Need advice? 100mm Macro IS lens? when I have a 70-200 f2.8 L lens.

[dkirra03]

Hi, I am self taught and am wondering about these macro lens and am now confused. I have the 70-200 lens and absolutely love it. But I have received a $900 voucher for a camera store and am looking at the 100mm, but is this similiar to the 70-200, or being that its a true macro, I would get more detail in my shops, any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[EDL]

The 70-200 is not a macro lens so you can't/won't get macro shots with it. The 100mm macro lens (assuming you are talking about the Canon lens) will allow you to focus close enough to the subject to get a "macro" shot.

A shot is considered to be macro when the subject is a 1:1 match to the sensor size (it fills the whole sensor with the subject image). You can exceed 1:1 and get magnification as well. Using extension tubes, reverse lens techniques, combinations of those, etc.

The 100mm Canon macro can also take "regular" photos when not being used as a macro. Some macro lenses are macro only and can't be used for anything else (such as the Canon MP-E65).

The Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 has a max magnification of 0.21x at 200mm. That's because the minimum focus distance is around 1.2 meters so you can't "zoom" in enough to fill the frame for 1:1. That's not to say you can't get close, zoom in, then crop the subject. It'll still look pretty good with that lens, but it isn't "macro" and will be limited to what you can do. You won't be getting those awesome shots of jumping spider's faces like you will with a macro lens.