ICYMI: Canon RF 100mm F2.8L IS Macro Review

I've been slagging the last few months on keeping track of what's happening in Canon-Land, so i missed this review.

OpticalLimits is one of my favorite reviewers and they took the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L IS Macro out for a review.

The key features of the standard 100mm macro for the RF system inclulde;

• RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
• 1.4x Magnification with Autofocus
• Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/32
• Minimum Focusing Distance: 10.2"
• Super Spectra Coating
• Smooth and Quiet Auto Focus
• Optical Image Stabilization; Hybrid IS
• Control Ring for Direct Setting Changes
• 9-Blade Diaphragm
• Weather-Sealed Construction

They found some puzzling problems with the 100mm regarding RSA (residual spherical aberration) which is essentially focus shift as you stop down the lens. This seems to be an odd problem on a macro lens.  If Canon though stops down the lens while doing AF operations for this lens it may be less of a problem.  If Canon like I believe is the default behavior, AF's while wide open - then this is something you need to be aware of.

They conclude;

The Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L USM macro IS is a great lens with some added weirdness. Optically, it is capable of delivering very sharp images straight from f/2.8 - just as you would expect from a moderately fast macro lens. Image distortions are basically negligible even without correction. Lateral CAs are on the low side as well and can be easily corrected anyway. This can't be said of the raw vignetting which is comparatively high at f/2.8 so auto-correction should remain activated. The quality of the bokeh is generally pleasing with a smooth background blur and nicely rendered highlights. The foreground blur isn't ideally rendered but that's usually of lesser concern. Bokeh lovers may also like the SA feature on the lens but, to be honest, for most of us, it'll remain an oddity that you have to pay for without using it. Maybe video makers can appreciate it more than photographers. That being said - the massive focus-breathing doesn't help with videos. A bit concerning are the RSAs when stopping down - focus shifts aren't helpful at very close focus distances. It's something to keep in mind when shooting at least.

Read the full review here

Purchase the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L IS Macro