Old 100mm macro

Just picked up a Canon 100mm Macro and having a little problem finding anything out about it. I believe it's a older model of the 100mm 2.8 Macro because it has a metal body. Is that the same as the USM? I'm guessing not, but can't seem to find the sample thread for the older, if there is one for the older model. Also, do they make a hood for it and do I really need it since the lens sits inside a way back? Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

If the lens is recessed, it would be the non-USM model. As for the hood.. might not be a necessity, but i have a love affair with hoods, and all of my lenses (except kit 18-55) have hoods.

I've got one. Nice lens, built like a tank. No need for a hood since the front element is so recessed. Not the fastest to focus (no usm) and the front element extends during focusing, but still a good sharp macro and portrait lens.

Here is a short review of the older (non-USM) EF 100mm 2.8 http://www.google.ca …hKkQGatzFgtiiYE​zviutDa_Ig

Canon did not make a hood for this lens. The front element is deeply recessed so a hood is really not required and might even get in the way for a Macro shot.

You can see from the photo there is no way to mount a hood other than using the 52mm screw in filter threads.

I believe this lens (and the 50mm f2.5) were designed to have recessed glass and thus not "need" a lens hood. As was said I think a hood might interfere with getting close enough to some subjects when doing close ups. Unlike the 50mm f2.5, this lens provides a 1:1 magnification without any adapter. I find it very sharp, but the general consensus is it is just about as sharp as both the L and the USM non-L - but just shy.

The only drawbacks I see are it is old (if in good condition not a problem), no USM so noisier and slower AF (not a problem for me I usually manually focus for macro photography - and that is all I use this lens for), front end extends (at times bothersome), and no way to put a tripod collar on this lens (this I would really, really like to be able to do).

Its a good lens, go out and use it, it will do well. I've owned mine since before the other two were around.

there's no separate sample thread so a few just post images in there...the IQ is supposed to be similar to the USM version...it may take a bit to get used to the extending end when you're focusing on closer things...

Hey guys, thanks for the info.

That's the original version of the the EF 100mm and quite a good lens. As stated, there's not much difference in IQ between it and the 100mm USM, or for that matter the 100mm L/IS. All three are quite good optically.

As a non-USM lens, you probably should not manually override autofocus without first turning off the AF at the switch. To check on this, you might see if Canon has a PDF manual for the lens online at their website or if you can find one elsewhere. But AFAIK, all non-USM lenses need to be switched off before manually focusing, or you risk damaging the focusing mechanism. (USM lenses, OTOH, allow immediate manual focusing iwthout need to turn off AF, which Canon calls FTM or Full Time Manual.) This is going to make the lens slower to use when shooting with autofocus. Of course, a lot of the time it's faster and easier to use manual focus with macro photography anyway. So this likely won't be much of an issue. Non-USM lenses also tend to be slower autofocusing than USM, which will likely be even more exaggerated with any macro lens because they have to move the focusing group so far to be able to focus all the way from infinity to 1:1 magnification.

It does have a focus limiter, though it's not marked on the lens what the distances are. Again, see if you can find a copy of the owners manual that came with the lens originally... that would tell you what the limter's ranges are... I suspect the "limit" setting on this lens allows focus to infiniity and keeps the lens from going into the higher magnifications, while the "full" settings lets it go all the way from infinity to full 1:1. This is the same way the USM lens' limiter works. The L/IS, OTOH, has a three position limiter that allows it to be kept in the close/high mag range, but not able to go all the way to infinity; in a range from infinity to something less than max mag; or covering the entire range from infinity to 1:1.

Note in the photo of the lens, there's no "gold ring" that Canon uses to identify their USM lenses... not to mention they have "Ultrasonic" written several places on most USM lenses.

I forgot that the original EF 100mm was not Internal Focusing (IF). (IF makes the 100 USM and 100 L/IS larger to begin with, but they don't change length while focusing).

AFAIK, that original 100mm also can't be fitted with a tripod mounting ring, the way the two later models can be, optionally.

Oh, and BTW, I believe all three have metal barrels. So that's not a way to distinguish one from the other. The 100 USM is identical in build to the 180/3.5L, in fact.

I have both the EF 100mm f/2.8 and the USM version. I photographed them side by side in the pictures of lenses thread here:
https://photography-on-the.net …?p=8849408&post​count=2662

You can't override autofocus with the original lens. The focus ring disconnects and spins free when autofocus is selected.

The focus limiter works differently than the USM version. If you are closer than 1:4 when you select the focus limiter, then focus is limited to the range of about 1:1 to 1:4 for both manual and autofocus. If you are focused between about 1:5 to infinity when you engage the focus limiter, then you are limited to that range for both manual and autofocus. There is a small range between about 1:5 and 1:4 where the focus limiter cannot be engaged.

If you want to shade a filter, then the adapter and hood for the EF 50mm f/1.8 II works fine.

My USM version really feels like plastic on the barrel.