Lenses are mostly compatible, with the exception of EFS, which are made specifically for the smaller sensored cameras like the 60D and 7D, and Canon's latest, the 70D. Also included in the crop sensor market, are the entry-level, first-time owner, Canon "Rebel" series.
Canon has done a pretty good job of providing a good range of lenses for the consumer targeted crop sensor. Lens choices range from the super affordable 60mm f2.8 Macro USM, to the somewhat wide 15-85mm with Image Stabilization(IS).
The Macro 60 does not have IS.
The Canon EFS 18-55mm IS, the crop sensor kit lens. Photo w/ Canon EF 50mm f1.8 & XTi body.
Macro photography is a tough gig. Depths of field seem slimmer, and because of that, some objects are rather blurry. It is the nature of Macro Photography, I am told.
The lens is plastic with a metal mount, like most second-tier Canon lenses, but is decently made. It feels solid when handling it, and the plastic doesn't feel cheap. It is about the same size as the EFS 18-55mm IS, which is the standard kit lens for most entry level Canon cameras in this class, especially the Rebel cameras. Some kits come with bigger zoom lenses, but you get the point, the EFS 60mm is compact.
It has some worthy features. The Canon "Ultrasonic" motor is quick and silent, but is held back at times, by the lens' habit of searching for focus. The lens has full-time manual focus, and a depth-of-field(DOP) window, which is handy for any kind of photography.
The macro lens does not rotate or extend during focusing, an essential trait for a macro shooting lens.
The 60mm Macro produces nice images and smooth bokeh, captures small items sharply, and can focus from a few inches away. Not bad for around $469 new(Canon retail). I have seen this lens on resale websites for $275 in "very good" condition. Mine was a Christmas gift, how nice is that?
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Canon EFS 60mm f2.8 Macro USM at ISO 800, f4 with 1/80th second shutter.
The EFS 60mm Macro is fast at f2.8, but not blazingly. Combined with the lens' thin DOP, and the 2.8 aperture, a tripod is my recommendation. Sure, in good lighting, handheld shots are plausible, but I still would go for a tripod in most macro situations with this lens.
This macro lens does double-duty as a prime walkaround lens. The 60mm translates to 96mm on the Canon 1.6x crop factor, and the field-of-view is very capable on the street. The lens produces very nice images, and has been rated above my 50mm f1.4 USM. It works so well on the street, and has macro, which means it has replaced the 50mm f1.4 in daylight conditions, at least on my camera it has.
When it comes to distortion, the EFS 60mm Macro has very little, if any, and is unnoticable. Chromatic aberration has been rated in the "very good" category, by the very reliable website, Photozone.
Vignetting is not an issue, if you stop down, as most do anyways, especially for street shooting.
If you shoot a crop sensor, as most Canon DSLR shooters do, then this lens is a good start for macro photography. The lens doesn't really stand out anywhere, but it performs so well for a varying array of shooting, that combined with affordability, the Canon EFS 60mm f2.8 Macro USM is a no-brainer buy.
Canon EFS 60mm f2.8 Macro USM Ratings:
- Build Quality- 4 out of 5
- Affordability- 4 out of 5
- User Friendly- 4 out of 5
- Image Quality- 4 out of 5
At the final analysis, this lens is a solid 4 of 5. Adding Image Stabilization or a faster aperture might bump this lens into Five-Star status. The Canon EFS 60mm f2.8 Macro USM is highly recommended.
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