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.

This lens is the more modest cousin of ‘s version, which includes both ( ) and ( ) glass. It might therefore be expected to deliver a fairly ordinary performance, but that is not the case.

Ultra-reliable focussing

Wide-open non-macro MTF is poor

Canon's EF 100mm f2.8 Macro is a close-up lens which will work on both cropped and full-frame bodies. The maximum magnification is 1x, allowing you to reproduce subjects at actual size on the frame for excellent close-ups, while the f2.8 aperture enables blurred backgrounds.

This lens has opened a new world for me in miniature. I never realised how many bugs and even plantsthere are just in my own back yard to experiment with before going into the outside world. It's so much fun. The lens is fast sharp and easy to get used to.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM is the newest addition to the manufacturer's lineup of macro lenses, and is the second 'Pro' grade (or 'L') classified macro lens besides the EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM.

When it comes to macro photography lenses, the Canon's offer is more modest than e.g. the offer of Sigma. It doesn't mean, though, that we have no choice at all. For full frame bodies you can use a Canon 50 mm f/2.5 EF Macro, a Canon 100 mm f/2.8 EF USM Macro and a Canon 180 mm f/3.5L EF USM Macro.

excellent image quality in the frame centre and at the frame edge at all apertures; negligible chromatic aberration; distortion at practically zero level; very low coma; moderate astigmatism; silent and relatively quick autofocus; good build quality

autofocus could have been more accurate

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM ($599.99 direct) is a telephoto lens for Canon cameras that can focus close enough to capture objects with true 1:1 magnfiication. It is adequately sharp, even at its maximum aperture, but does suffer from some optical issues in certain high-contrast situations. There are other macro lenses of similar focal lengths available for Canon cameras, including the company's own EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM—part of its top-end L series of lenses—as well as the manual focus Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/100($645.00 at Amazon)—but both will put a bigger dent in your wallet than this relatively inexpensive lens. The lens is rather compact when you consider its focal length, aperture, and close focus capability. It measures 4.7 by 3.1 inches (HD) and weighs about 1.3 pounds. Standard 58mm filters are supported, and the front element doesn't rotate so using a polarizing filter is possible if desired. There is a focus limiter switch on the lens, so you can set it to...

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM may not be the company's top of the line macro lens, but it does capture sharp images with 1:1 magnification.

Sharp images; 1:1 magnification; Inexpensive

Prone to color fringing; Lens hood not included; No image stabilization