New Canon Macros?

Hmmm ... I've been considering buying a Canon macro lens. I posted this topic about a month ago. Thanks for the responses! I had decided to go ahead and get the Canon 100mm macro. However, since making the decision, this lens has been on back-order at B&H, and my local camera store has not had any in stock and has not received any from Canon. I had hoped to get one during the recent Canon rebate promotion, which ended on August 8th. Now I notice that the list price for the lens at B&H has gone up about $50, although it's still on back-order. So I haven't bought the lens yet. Hmmm ... So I'm snooping around online and I come across this rumor about two new Canon macro lenses to be announced this month. Hmmm ... Does anybody have any evidence that this is more than a rumor? I haven't found anything about it on the Canon web site.

Hi Jim, cannot help you here sorry! But this is some interesting news.
I just bought a Canon 100mm 2.8. If these rumors are true and there's an updated version on the way with IS then I wonder if I should sell mine and get the IS. I love the IS on all my lenses and almost decided to go for the Nikon "micro" lens with IS - until I learned that with adaptor AF does not work - which kills the fun of IS.
At least these lenses sound quite reasonable to me so if a rumor, then a properly thought out one.

That would explain why NOBODY has these things in stock. My order is in "Backorder" status also. Canon may be doing a "last run" to fill orders possibly, but then again, why bother if a new version is emerging?

BTW, you won't see anything on the Canon site, they're pretty good at holding back info to create a marketing buzz. The article on the CanonRumours site is probably the most accurate, they're pretty on top of their game, and they do state how strong of a rumour is that they post, no fluff there. They were pretty close to facts about the 5D MK II before it was released. Hey, if an IS version does come out, the original should drop in price on Ebay. It might be worth it for us to wait a couple of months. The week the 5D2 was announced last September I put my 5D on Ebay and got $1739 for it... now they barely sell for $1200. We may be able to leverage the new IS Macro to get an original in the $300s (hopefully).

If you don't want to wait I highly recommend the Tamron line of macro lenses for Canon.

They are wonderful lenses starting at 60 mm, 90 mm,and 180 mm. All are very highly rated.

I am very happy with the results which I get.

Now IS with butterflys might prove interesting!!

My experience with the IS is that I need to turn it off and use a tripod. I think the same would hold true in Macro.
When focused to super magnification, even the slightest tremor is recorded as a blur.

I dunno about the Tamron 60, I have the Tamron 90mm and it is super good and great sharpness, color rendition and contrast! I have heard reports that the 180 is equally good! Only thing is it is 2/3rd stop slower, but then every 180mm macro is the same!

Canon had a press conference yesterday, Aug 19. They announced some new PowerShot cameras, including the G11, but no new SLRs and I don't think there were any new lenses either.

I purchased a 100 mm Canon macro here on August 4. It was the last one in stock. I've just started using it. However, already I find it really fun and rewarding to use. In accord with Stephen Rosenthal's experience mentioned above, my understanding is that image stabilization should be turned off when using a tripod. That's what Canon recommends for other lenses and I've seen mention of OOF images due to not following that recommendation. Since I'm pretty well always using a tripod for macro photography I don't feel the need for an image stabilized version.

I got the Canon 100mm about 2 or 3 months ago and it has become my favorite lens for everything ..very sharp and great bokeh when opened up ..I too use a tripod for any macro shots that I have planned at all..but would be interested to see a new version if it is coming out soon..

For tripod-shooting IS of course does not make sense. But for using the 100mm macro as a fixed focal "walk-around" lens I think IS can be really nice. This is how I use it on my 70-200 and 24-105. I am sure I have some shots done with them, handheld that were only possible with IS.

Thanks for the replies. I too shoot mostly with a tripod, and of course have IS turned off when doing so. But I appreciate having IS capability on those occasions when I do shoot hand-held. Not having any experience with true macro photography, it has seemed to me that I might be inclined to shoot without a tripod a little more frequently using a medium focal-length macro such as the Canon 100mm, considering that it would be my only fixed focal length lens, and especially when I want to get in real close. To be honest, after I had made the decision a few weeks ago to go ahead and get the Canon 100mm (instead of the much more expensive Canon 180mm f/3.5L), up until yesterday when I came across the rumor about the new Canon macros, if B&H or my local camera store would have had one in stock, I no doubt would already have purchased it. But now, since I'm really in no rush, and accepting Paul's comment that the rumors on the CanonRumors site tend to be accurate, I'm willing to wait awhile, at least potentially to give myself another option, especially if the rumored 100mm IS macro turns out to be an L-series lens as well.

P.S. - Here is a recent indirectly related press release from Canon about a new Hybrid IS technology which is particularly applicable to macro photography.