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Archive 2005 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro

  
 
carstenw
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p.1 #1 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


i am seriously torn between these two lenses. the 135 would be more flexible as a tele (since i will have the 24-105), but can't do macro, and vice versa. as far as i can tell from focusing distance, the 135 would get about 0.5:1, ie. about half the magnification of the macro lens. i find the 180 macro too large.

could anyone enlighten me with their anecdotes of these two lenses, so that i might choose between them? i am leaning towards the 135, but find it hard to let go of the macro capability. i would probably use the tele functionality more, but i would miss the macro like hell. these would be used on a 5D, btw. if one of them had IS that would decide it for me. sigh.



Dec 30, 2005 at 07:33 PM
liza
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p.1 #2 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


Buy the 100 and the 200L. You can have both of those for nearly the same cost as the 135. The 200 is pretty close in terms of image quality to the 135, according to Lars and some of the others on this forum.


Dec 30, 2005 at 07:50 PM
franzdom
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p.1 #3 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


I shot with those two exact lenses one day this summer on my 5D and I got a bunch of average macro shots and a bunch of great wildlife and garden shots. It really depends how much you think you will get into macro.


Dec 30, 2005 at 07:51 PM
penghai
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p.1 #4 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


Maybe a Sigma 150 f2.8 macro.

It's a macro and is very sharp. Only short in Af speed and a little heavier. (Shoudl be lighter than 180 macro.)

Eric.



Dec 30, 2005 at 09:05 PM
mh2000
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p.1 #5 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


get the one you think you want the most first, because after that it will be hard to justify purchasing the second. I got the macro first because 135 was just a little longer than I wanted for general shooting and I wanted the macro functionality... and I am thrilled with the macro for everything (great for portraiture IMO on FF), and it is a truly excellent lens, but I think it lacks that little sprinkle of magic that Canon seemed to sneak into the 135... now, I keep thinking, "when am I seriously going to choose the 135 over the 100 macro?" and then never buy the 135. It is also stopping me from buying an 85mm f1.8 since I am convince that the macro is a better lens... ah well... I guess not being lost in wanting is a good thing.


Dec 30, 2005 at 09:24 PM
Shivatron
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p.1 #6 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


I own the 135L and currently have a 100/2.8 Macro on loan from a friend. The short answer is: decide if you need to shoot Macro and if not, but the 135 and call it a day. The Macro is a great lens, but the 135 is indeed "magic" -- don't know what it is about it but it's just a great picture maker beyond the numbers.

Of course, the ideal situation is to buy both... maybe one day, I'll do just that...



Dec 30, 2005 at 09:35 PM
oasis
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p.1 #7 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


I had first gotten the 100macro because I wanted a dedicated macro lens. Later I added the 135L, and it's my workhorse from 135 to 270mm (with 1.4x and 2x). The 135L works very well with TCs, while I've found TCs to degrade my 100macro's tele performance quite a bit. Plus you can't use Canon TCs on it without adding a spacer extension tube.

Therefore, in the way I use my 135L, the two lenses are very very different. Not to mention the extra stop for low light and shallower DOF if desired.

The 135L can work for occasional close-ups pretty well (with a 500D or extension tubes), but I can't imagine doing serious macro with it. Like Franz said it depends how much you're looking to get into macro.

If you only want to get one lens, I'd take a close look at Eric's suggestion. A compromise perhaps but not by much.



Dec 30, 2005 at 09:37 PM
carstenw
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p.1 #8 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


mh2000 wrote:
get the one you think you want the most first, because after that it will be hard to justify purchasing the second. I got the macro first because 135 was just a little longer than I wanted for general shooting and I wanted the macro functionality... and I am thrilled with the macro for everything (great for portraiture IMO on FF), and it is a truly excellent lens, but I think it lacks that little sprinkle of magic that Canon seemed to sneak into the 135... now, I keep thinking, "when am I seriously going to choose the 135 over
...Show more

in fact, not to upset you or anything, it is exactly this indecision after the purchase which i am afraid of :) i will tell you then: the lenses i really want are the 24-105 f4L IS (for its walkaroundability), the 85 f1.2L (for portraits), the 100 f2.8 Macro (for macro, duh, and maybe some tight portraits too), and the 135 f2.0L as a sharp, light tele, and maybe some really tight portraits too.

then i want the 70-200 and the 100-400. i think. or maybe just a 200 and a 400... i am not sure about that yet, but i definitely want to have a great long tele one day, and zoom is handy. maybe i would just get a 300 instead, but you can see that since i haven't chosen/memorised the apertures of these last few, they come later, in my mind. the ones i want first are the first four, but i have a budget for two or three (well, not three of those three, just two), and the 24-105 will be the first one, first of all because there are good kit deals to be had, and secondly, because i will probably end up using it most of the time.

i kinda need at least one large-aperture lens to throw backgrounds out of focus, so i am thinking that the 100 would not be the right lens to get with the 24-105... okay, i just answered one question of my own there. getting the 24-105 and the 85 as the first two is a bit limiting, at least initially, so perhaps the 24-105 and the 135 are really the best two, as first lenses. then since the macro lens is fairly cheap compared to the others, it could follow a few months later, leaving the 85 in case i ever get really serious about portraiture. oh, and the 200 is a wild card, sitting on the sideline the whole time. it might sneak in before or after the 100 macro. i guess it depends on what direction my photography takes.

i am kinda coming full circle here. my first personal camera was an olympus om2n, then an om4, then the hassie, then a coolpix 990, then the sony f828, and now i am lining up the 5D (although i am trying to wait until hearing about the new 20D first, because the 5D price might drop a bit then). so with the 5D i can probably do very similar photography to what i did in the olympus om2n/om4 days, and it will have to stop there, since i have no cash for a digital back for the hasselblad :)

am i making a mistake somewhere in my logic?



Dec 30, 2005 at 09:41 PM
mh2000
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p.1 #9 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


I'm not going to be upset no matter what you buy

Everyone has different shooting styles and needs. I generally shoot close and tight so 135 @ f2 is kind of too narrow usually... granted, on the occasions that I do pull back, limiting DOF is a problem with most of my lenses. I personally wish Canon made a quick focusing 85/90 f1.4L lens... but they don't. When my new focusing screen arrives and I get a feel for how well I like shooting my Summicron 50 on my Canon I may get a Summicron 90... otherwise, it's not my lens collection limiting my creative photography.

Happy New Years and happy shooting!

carstenw wrote:
...
in fact, not to upset you or anything, it is exactly this indecision after the purchase which i am afraid of i will tell you then: the lenses i really want are the 24-105 f4L IS (for its walkaroundability), the 85 f1.2L (for portraits), the 100 f2.8 Macro (for macro, duh, and maybe some tight portraits too), and the 135 f2.0L as a sharp, light tele, and maybe some really tight portraits too.




Dec 30, 2005 at 10:34 PM
gasrocks
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p.1 #10 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


I have both lenses and consider them both valid becasue they are for different situations - apples and oranges. However, I do not use my 100 macro much now that I have the SIgma EX 150/2.8 macro. Macros do not AF well in poor light at longer distances. Indoor sports, outdoor port. - you want the 135/2.


Dec 30, 2005 at 11:21 PM
franzdom
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p.1 #11 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


mh2000 wrote:
get the one you think you want the most first, because after that it will be hard to justify purchasing the second. I got the macro first because 135 was just a little longer than I wanted for general shooting and I wanted the macro functionality... and I am thrilled with the macro for everything (great for portraiture IMO on FF), and it is a truly excellent lens, but I think it lacks that little sprinkle of magic that Canon seemed to sneak into the 135... now, I keep thinking, "when am I seriously going to choose the 135 over
...Show more

Sell that 100 fast if it is keeping you from the 85/1.8. Your 100 is not a better all-around lens, don't fool yourself just because it is sharp. The 85 has maybe 60 degrees movement to the focusing ring total. That makes it lightning quick to focus and is a perfect people lens. And it is sharp and light, non-imposing.

Sell it fast if it is keeping you from 135 too, with all that creamy dreamy bokeh.
f/1.8 & f/2 are way faster than 2.8 as well.

And for the OP, seriously consider the Sigma 150. Read the reviews here on FM for that lens before making any decisions. Rated 9.8, the highest of all the lenses I have.



Dec 30, 2005 at 11:28 PM
mh2000
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p.1 #12 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro




I can't sell lenses that I love and that I find useful...

franzdom wrote:
Sell that 100 fast if it is keeping you from the 85/1.8. Your 100 is not a better all-around lens, don't fool yourself just because it is sharp. The 85 has maybe 60 degrees movement to the focusing ring total. That makes it lightning quick to focus and is a perfect people lens. And it is sharp and light, non-imposing.

Sell it fast if it is keeping you from 135 too, with all that creamy dreamy bokeh.
f/1.8 & f/2 are way faster than 2.8 as well.

And for the OP, seriously consider the Sigma 150. Read the reviews here
...Show more



Dec 30, 2005 at 11:53 PM
lexvo
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p.1 #13 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


Realise that the 100/2.8 macro doesn't AF fast. From what I've read, the 135/2 has very fast AF.

I have the old (non-USM) 100/2.8 macro. Common opinion is that this lens is as sharp as the new one. So second hand could be an option.



Dec 31, 2005 at 07:03 AM
bobbytan
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p.1 #14 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


The 135L is supremely fast. I don't think it's much sharper than the 100/2.8 and 200/2.8. I am thinking about getting both these lenses myself. The 100/2.8 is most definitely the sharpest non-L lens ..... sharper than the 85/1.8 and 50/2.5 macro and sharper than a lot of L-lenses.

If you love macro, then get the 100/2.8 and if you can afford it, get the 200/2.8 also.

I understand you can get close to 1:1 with the 135L and appropriate extension tube ... so you may want to look into that as well.



Dec 31, 2005 at 10:21 AM
carstenw
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p.1 #15 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


interesting... perhaps then the setup i will get is the 24-105 f4L, 135 f2L, 1.4x TC and a tube to get me close to 1:1. that will not kill me price-wise, just maim me, and i will get a chance to decide (relatively) inexpensively where i need to add quality and range.

thanks all!



Dec 31, 2005 at 10:38 AM
carstenw
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p.1 #16 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


hmm, does canon make a macro ring? i can't find one on their website. what do people recommend, and how can i find out what the magnification will be with the 135 f2L?


Dec 31, 2005 at 10:50 AM
alfarmer
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p.1 #17 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


The ONLY reason to that the 100mm is if you'll be doing macro. If not, it's not something you'd really use much. I'd go with the 85L and 200L in your situation, or the 85mm f/1.8 if your on a (much) smaller budget. :-)

ALF





Dec 31, 2005 at 10:58 AM
sleepwalker33
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p.1 #18 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


I would skip the 24-105

I have heard horrible stories about it, the quality control simply isn't there on this lens.

As a true story I was going to purchase a tamron 28-75 2.8 from someone in the buy and sell forums because they were purchasing the said 24-105L they compared the shots at 6 aperatures there was no comparison the Tamron (which was a sharp copy, he went through 3) blew the L out of the water. It wasn't even remotely close at any aperature (save f11.)

If you really MUST purchase the 24-105 make sure it is a sharp copy, you really need to test this lens. I'm not trying to be a cruel or even funny just be careful, there are good copies but ultimately I think there are much better lenses in Canon's lineup.

If I were you here is the setup I would consider

24-70 2.8 L use this as your walk around lens.

The 500D and the 135 would make an excellent combination for macro, throw in the 1.4 TC and you have yourself covered for the zoom side.

If you choose to go the prime route (the best way IMHO) consider the 35L and the 50 1.4 and drop the 24-70. Your images will be tack sharp, and primes are the best way to go on FF anyways.



Dec 31, 2005 at 11:41 AM
carstenw
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p.1 #19 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


i have also heard different stories about the 24-105, but ultimately some people love it, and i think i will too. i will definitely be careful to get a good copy. i will be back here asking how best to test it once i have it. i won't consider the 24-70, because i want to have at least one IS lens, and this feature is best on the walk-around lens, for candids and other situations in which a tripod doesn't fit.

when i really need a sharper or faster lens, i will resort to the 135L, and later on, the 85L and whatever else i find i need.

thanks for the advice though. i will definitely test to make sure mine is a good one. are there results of a good one somewhere i can compare to, to ensure that mine is at least as good?



Dec 31, 2005 at 12:32 PM
bobbytan
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p.1 #20 · 135 f2.0L or 100 f2.8 Macro


You can use the 100/2.8 macro lens as a portrait or general purpose lens, as I myself intend to do. Here's a shot taken by someone on DP Review with the 100/2.8 macro:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=16492921

And this one was shot with my 50/2.5 macro lens:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2614596

alfarmer wrote:
The ONLY reason to that the 100mm is if you'll be doing macro. If not, it's not something you'd really use much. I'd go with the 85L and 200L in your situation, or the 85mm f/1.8 if your on a (much) smaller budget. :-)

ALF





Dec 31, 2005 at 01:07 PM
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