I had the opportunity to test drive the new Canon RF 100 f/2.8 Macro lens, and here are some of my thoughts and the comparison between the the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Vs the Canon EF 100mm L Series Lens.

Mirrorless Systems are the way of the future, whether we like the idea or not. I have had so many questions about Mirrorless Cameras, that I will write a few blogs on this topic or share some info on my YouTube Channel.

One thing I can say is that one of the most beneficial things about moving over to Mirrorless, for me, especially for Macro Photography is the Focus Peaking. What is Focus Peaking you may ask? When you are focusing on a subject and you want to see exactly what will be in focus in your frame Mirrorless Cameras aid you by placing a coloured highlight on all the in-focus edges. This is brilliant especially if you want to make sure the eye or focal point is pin-sharp regardless of the rest of the image if that is your intention, without taking 10 images to make sure you are happy with where you want the focus to be.  

The new Canon RF 100mm f2.8 Macro Lens is slightly heavier and longer than the Canon 100mm F2.8 L Series EF Lens. I do however prefer the overall look and feel of the RF Macro lens compared to my EF lens, ( Is this a reason to rush out and buy one? Maybe not…. or maybe it is 😊)

Here are some other differences between the two:

	Canon RF 100mm F/2.8 RF Macro Lens	Canon 100mm EF F/2.8 Macro Lens
Maximum Magnification	1.4 x	1.0 x
Working Distance	92mm	133mm
Weight	730g	623g
Length	148mm	123mm
SA Control	Yes	No
Image Stabilizer	5 Stops	4 Stops

Even though the lens is slightly longer and heavier than the Canon 100mm F2.8 L Series EF Lens, pared with the EOS R Mirrorless it was far lighter than the DSLR setup. The Size and weight balance very well.

The system has a quiet and fast autofocus system and having a 1.4x Maximum Magnification is definitely a step up from the 1.0 x of the EF Lens.

Your next question I am sure is what is SA Control? Spherical Aberration Control. The Canon RF 100mm Macro Lens has a control ring on the barrel where you can have full control over your Bokeh and soft focus. Did I enjoy this feature? Well if you are shooting creative macro, where you love the soft focus and playing with motion or a very narrow depth of field this is brilliant. You can create some beautiful Fine Art Images, and that of course I enjoyed. It will change your bokeh from round circles to more oval-shaped circles, BUT your subject does show some fuzziness, so I don’t feel that this will benefit someone shooting a person for example.

People typically associate a Macro lens with insects or flowers, but they are outstanding portrait and food photography lenses. They are pin-sharp and have a lovely Bokeh.

My overall thoughts and feelings about this lens? If you have a mirrorless system and love macro, you will love this lens. The 1.4 x Magnification and Extra stop Image stabilizer ( It can increase up to 8 stops with IBIS) is a huge advantage when you are wanting to get some great macro and close-up images. And as I said I love the new look too. Would I buy one? For sure!

I hope you enjoyed this blog comparison between the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Vs the Canon EF 100mm L Series Lens, I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you soon.

Love and Light Melanie C