Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Key Specifications at a Glance

Used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens for sale — Good Used Cameras

This used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens has been tested, inspected, and honestly described. Available now from Good Used Cameras, shipped from Vancouver Island, BC.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is one of Canon’s most respected prime lenses — a true 1:1 macro optic with fast, near-silent ring-type USM autofocus, and a flattering 100mm portrait lens in the same package. This used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is in excellent condition and ready to ship.

Shipping & Returns
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Condition

The glass on this Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is clear, with no fog, scratches, fungus, or haze. Autofocus has been confirmed working — fast and accurate. Aperture blades are clean and dry, and the barrel shows normal light handling marks consistent with careful prior use. Front and rear caps are included.

Overview

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM replaced Canon’s earlier non-USM 100mm macro lens with an all-new design incorporating ring-type USM autofocus. It’s a true 1:1 macro lens, capable of life-size reproduction without extension tubes or close-up filters, while also doubling as a sharp, flattering short-telephoto prime for portraits. On APS-C bodies, the 1.6x crop factor gives an effective field of view of approximately 160mm.

Optical Construction

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM uses 12 elements in 8 groups. Maximum magnification is 1.0x at the minimum focus distance of 0.31m, achieved through an inner-focusing design — the first 1x-capable telephoto macro lens of its time to use this approach, keeping the lens length constant throughout the focus range. A long working distance (around 149mm at 1:1) reduces the risk of the lens or camera body shadowing the subject at macro range. Canon Extension Tubes EF12 II and EF25 II are compatible for magnification beyond 1:1, though teleconverters are not.

Autofocus Performance

Autofocus on the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is driven by a ring-type USM (Ultrasonic Motor), providing fast, quiet autofocus with full-time manual focus override — the focus ring can be turned at any time without switching out of AF mode. Internal focusing means the front element does not rotate or extend, which keeps circular polarizers and macro ring flashes correctly oriented and positioned. A focus limiter switch restricts the focus range to speed up AF when shooting non-macro subjects.

Build Quality and Handling

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM measures 79mm in diameter by 119mm in length and weighs 600g. While not part of Canon’s L-series, build quality is solid — a mostly plastic body with a metal mount. There is no weather sealing. The lens hood is an optional accessory and is not included as standard. The 58mm filter thread is a common Canon size, and the lens has no Image Stabilizer, though it pairs well with IBIS-equipped bodies or flash for macro work.

Compatible Camera Bodies

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM uses the Canon EF mount and is compatible with all Canon EOS cameras that accept EF-mount lenses, including the full range of full-frame and APS-C DSLR bodies. For Canon’s EOS R-series mirrorless bodies, it can be used via the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, which preserves autofocus functionality (adapter not included).

Image Quality

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is consistently rated among Canon’s sharpest EF primes, with excellent centre sharpness even wide open at f/2.8 and further improvement stopped down slightly, with corners showing the most gain. Vignetting is apparent at f/2.8 but disappears quickly when stopped down. Distortion is negligible at any focus distance. Eight aperture blades produce smooth, pleasing background blur for both macro and portrait work.

In the Box

This used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM includes the front cap and rear cap. No lens hood is included with this particular unit.

Technical Specifications

SpecificationDetail
Focal Length100mm
Maximum Aperturef/2.8
Minimum Aperturef/32
Optical Formula12 elements in 8 groups
Angle of View (diagonal)Approx. 24° (full-frame)
Minimum Focus Distance0.31m (12.2 in.)
Maximum Magnification1.0x (true 1:1)
Filter Thread58mm
Diaphragm Blades8
Dimensions (Diameter x Length)79 x 119mm
Weight600g
MountCanon EF (full-frame and APS-C compatible)

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Sources

✅ Fact-checked against Canon Camera Museum, Canon UK, DPReview, and Imaging Resource. All specifications confirmed accurate.