Samyang Samyang 100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro Lens for Canon EF Review
The Samyang 100mm f/2.8 macro delivers stunning sharpness for a bargain price, but only if you're okay with manual focus. It's a one-trick pony, but it does that trick brilliantly.
Overview
If you want to get into real 1:1 macro photography on a Canon DSLR without spending a fortune, this Samyang 100mm f/2.8 is your ticket. It's a manual focus-only lens, which is a dealbreaker for some, but for the price, the optical quality is shockingly good. The one thing to know is that you're trading autofocus for incredible sharpness and value.
Performance
The optical performance is what really surprised me. It lands in the 89th percentile for sharpness, which is fantastic for a lens at this price. You get clean, detailed images right from f/2.8, and it's tack-sharp by f/5.6. The trade-off is the autofocus, or lack thereof. At the 49th percentile, it's manual focus only, so you'll need patience for moving subjects.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong optical (89th percentile) 90th
Cons
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Macro |
| Focal Length Min | 100 |
| Focal Length Max | 100 |
| Elements | 15 |
| Groups | 12 |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 |
| Min Aperture | f/32 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 9 |
Build
| Mount | Canon EF |
| Format | Full-Frame |
| Weight | 0.7 kg / 1.6 lbs |
| Filter Thread | 67 |
AF & Stabilization
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 307 |
| Max Magnification | 1:1 |
Value & Pricing
At around $429, this lens is a steal for the optical quality you get. You're paying for glass, not electronics. If you can live with manual focus, it delivers image quality that punches way above its price tag.
vs Competition
The most obvious competitor is Canon's own EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro. The Canon has autofocus, image stabilization, and weather sealing, but it costs more than twice as much. If you need those features, pay up for the Canon. But if you're on a budget and value pure image sharpness, the Samyang wins. Don't compare it to the listed zooms like the Sony 24-240mm; they're versatile travel lenses but can't touch the Samyang's macro capability or sharpness at 100mm.
| Spec | Samyang Samyang 100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro Lens for Canon EF | Meike Meike 55mm F1.8 Pro Full Frame AF STM Lens High | Viltrox VILTROX 25mm F1.7 f/1.7 AF Lens for Fuji X Mount, | Canon Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM Lens | Nikon Nikon S-Line Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II Lens (Nikon Z) | Tamron Tamron Di III Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD Lens for Sony |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 100mm | 55mm | 25mm | 24mm | 24-70mm | 17-70mm |
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 | f/1.8 | f/1.7 | f/1.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony E | Fujifilm X | Canon RF | Nikon Z | Sony E Mount |
| Stabilization | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Weather Sealed | false | false | false | false | true | false |
| Weight (g) | 717 | 201 | 400 | 269 | 676 | 544 |
| AF Type | - | STM | STM | Autofocus | Autofocus | Autofocus |
| Lens Type | Macro | - | - | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom |
Verdict
This is a specialist's lens, and for that specialist, it's an easy recommendation. If you shoot still life, products, or patient insects and you're comfortable with manual focus, buy it. The image quality is fantastic. If you need to quickly focus on anything that moves or you shoot handheld video, look elsewhere. It does one thing very, very well for not a lot of money.