Macro/Teleport lens - advice

Jasmina Majeed · Mar 8, 2015

Hello all,

I am looking to pursue a career clinical photography and have been studying a online course in Photography.
I hope to build a good portfolio with powerful images and try and gain work experience at which ever hospital that will give me that chance.

I have a 1200D EOS DSLR Canon camera and looking to purchase my first macro/teleport lens.
I have been looking at the Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM Lens. I have read the reviews and it appears to be a fantastic lens that will give me excellent macro results. It offers Hybrid Image Stablization - fab as I will not need to use the tripod as much. What is putting me off is the price - so expensive - around the £650.00 mark. I could go for the older type Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro USM Lens, but it does not offer the Hybrid Image Stablization.

I was also thinking that this type of lens is more suited to a full frame camera. My 1200D is a cropped camera - image sensor is of a 18Mp APS-C - not sure if I should be looking for a different type of lens with the addition od extension tubing???

Derrel · Mar 8, 2015

The earlier 100mm f/2.8 EF macro is an internal focusing model. It is a sharp, affordable macro lens. Lens stabilization grows less and less effective as focusing distance grows closer and closer. Much macro and close-up work relies on a tripod to stabilize the camera, OR requires electronic flash illumination to stop subject movement, OR to deliver small apertures (like f/16). The idea that in-lens stabilizing is the top priority in macro shooting is kind of a myth.

I also think that a 100mm macro lens is the length you want to start at, even with an APS-C body. Shorter macro lenses, like 60mm for example, are a pain in the butt many times. Extension tubes with any brand or model of 100mm macro will not give that much additional magnification, so I would not worry about adding extension tubes to a 100mm macro lens.

I do not think the extra money spent on the L-series 100mm macro lens would be worth it to most people who want to use the lens for close-up or macro work; I would suggest that you buy the earlier Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, and then IMMEDIATELY spend the cost-savings money on a good TTL remote connecting cord set-up (a 1-meter, pigtailed cord that connects to the camera's hotshoe and a speedlight), with a god speedlight and mounting bracket, and some other accessories. You will gain much more benefit from a better lighting setup and some accessories than by going with the new, IS model lens.

matthias bader · Mar 8, 2015

The 100mm L lens is my favourite lens I own. It is really great and worth every penny! Its tacksharp and solid like a tank. For me a perfect lens which I love to shoot with! (You can see some samples on my website)
But, if you can't afford it, no problem at all, the non-L version is nearly as good. It has only eight aperture-blades which result in a tiny bit less smooth boke, but its nearly the same in sharpness. And, it has no weathersealing (maybe a point if you shoot outdoors) and no IS (altough I don't need that much because of the use of tripods). In the end, I would recommend the L-Version because it is in every thing a little bit better. But you will be able to do great shots with the non-L too

it depends on your budget

on youtube you will find some videos which compares the two lenses, they where very helpfull to me as I had to made the same decision.

60mm on the crop is like 100 on FF. I am pretty comfortable with that lenght, rarly miss more focallenght, but I shoot mostly food. For insects or plants, a bit more reach would be great sometimes. And you never know, maybe one day you will upgrade to FF and 60mm are far to wide there (imo)....so look for one of the two 100mm.

Tamron and Sigma both offers pretty good and cheaper macro-lenses between 90 and 105mm. Maybe worth a look?

Derrel · Mar 8, 2015

BTW, Matthias just today released the URL for his wonderful, well-written and well-illustrated .PDF file with loads of very helpful macro shooting guide! Perhaps he's do us the favor of posting the link to his impressive piece of work!