Canon 180mm macro lens (1 Viewer)

[MikeD]

Purchased a 180mm Canon macro lens - great piece of glass as pictures pin sharp.

But the focusing leaves a bit to desire.

Ok on close subjects but chatters and hunts around the focus point for distant objects.

Picked some with lots of contrast but did it on my Canon 5d and 1d cameras.

Has anyone got this lens and/or had much experience with them.

I wonder if this is just me/my camera or a trait of the lens?

 

[Stretto Boy]

As a Nikon user I can’t really help but just wondered if you have it set to a single focus point or if you are using multiple points. It’s worth reading the camera instruction book.

 

[MikeD]

It was on a single focus point

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[DBK]

Have you searched for any reviews of the lens and seen if this is something they picked up on?
I would be surprised if a Canon lens behaved as you describe.

 

[MikeD]

Have you searched for any reviews of the lens and seen if this is something they picked up on?
I would be surprised if a Canon lens behaved as you describe.

Yes I have had a look at a few review sites and none report anything like this.

Most say that it is one of the L range poorest for focus though.

I like to think I have a fair idea of what I am doing, I own a few L series lens and none have behaved like this.

 

[mushy]

Try focusing in manual mode rather than auto.

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[Stretto Boy]

It was on a single focus point

I wouldn’t have expected this with single point focusing in good light conditions and with a stationary subject.

 

[magicsurfbus]

If it's second hand, try a bit of switch cleaner on the contacts. Some of the older Canon lenses can be sluggish with auto focussing, especially in lower light, but what you describe seems unusual.

I sell second hand Canon (and other) lenses and test them on my Eos 7D body. Most don't struggle with auto focussing.

 

[mushy]

When you say distant objects, what distance do you mean

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[MikeD]

Try focusing in manual mode rather than auto.

Focus's great in manual

 

[MikeD]

If it's second hand, try a bit of switch cleaner on the contacts. Some of the older Canon lenses can be sluggish with auto focussing, especially in lower light, but what you describe seems unusual.

I sell second hand Canon (and other) lenses and test them on my Eos 7D body. Most don't struggle with auto focussing.

We tried it on three camera's and he happened on them all

 

[MikeD]

When you say distant objects, what distance do you mean

Any thing over 100 ft

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[DBK]

Is there an option to update the lens software?

 

[Deleted member 29692]

If it's a true Macro lens it isn't meant to focus on distant objects. That's not what it's for.

Any thing over 100 ft

Are you seriously expecting a Macro lens to focus on something 100ft away? You might want to do some reading.

 

[MikeD]

Is there an option to update the lens software?

I don't think so

https://www.canon-europe.com/suppor...sm.aspx?type=download&language=EN&os=MAC OS X

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[mushy]

Problem solved.

Take a look here and have some good fun with macro.

https://www.canon.co.uk/youconnect_newsletter/tutorials/macro_photography_2012/dslr/

 

[Deleted member 29692]

@MikeD

You can find my post funny all you like but if you're being serious and this thread isn't a wind up then you don't understand what Macro photography is and if what you've bought is a true Macro lens and not some cheap junk with a Macro sticker it will never do what you seem to be trying to make it do.

Some basic reading material for you:

https://www.better-digital-photo-tips.com/definition-of-macro-photography.html

If you've bought the wrong thing perhaps you can return it and get some help buying what you really need?

 

[DBK]

I have an olympus macro lens. I bought it for macro photography but it works fine as a normal lens. They may not be optimal for general use but they should perform adequately, that is focus at infinity.

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[MikeD]

@MikeD

You can find my post funny all you like but if you're being serious and this thread isn't a wind up then you don't understand what Macro photography is and if what you've bought is a true Macro lens and not some cheap junk with a Macro sticker it will never do what you seem to be trying to make it do.

Some basic reading material for you:

https://www.better-digital-photo-tips.com/definition-of-macro-photography.html

If you've bought the wrong thing perhaps you can return it and get some help buying what you really need?

Quote from a part of the link you sent:

"The macro photography geeks will tell you that true macro photography is only achieved when you get a 1:1 or greater ratio of the image size on your camera's sensor to actual subject size ."

OR

"
The official definition of a macro lens is a lens that should be able to produce a life-sized image of the subject directly on your digital camera's sensor. A genuine macro lens will give you a 1:1 subject-to-image size ratio, or in other words a magnification of at least 1.0."


Quote from Canon web site:

"Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM Lens

Telephoto macro lens
The EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM is a telephoto macro lens which offers a maximum magnification of 1.0x. Life-size close-ups can be taken from further away, and at less risk of disturbing the subject (ideal for insects and other wildlife). The internal floating focusing system minimizes fluctuations in aberrations caused by changes in focusing distance. This ensures the lens is razor sharp from 1.0x to infinity."

Canon have been making this lens since 1996 and call it a macro lens. Thats good enough for me.

It is not a wind up posting - I asked a serious question and welcome any response that will assist

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Quote from a part of the link you sent:

"The macro photography geeks will tell you that true macro photography is only achieved when you get a 1:1 or greater ratio of the image size on your camera's sensor to actual subject size ."


Quote from Canon web site:

"Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM Lens

Telephoto macro lens
The EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM is a telephoto macro lens which offers a maximum magnification of 1.0x. Life-size close-ups can be taken from further away, and at less risk of disturbing the subject (ideal for insects and other wildlife). The internal floating focusing system minimizes fluctuations in aberrations caused by changes in focusing distance. This ensures the lens is razor sharp from 1.0x to infinity."

Canon have been making this lens since 1996 and call it a macro lens. Thats good enough for me.

It is not a wind up posting - I asked a serious question and welcome any response that will assist

That's a fantastic lens if you use it for what it's meant to be used for.

Further away yes. That might mean 5 or 6 feet instead of 3 feet.

At any greater distance than that it's quite simply the wrong lens. You need to ignore the word "infinity" if you're really trying to get into Macro photography. It means nothing.

If you need to shoot something 100 feet away it's the wrong bit of kit. You'll get it to focus eventually or in manual mode but the results won't be any good.

Look at an object 100 feet away. How big does it look to your eye? What does the whole shot look like?

That's exactly what it will look like if you shoot it with a Macro lens if you nail the shot absolutely perfectly. Is that really what you're trying to achieve? If it is then you'll get better results with a basic 50mm f1.8 prime.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

@MikeD

Also if you keep it don’t even think about one of the EF x2 Extenders.

You lose 2 full stops of aperture which from f3.5 makes it pretty much a waste of time.

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[MikeD]

@MikeD

Also if you keep it don’t even think about one of the EF x2 Extenders.

You lose 2 full stops of aperture which from f3.5 makes it pretty much a waste of time.

Most of the macro photography I take is usually at around f/22 and above. The depth of field at f/3.5 is pretty minimal. Even at f/8 would almost certainly not give me the results I want.

Please read these: It may assist.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/macro.htm

he also does a review of the lens:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/180mm-f35.htm

 

[BOB LOVELL]

If you are focusing on a plain colour in Auto the lens will hunt, Macro should be done in manual as you are actually moving the lens nearer or farther to the subject and always using a tripod and highest number F stop, a timer or cable/ radio shutter release. And one of these might help.

 

[JeanLuc]

I cannot comment on your specific lens but I have had a 105 mm Nikkor Macro AF lens for several years. Obviously it is designed for close-up work (and I have even used it with a 2x extender to get 2:1 magnification) but it also serves as a fair general short telephoto and is much lighter to haul about than my 80-200 f2.8.
One thing that tends to be against it as a telephoto is the fact that the focusing mechanism is optimised for close-up operation. This means that once you are trying to focus beyond a few feet, there is virtually no movement in the focus ring and similarly, the AF will barely be able to move between infinity and say, 5 feet.
Another observation is that my old 35mm Nikon F4s, which I bought the lens to use with originally, drives it more positively than my newer (but now fairly old) Nikon D70.

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[Go Humberto!]

A review from the Digital Picture (from 2005) - Canon (as of this writing) states "Advanced USM for high-speed, quiet AF" on their website description of this lens. The person who wrote this never used this lens. There are few (if any) Canon lenses that focus slower than this one. Though it has Ring USM (Ultrasonic Motor) and focuses quietly, the 180 L' AF is anything but high speed.

So I would suggest it's just a slow focussing lens (even 13 years ago so it probably seems way worse when compared to modern lenses on a modern camera), not something that's an issue for Macro, when you'd be in manual mode mostly, but a hassle if you want to use it as a traditional telephoto. As JeanLuc implies, it's technically difficult for any Macro lens to cover all potential focus points quickly.

It's an expensive lens (too expensive in my own opinion) when you can get a 200mm f/2.8 (L series) AND a 100mm f/2.8 Macro (L series) for the same price as the 180mm.

F/2.8 allows you to crank up the shutter speed a bit more as well, essential for a non-IS lens around 180/200mm