100mm and similar macro lens are ideal for dipping into the world on the small side. They allow you to capture macro shots without having to get as close to your subject as you would have to with lesser 50mm lens. They are therefore ideal for taking detailed and sharp photographs of bugs and insects as well as other nature photography. Despite the name however they are not confined to only macro photography. They can also be very useful for portraiture as a larger aperture allows you to isolate your subject in perfect clarity while having the background blurred. As a semi-professional photographer I'm perfect happy with my current camera and lens, however one ...  Read the complete review

Being into photography in a big way, and only 2yrs ago took the expensive plunge to change over fully to the world of digital, the Canon EF100mm F2.8 was a must have for me. i managed to purchase this before the price went up, paying £379 inclusive of P&P, a bargain Since adding this to my collection of lenses, I have to say this is rarely off my camera, and a firm favourite of mine. Its gets me fantastic results on portraite as wells as the macro, which are my two main subjuect hobbies I have found the a tripod is a must when using this lenses as a macro to get the tack sharpe images, otherwise the result are very poor in ...  Read the complete review

When I first bought my digital SLR, it came with a free lens, and I was happy to use this for the snapshots I was taking, I had a decent zoom (100-400 f4.5-5.6 L) which I used most of the time so wasn't too bothered about much else. But as I started to take different styles of photos I realised my kit lens was really limited, couldn't get the close ups I wanted, and the sharpness was lacking. So I took the plunge and bought a really good prime lens (as opposed to a zoom) the canon 100 mm f/2.8 USM macro lens, and I am so glad I did. First the technical stuff, weighing in at 21.1 ounces you get a nice sturdy feel that is still handholdable (real word?) with ...  Read the complete review

I bought this lens when I was starting to dabble in macro photography - and it was very much recommended on other websites. Some macro lenses are incredibly expensive and I would recommend that you went for something low to middle of the range like this if you're not sure that macro photography is for you. From my experience, this lens is a great starter lens. It focuses quickly and quietly (if you get the USM version), which is invaluable for subjects (like insects!) which are likely to move. You do have the option of automatic focus or manual focus on the lens, as well as two range settings (0.31m - infinity and 0.48m - infinity). The images have a scale of ...  Read the complete review

I love this lens, it's cheap, incredibly well made (it's made of plastic, but it's a hard wearing plastic), and takes good images. Being a 100mm lens, and having that fast 2.8 apperture means that it is really good for portraiture, although some people say it is too sharp! Canon don't include a lens hood, so you have to buy one as an accessory, not sure whether i'd recommend it as the 100mm isn't really as everyday lens, and I think hoods are more useful on walkabout zoom lenses. The hood is useless for macro shooting too. Yes the new L version has come out, but it's two times the price and when you're shooting macro you're usually using ...  Read the complete review