Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Full Frame 1:1. Optical Perfection (1990-2000)

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Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro (52mm filters, 20.6 oz./585g, 1:1 magnification, 1'/0.3m close focus, about $200 used). bigger. I got mine at eBay (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 — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. 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.

 

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

NEW: All Canon 100mm Lenses Compared

NEWEST: RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Review (2021-today)

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

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

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

Best Macro Lenses

How to Shoot Macro

Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures

 

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I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

More samples at Bokeh, Lateral Color, Macro, Sharpness, 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.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sample Imade File of a Faucet

Faucet, 1:49 PM, 09 April 2021. Square crop from Canon EOS R5 file, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro on EF to RF Ring Adapter at 1:4 reproduction ratio (0.57 meters focus distance) wide-open at f/2.8 hand-held at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.4), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.

See how remarkably sharp it is — even wide-open at f/2.8? Lenses don't get any sharper than this! What's not sharp on the sides is simply out-of-focus; this lens is ultra-sharp all the way out to the corners at every aperture.

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sample Imade File of a Faucet

Spanish Tile, 3:47 PM, 26 April 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro on EF to RF Ring Adapter at 4⅔ feet (1.42 meters or 1:12 repro ratio) at f/5.6 hand-held at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

You can't get sharper than this!

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sample Imade File of a Faucet

Fountain, 7:48 PM, 26 April 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro on EF to RF Ring Adapter at f/4 for 2 seconds at ISO 100 (LV 3.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sample Imade File of a Faucet

2017 Specialized Tarmac Comp 58cm, Torch Edition with orange Presta valve caps, Shimano Dura-Ace CS-R9100 12-25T cassette, Shimano Integra FC-R8000 175mm 46-36T crankset and Shimano Dura-Ace PD-R9100 pedals, 10:12 AM, 30 April 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro on EF to RF Ring Adapter at f/8 hand-held at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100 with -2 stops of exposure compensation to keep the orange/yellow frame from overexposing (LV 15.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

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This inexpensive original EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro is ultrasharp, even on today's highest resolution mirrorless like the EOS R5 and DSLRs like my 50 megapixel 5DS/R, and it works on all Canon EOS cameras: mirrorless, DSLR and 35mm. Just use an EF to RF adapter and it works flawlessly on Canon's newest mirrorless cameras!

This is a superb 100mm lens for any and all serious macro work, and it's also a superb general-purpose telephoto and portrait lens, with outstanding bokeh.

Today's newest RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro and EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro cost five times as much, but aren't any sharper.

The reason you'd want the newer EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro is because you don't have to move a switch to get between auto and manual focus, and it doesn't change length as focused. The reason you'd want the EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro is because it also adds image stabilization, which isn't important when you shoot with flash or strobes as I shoot macro, and the reason you'd want the newest RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro is only if you need continuous focusing to 1.4x without accessories and don't mind that it won't work on any DSLR or 35mm camera.

Unlike any of the other Canon 100mm macros, this is the only one with a deeply recessed front element eliminating the need for a hood, and the only one with a metal barrel.

For serious macro work, macro-specialists (and I) prefer the 180mm f/3.5 L USM, because it lets us stand far enough away as not to interfere with lighting or the subject's attitude, and most importantly, gives a more natural perspective precisely because we're able to stand further away from our subjects.

I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

The front extends as focused more closely:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Focused at infinity. bigger.
Focused at 1:1. bigger.

 

New       intro       top

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Canon's first 100mm f/2.8 macro lens.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Canon's first 100mm autofocus lens.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Canon's first lens that can autofocus to 1:1.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Canon's first and only lens with a front "Flare-Cut Diaphragm" rather than a regular hood.

 

Good       intro       top

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Almost free (about $225 used if you know How to Win at eBay), and just as sharp as the newest 100mm macro lenses.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Excellent optics:

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Ultra sharp,

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Superb Bokeh,

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com No visible distortion, and

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Exotic "Flare-Cut Diaphragm" integral hood is much more effective than conventional hood designs.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com The manual focus ring is completely disconnected and ignored in autofocus mode, so you can wrap your hand around the entire lens and not worry about shifting focus by accident.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Special manual-focus gearing takes 1⅓ turns (420º) to get from infinity to 1:1, allowing precise manual focussing for flawless macro photography.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Records focussed distance in EXIF. I read this in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com For the price, it's Canon's sharpest macro lens.

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       intro       top

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com You have to move a switch to get between auto and manual focus; you can't just grab the ring for instant override.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com All Canon macro lenses have non-compensating diaphragms. Their apertures do not automatically correct for light loss as focussed more closely. This means nothing to most people and usually can be ignored when shooting with TTL metering as almost everyone does, however working with manual exposure or external light meters as I do with studio strobes I have to change my exposure settings as I change distance — even though the light isn't changing! This is obvious because you always can set f/2.8, even at 1:1 where the real maximum aperture is closer to f/5!

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com While it seems fine on my newest EOS R5 and old EOS 5D, TTL exposure underexposes at very close distances on my 5DS/R. Weird, but no big deal; just pay attention and use whatever exposure compensation you need as with all shooting.

 

Missing       intro       top

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No Image Stabilization.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No instant manual focus override; you have to move a switch to select auto or manual focus.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No lens correction data available, which is OK because this lens has no distortion or lateral color fringes.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro. bigger.

 

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I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

This lens works flawlessly on every Canon full frame mirrorless camera with an EF to RF adapter.

It works flawlessly on every Canon full-frame DSLR and every Canon APS-C DSLR.

This lens works flawlessly on every 35mm EOS camera, like my Canon EOS 1V, introduced in 2000, and yes, I tried it on my original 1987 Canon EOS 620 and autofocus is fast and stabilization works brilliantly.

This isn't Nikon; with Canon, everything just works, even if the camera is over thirty years old.

 

Use the EOS-M adapter to use this on Canon's EOS-M mirrorless cameras.

 

Specifications       top

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I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

Name       specifications       top

Canon calls this the CANON MACRO LENS EF 100mm f/2.8:

    MACRO: Focuses down to just a few inches.

    EF: Electronic Focus, as all Canon's lenses have been since 1987.

 

Optics       specifications       top

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Internal Optical Construction

Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro internal optical construction. bigger.

10 elements in 9 groups.

Super Spectra multicoating.

Front Gaussian group linear extension focus system with micromotor.

The front of the lens extends as focused closer.

"Flare-cut diaphragm" refers to the circular hole in the front recessed barrel.

 

Diaphragm       specifications       top

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

At f/2.8. bigger.
At f/5.6. bigger.

8 blades.

Electronically actuated.

Stops down to f/32.

"Flare-cut diaphragm" refers to the circular hole in the front recessed barrel.

 

Filters       specifications       top

Plastic 52mm filter thread.

 

Coverage       specifications       top

Full-Frame (24 × 36mm), 35mm film (24 × 36mm) and APS-C (16 × 24mm).

 

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

Front Gaussian group linear extension focus system with micromotor.

The front of the lens, which contains the bulk of the optics called the "Gaussian section" by Canon, extends as focused closer, while the "extender" element remains stationary in the rear.

 

Focus Scale       specifications       top

Yes.

 

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

Yes, but only two small tits each for f/16 and for f/32.

 

Infrared Focus Index       specifications       top

No.

 

Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane)       specifications       top

1.007 feet.

0.307 meters (307mm).

 

Working Distance (distance from subject to front of lens at close-focus distance)     specifications       top

4.375 inches.

111mm (0.111 meters).

 

Maximum Reproduction Ratio       specifications       top

1:1 (1.0 ×).

 

Reproduction Ratio Scale       specifications       top

Yes.

 

Image Stabilizer       specifications       top

NONE.

Should work with in-camera sensor shift stabilization, but honestly on my EOS R5 the results are better hand-held with stabilization OFF.

 

Caps       specifications       top

52mm front cap.

EOS "E" rear cap.

 

Hood       specifications       top

Extremely effective built-in hood.

 

Case       specifications       top

LH-C16 hard case or ES-C13 soft case.

 

Size       specifications       top

2.95" ø maximum diameter × 4.15" extension from flange.

75 mm ø maximum diameter × 105.3 mm extension from flange.

 

Weight       specifications       top

20.620 oz. (584.6 g) actual measured weight.

Rated 22.9 oz. (650 g), oddly much heaver than the actual weight.

 

Quality       specifications       top

Made in Japan.

 

Announced       specifications       top

April 1990.

 

Discontinued       specifications       top

March, 2000, with the introduction of the EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.

 

Price, U. S. A.       specifications       top

September 2022

About $200 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

April ~ May 2021

About $225 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

I only paid $200 for mine, for example.

 

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I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

Extension Tubes

You can get a magnification of up to 1.17× with the Canon Extension Tube EF12 II, and a magnification range of up to 1.38× with the Canon Extension Tube EF25 II.

 

Canon Flash

 

Teleconverters

It won't work with any teleconverters or extenders.

Canon's teleconverters need to poke up into the back of the lens, and this lens has glass there. The lens needs to have enough airspace at the back for the incursion of the extender.

 

Performance       top

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Overall   Autofocus   Manual Focus   Focus Breathing

Distance Recording   Bokeh   Distortion   Ergonomics

Exposure   Eyeblow   Falloff   Filters

Flare & Ghosts   Hood   Lateral Color Fringes

Lens Corrections   Macro   Mechanics   Sharpness

Spherochromatism   Stabilization   Sunstars

Teleconverters   Weather Sealing

 

I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

Overall       performance       top

The EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro works great, with stellar optics. If you don't mind having to move a switch for manual focus and don't need stabilization, you're all set at a super low price and can ignore the newer models.

 

Autofocus       performance       top

Autofocus is prompt, but the micromotor makes more noise than newer lenses.

It's fast if the system doesn't have to move the lens much for regular photography, but of course it takes longer if the lens has to motor in or out a long way between macro and regular distances. It's still pretty fast.

Each camera model will be different, but it rarely hangs-up if you're way out of focus. Most cameras just motor all the way in or out and you're good.

A menu item that could lead to your camera getting stuck and not autofocusing if it's way out of focus is "AF/Drive when AF impossible." (It's at MENU > AF page 4 > Lens drive when AF impossible > Continue focus search ON in the R5, and C.Fn. III #1 on the 5D Mark II, for instance. Other cameras may call it something different, or not have that option at all.) Set this option to FOCUS SEARCH ON so that the camera can keep looking if it can't see what to do. Set this to OFF, and if the image is way out of focus with a macro, the camera will simply hang and give up, unless you help it out with the manual focus ring first.

 

Manual Focus       performance       top

Manual focus is perfect once you move the AF/MF switch to get the focus ring to respond.

It's geared so it takes 1⅓ turns (420º) of the focus ring to get from infinity to 1:1, giving us the precision we need for manual focusing.

 

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 focused more closely.

 

Focus Distance Recording       performance       top

The focussed distance in meters is recorded in the EXIF data.

This is very handy for documenting magnification factors if you have the lens handy to read the reproduction ratio from the distance scale.

I read this in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.

Mine reads precisely down to 0.3 meters when focused more closely than 2 meters, and reads 100 meters when focused anywhere beyond about 2 meters.

I don't know if this is normal, but when you realize that this lens came out back in 1990 when all we had was film and most of the world was still mechanical, the fact that it records any of this data to the newest digital cameras shows you just how advanced is Canon. Back in its day this data was probably used to calculate exposure factors, so it didn't need to know beyond about 2 meters.

 

Bokeh       performance       top

Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is superb at all apertures. It's probably one of the best bokehs I've seen!

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

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh Sample Image File

Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 09 April 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro wide-open at f/2.8 at 1/3,200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh Sample Image File

Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 09 April 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro at f/8 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sample Imade File of a Faucet

Glass Lamps, 5:50 PM, 26 April 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro on EF to RF Ring Adapter at 1:5 reproduction ratio (0.66 meters focus distance) wide-open at f/2.8 at 1/100 at ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 9.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

Holy cow, It's so sharp even at f/2.8 that you can see every dust molecule on the edges of the glass globe and glass light bulb!

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sample Imade File of a Faucet

Glass Lamps, 5:51 PM, 26 April 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro on EF to RF Ring Adapter at 1:5 reproduction ratio (0.66 meters focus distance) wide-open at f/8 at 1/15 at ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 10.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full resolution or camera-original © JPG 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.

 

Distortion       performance       top

The Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro has no visible distortion.

For more critical scientific use, use these correction factors in Photoshop's lens correction filter:

 
+0.15
30' (10m)
+0.10
20' (6m)
+0.12
10' (3m)
+0.15
3' (1m or 1:10)
±0.00
1:4
-0.10
1:2
-0.10
1:1 (1' or 0.3m)
-0.30

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Ergonomics       performance       top

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Focused at infinity bigger.
Focused at infinity bigger.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Focused at 1:1. bigger.
Focused at 1:1. bigger.

The front barrel extends as focused more closely.

The manual focus ring is only connected when set to MF, otherwise it turns freely. It's good that it's ignored in autofocus so that you can cradle the entire lens in your hand and not have to worry about accidentally shifting focus, however it's a pain to have to move a switch to MF or AF to switch between these modes; there is no instant manual-focus override.

 

Exposure       performance       top

Like all Canon Macro Lenses, this lens has what's called a "non-compensating diaphragm." You may have to compensate exposure manually in some situations at macro distances, but usually only if you're using manual exposure with an external exposure meter or studio strobes.

See the Exposure Compensation Section of my User's Guide for details.

 

Eyeblow       performance       top

The Canon EF 100m f/2.8 Macro can have some eyeblow; air does pump in and out of the back as the lens is focused.

 

Falloff       performance       top

Falloff on full frame and 35mm can be visible at infinity at f/2.8 where it's at its worst, but even then it's gone by f/4. As you can see at Sample Images, Bokeh, Macro, Sharpness and Spherochromatism and Sunstars, it's not bad in actual shooting, even at f/2.8.

There is less falloff at closer distances.

I've greatly exaggerated this 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:

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Falloff, NO correction (EOS R5).

 
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
Infinity
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
1:10
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
1:4
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
1:2
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
1:1
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff

 

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

It's easy to correct this falloff manually in Photoshop's lens correction filter. Each aperture and focus distance demands different correction factors, but even at its worst at infinity at f/2.8 it's easy to correct fully. Here are some quick manual corrections as examples:

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Falloff on EOS R5, corrected in Photoshop's lens correction filter:

 
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
At Infinity
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Falloff
Photoshop's lens correction filter Vignette Correction Factors
Amount +44, Midpoint +3
Amount +14, Midpoint +25
Amount +6, Midpoint 0

 

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Filters, use with       performance       top

There's no need for thin filters. I can stack quite a few regular 52mm filters with no vignetting on full frame.

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

 

Flare & Ghosts       performance       top

Flare and ghosts aren't a problem unless you're dumb enough to point this telephoto lens directly at the sun to see what happens — as I did at Sunstars.

 

Hood       specifications       top

Because many macro lens front sections move in and out a long way for close focusing, many take advantage of the long barrel and incorporate a deep conical built-in hood.

Canon went much further. Instead of a conical hood, it uses a Hubble-Space-Telescope-style baffle to catch and quench all extraneous light much better than a regular hood. The front is a big light trap rather than a cone. What looks like the front element is just air, the real front element is deeply-recessed behind a baffle inside a dark tube:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro. bigger.

Instead of lots of light hitting the inside of a cone, this "Flare-Cut Diaphragm" only lets in a fraction of the light, and what light does get in is absorbed in a light-prison between the front baffle and the front element.

Brilliant!

The entire front section moves in and out as focussed. The spacing between the front element and the filter threads never change; the effective depth of this hood remains the same at all distances.

What seems like a mount for a clip-on hood around the outside of the front of the lens barrel is actually for attaching Canon's macro flashes.

 

Lateral Color Fringes       performance       top

There are no lateral color fringes, which is superb performance.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sample Imade File of a Faucet

Chimney & Screen, 3:46 PM, 26 April 2021. Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro on EF to RF Ring Adapter at f/7.1 hand-held at 1/800 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15¼), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

There is 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

There is no lens profile for automatic corrections in digital cameras.

This is OK because this lens is so good it doesn't need correction.

Its sharpness is always superb, it has no distortion and falloff is easy to correct manually if you want to.

 

Macro Performance       performance       top

Macro performance is exemplary.

It's ultrasharp, and gets close enough to fill the picture with something just smaller than 1 × 1½ inches (24 × 36mm) on full-frame, and on an APS-C camera something as tiny as just 16 × 24mm (0.6  × 0.94 inches) fills the picture.

 

At f/2.8

It's super sharp, but be careful about focus and depth of field because spherochromatism can put green or magenta fringes on anything not in perfect focus:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh Sample Image File

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance (1:1), 09 April 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro wide-open at f/2.8 at 1/1,600 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 13.6). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh Sample Image File

1,200 × 900 pixel (7¼× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

The texture you're seeing is on the watch face, and the hand isn't in focus. The magenta color fringe is from spherochromatism because the lettering isn't in perfect focus.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 15 × 22" (1.2 × 1.8 feet or 38 × 55 cm).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 29 × 43" (2.4 × 3.6 feet or 0.75 × 1.1 meters).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 58 × 87" (4.8 × 7.2 feet or 1.5 × 2.2 meters).

 

At f/8

Of course it's flawless at f/8. Just be forewarned that even at f/32 the depth of field is still paper-thin with any lens this close:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh Sample Image File

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance (1:1), 09 April 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro at f/8 at 1/200 hand-held at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 13.6). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Bokeh Sample Image File

1,200 × 900 pixel (7¼× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

The texture you're seeing is on the watch face, and the hand is still out of focus.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 15 × 22" (1.2 × 1.8 feet or 38 × 55 cm).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 29 × 43" (2.4 × 3.6 feet or 0.75 × 1.1 meters).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 58 × 87" (4.8 × 7.2 feet or 1.5 × 2.2 meters).

 

Mechanical Quality       performance       top

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro. bigger.

This is a very well made lens, with an all-metal barrel.

 

Finish

Black anodized aluminum.

 

Front Bumper

None.

 

Filter Threads

Plastic.

 

Anti-Flare Baffles inside Front Barrel ahead of Front Element

Plastic.

 

Hood Mount

Plastic.

 

Front Barrel Exterior

Metal.

 

Identity Ring

Plastic ring that runs around the barrel ahead of the focus window.

Also printed on top of barrel.

 

Focus Window

Plastic.

 

Focus Ring

Rubber-covered metal.

 

Rear Barrel Exterior

Metal.

 

Slide Switches

Plastic.

 

Internals

Plastic and metal.

 

Dust Gasket at Mount

No.

 

Mount

Chromed metal.

 

Markings

Paint.

 

Serial Number

Laser engraved in black-on-black on back of plastic light baffle (visible only with lens removed from camera).

 

Date Code

None found.

 

Noises When Shaken

Mild to moderate clicking from the diaphragm.

 

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 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. Every 100mm macro lens ever made has been ultra sharp, and if it isn't, it's because something moved or wasn't in perfect focus. At closes distances there is never any depth-of-field; successful macro shooters learn how to keep what they want sharp in the same plane.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro MTF

MTF wide-open (black) and at f/8 (blue), at 10 cyc/mm (bold) and 30 cyc/mm (light). 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 moderate amount spherochromatism, which you can see here at f/2.8, and which goes away as stopped down:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Spherochromatism Sample Image File

Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance (1:1), 09 April 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro wide-open at f/2.8 at 1/3,200 hand-held at Auto ISO 100, +2.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 15.6). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Image Stabilization       performance       top

There is no Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)), and this lens works with cameras that have internal stabilization.

Oddly on my EOS R5 I get better results with its stabilization turned OFF. Go figure; try it yourself and see on your camera.

 

Sunstars       performance       top

With a 8-bladed diaphragm I get 8-pointed sunstars on brilliant points of light at the smallest apertures.

Click any to enlarge these shots from my 5DS/R:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstars

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstars

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstars

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstars

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstars

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstars

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstars

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Sunstars

Click any to enlarge.

 

Teleconverters       performance       top

The EF 100/2.8 doesn't work with any Canon teleconverters or extenders.

This is because they have to poke into the rear of the lens, and this lens has no airspace there; its rear element prevents mounting it to an extender.

 

Weather Sealing       performance       top

It doesn't claim any weather sealing, but so what; I don't shoot standing out in the rain.

Geesh, if it's raining I'm working under an umbrella.

 

Compared       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Accessories

Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

 

I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

NEW: All Canon 100mm Lenses Compared

 

User's Guide       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Accessories

Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

 

I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

Macro Shooting

For serious macro I use the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro instead 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.

 

Instant Manual-Focus Override       user's guide       top

There is none; either move the AF/MF switch or use any of the newer EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro (2000-2021), EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro (2009-today) or the newest RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro (2021-today).

 

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

EF 100/2.8 Macro. bigger.

AF - MF Switch       user's guide       top

AF: Auto Focus.

MF: Manual Focus.

 

LIMIT / FULL Switch       user's guide       top

This is a focus limiter.

Leave it in FULL.

The LIMIT position prevents the lens from autofocusing closer than 0.7 meters (2.5 feet), or if you're close, prevents it from focusing farther away than 0.7 meters (2.5 feet). Use this setting only if you're having a problem with the lens attempting to focus on irrelevant items, or if for some reason the lens is "hunting" from near to far for no good reason.

 

Exposure Metering & Compensation       user's guide       top

With a through-the-lens meter, which is almost every camera, this doesn't matter, but if you're using an external ambient-light or flash meter, it does.

This lens, like all of Canon's Macro Lenses, has what's called a "non-compensating diaphragm." This means that the lens becomes slower (exposure gets darker) as focused more closely, but that the indicated aperture doesn't change.

While you always can set f/2.8, at 1:1 it really is only about an f/5.6 lens. Likewise, while the minimum aperture is shown as f/32 at all distances, it's actually equivalent to about f/64 at 1:1. A lens with a compensating diaphragm, like most of Nikon's, will only be able to be set as wide as about f/5 at 1:1, while it can stop down to f/57 at 1:1. While Nikon's system is more accurate, it also leads to a lot of erroneous returns by people who misunderstand and think their Nikon lens is defective.

My EOS R5 and old 5D always get exposure correct with this lens, but for some peculiar reason my 5DS/R doesn't, and often needs manual compensation at close distances. Try it with your camera and see. It's not complicated; if your pictures are too dark at close distances, just give more exposure.

Here are the exposure compensation factors I've measured. You probably won't need them, but if you do, use these as a starting point with your system:

+2 stops
+1 2/3 stops
+1 1/3 stops
+1 stop
+2/3 stop
+1/3 stop
± 0 stops
1:1
1:1 ~ 1:1.5
1:1.5 ~ 1:2
1:2 ~ 1:3
1:3 ~ 1:10
1:10 ~ 1:20
1:20 ~
1.007 feet
1.007 ~ 1.12 feet
1.12 ~ 1.259 feet
1.259 ~ 1.561 feet
1.561 ~ 2.6 feet
2.6 ~ 6 feet
6 feet ~
0.307 meters
0.307 ~ 0.341 meters
0.341 ~ 0.384 meters
0.384 ~ 0.476 meters
0.476 ~ 0.8 meters
0.8 ~ 2 meters
2 meters ~

 

Recommendations       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Accessories

Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations

I got my EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

This is a superb lens for serious macro shooting at 100mm on any Canon SLR, DSLR or mirrorless camera. The only things the newer versions do is add optical stabilization or instant manual-focus override, neither of which apply to serious macro use since we shoot with manual focus and use flash or strobes to stop any camera or subject motion and let ourselves shoot at f/32 for depth-of-field.

Advantages of this lens over the newer versions are the toughest all-metal build quality, lowest price if you know How to Win at eBay, and the most precise manual focusing. The newer lenses are geared to focus more quickly manually, which makes it tougher to set precise focus with them. This lens takes 480º of focus ring rotation to get from infinity to 1:1, perfect for precise focus.

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 Multicoated Hoya HD3 52mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints. It's expensive, but it will last forever long after this lens is gone.

For less money, the most classic filter to use on a Nikon lens is of course the Nikon 52mm NC. The B+W 52mm 010 is an excellent filter, as are the multicoated B+W, the multicoated Hoya filters and even the most basic Hoya multicoated filter, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.

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.

If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 52mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.

For color slides like Fuji Velvia 50, I use an old Nikon A2 or new 52mm Hoya HMC 81A outdoors.

For B&W film outdoors, I'd use an old Nikon Y48 or O56, or a new 52mm Hoya HMC K2 Yellow or 52mm Hoya HMC Orange.

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 EF 100/2.8 Macro at eBay (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 — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. 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.

 

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12 September 2022, 10 May 2021, April 2021