L SERIES CANON LENS OR NOT

neiljs

neiljs

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Hi to all, just a quick q, I have a Canon 550D and am thinking about buying a canon 100mmMacro f2.8. do I buy the L series or is the earlier ( cheaper ) version still a good bet? I know a lot comes down to cost, couls afford the L series but do I really need to for general photography?
Thanks for any help
 
If you think you need IS, then L.
Otherwise non-L.

Optically they are both good, but I personally think the IS is worth having.
 
neiljs said:
L series but do I really need to for general photography?
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Your the only person in the world who can answer that..

An L lens is a lens..but better quality than non L ... Only you can decide if you want an L type or not..

Sorry but....
 
The old lens was fantastic, the IS on the new one is the deciding factor.
 
after deliberating about this myself i went for the L lens i have two now and never looked back. Quality IMO is second to non, they are weighty but worth it!
 
At the risk of confusing things further, have you ruled out the EF-S 60mm macro ?

I don't have a Canon 100mm macro but do have a 100L macro (5d2) and a 60mm EF-S macro (7d). There are links to 2 macro's below, can you tell which was taken with the 60mm and which with the 100mm L (without reading the tags) ? I had extension tubes on both, but although the subject matter was the same I felt like trying to get in closer with the 60mm than I did with the 100.

Image 1

Image 2
 
stu.artd said:
At the risk of confusing things further, have you ruled out the EF-S 60mm macro ?

I don't have a Canon 100mm macro but do have a 100L macro (5d2) and a 60mm EF-S macro (7d). There are links to 2 macro's below, can you tell which was taken with the 60mm and which with the 100mm L (without reading the tags) ? I had extension tubes on both, but although the subject matter was the same I felt like trying to get in closer with the 60mm than I did with the 100.

Image 1

Image 2
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The 2nd shot is the 100mm/5D setup - shallower DoF gives it away

I used to use the non-IS 100mm on a 30D and just felt it was too 'long' i.e. the reach is gave on a 1.6x sensor..... plus I think the minimum focus distance always seemed to hinder my shooting.... I always felt too removed from the subject. The 60mm is as nice a lens optically despite the limitations of crop sensors and it's an easier package to handle IMO
 
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I have the canon 100mm f2.8 macro and will be looking to upgrade to the L version in a couple of months as the IS will suit me better.

So like said above buy the best you can afford as it will serve you well for many years to come no matter what camera you buy next.
 
The 100 L macro along with the 100-400 L was the first 2 L lenses I bought and it still, after nearly 2 years, gives a consistant WOW every time I use it. The IS is fantastic and with the focus limiter set to only close up it AF's fast enough for 90+% of what I shoot with it when it's on my 5D3.

When I bought the lens I had a 550D and the combo was what inspired me to carry on with my photography as I was struggled with a 75-300 MkIII, which was so bad I almost gave up and sold up. The 100 L is still one of my most used lenses during the summer months.
 
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neiljs said:
Hi to all, just a quick q, I have a Canon 550D and am thinking about buying a canon 100mmMacro f2.8. do I buy the L series or is the earlier ( cheaper ) version still a good bet? I know a lot comes down to cost, couls afford the L series but do I really need to for general photography?Thanks for any help
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I think its actually for general(non macro) photography that you'll see most benefit from the L lens, IS is more useful for non macro shooting as is the faster autofocus.

Might be worth considering if your going to upgrade body aswell, if you buy a weather sealed camera in the future the L lens will match with that.
 
Keep in mind the good thing about camera lenses is that if you buy 2nd hand (good condition) then you can often resell without losing money if you realise you've gone for the wrong lens. :) I can't advise on that particular lens as I haven't tried it but as others have said, if you can afford the L then go for it.
 
For me a day's photography is a bit of a luxury: so many other things to fit into life: family, community, work and so on all demanding time.

A couple of years ago I hired for my 5D MkII an EOS wide prime L lens for a day, taking portraits indoors: fantastic piece of kit and ideal for the purpose.

This year I rented a 100-400mm L OIS zoom for a sporting occasion. Unbelievable lens.

Cost of hiring: about 5% of the cost of the lens. Experience? Amazing insight into the capabilities of each lens in varying light and circumstances for about 15 hours each lens and hundreds of wonderful photos.

Would I purchase these lenses? Yes, if I thought I would use them 20 times in a couple of years. But I won't. My 35-135 and 50mm 1.4 cover my needs most of the time. Will I hire again? You bet!

Our needs are all different. Getting to grips with how we use cameras and what we get involved in is the key, I think, to which kit to hire and which to purchase.
 
One you go L you wont ever look back :-)
 
If you can afford the L lens easily, i.e. you'll not miss the £250 extra and may wish you'd kept it because the car's just broken down or something, then get the L I'd say.
Ive not yet bought an L but that would be my reasoning I think.
 
L lens, or non-L lens and a long weekend somewhere sunny in Europe.

No contest if you don't rely on these tools to make you a living :)
 
Jad said:
I suggest always to buy the best lens when you can afford to. It is something you will use for many years and you will only need to buy it once. You can upgrade the camera body over the years but you will not need to buy a new lens. There is no sense putting cheap glass on a quality camera. Just my thoughts. http://johndoddato.blogspot.com/
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Uxon said:
Keep in mind the good thing about camera lenses is that if you buy 2nd hand (good condition) then you can often resell without losing money if you realise you've gone for the wrong lens. :) I can't advise on that particular lens as I haven't tried it but as others have said, if you can afford the L then go for it.
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This was basically my reasoning when I bought my lenses. I've not regretted buying L lenses.
 
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