Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro

Full Frame, 1.4× Macro Magnification, Ultrasharp w/Soft-Focus Control

Sample Images   Introduction

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Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM (67mm filters, 25.7 oz./730 g, 1.4× maximum macro magnification, 0.85'/10.2"/0.26m close focus, $1,299) shown with optional Tripod Adapter Ring. bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used lens — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.

 

July 2022   Better Pictures   Canon Reviews   Mirrorless   RF Lenses   EF Lenses   Flash   All Reviews

All Canon 100mm Lenses Compared

EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Review (2009-today)

EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Review (2000-2021)

EF 100/2.8 Macro Review (1990-2000)

EF 100mm f/2 USM Review (1991-2019)

Best Macro Lenses

How to Shoot Macro

Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures

 

Sample Images       top

Sample Images   Introduction

New   Good   Bad   Missing   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, SA CONTROL, Macro, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.

These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.

These are all shot hand-held as NORMAL JPGs; no tripods, FINE JPGs or RAW CR3 files were used or needed.

All images here and throughout the review are shot with the SA CONTROL at zero unless otherwise noted:

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro sample image

Moon in Clouds by Last Light, 6:42 PM, 11 September 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro at f/5 hand-held at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.0), perfectly clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.

You can see every crater as well as a few of our Apollo LEMs up on the moon.

 

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro sample image

Iceplant Flower, 10:43 AM, 24 August 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro at f/5 hand-held at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.0), as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.

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Not only is this lens extraordinarily sharp, especially at f/2.8 in the far corners just like all Canon 100mm lenses, what will really knock off your socks is how incredibly fast and surely it autofocuses back and forth between infinity and close distances. This is more impressive as you have more experience with AF macro lenses and realize that very few of them can make such huge changes in focus so fast, especially without getting stuck, lost, confused or needing help in knowing which way to go when you're pointed at something totally out of focus. This is an amazing lens, and it focuses closer (to a larger magnification) and faster than any other autofocus macro lens.

This is the world's only pro macro that can focus from infinity to as close as 1.4× life size without accessories. 1.4× life size means the on-sensor image is 40% larger than the subject! It can fill full-frame with a subject as small as 0.67 × 1 inches (17 × 25 millimeters), and the final images then will be much larger than life, even as thumbnail images.

This may seem too retro, even for me, but a great application of the 1.4× ability is for awesome film scanning. It easily can crop a bit into a 35mm full-frame piece of film and give an even better, higher linear-resolution scan than a 1× 1:1 scan if the subject on the film doesn't fill the entire frame.

It's also the world's first macro lens with a soft-focus control, labeled "SA CONTROL" (Spherical Aberration Control). Bokeh is always awesome without needing this control. The SA CONTROL doesn't simply blur the image, it adds soft flare over a sharp core image which is ideal for minimizing skin wrinkles and blemishes, and why these sorts of lenses have been popular for portraits for over 100 years. Cinematographers create similar effects with Tiffen Pro-Mist filters, which are completely different from fog or soft filters which do different things. The SA CONTROL and the Pro-Mist filters retain a sharp base image over which a soft glow is placed to hide darker subject defects.

Set the SA CONTROL to 0 and this is among the world's sharpest lenses. Unlike physical filters, you may set the SA CONTROL to any intermediate value, and modulate its effect with your selection of aperture.

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM. bigger.

 

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM. bigger.

 

New        Introduction     top

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Focuses as close as 1.4× life size.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Soft-focus control, labeled "SA CONTROL."

 

Good        Introduction     top

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Huge magnification range from infinity to 1.4× life size.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Spectacular sharpness, just like all Canon 100mm Lenses.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Superb Bokeh.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Soft-Focus control.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com No distortion.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Great sunstars.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Image Stabilizer rated 8 stops improvement if used on the EOS R5 in concert with the R5's sensor-shift stabilizer.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Image Stabilizer actually gives 5 stops real-world improvement on the EOS R5 in concert with the R5's sensor-shift stabilizer.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Image Stabilizer works close-up, too, but not as well.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Focus limiter switch.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Gasketed against dust and moisture.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Hood included.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Case included.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Made in Japan.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com 100% U.S.A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.

 

Bad        Introduction     top

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Not free, and assuming you're using strobes and not needing stabilization or more than 1× magnification, the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro takes exactly the same pictures for less than half the price on an EF to RF adapter, and if you don't mind having to move a slide switch to get between auto and manual focus, the original EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro offers equally outstanding results for about $225 used if you know How to Win at eBay, and the older lenses weigh less. Macro lens optics have always been extraordinary.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Non-compensating aperture system. Most people use the camera's own metering and will never notice, however like all macro lenses the effective apertures become less as focused more closely. Because the system fails to compensate by itself one will have to compensate manually if using manual power settings with strobes (or an external light meter) as one changes macro distances. For me that means having to reset apertures as I change distances in my studio with my manual strobes, otherwise manual exposures change as focus distance changes in the macro range. This has no effect at normal distances.

 

Missing        Introduction     top

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com Tripod Collar not included.

 

Compatibility       top

Sample Images   Introduction

New   Good   Bad   Missing   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This lens only works on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.

It won't work with any teleconverters.

It won't fit on, and cannot be adapted to, any DSLR because a DSLR has too much distance between its sensor and its lens mount flange.

 

Specifications       top

Sample Images   Introduction

New   Good   Bad   Missing   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

 

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Name       specifications       top

Canon calls this the RF100mm F2.8 L MACRO IS USM:

    RF: Works only on Canon's full frame mirrorless cameras.

    L: Expensive as L.

    MACRO: Focuses to just a few inches.

    IS: Image Stabilization.

    USM: (nano) UltraSonic (autofocus) Motor.

 

Optics       specifications       top

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro Internal Optical Construction

Internal optical construction. IS section.

17 elements in 13 groups.

Internal focussing with Nano USM.

Super Spectra Coating multicoating.

Front fluorine coating to resist dirt and smudges.

 

Diaphragm       specifications    

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM. bigger. 

9 rounded blades.

Electronically actuated.

Stops down to f/32.

 

Filters       specifications       top

67mm filter thread.

 

Angles of View       specifications       top

On full-frame at infinity:

24º diagonal.

20º horizontal.

14º vertical.

 

Focal Length       specifications       top

100mm.

When used on an APS-C camera, it sees the same angle of view as a 150 mm lens sees when used on a Full-Frame or 35mm camera.

See also Crop Factor.

 

Autofocus       specifications       top

Internal focussing.

No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.

 

Focus Scale       specifications       top

No.

Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.

 

Infinity Focus Stop       specifications       top

No.

You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.

 

Depth of Field Scale       specifications       top

No.

Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.

 

Infrared Focus Index       specifications       top

No.

 

Close Focus (distance from front of lens to image plane)  specifications       top

0.86 feet.

10.2 inches.

0.26 meters.

 

Working Distance (distance from front of lens to subject)     specifications       top

3.62" (92mm) at 1.4× magnification.

 

Maximum Reproduction Ratio       specifications       top

1:0.7 (1.4 ×), larger than life-size.

 

Reproduction Ratio Scale       specifications       top

No.

 

Image Stabilizer       specifications       top

Image Stabilizer rated 5 stops improvement.

Image Stabilizer rated 8 stops improvement if used on the EOS R5 in concert with the R5's sensor-shift stabilizer.

 

Caps       specifications       top

Canon E-67II 67mm front cap, included.

Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001), included.

 

Hood       specifications       top

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

ET-73C hood. bigger.

 

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

ET-73C hood. bigger.

The ET-73C hood is included.

 

Case       specifications       top

Canon LP1222 Sack Case

Canon LP-1222 Carry Sack. bigger.

LP-1222 carry sack included.

 

Tripod Collar       specifications       top

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Tripod Mount Ring E (B) and adapter. bigger.

Optional Tripod Mount Ring E (B) and adapter.

 

Size       specifications       top

3.21" ø maximum diameter × 5.83" extension from flange.

81.5 mm ø maximum diameter × 148 mm extension from flange.

 

Weight       specifications       top

25.7 oz. (730 g), no tripod collar.

 

Quality       specifications       top

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM. bigger.

Made in Japan.

 

Announced       specifications       top

1 AM, Wednesday, 14 April 2021, NYC time.

 

Promised for       specifications       top

29 July 2021.

 

Included       specifications       top

Lens.

ET-73C hood.

Canon E-67II 67mm front cap.

Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001).

LP-1222 carry sack.

USA Warranty card (in USA).

 

Canon's Model Numbers       specifications       top

Product code: 4514C002 (4514C001 in Japan).

Model number: RF10028LMIS.

JAN code: 4549292-1680.

 

Price, U. S. A.       specifications       top

July 2022

$1,299 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.

About $1,100 used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

May ~ September 2021

$1,399 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.

 

April 2021

$1,399 at Adorama and at B&H.

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Box. bigger.

 

Performance       top

Sample Images   Introduction

New   Good   Bad   Missing   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

 

Overall   Autofocus   Manual Focus   Breathing

Distance Recording   Bokeh   SA CONTROL   Distortion

Effective Apertures & Exposure   Ergonomics   Falloff

Filters   Flare & Ghosts   Lateral Color Fringes

Lens Corrections   Macro   Mechanics   Sharpness

Spherochromatism   Stabilization   Sunstars

 

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Overall       performance       top

This lens is so good that it makes my day. So many lenses are just the same-old same-old, while this RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro offers flawless optical performance as well as focussing closer and faster than any other macro lens I've ever used.

 

Autofocus       performance       top

Autofocus is fast and accurate, and never gets stuck!

Many macro lenses used on AF cameras get stuck when something is too far out of focus, while on my EOS R5 this lens always zips almost instantly from near to far and never gets lost, stuck or has to hunt.

It's magic; it just jumps and gets focus as soon as your press the shutter.

Bravo!

 

Manual Focus       performance       top

Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.

It works very well at all distances; I'm impressed. It's never "geared" too fast or too slow.

Infinity to 1:1 comes up in about 180,º oddly moving faster if you turn the ring more slowly.

Bravo!

How to get manual-focus override.

 

Focus Breathing       performance       top

Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.

The image from this lens grows as focussed more closely.

 

Focus Distance Recording       performance       top

The focussed distance is recorded in the EXIF data.

I read this in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter, and it reads quite precisely, which not that many lenses do.

 

Bokeh       performance       top

Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus, is superb, even without using the SA CONTROL.

Here are photos from headshot distance. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original file:

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh example Image

Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 25 August 2021. Canon EOS R5 at 1/4,000, 1/2,500, 1/1,250 and 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0, 15.4, 15.4 and 15.0).

Click any for the camera-original © file.

As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/2.8 and get as close as possible.

 

SA CONTROL       performance       top

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

SA (Spherical Aberration) CONTROL set at 0. bigger.

This is a Spherical Aberration (SA) control. Bokeh is so great that this control won't make bokeh any better and could make it worse if you turn it in the wrong direction, so only turn it if you want a soft-focus effect.

This is an artistic control, so play with it to see what you like best for your work. Its effect is strongest at f/2.8 and becomes invisible, except for the image changing size, as you stop down.

The SA (Spherical Aberration) CONTROL ring has no numbers, just a scale with four marks on each side and plus and minus signs.

For the examples below I chose to refer to the settings as -4 to +4, and call the center position 0.

You alter the strength of this effect with both the SA CONTROL setting and your choice of aperture.

At f/2.8 the effect is strong as I show below, even at the most minor ±1 settings. That's OK; if you want a milder effect, stop down to f/4 or f/5.6 where the effects of the SA CONTROL become much less.

Turning it away from 0 will make the image softer. Therefore there is a lock switch to keep the ring locked at zero so you won't have to worry about shooting a job and knocking it by accident:

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

SA CONTROL and LOCK switch. bigger.

You may not see it below but you will see as you shoot that the image gets slightly smaller as set towards "-" and grows as set towards "+."

As you will see, the SA (Spherical Aberration) CONTROL always softens the image the more its turned away from zero. When using this for a soft-focus effect, be sure to turn it in the "-" direction most of the time, which keeps backgrounds soft and undistracting. Only use the + settings if you're trying both for soft focus and are more concerned about softening foreground objects.

Hint: it looks weird when foreground objects are out-of-focus because that's not the way our eyes work. Soft backgrounds are great, but the human vision system is always trying to focus on whatever's closest, so soft foregrounds are something to be used only very carefully.

Click any for the camera-original © file:

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro SA Control example Image

Click any for the camera-original © file.

It may not be as visible on these screen images so be sure to download the original files to examine on your computer and you'll see that the defocus effect is pretty strong here at f/2.8. The effect of the SA CONTROL is strongest at f/2.8 as I've shown it here, and becomes much milder as stopped down. At f/2.8 use this control only lightly.

The background bokeh looks equally great regardless of the setting from zero to -4. The SA CONTROL is for soft focus and not bokeh optimization, as bokeh always looks great at any setting in the correct direction (- for backgrounds and + for foregrounds).

This control has a strong effect and deliberately loses sharpness. It is quite different from Nikon's DC (DEFOCUS CONTROL) lenses, the Nikon AF-D 105mm f/2 DC and Nikon AF-D 135mm f/2 DC. This control is very subtle in Nikon's lenses and doesn't effect sharpness; it's purely to optimize bokeh while this Canon lens always has great bokeh and the SA CONTROL is for soft-focus effects.

Also to poke fun of Nikon, while Nikon still sells these Defocus Control lenses brand new today, neither of them will autofocus on Nikon's mirrorless cameras because Nikon's FTZ adapter lacks the focus motor needed, while all of Canon's EF lenses work great on Canon's mirrorless cameras. In fact, Canon's 1990 EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus Lens works great today on Canon's mirrorless cameras with an EF to RF adapter, so there!

 

Distortion       performance       top

There is no visible distortion at any tested distance. Bravo!

Macro lenses should never have any distortion, but often do. This is marvelous!

For more critical scientific use, you could use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images, or just forget about it for any other practical use. You can't see distortion this low.

These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.

On Full-Frame

Correction factor with uncorrected images

Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON in R5
30' (10m)
-0.30 +0.50
10' (3m)
-0.30 +0.30
3' (1m)
-0.50 +0.30
1' (0.3m)
-1.00 ±0.00

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Effective Apertures & Exposure Compensation      performance       top

All lenses become slower as focused very closely. Non-macro lenses only vary by about a third of a stop at their moderate close-focus distances, so we never worry about this with ordinary lenses.

Macro lenses lose about two stops of light at 1:1. Some lenses, like Nikon, have a compensating aperture system which indicates the actual, effective apertures as focused very closely, but many people think their Nikon f/2.8 lens is broken when it can't be set wider than f/5.7 at 1:1.

Canon's macro lenses lack this compensating system in the interest of preventing confusion so the indicated aperture range is always f/2.8 ~ f/32 at every distance, even though the effective apertures are smaller at closer distances.

Through-the-lens metering automatically compensates for this so no one cares, however if you're using an external light meter (who does that?) or using manual power settings with studio strobes as I do for macro shots, you may find these compensation values helpful as you change magnifications:

Repro Ratio
Distance (from image plane)
Maximum Effective Aperture
Light loss
Infinity
f/2.8
0
0.3×
1.6' (0.5m)
f/3.5
0.7 stops
0.5×
1.25' (0.38m)
f/4.5
1.3 stops
0.6×
1.1' (0.34m)
f/4.5
1.3 stops
1.0×
0.92' (0.28m)
f/5.7
2 stops
1.4×
0.86' (0.26m)
f/6.6
2.3 stops

 

Ergonomics       performance       top

It may not be apparent, but there is a third knurled programmable and detented control ring at the front of the lens:

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM. bigger.
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM. bigger.

Ergonomics are great; everything is right where we expect it. Just grab and go.

Focus is entirely electronic. How to get manual-focus override.

It has all the control switches we expect; we don't have to fiddle around in menus for AF/MF and stabilizer control.

 

Falloff       performance       top

Falloff is invisible:

 

Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Peripheral Illumination Correction ON:

 

f/2.8
f/4
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro falloff
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro falloff
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro falloff
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro falloff
f/5.6
f/8

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Of course if you turn off the Peripheral Illumination Correction, you will see some wide-open at f/2.8, and it's gone for all practical purposes by f/4.

I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:

 

Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Peripheral Illumination Correction OFF:

 

f/2.8
f/4
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro falloff
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro falloff
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro falloff
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro falloff
f/5.6
f/8

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Filters, use with       performance       top

There's no need for thin filters. The filter thread is much larger than the front element and I can use quite a stack of filters before I get any vignetting on full frame.

Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.

 

Flare & Ghosts       performance       top

No problem here, see examples at Sunstars.

 

Lateral Color Fringes       performance       top

There are no color fringes when shot as JPG with the default Chromatic Aberration Correction left ON. Chromatic aberration is corrected inside the Digital Lens Optimizer option.

if you go out of your way to turn this OFF (or shoot raw and then use non-Canon software to process that data into images) then there are just a few tiny red-magenta/yellow-green fringes in the corners.

There is nearly no spherochromatism, which can cause color fringes on things that aren't in perfect focus. Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration in a different dimension than lateral color fringes.

 

Lens Corrections       performance       top

Other cameras may vary, but my EOS R5, EOS R6 and EOS RP all have options to correct for falloff (Peripheral Illumination Correction), Distortion and a Digital Lens Optimizer which correct for a suite of other aberrations. The EOS R has this, too; I just don't have one handy to check the specifics with this lens.

If you turn off the Digital Lens Optimizer, you are then offered à la carte ON/OFF options for Chromatic Aberration Correction and Diffraction Correction — at least on my EOS R5, EOS R6 and EOS RP.

Falloff and the Digital Lens Optimizer are ON by default.

This lens has very little distortion, so Distortion correction is OFF by default. Feel free to turn it on for more critical use, but it makes no difference in the absolute value of the residual distortion at distances of three feet (1m) or more; I'd only use it if I cared about distortion and was shooting at around 1:1 or closer.

 

Macro Performance       performance       top

Of course macro performance is superb. It's ultra-sharp, and more importantly it focuses all the way from infinity to 1.4× life-size and both auto and manual focus modes work extremely well. Here's how close 1.4× looks on full-frame:

 

Wide-open at f/2.8

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro performance

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 25 August 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11.4), as shot. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro performance

1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!

 

At f/8

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro performance

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 25 August 2021.Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro at f/8 hand-held at 1/40 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11.4), as shot. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro performance

1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!

 

Mechanical Quality       performance       top

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM. bigger.

This RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro feels pretty light and is mostly plastic.

 

Finish

Black plastic.

 

Hood

Plastic bayonet with locking pawl.

 

Front Bumper

None.

 

Filter Threads

Plastic.

 

Hood Bayonet Mount

Plastic.

 

Front Barrel Exterior

Plastic.

 

Front Spare Control Ring

Knurled plastic.

 

Next Barrel Exterior

Plastic.

 

Focus Ring

Rubber-covered plastic.

 

SA CONTROL Ring

Rubber-covered plastic.

 

Rear Barrel Exterior

Section with tripod mount interface and switches: plastic.

 

Slide Switches

Plastic.

 

Tripod Collar

Optional Tripod Adapter Ring

 

Identity

Printed around front outer barrel of lens in dark gray paint, also "100mm" engraved and filled with paint on top of barrel.

 

Internals

Seem like a mixture of plastic and metal.

 

Dust Gasket at Mount

Yes.

 

Mount

Chromed metal.

 

Markings

Paint.

 

Serial Number

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Serial Number. bigger.

Laser engraved in black-on-black on bottom of barrel.

 

Date Code

None found.

 

Noises When Shaken

Negligible to moderate clunking, depending on the direction in which you shake it.

 

Made in

Made in Japan.

 

Sharpness       performance       top

Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.

If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot tests at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.

People worry waaaaay too much about sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; today they are all pretty much equally fantastic.

Especially in the case of every 100mm f/2.8 macro lens ever made, it's ultra sharp everywhere at every aperture, excepting of course diffraction effects at tiny apertures. The only limitations are your own abilities. This lens is astonishingly sharp, even when shot at f/2.8 and looking in the corners at high magnification.

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro MTF

MTF at 50:1 at f/2.8 at 10 cyc/mm (black) and 30 cyc/mm (blue). Sagittal (solid) and meridional (dashed).

 

Spherochromatism       performance       top

Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.

It has a tiny bit of spherochromatism that I'd never notice except in this test deviously designed show any that the lens has:

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro performance

Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, 06 September 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/640 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.4), as shot. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro performance

1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

Don't be too picky about sharpness here; know that this is shot through a curved watch crystal which doesn't win any optical awards.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!

 

Image Stabilization       performance       top

Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) is among the best I've ever measured, with five full stops of real-world improvement.

I get 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness most of the time at 1/8 of a second hand-held on my internally stabilized R5!

"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. This is a very strict test; in actual shooting at typical print sizes I get acceptable sharpness at much slower speeds, but for the purposes of seeing how much improvement an IS system gives, this is the most precise method.

Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:

 

At Normal Distances

% Perfectly Sharp Shots, normal distances, R5
1
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
Stabilization ON
0
0
50
83
83
100
100
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
0
17
28
50
100

I see a 5 stop real-world improvement on my R5, which has in-camera stabilization to help with the lens' own internal optical stabilization. This is superb and among the best stabilization performances I've ever measured!

 

At 1:1 Life Size

Canon's PR says that stabilization. also works at macro distances, while their instruction book cautions that it doesn't work as well as the distance get closer (page ENG-11). Let's see:

% Perfectly Sharp Shots, 1.0× repro ratio 1:1, R5
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
1/500
Stabilization ON
0
0
0
0
17
17
83
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
0
0
33
67
100

I see only about a 1 stop real-world improvement on my R5 when shot this close This is fine, as it offers significant improvements at popular shutter speeds between about 1/60 and 1/250, and as Canon cautions, stabilization becomes much less helpful at close distances. If it works this well this close, I'm impressed!

 

Sunstars       performance       top

With a 9-bladed rounded diaphragm that becomes straight at moderate apertures, I get great 18-pointed sunstars on brilliant points of light at the smallest apertures.

Ignore the crazy rainbow effects at small apertures; these are sensor artifacts caused by taking a picture directly of the sun and exposing for the dark underside of a huge palm tree, and using that same palm tree to hide the sky to accentuate the stars.

Click any to enlarge:

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstar image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstar image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstar image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstar image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstar image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstar image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstar image

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstar image

Click any to enlarge.

 

Compared       top

Sample Images   Introduction

New   Good   Bad   Missing   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

 

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

All Canon 100mm Lenses Compared

 

All 100mm f/2.8 macro lenses ever made are ultra, ultra sharp. This is because it's easy to design a sharp lens when it's fixed focal length, or a moderate aperture, or has a normal to short telephoto focal length, or it's expensive. When you put all four of these together in every macro lens ever made, they're all ultra, ultra sharp.

Macro lenses like this add complex optics which optimize the lens' design dynamically to the focussed distance, so performance is out of the park with this and every other 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. All macro lenses made in about the past 30 years also optimize their design as focussed.

If you compare this to another 100mm f/2.8 macro lens and one of them isn't as sharp as the others, either the soft one is broken, or you're doing something wrong.

 

Versus the EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro (2009-today)

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro

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

The EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro works on full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras as well as 35mm SLRs, which the RF lens cannot.

Use an EF to RF adapter to use the EF lens on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.

This new RF lens focuses continuously to 1.4× magnification, while the EF lens only goes to 1×.

Optically they are equally superb, and seeing how they're about the same price, unless you want to use a lens on DSLR cameras, just get this new RF lens.

On the other hand if you already own this superb EF lens, use an EF to RF adapter and there's no need to buy the new RF lens for mirrorless cameras.

 

Versus the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro (2000-2021)

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro.

The EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro works on full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras as well as 35mm SLRs, which the RF lens cannot.

Use an EF to RF adapter to use the EF lens on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.

This new RF lens focuses continuously to 1.4× magnification, while the EF lens only goes to 1×.

The EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro has no stabilization, but it does work with in-camera stabilization, and because serious macro shooting is either done on a tripod or hand-held with close-up flash or studio strobes that eliminate camera shake due to the instantaneous nature of their bursts, lens stabilization is rarely relevant to serious macro shooting.

Optically they are equally superb.

The EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro is a best buy and I heartily suggest it.

 

Versus the EF 100/2.8 Macro (1990-2000)

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro.

Canon's very first EF 100/2.8 Macro works on full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras as well as 35mm SLRs, which the RF lens cannot.

Use an EF to RF adapter to use the EF lens on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.

This new RF lens focuses continuously to 1.4× magnification, while the EF lens only goes to 1×.

The EF 100/2.8 Macro has no stabilization, but it does work with in-camera stabilization, and because serious macro shooting is either done on a tripod or hand-held with close-up flash or studio strobes that eliminate camera shake due to the instantaneous nature of their bursts, lens stabilization is rarely relevant to serious macro shooting.

Optically they are equally superb.

The EF 100/2.8 Macro is also a best buy. Its auto/manual focus switching can be a pain, and otherwise it's a cheapskate's dream, and also optically superb.

 

Versus the EF 100mm f/2 USM (1991-2019)

Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM

Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM.

The EF 100mm f/2 USM works on full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras as well as 35mm SLRs, which the RF lens cannot.

Use an EF to RF adapter to use the EF lens on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.

The EF 100mm f/2 USM is a faster general-purpose short telephoto. It's not a macro lens; it only focuses to 3 feet or 0.9 meters.

The EF 100mm f/2 USM can be a better choice for general photography if you don't need stabilization because it's less expensive and faster.

 

User's Guide       top

Sample Images   Introduction

New   Good   Bad   Missing   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

 

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

See also Canon's RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM User's Guide.

 

SA CONTROL

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

SA CONTROL Ring. bigger.

See my section above on the SA CONTROL.

 

Manual-Focus Override       user's guide       top

By default, there is no always-responsive instant manual-focus override as we take for granted in our DSLRs.

EOS R cameras need a menu setting changed for manual-focus override, otherwise the focus ring is always ignored in AF.

Find the "Lens electronic AF" option in your AF menu (AF 4 in EOS R5 and EOS R6 or CAMERA 8 in EOS RP), and set it to either "One‑Shot‑>enabled" or "One‑Shot‑>enabled (magnify)."

Canon should have it set this way by default, but they don't. No big deal now that I figured it out.

Now manual focus override works if you turn the ring while continuing to hold the shutter halfway, but only after focus locks in ONE SHOT. The focus ring is ignored in SERVO.

 

FULL / 0.5m-∞ / 0.26m-0.5m Switch       user's guide       top

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro USM

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM. bigger.

This is a focus limiter.

Leave it in FULL.

The 0.5m-∞ position prevents the lens from autofocusing closer than a half meter (1.6 feet). Use this setting only if you're having a problem with the lens attempting to focus on irrelevant close items, or if for some reason the lens is "hunting" from near to far looking for distant subjects.

The 0.26m-0.5m position prevents the lens from autofocusing farther away than a half meter (1.6 feet). Use this setting only if you're having a problem with the lens attempting to focus on irrelevant distant items, or if for some reason the lens is "hunting" from near to far looking for near subjects.

I've never had these problems, so I leave mine at FULL.

Hint: If your AF stops working well, be sure this switch didn't get knocked to another setting.

 

AF - MF Switch       user's guide       top

AF: Auto Focus, sometimes with manual override. Leave it here.

MF: Manual Focus only. Use this if you don't want the autofocus system to focus the lens, or want the focus to stay locked unless you move the ring.

 

Stopping AF from Getting Stuck

My AF never gets stuck with this lens, but in any case I leave my camera set so if the camera gets stuck it will keep trying:

MENU > AF page 4 > Lens drive when AF impossible > Continue focus search ON. (menu location in R5, others may vary).

I'm unsure why anyone would set it to give up, which is the Stop focus search OFF option.

 

STABILIZER Switch       user's guide       top

Leave it ON unless you're on a very sturdy tripod, or if you're making exposures longer than a second on any kind of tripod.

If your camera has built-in sensor-shift stabilization then this switch controls both the in-camera and the optical stabilization at the same time. There is no way to control them separately; they both are either ON or OFF.

 

Recommendations       top

Sample Images   Introduction

New   Good   Bad   Missing   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

If you want the very best lens optimized for your Canon full-frame mirrorless camera, here you go. See also Is It Worth It.

If you want a lens that can work on mirrorless as well as full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras as well as 35mm SLRs, get the EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro instead.

If you don't need stabilization, which isn't particularly useful for most serious macro use, and you're a cheapskate, consider the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro which can work on mirrorless as well as full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras as well as 35mm SLRs, and sells for less than half the price with the same superb optical quality.

For serious macro I use the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro because its longer focal length gives better perspective rendering at close distances; few things look their best from a foot away with a 100mm lens! The 180/3.5 Macro also gives me more working room between camera and subject so I don't block my light.

If you want the sharpest possible shots of real three-dimensional subjects up close, shoot at f/32 or otherwise very little is in focus. Do your best to get the subject flat so it all can be reasonably in focus; a pro friend of mine who gets published in Ranger Rick (it's more competitive to get published in Ranger Rick than in National Geographic) spends a lot of time making butterflies lie flat so the images show every scale on their wings. This has nothing to do with lens sharpness and everything to do with getting the subject as flat as possible; there is NO depth of field at macro distances.

Use studio strobes, or use flashes mounted close to the lens, so you 1.) have plenty of light to shoot at f/16 to f/32, and 2.) the instantaneous flash eliminates camera shake. Shooting hand-held by available light is a recipe for macro disaster due to both slow shutter speeds and larger apertures and their resulting lack of depth-of-field.

If you want soft portait effects, especially for mothion picture use, see my section on the SA CONTROL.

I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.

The very best protective filter is the Hoya multicoated HD3 67mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.

For less money, the B+W 67mm 010 is an excellent filter, as are the multicoated version and the basic multicoated Hoya filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.

If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 67mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting

Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.

All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 40 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s!

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used lens — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.

Thanks for helping me help you!

Ken.

 

More Information       top

Sample Images   Introduction

New   Good   Bad   Missing   Compatibility

Specifications   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

 

I got my RF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Canon's RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM User's Guide.

 

© Ken Rockwell. All rights reserved. Tous droits réservés. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Ken Rockwell® is a registered trademark.

 

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25 July 2022, 06-07, 13 September 2021, 06, 10, 28 May 2021, 14, 21-22 April 2021