Canon 100mm IS 2.8L anyone got one?

[tosh]

Bought this lens late last year, read all the hype. Originally wanted the canon 100mm f2.0. As I'm now using the 7D the crop factor transforms the 100mm into a 160mm F2!

Anyway to cut a long story short I bought a used 100mm  f2 online, but received the 100mm f2.8 macro. The seller sent it loose inside a thin Jiffy bag.
After testing it on both the 7d & 5d it was clear the optics were out of whack!
So, I decided to go for canons latest and greatest 100mm L IS macro.....it's awful!
No where near as sharp as my other L lenses and images taken of distant subjects are soft. Granted the macro setting is razor sharp, but jeez for an L lens I was expecting to be blown away.

Anyone used one?

[Thunderpants]

The seller sent it loose inside a thin Jiffy bag.

Awesome customer service...!
I hope you managed to get your money back for this one.
I don't have a Canon 100mm but I do have a significantly cheaper sigma 105mm 2.8 macro. I too bought it online - and after a few months noticed the tiny sticker with the serial number was missing. (It's not something that simply falls off.) I'd actually bought a couple of lenses from the same seller and they were both missing serial numbers, which led me to believe they were both stolen. Since the seller was no longer on fleabay (surprise surprise) I figured there was not much I could do about it - if I made a fuss I'd most likely end up with no lenses and no money. In the end I didn't make a fuss.

Anyway, the Sigma's a pretty decent lens for static photography. Appallingly bad autofocus so useless for anything that actually moves. Of course I'd prefer a Canon L lens instead but as we know they're rather pricey...
Good luck finding your dream lens! (Did you look at the 70-200 f4? Seems to be great for the money.)

[tosh]

Hi Thunderpants

It was returned for a full refund. The story is...
I was asking around on the amateur photographer forum about the canon 100mm f2. One of the members replied CEX in London had one. CEX is a cash converter store they have numerous branches up and down the UK.
As I never do deals with those kind of places for fear of buying stolen goods. But other members mentioned CEX only purchased items with proof of identity and that they had had good service... Needless to say I bought it! It arrived 3 days later rolling around in a Jiffy bag - I knew something was wrong before I even opened the bag as the shape felt different to what I had seen pictures off, sure enough it was the 100mm macro. I've never owned a macro lens in my life so spent a few minutes playing before we had to leave for a short family vacation. When I returned I put the lens through its paces and discovered it wasn't right the Focusing was constantly not Focusing so returned for a refund and bought the newer canon 100mm IS L biggest mistake ever!!
As for my dream lens.. I've already got it! Canon 70-300L IS I absolutely adore that lens it's fantastic, would recommend that to anybody.

[Thunderpants]

Canon 70-300L IS

 

Nice!