More than just a macro lens

I own this lens now for more than two and a half years and I'm still excited about this glass.
This was my first L lens and then I had used it on the crop camera Canon EOS 500D. On Crop cameras can use the macro mode is best. Since the 1.6x focal length would increase what is good for animals with a high flight distance. Also the depth of field is higher, which is not as strong stopping down must, because especially in macro photography often higher aperture values ​​must be used.
Now I use this lens on full-frame Canon EOS 6D full-frame digital SLR camera with Wi-Fi and GPS (20.2 megapixels, 7.6 cm (3 inch) screen, DIGIC 5+) body only. Here, too, capture breathtaking macro photos, but I love this lens in the field of portrait photography. With 100 mm and a 2.8 maximum aperture can be realized beautiful head portraits, because the bokeh of this lens is a dream.

Processing:

-The Feel is made of very high-quality plastic and feels very good in the hand. The focusing drive runs buttery soft and there is no problem in the macro range to select the correct focal plane. The lens is protected splash water and dust and the rubber gasket between the lens and housing looks after more than two years still look like new. In addition, wobbles and rattles nothing and a lens hood is attending which is just as valuable.
-In Autofocus operation, you can choose between different modes, which greatly accelerates the Fokussierdauer. However, it is often not advisable to work in macro mode with the auto-focus, since the autofocus often not true. For portraits, however, this is very fast and accurate.
-The Image Stabilizer with 4 stages keeps its promises. This can be better low-light shooting without a flash or tripod realize, or movies from the hand of these trumps is also on. However, this is in the macro range not really make sense, because the closer you come to the motive, the less brings the image stabilizer something.
-The Combining of Tele Converters made by Canon is not possible. Remedy offers here as: Kenko DGX MC4 1.4x converter Canon, which in tests even better cuts than the Canon. Also a lens clamp is not included in the price. Who often works with tripod and quickly between portrait and landscape would change. Must also reach into his pocket.

Optical power:

-The Focus is up to the edge very well even at maximum aperture of center and can be increased by stopping down only minimal (at higher aperture then diffraction effects happen and focus goes back). I use it most of it to f / 16, and only in a few macro motifs I resort to larger f.
-The Chromatic aberrations are very low and only dive at high contrasts and small aperture values. However, I never had this through a software (eg: Lightroom) a problem to remove.
-The Vignetting is also seen only at small aperture values ​​and hardly worth mentioning.
-The Background sharpness (bokeh) is just a dream. Just a lens in which u macro. Portrait area auftrumpft benefited immensely.

Price / performance ratio:

-Since This lens in macro photography is not only at home, the price is in a good area. You get a top crafted lens that provides excellent optical performance.
If you are looking for a lens which is to serve exclusively for macro photos you can save money by you shop around for variants without image stabilizer.

Short and sweet:

++ Sharpness (f / 2.8-f / 16: very good; f / 16-f / 22: right;> f / 22: better than nothing;))
+ Luminous intensity
++ Haptics (very high-quality plastic and anything processed good)
++ IS with 4 levels (in portraits u. Video mode sense / in the macro range almost meaningless)
+ Price (macro photography in similar quality is also cheaper)
- CANON Stativschelle D EF 100mm 1: 2.8L Macro IS USM must be purchased separately (original overpriced)
- Canon tele-converter can not be combined

Conclusion: There are many opportunities to use this lens, which is why I also like 5 star awarded here. The processing and optical performance are worth the money.