Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Not just for macro...I'm a relative beginner when it comes to the technical aspects of Canon lenses, but I will say that this lens has exceeded my expectations. The photos taken with it are every but as good as my EF 50mm f/1.4 inside a poorly lit gym. Yes, gym. I took this lens with me to a volleyball tournament and decided to snap a few shots (I uploaded one to the "User Images" page for this lens). Despite shooting from off the court (~25 feet away), in poorly lit conditions, the photos were just great. I can't tell you what makes this a great macro lens (others have in thier reviews), but I can tell you that it is a good all around lens and does much more than take pictures of bugs and plant pollen. This focal length works so well for my use that I'm now wondering why I bought the EF 70-200 f/2.8. Note: I'm using this lens on a Canon 60D.

If you have this lens, or are planning to get it, just for macro use, you are just idling your Ferrari on the city side streets...take this baby out on the freeway and open up the throttle.

This was my first L lens when I began shooting seriously and I made the mistake of having a UV filter on there. The shots seemed to be soft and lacking contrast. When I took the filter off and began to take it out in the field, you wouldn't believe the shots I took with it...I have taken birds in flight with this lens, in evening light, and it has been tack sharp.

You really don't want to take a portrait at any aperture lower than 5.6 as you will see every pore and pimple that's still days away from forming. It's really sharp and the colors are absolutely amazing.
For Macro, just put it on a tripod and remove the IS and you will be amazed. Speaking of IS, I've shot events that have had so little light that the 70-200 2.8 IS was simply unusable and the reach of the 24-70 2.8L was too short and this baby was just what the doctor ordered...at 100mm, I can shoot handheld at 1/60 ISO1600 and F4...I found at 2.8 it was tricky to get the focus right in such situation. Though I have shot an ISO 3200 F2.8 1/60 image and had it used by a major newspaper.

Anyways, if you want a comparatively cheap L lens that you can use for shooting portraits, street shots, and other type of shots, you will find this baby more than capable.