The-Digital-Picture has complete its review of the brand new Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM, It looks like it's a great lens, but there may be an issue with focus shifting, and the price may cause some buyers pause.
From The-Digital-Picture
I consider a telephoto macro lens to be a mandatory part of my kit and always include the best available option. What is the best Canon macro lens? Focus shift aside, the Canon RF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM Lens is that lens.
I didn't see the focus shift issue coming, and this issue is my primary complaint with this lens. Precise focusing is especially important with a macro lens, and this lens falls below expectations in regards to focus shift. Again, I see no issues at f/2.8 or f/11 and narrower. Hopefully, Canon can resolve this issue completely.
With an extremely fast, high-performing AF system and an advanced image stabilization system, this professional-grade lens is capable of delivering outstanding image quality, optically outperforming all Canon macro lenses prior introduced. The up-to-1.4x magnification capability especially takes close-up imagery to a new level. Read the full review
The Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro has begun shipping, but will likely be backordered for quite some time while Canon navigates manufacturing challenges.
So why didn't they do the same with this lens, or the RF 70-200mm f/4? I don't get it.
The RF 70-200 f4 has been out for a while, and there is no mention of a firmware fix coming either, they should be more transparent about why the RF 70-200 f2.8 firmware was deemed faulty, but not the rest.
The fact they did not get it on the initial deliveries of the product is about par for so many businesses today.
SHIP NOW! Fix later.
Focus shift is fixed like any other adjustment in computer controlled devices. A map is made of the pattern of focus shift and the compensation is mapped to the AF motors.
EF lenses had AFMA which were user adjustments but the principle is the same. See where the error is and create an offset to the calculated value.
Many of the operations of electronic devices have such adjustments to accommodate the real world mechanics to the absolutism of math.
f/11 primes, f/7.1 zooms, telescoping 70-200’s, and now we have a poorly engineered macro lenses. And don’t forget the 24-240, top contender for the worst lens Canon has ever produced.
RF mount has very little going for it that didn’t exist in the same or better form in EF.
Let’s hope they get some better engineers on staff in the future.
I am hoping for a quick fix to the focus shift issue as it is a pretty big drawback for such an expensive macro lens. You just can't shoot an entire bee or butterfly at F2.8 and very close distances and expect good depth of field.
For those who have the lens, please join me in reporting the focus shift issue to Canon ASAP! Let's get this fix prioritized!!!
Link to find the Canon Support page for your region:
https://global.canon/en/support/
BS. Quite the opposite.
Yes and no--mostly no.
If Canon never put out any other RF 600mm or 800mm than those f/11 primes, the statement might have some justification. As we don't know what they won't do...especially this early in the history of the mount...it's way too early to say this. (And I doubt it will pan out.)
f/7.1 zooms: If this is a reference to the 100-400, it's basically the same spec as the old 100-400, except that once you get to 400-f/5.6 you can then continue to extend it to 500 at f/7.1. So this is added capability, not less. The other 100-400 is a consumer level lens, just like those f/11 zooms, and can't rightfully be compared to the EF 100-400 L.
The 24-240, I'm a bit sympathetic to the complaint here, until I remember that this, too, is a consumer-level lens; they traded optical quality for 10x range, using software to compensate. Not a tradeoff I am interested in making, but still, a "new" niche filled.
If they never made any other lens to fill the 24-240 range (OK, this would require lenses in the plural, to be honest), or the 600 and 800mm, and stuck red stripes on the lenses, you would have a stronger argument.
As for the 100mm I'm going to wait to hear more.
I would also appreciate hearing about your personal experience with this lens.