FAO those with a Canon 100mm macro lens

[bramley]

Hi,

I've just got hold of one of these lenses, at the bargain price of £350 from warehouseexpress (Jessops in town quoted me £475!).

I've only had it two days and I have a bit of an issue with the lens and I'm looking for feedback from other people with this lens to ascertain if "They all do that sir" or if I've got a dud.

The issue is focussing speed. This lens seems to hunt a LOT more than my other lenses (24-105, 70-200 f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.4). For static macro stuff this isn't a big deal, but I just tried to take some close up shots of my daughter, and this lens just can't keep up. By the time the lens has hunted around my daughter is long gone. Even in a situation where she wasn't moving that fast, my hit rate was appaling. By contrast, my 50mm lens is sooo much faster at focussing. The macro lens, even at 'sensible' shutter speeds, seems unable to cope with anything that moves, and most of the shots went in the bin. Again, a comparison to my other prime, the 50mm, makes the macro lens feel prehistoric.

I appreciate my ramblings are hardly scientific, but I'd welcome any input from owners of the same lens, and an insight into how it compares to other lenses you have, for reference.

Thanks

[Gemm]

It's pretty quick on my 1D mkII. Ok, it's probably not as fast as 24-105 or 70-200, but it's very capable and accurate. Your 50mm is f1.4, so I'm not surprised it's faster. Did it happen in low light?

BTW, it's the USM version you are talking about, right?

Edited by Gemm on Sunday 9th September 20:47

[bramley]

Hi Gemm, yes it's the USM version, on a 5D. Perhaps I just need to get used to it a bit more? I guess the reason canon put the switch on the side (as they do on the 70-200) for different focussing distances is due to the time it take to get from one end to the other, so maybe I'm being a bit unfair to it.

When I had problems earlier it wasn't particularly low light, and even with the flash on the top and AF assist beam it still seemed a little slow.

I'll stick with it for a bit and try a more scientific comparison to the other lenses I've got, and go from there.

Thanks for your help.

[poah]

yes it can do that. wen it locks it is fast but when it hunts it goes back and forwards slowly. pain i the ass really.

[Gemm]

Yeah, for normal occasions, set it to 0.48m, and AF assist beam delays the focusing as well. So try with these settings.

[V8LM]

This is the lens with the two focus distances? Set to the full range it is slow to focus, but if you are not doing close-ups with it then use the smaller range (can't remember where it's from - 3m+ I think) and it's much faster.

[bramley]

Will do. Shame there isn't the option for 0.31 - 0.48 only (i.e. nothing further), for real close stuff so it doesn't hunt through it's entire range when your subject is 0.32 away! Cheers.

Thanks poah btw.

[V6GTO]

bramley said:

Shame there isn't the option for 0.31 - 0.48 only (i.e. nothing further), for real close stuff so it doesn't hunt through it's entire range when your subject is 0.32 away! Cheers.

If you're shooting close up try putting it in Manual focus and moving youand the camera to get focus...much better than waiting for the AF.

Martin.

[bramley]

V6GTO said:

bramley said:

Shame there isn't the option for 0.31 - 0.48 only (i.e. nothing further), for real close stuff so it doesn't hunt through it's entire range when your subject is 0.32 away! Cheers.

If you're shooting close up try putting it in Manual focus and moving youand the camera to get focus...much better than waiting for the AF.

Martin.

I'll give that a try, but it must be harder than it sounds especially with such a shallow DoF? Gonna take me a while to get to grips with this lens I reckon - or I could make my life easier and only use it for static objects!

Already finding it difficult to get a greater DoF without additional light, starting looking at the Canon macro flash or a basic studio light set up...my wife ain't gonna be impressed!

[kiwisr]

That's part of the reason I got rid of mine, it was just too slow at focussing (1ds MkII) especially in a studio. Macro use is fine but it was just too slow to use in an environment that was quickly changing and had low light.

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

kiwisr said:

That's part of the reason I got rid of mine, it was just too slow at focussing (1ds MkII) especially in a studio. Macro use is fine but it was just too slow to use in an environment that was quickly changing and had low light.

What did you replace it with?

[kiwisr]

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

kiwisr said:

That's part of the reason I got rid of mine, it was just too slow at focussing (1ds MkII) especially in a studio. Macro use is fine but it was just too slow to use in an environment that was quickly changing and had low light.

What did you replace it with?

That was the other reason I got rid of it, I hardly used it for macro work to justify keeping it. I have a 85mm 1.8 which I now use for a portraits as well as the 70-200 2.8.

[V6GTO]

bramley said:

I'll give that a try, but it must be harder than it sounds

No...it's easier than it sounds

Martin.