What’s the difference between the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM and EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM?
Asked 12/17/2011
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I’m comparing Canon’s two 100mm macro lenses for EF mount: the EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM and the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM. Aside from price, what are the practical differences between them in image quality, stabilization, build quality, and rendering?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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The EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM offers the following in addition:
- Image stabilization
- Higher-grade optics (Canon L lens)
The remainder of the specifications are very similar. If you go to the USA site for Canon, you can have a look at the MTF charts. The higher grade optics give the L lens a better result.
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The main differences are:
- Image stabilization: The 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM has IS; the older 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM does not. This is one of the biggest practical upgrades.
- Build and sealing: The L version has more premium construction and is weather sealed, with a more solid feel overall.
- Aperture/bokeh: The L lens uses 9 rounded blades, while the older version has 8 non-rounded blades, so the L version may produce smoother out-of-focus highlights.
- Optics/image quality: Both are generally regarded as excellent macro lenses. One answer notes the L lens has higher-grade optics and better MTF results, but another notes there isn’t clear evidence of a dramatic optical advantage in real-world use.
So if you want IS, better build, sealing, and potentially nicer bokeh, the 100mm L IS is the more advanced lens. If your priority is simply getting a very good 100mm macro and you don’t need stabilization or weather sealing, the non-L 100mm f/2.8 USM is still a strong option.
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