Customer Reviews

Canon EF 180mm f3.5L Macro USM AutoFocus Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

May I introduce you to one of the least know and yet most superb lenses Canon makes. You probably even stumbled on to this page by accident, looking for another Canon lens, looking at various macros, or even just intrigued by this higher-priced lens you've probably never even considered.

Let me just say this about this lens: Ultra sharp. Ultra colorful. Ultra contrast. Ultra solid.

Like everybody else, I initially bought this lens for its macro. The 60mm and 100mm options were a lot cheaper, but my collection is entirely L-class and I'd learned to trust putting gobs of money into the lenses with the red ring. So I put my money where my L-faith is and went with this lens. Needless to say, my faith was rewarded again.

Yeah, sure it's got the 1.0x macro capability, and this is important. But what I wasn't expecting was the image quality. It is unbelievably good. Now I'm not somebody who's taking his first trip into L land and comparing this lens to the $300 run-of-the-mill glass. I've used six L-class lenses significantly and I'm comparing this lens' image quality to THOSE.

You will find yourself using this lens as much as its 180mm focal length and f/3.5 aperture dictates. The lens is versatile both as a super-fine telephoto and as a 1.0x macro.

The macro capability is the main feature. 1.0x macro literally means that a 35mm wide object will completely fill a 35mm frame. Basically, it's a small microscope. If you dare to dial in the aperture to the wide-open f/3.5, the DOF is approximately that of the thickness of two sheets of writing paper at 1.0x. Needless to say, you'll need a tripod, preferably with macro rails that slide forwards and rearwards for ultimate control.

(For those of you new to macro, focusing the lens changes the magnification factor. So as one focuses the object, the object's size in the viewfinder changes. This is why I mention the macro rails, they allow you to achieve focus and physically move the lens/camera in and out to reachieve the desired composition.)

As a telephoto, due to this lens' superb image quality, it actually produces images of a much greater quality than the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. (I know firsthand, as I own it too) The difference is in the 70-200mm's versatility. If the light drops too low, the f/2.8 and the IS bests the f/3.5 quite rapidly. If the distance of subjects change quickly or you are unable to move your feet to frame images, the 180mm will be too constricting and the zoom will win. But under conditions where the 180mm f/3.5 can perform unhindered (such as at an airshow or out flower hunting), it will consistantly produce brighter, more saturated, and sharper images than the 70-200mm F/2.8 IS.

There is a complaint that circulates about the slow speed at which this lens autofocuses, expecially annoying when trying to be used as a telephoto. This is actually incorrect. The lens' autofocus drive does infact move very quickly, but it must traverse all the way from infinity to about 4" in front of the lens to find the subject. This is where the wait time comes into effect. Here's the solution: utilizing the AF limiter switch allows you to limit the AF search to only between infinity and about 5' in front of the lens. Consequently, this range is about 10% of the focus range (the other 90% is in between that 5' and the 4"). I no longer experience AF "hunting" problems when trying to use the 180mm as a telephoto.

Some other info about this lens:
The front objective element is actually concave. I think this is the only L lens Canon makes with a concave front element. It's probablyexpensive to replace if an accident should occur, so utilize a UV filter (72mm filter size). I recommend only the B+W or Hoya Multi-coated brands. (Yes they're pricey, but worth it)

The hood for this lens is actually a little too small in my opnion. If shooting a backlit object, I sometimes get the heavy orange glow in the viewfinder soI am forced to use my hand as a "hood extender" and block the sunlight.

For its size, this lens is relatively lightweight. It is much lighter than the 70-200mm F/2.8L IS and easily handholdable for extended periods of time.

This lens is compatible with Canon's extenders. I have personally used it with the 1.4x extender. The results are excellent. While CA and sharpness degrade noticeably on the 70-200mm, this lens shows barely a difference in image quality, except for the change in designation to a 252mm F/5, of course. And add to the fact that the macro capability is now gone from 1.0x to 1.4x, a big bonus.

So for whom does this lens apply?
-Those who neither have a macro or a telephoto prime who desire a single piece that can handle both aspects with excellent results.
-Those who plan on performing professional product photography.
-Those that are looking into serious nature photography (packing this lens with a wide-angle is pretty much all you'll need on a day hike).

What this lens does not do well:
-Low-light photography.
-Event photography.
-Landscapes.

Alternatives:
-60mm/100mm: lesser image quality, less telephoto compression in macro images, no real double-duty as a telephoto, but a whole lot cheaper and wider aperture.
-MP-E 65mm: much greater magnification (5.0x), lower image quality, no telephoto capability, odd design means studio use almost exclusively

I spend most of my time as a photographer taking macro photographs of flowers and other small things in nature. I chose this lens over Canon's 50mm macro and 100mm macro for two reasons: (1) it is constructed with higher quality UD glass, so it has great color and contrast, and it's incredibly sharp at all f/stops, and (2) at 180mm, it allows you to stay farther away from your subjects and still focus to 1:1. This makes it easier take photographs without disturbing your subjects and it allows you to have a smaller, more blurry area in the background so that the background doesn't compete with the subject for attention. The lens also comes with a tripod color, which allows you conveniently change from vertical to horizontal, and it adds stability with your lens better balanced on your tripod.

The lens has an ultrasonic motor, so it's fast and quiet when focusing, though I highly recommend setting the focus limiter 1.5m-infinity when not shooting macro photography. It will speed up the time it takes for the lens to focus. The only drawback I can find with the lens is that it is constructed with only an 8 blade aperture diaphram. Theoretically, with a higher number of blades, it would allow more natural blurs, but I can say I've never noticed a problem in my photographs.

When this lens is used with a 1.6X camera body such as the XT, 20D, or 30D it ends up giving you an amazing 288mm Macro or you can go one step further with the 1.4x or 2X TC's and make it a 403/576mm super power. Of course whenever doing this you must either use a tripod or flash except in blazing light. It is a little slow to focus compared to many of the other lenses canon offers, but since you will most likely be using manual focus a lot of the time anyway, this is not a huge drawback. It also gets heavy to carry after a few hours and you will have people ask you questions about both your and their cameras. On a good note parents are pretty good about keeping small children out of your way when you have this lens mounted. The narrower background as compared to the 60mm or 100mm macro lenses makes cluttered areas easier to deal with. The extra working distance is also a plus when working with wary insects etc. It is best to use a shutter release and mirror lockup for shutter speeds longer than 1/30 if you want sharp pictures. The 60mm Macro wins in convenience, but for absolute clarity and improved working distance the 180 comes out on top.

I upgraded from my Tamron 180mm to the Canon. The Tamron is a good lens and a great value, but there is no comparison to the Canon L glass! I love the lens and the range it gives me to use it. Only complaint is its hard to find the adjustment bracket thing for the Macro Lights for the 180mm 72mm thread filter size. Wish Canon would step up more there!!! Make sure you put a good UV filter on this baby, heliopan or B+W as they are ground glass and much better optically than the other filters!

The Canon L series glass is pristine and holds its value very well also. My bag is all L glass, except for 1 lens. The Tamron 14mm SP 2.8, otherwise my 70-200 2.8 IS, 70-200 F4 IS, 17-40 F4, 300 F4 IS, 500 F4.5, 100-400mm, 24-105 IS, 35 F1.4, and now the 180MM Macro. Canon has some of the Finest glass out there and match that to solid camera, like the EOS 1N and EOS 3 for Film or the 30D, 5D and Mark III for digital, you are in for some wonderful shots and a lot of enjoyment!

I make my living doing Photography, now in Alaska doing photo tours for/with Kenai River Hideaway B&B, as well as selling prints and private shoots, and I won't put any other 35mm Platform in my bag! You get what you pay for, and the L series delivers and holds its value should you wish to change and upgrade later!

You cant go Wrong with Canon L Glass.

Thanks
Alaska Photo Tours

I read all the reviews and researched this lens for almost 3 months while I saved for it. Now that I have it and have used it I can say that this will soon be one of my favorite lenses. I own two other L series lenses, a 17-40 f4 (outstanding lens, especially for the price) and a 70-200 f2.8.

This 180 f/3.5 captures amazing colors, and is the sharpest lens I have used. At 1:1 @ 3.5, simply breathing will change the focal point of your subject, so a tripod for this type of photography is mandatory. I can't say enough about the images it produces, they are simply amazing.

That being said, the lens is a beast. It is the only reason I could not give it 5 stars. I fully understand why it weighs as much as it does, but still it's a bit tough to carry around for a day. The results are worth the effort though. It's a bit slower to auto-focus (then my 70-200 2.8), but I'm finding that focusing manually while shooting macro gives superior results - so this isn't such a big deal. It takes exceptional images outside the "up close" rage too. I've taken some really nice pictures with it as a 180mm lens.

Additionally it looks great. Superior build and finish. Looks fantastic in black.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with it. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking macro photography.

No one can complain about the quality of the construction or of the images that this lens produces. It's often considered a hidden gem in the Canon lineup as it gets thought of strictly as a macro lens and its use as a telephoto gets ignored. I'm going to give the lens its well-deserved five stars, but now tell you that you should be careful in picking this lens for your use lest it live, unused, in the bottom of your camera bag.

This is a lens that I think you should rent to try out if it's interesting to you. I find that it's too long of a lens for most of the macro photography work I think of doing. Especially on a 1.6x crop body the magnification leaves you with very little depth of field and horrible subject vibration problems in the field. (You need a tripod for this, so photographer movement shouldn't be as much of an issue.) I find the 100mm macro lens to be much handier on both full frame and crop cameras. Others disagree, that's fine, but you should check it out yourself. On the telephoto front, a 70-200mm zoom with IS is a much more versatile setup. If macro work is only occasional, you could into extension tubes that let you go in close.

If you ignore the lack of image stabilization, this is a five star lens. Colors are deeply saturated, and sharpness is on par with Canon's best super telephotos. Want to stop spending all of your time in Photoshop? Get this lens. The only thing I ever do in software with this lens is crop. Period.

The long focal length of this lens gives 1:1 magnification while staying a decent distance from the subject. I live in Texas, and this comes in handy with all kinds of subjects, like snakes and scorpions. It also enables you to use a standard tripod (with the legs collapsed) and still get good magnification.

Thanks to an eight blade circular aperture, the bokeh from this lens is dreamy. At f/3.5 and 180mm, there is a razor-thin focus area, and distractions in the background just melt away. You can take a picture of a daisy and make the stem disappear. Simply awesome.

At 180mm, this is basically a telephoto lens with macro capability. As such, it could really use image stabilization (IS). I have not taken too many sharp shots handheld, but I have taken some amazing shots with a monopod. IS would make this a no-brainer lens. As is, I would strongly recommend bringing a tripod along.

Over the years I have owned both Canon's 50mm and 100mm Macro, they are excellent lenses and substantially less expensive. If you want to shoot insects and other small, shy creatures outdoors the 180 mm Macro is the lens to get.

Optically the lens is excellent in every way. The 'slow' focus is a function of the huge focal range of the lens, typically manual focus is used for macro photography - for general photography the focus limiter can be used to improve focus time. Construction quality is excellent - although the included lens hood is a rather cheap plastic design, however it functions fine.

I use this lens on a tripod almost all the time - with Macro work you are normally are working a smaller apertures (f8-f16), so relatively slow shutter speeds are the norm - the tripod ring makes transitioning from portrait to landscape very easy.

Additionally this quality of this lens allows the use of canons 1.4x teleconverter with minimal loss of quality - significantly increasing the 'reach' of this lens.

This lens is a good general purpose 'short' telephoto - but not suitable for sports or action photography, Canon's EF 70-200 lenses or 200mm f2.8 lens make better alternatives.

Image stabilization is not available for this lens and would make a very useful addition

This lens is worth every penny especially with Amazon,s price. Takes awesome close ups better then my Canon 100mm macro lens. I will hang on to my 100mm for now because that lens also takes some great pohtos. The Canon 180mm gets you closer to your subject.

The EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro lens captures amazing colors, and is the sharpest lens I have used. A tripod for close up photography is mandatory, although the two samples I supplied are hand held. I can't say enough about the images it produces, they are simply amazing.
I read all the reviews and researched this lens for months while I saved for it. Now that I have it and have used it I can say that this will soon be one of my favorite lenses. I own two other L series lenses, a EF 28-135mm and a EF 100-400mm zoom. All L lenses.The lens is large and a bit heavy but what do you expect? If you want good quality images, you must invest in good lenses. You won't go wrong with this lens. The results are worth the effort. I compose my shots to get the effect I want, so, I always focus manually before I auto focus. As a result, the slowness that some complain about doesn't bother me. It takes exceptional images inside and outside the macro range. This is a professional lens with look and feel of greatness. My lens came packed in the Canon carton with a lens hood, white Canon carrying case and shoulder strap. The carrying case cannon supplies with its lens are awesome. I always keep my lens stored in their cases when not is use.