Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

AMAZING! I bought this lens predominantly for close-up work but its sharpness, clarity and colour rendition is so good that I can't help using it as a general purpose lens, it's THAT good! Of course the fixed focal length is not ideal as a walk around, but I use it whenever I can. In fact my EF 24-85mm (f/3.5-4.5) is now all but redundant for most of the time.

It's also excellent as a portrait lens, given that it's focal length of 60mm translates to an ideal 96mm equivalent (35mm terms) on a 1.6x Canon cropped sensor. The fast f/2.8 aperture also comes into it's own here, especially if you are more familiar with slower speed zooms. The Bokeh is also excellent.

Build quality is much higher than the run-of-the mill, lower budget models in the Canon range. It's no L series of course, but think of it as a "budget L" without the red line or the weather and dust sealing, and you won't be far off the mark! It also has Canons ring-type USM motor, so you can manual focus while in AF mode. The MF ring is smooth with good resistance and no slack. AF isn't the fastest, but it's far more convenient to MF in macro situations anyway and to be fair most macro lenses suffer with this problem due to their focus range, but it's not an issue for me.

For my purposes this lens combined with a short-range wide angle zoom and a quality 70-200mm tele-zoom would be perfect.

The EF-S 60mm Macro comes very highly regarded and recommended from me. Having said that, virtually all macro lenses give excellent results, whether they're mainstream Nikon or Canon models, or independents from Tokina, Tamron or Sigma. Basically, you won't be disappointed if you go for any of the above.

In summary then, this is a high quality, very sharp, fast and beautifully made lens, so go get one!

Thanks for reading.

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

I have used this lens mainly for macro & some portrait work. Both uses give excellent results. For macro work, the sharpness of focus which is achievable is simply stunning. I find that the lens is best used when attached to a tripod. For quite small objects/creatures you will almost certainly need to work quite close to minimum focussing distance of 20mm (Note: working this close may spook some creaures). The shallow depth-of-field achievable really allows to highlight those areas of sharp focus. This lens definitely rewards good macro technique.

My only (very minor) criticism is that the focus ring can be a little too fiddly...even the tiniest of tiny adjustments can have a large effect on the area which is in focus..I have found focussing using live-view, where possible, works best.

On the whole, I would say that this lens can is an absolute cracker.

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

[*]Super sharp. Great detail. Just get up close and you'll be amazed! Excellent value.

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

Was a little unsure of how this lens would be as reading reviews and other user experiences can sometimes all sound promising but when you get the product you find out that it's not what you expected. Well all I can say is this lens is amazing. From the minute I attached it to my 7D and took the first shot I was so pleased with the outcome. This is a fantastic lens with great shots every time. Loving the up close macro shots I can now achieve.

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

A great lens, the unsung hero of my camera bag. I have owned this lens for three years and it never fails to impress. It is amazingly sharp – from f2.8 all the way up and has a fast silent USM focus that oozes quality. This is topped off by a high quality solid build.

There are only two bad points that I can think of.
1 - Like all Canon non-L lenses it doesn't come with either a bag or a hood - which is a shame.
2 – If I ever upgrade to full frame I won't be able to take this lens with me.

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

An excellent lens. Sharp, clear and bright. Ideal for horticultural macro work.
Would be even better if the hood wasn't an extra.

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

This lens is an absolute gem. I bought it a couple of years ago when it was nearly £100 cheaper and would buy it again without hesitation at itís current price. Although build quality is not quite up to L series standard, itís very nicely finished and feels well put together.

It is without doubt the sharpest lens I own. At f2.8 itís very good, at f8 itís painfully sharp! There are no distortions, no aberrations and colour and contrast are fantastic. Autofocus is silent, but not as fast as a standard lens, purely because the focus ring is geared towards very fine adjustments.

The focal length also makes this lens perfect for portraiture (60mm on a 1.6x crop frame camera is equivalent to 96mm) and produces nice bokeh wide open.

The only points that may make you think twice are:

1. Itís EF-S ñ it will only work on crop frame camera
2. Itís not great for shooting wildlife, insects etc. This lens requires you to get in close, and that tends to spook little creatures!

The only real downside is that it makes you realise how much some of your other lenses are lacking!

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

I originally ignored this lens because of the EF-S label, boy is that a mistake.
This lens is a hidden gem and could easily be credited with the 'L' designation if it was not for the build quality, which is very good for the price but not to 'L' standard. But sharpness is where this lens scores 10 out of 10! It is so sharp that portraits will probably need softening as a post process, there is just too much detail for some people to be happy with. As a macro lens the detail in images is superb and cannot be faulted.
This is a lovely lens to own and use - highly recommended.

Comments about Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens:

The sharpness,colour and contrast are all very impressive. The ultrasonic motor is very quiet.but the autofocus can struggle when your subjects are close.I use this lens mainly for portraits and i have tinkered with a few marco shots.This lens have given me constantly excellent results.