CANON EF 100mm f/2.8l MACRO IS USM £800/$800

Something of a revolution when it first arrived, this has become the ruler of Canon’s macro lens stable

It’s nearly a decade since Canon announced this ‘revolutionary’ macro lens, and it remains the top-flight option in Canon’s macro line-up. Its main claim to fame is that it was the world’s first lens to feature hybrid image stabilization. This corrects for shift in the X-Y planes, as well as for the more usual angular vibration or wobble, making stabilization more effective in close-up shooting. The system has since found a home in Canon’s EF-S 35mm macro lens, while Tamron has developed a competing hybrid system for its latest 90mm macro lens. In all cases, however, focus distance is so critical in full 1.0x macro shooting that a tripod is all but essential.

The quality of this lens isn’t just about its stabilizer. As an L-series optic, it boasts pro-grade construction, complete with weather-seals. Compared with its EF-S siblings, the 100mm focal length gives you a longer working distance at the closest focus setting. For full 1.0x macro shooting, the focus distance is 30cm, compared with 13cm for the EF-S 35mm and 20cm for the EF-S 60mm. The upshot is that it’s easier to shoot under ambient light without casting a shadow over the subject.

performance

Sharpness and contrast are very good even when shooting wideopen at f/2.8. More importantly for a macro lens, they remain very impressive right down to f/22. Colour fringing is minimal at all apertures but barrel distortion is more noticeable than from Canon’s older, non-stabilized 100mm lens.