New Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro features revealed

Canon Rumors Guy

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www.canonrumors.com
As you know, Canon will introduce the first RF macro lens, the Canon RF 100mmf/2.8L IS USM Macro alongside the RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM and RF 600mm f/4L IS USM.
The Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro will feature a new ring called “SA Control” which means you’ll be able to control spherical aberrations in the lens.
Spherical aberration is present when the outer parts of a lens do not bring light rays into the same focus as the central part. Images formed by the lens at large apertures are therefore unsharp but get sharper at smaller apertures.
This new lens will also feature 1.4x magnification, which you can see in this patent. The current EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM is a 1:1 macro...

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pj1974

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Wow, that looks interesting indeed... and yes!! I was right... as I guessed in the previous post about this lens that the "SA Control" refers to the ability to control / adjust spherical aberration.
I do hope that this lens will be at least as successful as the amazing EF 100mm f/2.8 (1:1) macro lens, which I have and just love!
Thank you Canon!
 
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Jan 29, 2011
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Sounds expensive — I'll wager over twice the price of the RF 85 Macro
Way more than that! The RF 85 f2 is $599, the EF 100 L Macro just had a price rise (indeed this is probably why) to $1,299. This new RF macro is going to cost a lot more than the EF version not least of which because it is a much better lens.

I’d put this new lens at $1,995 launch price.
 
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It is a macro. I have used it before and got great close ups.
The 35 is listed as a macro lens and can produce great close ups with great image quality, but its image magnification is 0.5x which is actually less than some lenses not even branded as macro lenses. As an example, I believe the EF 24-70 f/4 has a max magnification of 0.7x. For comparison, this new lens is being rumoured to have 1.4x magnification. So while all of these lenses will give great close ups with great image quality, this 100mm lens is going to be able to get more magnification, meaning those tiny subjects are going to be reproduced a fair bit bigger on the sensor than many other macro lenses.

It's not that the 35 isn't a good lens, it is, this rumoured lens just gets a lot closer to the subject. How important that is for your photography is an entirely different subject though!
 
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Mar 19, 2021
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I don't take this spherical aberrations thing. Why should anyone want to have less control than the lens is capable to offer?
I guess this control will give us quick access to focus stacking step control, in short Step Adjustment SA.
I guess some portrait photographers wont like how sharp lense is and wants more soft pic :p
And some of them dont know how move their target more far from backround,so need more bokeh :p
 
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I guess some portrait photographers wont like how sharp lense is and wants more soft pic :p
And some of them dont know how move their target more far from backround,so need more bokeh :p
The RF 85 ƒ2 macro checks all these boxes, is crazy lightweight and only 600USD. We've been shooting weddings with one and are getting ready to pick up a second one and dump our two 100L's
 
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AdmiralFwiffo

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First macro lens for the RF system? What about the RF 35mm F/1.8 Macro?
Most macro photographers consider a macro lens to 1x magnification or higher. I'd really prefer if they marketed 0.5x as "close focus" and not macro. They'll slap "macro" on anything, including crappy cheap kit zooms.

The 35mm is cool, I really like the lens, the close-focus feature is cool, but it's not really macro.
 
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It is a macro. I have used it before and got great close ups.
Nope. I know it is marketed as but per definition isn't one. A lot of manufactures use this word for marketing if the lens gets "pretty" close or at least a lot closer than similar lenses. The rumored 100mm is, as its EF counterpart, a real one.

And by the way: Close Up ≠ Makro
 
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AdmiralFwiffo

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I hope this "spherical aberrations" feature is meant to reduce longitudinal CA. Most modern macro lenses (including the EF 100L macro) do pretty poorly in this regard, and it's important for macro. There are actually some exotic lenses with controls for this that optimize CA correction for different magnifications. Maybe something like that?
 
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