Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

by Canon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 4.3 x 4.3 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009USVW
• Item model number: 2518A003
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 15, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Another option in high-speed moderate telephotos, this compact lens is ideal for portraits and low-light work. Compared to the 85mm f/1.8 USM lens, it provides that little bit extra of telephoto power sometimes necessary outdoors or for candid shooting. Like the 85mm, it’s super-sharp (even wide-open), and has fast USM autofocus along with full-time manual focusing.

A medium telephoto lens with a large aperture brings the subject closer, creates excellent background blur, gives a longer flash range, and affords a faster shutter speed to freeze the action. A standard zoom lens, with its natural angle of view and perspective, captures the subject plainly, with no special effects. However, you can use standard lenses in creative ways by varying the subject distance, aperture, and angle.

Product Description

Despite the large maximum aperture, the lens remains compact. Lens group 5 moves for rear focusing, and sharp, crisp pictures are obtained at all apertures. The background blur is ideal for portraits. The USM autofocuses the lens quickly and quietly.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent prime!, November 4, 2006

By 

Tyler Lordino "Superluminal" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I love this lens. I'd previously tried a friend's and was quite impressed with the sharpness from f2.2/2.5 onward, and the bokeh around f2.8/3.2. Upon purchasing the lens, I was overjoyed to discover both better sharpness (impressive wide open and just great by 2.2/2.5 in most circumstances) and smoother bokeh. I've also done some comparing of my lens with an 85mm f/1.8 that I used to own and I'm quite a bit more impressed with the CA performance at wide apertures with the 100mm than with the 85mm: at f/2, CA is present in high contrast situations, but not nearly as bad as with my 85mm; by f/2.5-2.8, the CA is already greatly reduced; and, by f/3.2-4, it's nearly absent. For a non-L, the contrast and color are great, as well. For the cost, size, and capability, I have yet to use a more impressive prime!

81 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An awkward focal for a crop SLR, January 29, 2008

By 

David Alexander (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I originally bought this lens for use with an Elan II film SLR back in 2003. It was extraordinary. The bokeh, focal length, and extreme background blur made it my favorite lens.

Fast forward to 2005. I bought a Canon Digital Rebel. Now my 100/2 was a 160/2. That's too long for indoor portraits and too short to be a real telephoto. It also had a lot more depth of field at the same angle of view, and thus noticeably less background blur. Slowly, I noticed that I wasn't using it as often, or really at all. So I sold it and bought a 50/1.4.

That's the unfortunate thing with this lens. As an optic, it's excellent. Fairly sharp from f/2, good contrast, fast and silent AF, and only moderate color fringing. But the focal length is just *so* inconvenient. This 100/2 feels cramped for space indoors, but too short to get up close and personal outdoors. The optical design is also optimized for close distances, so if you try to use it for distant objects at larger apertures like a real telephoto, fine detail disappears. It's also incompatible with Canon teleconverters, though you wouldn't really want to attach one anyway.

What I used this lens for on my Elan II was flattering women. It's extremely good at that. My 50/1.4 serves a similar purpose now, but at an 80mm equivalent, it's a bit on the short side. The best option would be a 70/1.4, but alas, that doesn't exist.

If you're considering this lens for a body with a 1.6X cropped sensor (Rebels, 10D-60D, 7D), consider the 85/1.8 instead. They're similar designs, but the 135mm equivalent is just inside the standard portrait range, and you may like it better.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of my favorites, November 20, 2008

By 

Brett Maxwell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I love this lens. I bought it basically because it is the longest focal length with a really large aperture under $500 ($925 for the 135 f2 and $4800 for the 200 f2). It focuses quick and is razor sharp, even wide open (I find I shoot with it 95% of the time at f2.0). On my crop sensor 40D it acts as a short telephoto and allows me to capture great action and tight portraits with perfectly blurred backgrounds.

My one and only complaint is the lens hood attachment is not the best design. Definitely not large enough an issue to deduct a star.