Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens

2023-01-06T07:03:30

Amazing lens for super close-up photography. It doesn't get any better than this.

Lorenzo P.

2021-05-01T05:34:14

This lens is capable of fantastic images, but it takes work. Not for the beginner. There is no "Auto" anything on this lens. Manual focus only. When mastered it will be a great addition to any kit.

Gary P.

2021-02-04T07:31:49

great camera. exactly what was needed. thank you for fast service and delivery

FAY P.

2021-01-18T08:11:41

With this lens the edge of a razor blade becomes a landscape. Tricky to get use to, but teh results are worth it.

BOB O.

2020-09-29T14:41:54

This is an excellent lens for MACRO. It starts at life size and extends to five times life size. The quality of the glass and the resulting pictures can not be surpassed. Note that it can not autofocus. It should have a complete five star rating.

ROBERT P.

2020-09-29T12:01:06

Certainly a must for serious macro photography. Better magnification and more versatile than bellows or tube lenses. Works best with a focusing rail, another piece of equipment for serious macro photography.

Harold H.

2020-08-07T14:16:37

Awesome lens! Takes some practice since you have to move the lens to focus. Beautiful pictures can be had if you have a little patience. I highly recommend!

Robert W.

2020-08-06T09:42:43

Fantastic Lens . Its a bit tough to focus but the output is best if you can use it properly .

MD R.

2020-08-06T09:40:52

Fantastic Lens . Its a bit tough but the output is best if you can use it properly .

MD R.

2020-01-07T16:09:01

Capable and versatile for that which it was designed

Thomas S.

2018-03-28T09:29:52

I bought the lens to photograph specimens for scientific papers, however the aperture only closes down to f-16. This does not provide enough depth of field for most of my work. I now use the Canon 100mm f.2.8 L lens. This has a minimum aperture of F-32. This provides much greater depth of field and coupled with the Canon automatic extension tubes actually does much better than the MP-E65mm F 2.8 lens

DENNIS S.

2018-03-07T08:21:49

We use this lens to photograph very small medical device implants. This lens is the right tool for the job, but one must know how to use it. Everyone knows that DOF is paper thin at this magnification range, and one's instinct may be to stop down to f/16 to compensate. Don't bother. At the scale this lens operates, images taken beyond about f/11 can appear blurry due to diffraction. Read the article at Cambridge in Colour about Lens Diffraction and diffraction-limited systems. I typically shoot around f/5.6 to f/8 and get nice, sharp results. If you really need more DOF, you're going to need a stacking rig one way or another.

JOY B.

2018-01-31T17:21:13

After reading all the reviews, I knew this was a great lens but there were many cautions regarding how difficult it was to use. When used at full capacity macro, yes you need a tripod and guide, but there are plenty of great pics you can take by simply bracing your arms and holding the lens steady. The images are stunning. I am glad I added this to my gear collection - solid made Canon lens. The definition of true Macro. My pics will only get better from here!

CAROLINE J.

2017-01-28T11:38:48

I have used this lens many times the results are fantastic. I have entered some contests with the work and placed very well. I would recommend it to anyone.

JAMES K.

2016-11-21T08:56:22

For extreme macro, there is probably not a better lens right out of the box. Sure, you can buy bellows, extension tubes and adapters galore, but this lens is highly capable by itself. You must understand it's many limitations and capabilities though. This is not like most other macro lenses (i.e. the Canon 100mm 2.8 macro) in that it cannot be used for anything other than macro. It is ONLY a macro lens. Also, handholding this lens is almost impossible. If you want to get sharp accurate results, you must stabilize with a tripod and it's best to use live view to focus. Depth of field is exceptionally shallow, so it can be very difficult to accurately focus with the lens. However, once you get past those "limitations" you start to see the amazing capabilities of the lens. Namely how miraculously sharp the lens is at extreme macro distances. Minuscule items become large, and you'll be able to capture things that you can barely even see. In order to get images with any depth of field to them at all, focus stacking is a must as well. You don't "need" a focusing rail, but I guarantee that you'll want one, especially if you focus stack.

RION H.

2016-10-04T08:39:54

This lens is awesome, but it takes a lot of time and practice to use it. Adorama was great in getting the lens out to me. Great price.

DAN F.

2014-07-28T21:00:00

You may have read that this lens is difficult to use. It is not. You must read about this lens before you buy it, however. It has only one purpose, the making of extreme close-up photomacrographs. You will not photograph the kids' birthday parties with this lens. This lens has no focusing mechanism. Mount the lens and camera apparatus on a precision focusing rail—manual or computer-controlled—select a magnification level, and, using the focusing rail, move the entire camera-lens apparatus forward and backward to focus on different parts of your subject, as depth-of-field is very shallow. Use software to align and stack your photos into a finished product.

DAVID I.

2014-06-02T21:00:00

This is a well built special purpose macro lens with manual focus. It can only focus on very close, flat objects. This lens rewards patience with excellent sharp magnified photos. I only use this lens with a tripod, and a rack focusing rail, and generally have to use live-view to get the focus just right. Many times. I need to add artificial light because the lens is so close to the subject that little ambient light can get in. There is a bit of a learning curve to this lens, but the results can be spectacular, and with some imagination can give photos a very unique look. Some obvious applications for this wonderful lens might be photographing small flat objects like coins, snowflakes and salt crystals. With subjects that aren't flat, like insects and flowers, I need to rely on techniques like focus stacking.

Peter S.

2013-11-11T19:00:00

This is about as convenient as you will find for closeup, 1x to 5x photos. A tripod and dual plane focusing rail are must accessories for consistent results. There is no focusing ring on this lens. The ring rotates to change the magnification by extending the lens and shifting internal elements. You must move the rig to achieve a sharp image, which is the most accurate way to focus at one to one and greater magnifications. The only con I find is when I rotate my 5d MkII 90 degrees the grip intersects the mounting ring. The work around of course is to rotate the grip to an up position.

Don J.

2013-08-26T21:00:00

So far I have been experimenting with this lens and have had some good results. It is very difficult to hold yourself still so a tripod is definitely recommended. I am hoping to branch out and start using some of the non auto functions on my camera with this lens...still learning!

DEBORAH C.

2013-07-16T21:00:00

I have been using it with the macro twin flash to photograph spiders and insects. The lens is easy to use and sharp. The only problem is that Canon put the wrong instruction sheet with the lens. (They gave me instructions for a tilt/shift lens).

BOB T.

2013-06-07T21:00:00

By far my favorite lens! A flash is almost essential, even in direct sunlight it helps greatly! I have a tripod, but with bright enough light it is possible to handhold this at 1-2x, but 5x is just insane. The depth of field really takes some adpating but my preference would be to use this manual lens as opposed to an auto focus, be it that I am patient enough to spend plenty of time laying down prone to the ground for that one perfect photo. With that said, the con's listed are to be expected and this has been one of the best purchases for my Canon SLR. I knew the issues coming into it though, so no surprise, just great photos that never cease to stun.

DYLAN W.

2012-04-15T21:00:00

This lens is a bit of a one-trick pony: it does macro and micro photography (meaning that it only shoots at 1:1 - 5:1 ratios). That hasn't stopped me from having a great time with it. The sharpness is incredible, and while there is a bit of a learning curve, this is THE lens for people who are really, really into shooting macro images.

DAVID D.

2012-03-04T19:00:00

This is the best marcro len of Canon, you can take picture of the Ladybug easyly.

Game_X

2012-01-11T19:00:00

If you are looking for macro photos, do not waste your MONEY on any other lens. Have plenty of light though! Buy it now!

DB

2012-01-01T19:00:00

At 1X, can be hand held. At 5X, recommend tripod. You can get up close and personal with your subject. Gives a new meaning to in your face.

John s.

2011-11-13T19:00:00

You'll have a high rate of throwaway shots with this lens, especially in the beginning as you adapt to this specialized manner of shooting. With no focusing ring you'll be physically be moving the lens to focus the subject and depth of field is incredibly shallow. This lens will frustrate you at times, but when you nail a good result, it's very rewarding. NOT a starter macro lens. If you plan on shooting at 4x-5x or in low light conditions, you'll want to pick up the MT-24EX twin flash system as well. It's not only a great pairing at all magnifications, but an essential piece of equipment for getting in really close (it's too dark to see without the modeling lights at extreme magnifications).

TV D.

2011-09-03T21:00:00

I've only had this lens for a couple of weeks, in fact, it's a big factor in switching over to Canon in the first place. No other manufacturer, to my knowledge, makes such a close-up lens. It's not the easiest to focus and a tripod is a must. Be prepared to move the tripod almost as much as the focus ring to get good focus. Definitely not a point and shoot lens. But it's amazing how close you can get and the image quality and color repro is fantastic. It's pretty costly for a one-purpose only lens but I love macro and spending some money for a top-notch macro lens is worth it to me. Pair it with my 7D and its phenominal.

rreactive

2011-01-12T19:00:00

Super Macro! If you are considering this lens get it. It is the only lens on the market that does what it does. Make sure you have a good lighting set up, you'll need it. The depth of field is incredibly small so you'll want to shoot at higher f-stops. A macro rail and a very good mini tripod is a must. At these magnification levels any vibration is picked up. It will take a while to get good with this lens. When you can get a good shot, the quality is very good. This is a serious macro only lens. As you probably know already the focus and zoom are the same ring on this lens. You'll need to move the camera to focus when you want a given magnification.

NPAK

2009-07-24T21:00:00

this lense is not for the faint hearted if you are into photos that you only thought you could see in a book then this could be for you and do not be scared to experiment the world is your oyster

sandman