Lenses:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Class:: Telephoto Macro
Part number:: 4657A006

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Thoughts

This is a great lens. The 100mm focal length is extremely useful, and it’s very sharp, even at f/2.8.

This is a true macro lens, meaning that it’s capable of 1:1 magnification. That is, an object 20mm wide can be projected onto the sensor at 20mm wide. On a Digital Rebel XTi (which presently has the highest pixel density of any Canon DSLR), 20mm is 3500 pixels wide. Put another way, the XTi’s pixels are 5.7 microns across, and 1:1 magnification means that a 12-micron feature on an object will be reproduced as two pixels wide.

Besides macro use, it functions as a normal 100mm prime lens. I find this focal length to be valuable, and again, this lens is very sharp, even wide open.

This lens includes a ring-type USM. The lens is built so that it’s about a half-twist from infinity to 1.5 feet, and another half-twist from 1.5 feet down to 1.0 feet. It’s very quiet, and focuses quickly most of the time. In worse light, it includes a focus limiter at 0.48 meters; when engaged, the distance it covers when hunting is greatly reduced, leading to faster autofocus.

Bottom Line

If you think you might want a prime around 100mm, a faster medium telephoto lens, or a macro lens of any type, get the 100mm f/2.8 Macro. It’s a wonderful and versatile lens, and is especially good for the price point.