The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is a classic utility prime. At first, I used it to capture details for car photography, but it eventually became the core of my film scanning workflow. After that, it also became useful for commercial shoots and personal projects focused on macro photography.

The L version adds image stabilization, which is useful in some handheld situations, but it is not required if you mostly use this lens on a tripod. For scanning film, product details, textures, and controlled macro work, this non-L version still makes a lot of sense.

In video, an RF system behaves like many older non-L USM EF lenses: it can hunt, especially at close distances. I would rather treat it as a manual lens for video, potentially with a follow focus.

The Good:

• True 1:1 macro makes it genuinely useful for close detail work.

• Very sharp, even wide open, and excellent stopped down.

• 100mm focal length gives comfortable working distance and flattering compression.

• Internal focusing keeps handling stable.

• Doubles as a portrait/detail lens when macro is not needed.

• Great value compared with the L and RF macro versions.

The Bad:

• No image stabilization on this non-L version.

• Autofocus can hunt at macro distances.

• For video, manual focus is usually the better approach.

• The EF L and RF versions are better choices if stabilization and top-tier commercial macro features matter.

• Get it if macro, product, texture, film scanning, and detail photography matter, but you want to stay on budget.

• Get it if you mostly work from a tripod and do not need stabilization.

• Pass if you need stabilization for handheld macro.

• Pass if you need the highest-quality commercial product setup; in that case, look at the EF L version or the newer RF version.