Rent the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM in Canada — a do-both lens that’s a class-leading macro and a beautiful short-telephoto portrait prime. It focuses beyond life-size at 1.4x magnification and adds a unique spherical-aberration ring for shaping bokeh, making it a favourite for product, food, nature and beauty work. Key points:
True macro with 1.4x magnification — greater than life-size, beyond the usual 1:1
Fast f/2.8 aperture and 100mm focal length — also a superb portrait lens
Unique Spherical Aberration (SA) control ring to fine-tune the look of out-of-focus areas
Hybrid IS up to 5 stops (up to 8 with Coordinated IS on IBIS bodies); 67mm filters
Our thoughts
I love recommending this lens because renters get two lenses in one. As a macro it’s exceptional — 1.4x magnification means you can fill the frame with something smaller than your fingertip, which is brilliant for jewellery, food, insects and product detail. Then the same lens doubles as a gorgeous 100mm f/2.8 portrait lens with lovely background separation, and the spherical-aberration ring lets you dial the bokeh from crisp to dreamy, which is genuinely fun and unique to this lens. The one thing I’d mention is that high-magnification macro is demanding: depth of field gets razor-thin, so you’ll want good light and ideally a tripod for the really close stuff. For detail work and portraits alike, it’s one of the most rewarding lenses we rent.
— Will, Founder
Key specifications
Lens mount
Canon RF
Format
Full-frame
Focal length
100mm (prime)
Maximum aperture
f/2.8
Minimum aperture
f/32
Maximum magnification
1.4x (greater than life-size)
Minimum focus distance
0.26m (0.86')
Optical design
17 elements in 13 groups; Super Spectra coating
Autofocus
Dual Nano USM with full-time manual override; three-range focus limiter
Stabilisation
Hybrid IS up to 5 stops (up to 8 stops Coordinated IS with IBIS bodies)
Special control
Spherical Aberration (SA) control ring to adjust bokeh rendering
Filter thread
67mm
Build
L-series, dust- and moisture-resistant, fluorine coating; approx. 730g
Compatibility & what you might add
Fits any Canon RF-mount body — pair it with the camera that suits your shoot.
For close-up macro, a tripod keeps your razor-thin focus exactly where you want it.
High-magnification work eats light — consider adding continuous lighting for product and detail shoots.
It means the subject can be projected onto the sensor 1.4 times larger than it is in real life — beyond the standard 1:1 (life-size) that most macro lenses reach. In practice you can fill the frame with very small subjects like insects, jewellery or fine product detail. The closer and larger you go, the thinner the depth of field becomes.
It’s a ring unique to this lens that lets you intentionally adjust spherical aberration, which changes how the out-of-focus areas render — from crisp and clean to a softer, dreamier “glow.” It’s a creative tool that’s especially nice for portraits and beauty work.
Very — 100mm f/2.8 is a classic portrait focal length, giving flattering compression and smooth background blur. Combined with the SA control ring, it’s a genuinely excellent portrait lens, not just a macro.
For close-up macro, both help a lot. Depth of field is extremely shallow at high magnification, so a tripod keeps your focus precise, and extra light lets you stop down for more depth without raising ISO too far. For portraits and general shooting, neither is essential. We can add a tripod or lights to your order.
A common 67mm thread, so filters are widely available. We can add a polariser or ND to your rental if you need one.
★★★★★ Rated Excellent on Trustpilot
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