Thinking of upgrading the 100mm macro to the L version

I’ve had the 100mm macro for a few years now, and have started thinking about upgrading it to the new L version with IS. Especially my wife, who has been using it quite a lot, has been complaining of getting sharp handheld shots. She’s been using it on a 350D, and now lately on a 40D. I’m also thinking the L version would be a little bit nicer for portraits in available light thanks to the IS. What do you think, is it a good upgrade?

it's a lot of money... i mean if you want something for portrait you can go buy yourself a used 100mm f2, and use it along with your macro, and it'd cost you less than upgrading to the macro.

I'm thinking about upgrading for the same reasons, but I use my MR-14 and I understand the new L requires an adapter since it's filter size is larger. I don't know how well that will work, so if anyone has any experience, please let me know. Seems to me it would cause vignetting, potentially.

I really like my 100mm L Macro. Use it for portraits and other outdoor photography besides macro. The IS works well for all kinds of images.

You need a step up ring for the MR-14. There are several generic brands too that often are cheaper.
http://www.amazon.com …-Adapter-67/dp/B002O3UOUW

banpreso wrote in post #9665804
it's a lot of money... i mean if you want something for portrait you can go buy yourself a used 100mm f2, and use it along with your macro, and it'd cost you less than upgrading to the macro.

Of course the main use of the lens would be macro (which is also what my wife has been using it for) and other close-up and product photography. Anything else is a bonus. But I’ve been reading that the IS has made it more usable for other stuff as well, in lower light. And yes, it’s a lot of money, but if I can sell the older macro lens, the in between isn’t so bad.

KCMO Al wrote in post #9665967
I'm thinking about upgrading for the same reasons, but I use my MR-14 and I understand the new L requires an adapter since it's filter size is larger. I don't know how well that will work, so if anyone has any experience, please let me know. Seems to me it would cause vignetting, potentially.

I’m sure it will work with the MR-14EX without a problem if you just get the correct adapter. It even works well with the 180mm L Macro which is 72mm, so it really shouldn’t be a problem with the 100mm L Macro.

Thanks Chris... you were quicker than me.

i want to buy a 100mm macro...too bad you're in finland and i am in Los Angeles.....

Yes, well a friend of mine just today asked about macro lenses, and I think he's thinking of perhaps buying my old one.

There are pros and cons...

I own the 100 mm non-IS version, and use the lens frequently. I would consider the following before upgrading:

1. IS probably isn't going to help all that much for really narrow depth of field situations.
2. Some of the cost is for the L build quality that the average photographer probably doesn't need.
3. The IQ for the two lenses is essentially the same.
4. Better lenses don't always result in better pictures.

On the other hand, I'd probably always buy a lens with IS if available. Since you can easily sell yours, and the new one will hold most of its value, I'd go for keeping the wife happy!!!

The 100L is probably the finest overall lens I've ever owned (and I've owned the entire holy trinity). It's exceptionally sharp, has that great L color, and the IS is wonderful. I get sharp handheld shots at normal focus distances at about 1/8 sec, and at 1:1 at around 1/30-1/50 sec. The best part for macro use is the stabilized viewfinder which helps tremendously. The AF is also extremely fast. (not that the non-L is slow).

IS and better build quality is probably enough to make it worth it then. If it has that same great L color that my other Ls produce, I know I'll love it

Else, overall I'm more than happy with the IQ of the non L macro, but if the IS can give a higher "keeper percentage", then that's super.

Might want to invest in a better flash for better macro/portrait shots. Most of the shake issue would be gone immediately.

Well, flash isn't always the way to go. Sometimes you just want to use ambient light

IS can also help you get shots with slow shutter speeds when you don't have your tripod with you.

This isn't with the 100L, but it's the same idea. This is 4 stitched frames from yesterday with my 70-200 f/4 IS, all at 1/8 second handheld, in order to get motion in the water:

Just made the upgrade from 100 non IS to the 100 L. I was pleasantly surprised how well the IS works even at close distances and as mentioned earlier the stable viewfinder was a nice surprise. It was a costly upgrade, but worth it IMO.