
From the manufacturer
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Fixed Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Description:
Autofocus lens for macro photography up to life-size (1x) magnification. Inner focusing affords a long working distance of 5.9in. (149mm) at 1x. A 3-group floating system results in excellent delineation at all focusing distances. Ring USM for silent and high-speed AF, and full-time manual focusing also provided.
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Reviews with images
One of the Best Lenses Ever Made, Hands-Down
This is by far one of the sharpest lenses on the market, even holding its own against the most expensive glass by Canon, Nikon and even Zeiss (which Nikon and Zeiss owners will foam at the mouth at hearing, but the results of shooting with this lens don't lie). It's also one of the most versatile, since it's a true macro lens which does double- and even triple-duty as an incredible portrait lens and fast medium telephoto.The L version of this, which costs twice as much, really only brings optical image stabilization to the table, but its overall sharpness is, in practice, no better than this "regular" lens. Also, lens flare is so well controlled by this lens' design that you can save your money on a lens hood. It has a second diaphragm in it that makes it nearly impossible to get flare without actually trying to, in which case you might be disappointed, since it really is hard to get flare even intentionally. This is an impressive feat of engineering on Canon's part.It's also very fast to focus when the limiter switch is set to keep it out of the macro range. But, even when the limiter is turned off, it doesn't tend to hunt for focus except in low light or at extremely close distances. For low light, turn the focus limiter on, and you should have no problems. And, if you're shooting macro, it's best to manually focus for that, anyway.And, again, I can't rave enough about how sharp this lens is. From edge to edge, details are tack sharp, and there's very little chromatic aberration. In fact, I don't think I've ever used another lens that had such well-controlled color fringing, even wide open at f/2.8.Vignetting, though noticeable when the aperture is left wide-open, isn't as bad as other lenses, such as the 85mm f/1.8 (considerably more noticeable, but actually rather nice for portraits, which is what that lens is geared toward).On a full-frame sensor (or on 35mm film), it can give 1-to-1 reproduction, which means objects you shoot at its closest focusing distance will be the same size on the sensor that they are in real life. Imagine how much detail you could get in a print of a penny if its recorded image on film were the same size as the penny itself. That's how macro lenses capture so much detail in small objects that our naked eye wouldn't be able to see.On APS-C sensor cameras, such as Rebels, the 60D, 70D, etc., it gives an effective reproduction of 2-to-1 (that is, 2x magnification), since APS-C sensors are only about half the size of full-frame. So, if you have a full-frame sensor and an APS-C sensor that both have the same resolution, you will have to crop the image from the APS-C sensor less than an image from a full-frame sensor to get the same overall apparent magnification. This will result in more detail in the APS-C sensor's image. I got a Rebel to use specifically for macro work for this very reason, saving my 5D for portraiture and landscapes.Finally, this lens' build is just plain solid. It feels sturdy, even with its plastic (though it's high-quality plastic) barrel. It never ceases to feel great in your hand, no matter how many times you pick it up.I now find myself going back to my opening statement. This lens is incredible. Arguably one of the best all-around lenses ever created (and you'd be hard-pressed to argue that it's not). I never get bored with it, especially since macro photography opens up a whole new world. You'll be amazed at how exciting and interesting your back yard can be when you go on a safari in it with this lens. Throw in awesome portraits and great sports and other action shots, and it's easy to justify its kind of hefty price.I'm attaching a couple of portraits and macro shots I took with it.
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Top reviews from other countries
Lillo
Ottimo obiettivo macro Canon, notevole rapporto prezzo/prestazioni
Reviewed in Italy on June 9, 2016Manu
Solides Werkzeug, für Amateure und Fortgeschrittene zu empfehlen.
Reviewed in Germany on January 16, 2011brainleek007
Simply a superb lens
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2007
brainleek007
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2007
The lens is well built - a little lighter than I would have thought and it's fairly long but it doesn't feel flimsy.
Auto focus is good and fast in good light. If you're not using the lens for macro flick the switch on the side to limit the focus mechanism to anything greater than 48cm distance and it speeds up a whole lot more.
There's a full time focus ring and a manual/auto focus switch too. Focusing is internal meaning the lens doesn't grow in length as you're focusing which I really like.
Now down to the nitty gritty: image quality - which is really excellent. I personally bought the lens after reading many reviews on the web and I have not been disappointed in the least. Background blur is also very beautiful. Images are incredibly sharp all the way from f/2.8 so I have no reservations using the lens wide open. Stopped down a bit things just get better - the details this thing can resolve are outstanding. Operating at minimum focus distance (31cm) with an aperture of just 2.8 leads to a super narrow depth of field, we're talking probably 1 or 2mm is in sharp focus! However, it will allow you to be very selective about what is in focus.
Another good feature of the lens is that whilst achieving 1:1 reroduction at it's closest focusing distance it still gives you about 15cm from the end of the lens to the subject. I own the 60mm ef-s macro too and the working distance is down to 9cm on that lens which in some instances is a bit close for comfort, especially where bugs are concerned and they tend to fly off for obvious reasons. It's a bit better with this lens as there's more room.
On a camera with the APS-C sized sensor such as the Canon 60D, 7D, 600d etc what this lens works out to is a 160mm medium telephoto lens. This is likely a bit too long for most portrait work. I have found occasional use for the lens on an APS-C camera body for shooting candid head shots of guests at weddings as the focal length generally puts you outside the zone where people are aware a camera being pointed at them. However, It's not like the 85mm lens which converts to the classic 135mm on an APS-C camera but of course that lens doesn't have macro. Just have a little think what you want this for on an APS-C body - the 60mm EF-S macro may be better for you on these cameras as it obviously has macro functionality plus it converts to 100mm; a much more usable length for portraits; it's a bit more versatile overall on APS-C bodies.
Price is very reasonable in my opinion, it's at the top end of what canon charge for their standard range of lenses but given the superb image quality across the aperture range this is fair.
All round though it's still an awesome lens.
Images in this review
