In recognition of B&H Photo Macro Week, this week's FAQ topic is—you guessed it—macro lenses.
What is a macro lens?
Macro lenses are generally defined as lenses that can photograph an object at life-size (1:1) or half life-size (1:2) magnification.
Are macro lenses available in different focal lengths?
Yes. For full-frame 35mm cameras, macro lenses that focus down to life-size or greater are available in focal lengths ranging from 15mm ultra-wide-angle lenses with 110° angles-of-view to 200mm telephotos.
If I own a 50mm macro lens that focuses down to life-size, why would I need a wide-angle or telephoto macro lens that also focuses down to life-size? What are the advantages?
The reasoning behind owning wide-angle, normal, and telephoto macro lenses is the same reasoning behind our decisions to purchase conventional wide-angle, normal, and telephoto lenses.
Wide-angle lenses take in a wider field of view, enabling you to photograph group portraits in tight quarters, sweeping photographs of interiors, landscapes, and dramatically dynamic close-ups. They also exaggerate special relationships within the frame lines, which can be used effectively if you have a sharp eye. Wide-angle macros can be used similarly, though in the case of life-size portraits of spiders, bees, and other creepy-crawlies, the end results can be frightening if not downright terrifying.
A key advantage of telephoto macro lenses is that they enable you to get in closer from a greater (and safer) distance to insects, birds, and other skittish animals compared to normal or wider-angle macro lenses. Longer focal length lenses also compress perspective and enable you to isolate your subject from the foreground and background more easily than with normal or wide-angle lenses.
And as any studio photographer will tell you, longer focal length lenses also enable you to get in closer to your subject with less chance of casting your own shadow or your studio lights within the field of view.
My lens has a close-focus mode. Does that make it a macro lens?
If your lens can focus down to half or full life-size magnification, it can be described as being a macro lens.
Aside from close-up focusing, are there any technical differences between "true" macro lenses and conventional lenses with close-focusing capabilities?
The key difference between a "true" macro lens and a conventional lens with close-up focusing capabilities has to do with the curvature characteristics of the lens's focus plane.
Most consumer lenses have slightly curved focus planes. While not an issue for most photographic applications, if you are reproducing important documents or 2D artwork, which require the corners of the frame to be as sharp and distortion-free as the center of the frame, you should be using a flat-field macro lens.
A conventional curved-field lens can deliver sharper corners once you stop the lens down 3-4 stops, but for critical detail, you'll get sharper edge-to-edge results when reproducing 2D artwork and documents using a true flat-field macro lens.
Can macro lenses also be used for taking "regular" pictures and photographs of distant subjects and landscapes?
Absolutely. Even though macro lenses are optimized for close-up photography, they can certainly be used as "regular" lenses with excellent results.
Technically speaking, flat-field macro lenses tend to be marginally sharper at their closest focusing distances compared to comparable conventional lenses focused at their respective closest focusing distances.
The reverse is equally true. When comparing photographs taken with similar focal length lenses—one a macro and the other a conventional lens—the conventional lens will often be slightly sharper than its macro counterpart when photographing distant subjects.
Are macro lenses recommended for portraiture?
Not only can macro lenses can be used for portraiture, some photographers prefer macro lenses specifically because they enable them to get in closer to their subjects compared to the more limited close-focusing abilities of conventional lenses.
If you choose to use macro lenses for portraiture, do be advised that, because true macro lenses have flatter focusing planes, the depth-of-field and depth-of-focus characteristics of the portraits captured with a macro lens may or may not appear narrower compared to portraits captured with comparable conventional portrait lenses, depending on the position, angle, aperture, and/or camera-to-subject distance. The differences are subtle, but a trained eye might pick up on the differences, which esthetically speaking are neither good nor bad.
Macro lenses also tend to be "clinically" sharper than conventional lenses at their closest focusing points, which, depending on your subject, might call for some degree of diffusion at the time of capture or post capture.
Are macro lenses the same as micro lenses?
Yes and no. The difference is that micro lenses can focus on objects at magnifications greater than life-size, that is, 2:1, 3:1, 5:1, 10:1, etc.
Among the few exceptions to this rule are earlier-generation Nikon AI and AI S-series manual focus Micro-NIKKOR lenses, which, despite the nomenclature, only focused down to half life-size (1:2). All current-generation Nikon Micro-NIKKOR lenses, while still not by definition micro lenses, do focus down to life-size (1:1).
If I do not have a macro lens, can I get the same or similar results using extension tubes or close-up lenses?
Extension tubes, reversal rings, and close-up lenses each enable you to get in closer to your subject in order to capture tighter close-ups with very good to excellent results.
For optimal results, I would recommend extension tubes and reversal rings because they do not rely on secondary optics to get you closer to your subject. If your lens is sharp, using it with extension tubes should result in sharp close-ups. The downside of extension tubes is that because they increase to distance between the rear element and the imaging sensor (or film plane), they increase your exposure time. If math isn't one of your strong points, fear not—your camera's built-in meter does the math automatically. All you have to do is hold still and press the shutter.
Reversal rings enable you to mount your lens onto your camera backward, which essentially turns the lens into a magnifying lens. If your lens has an aperture ring, you can manually adjust it to control exposure and depth of field, which is extremely narrow when you get in real close. If your lens does not have external aperture control, you can still use it, albeit at its widest aperture only.
Close-up lenses, which come in a choice of strengths and filter sizes, screw onto the front of your lens like a filter. Depending on the strength of the close-up lens and the focal length of the lens being used, it's possible to capture very good close-ups, macro, and micro photographs using close-up lenses. For added strength, close-up lenses can be stacked, though the optical quality decreases with each filter you add on. Close-up lenses do not affect exposure, but depending on the optical quality of the glass and the lens you are using it on, the quality of your results may or may not come close to the image quality of a comparable photograph taken with a macro lens.
Is there an FAQ topic you'd like us to tackle? If so, let us know in the Comments section, below.
50mm lenses work best in capturing typical macro shots. However, these types of macro lenses have their drawbacks. 50mm lenses (also known as a nifty fifty) make subjects appear half “life-size” since they usually feature a 1:2 ratio, and require shooting at a much closer distance.
A macro lens is a dedicated camera lens that is optically optimized to handle extremely close focusing distances. It can take sharp, highly detailed images of microscopic subjects. It typically has a magnification ratio of 1:1 and a minimum focusing distance of around 12 inches (30 centimeters) or less.
A macro lens is a special type of camera lens that has the ability to work with very short focusing distances, taking sharp images of very small subjects. A true macro lens has a magnification ratio of 1:1 (or greater), and a minimum focussing distance of around 30cm.
Focal length, the distance between the optical center of the lens and the image plane, is one important factor when considering a macro lens. You might think that the longer the focal length—the more telephoto the macro lens—the more magnification you can get from the lens.
A macro lens is a special type of lens that allows you to take close-up photos. It has an extremely long focal length, which means it can focus on objects very far away from the camera (like insects or flowers). The downside is that they are usually quite expensive and heavy.
Shutter speed — With magnified macro shots, any movement is amplified in the picture. That's why it's important to keep your shutter speed relatively high. With a tripod, aim for around 1/200.Without a tripod, stay above 1/320.
The macro lens allows your camera to focus on subjects that are much closer and, as a result, it can't properly focus on distant subjects. Also, because the macro lens magnifies your subject significantly, it will pick up slight hand movements which can cause motion blur in photographs.
Good light is essential for macro photography, but it isn't always a given. Even when you carefully plan an outdoor photoshoot to benefit from the best sunlight, lighting conditions remain unpredictable and can easily ruin your photos. During macro photography, it can be even more difficult.
An extension tube increases lens magnification by an amount equal to the extension distance divided by the lens focal length. For example, adding a 25 mm extension tube to a 50 mm lens will give a magnification gain of 0.5X.
Macro lenses are available in a range of focal lengths for different purposes. The most common focal lengths are around 50mm, 100mm, and 180mm, although the exact values depend on the manufacturer. Macro lenses with short focal lengths (50mm to 60mm) are cheaper, smaller, and lighter.
So, if you are looking for a general walkaround lens with good macro capabilities, then a 50mm should be on your list. Or if you want a double-purpose prime for close-ups and portraits, you can't go wrong with a 100mm.
Macro means you're taking super close-ups of objects at 1:1. So the size of the image on your sensor is equal to the size of the item you're photographing in real life. Micro means the magnification is at a microscopic level. In other words, it deals with subjects you can't see with your naked eye.
In the realm of photography and camera lenses, some manufacturers used the term "macro" because they wanted to denote a lens that could make small things appear large, despite the fact that most macro lenses do not exceed 1:1 reproduction, and therefore are not actually making the subject "larger than life", but merely ...
Advantages. The main benefit of using a macro filter is that it can turn any of your lenses into a macro lens. Unlike other macro attachments, it's also small and lightweight. Finally, it is one of the cheapest options out there for those who want to get into macro photography.
It's not unusual to use ISOs in the range of 800 to 3200 for macro photography. I recommend using Auto ISO here. Set your minimum shutter speed to 1/320 second and your ISO to 100.
The other reason is that crop sensors work great for macro photography, at least if you're going for extreme closeups. A 36 megapixel full-frame camera and a 16 megapixel APS-C camera have about the same pixel density, which means they have about the same capability to resolve close details.
Technically speaking, macro photography means shooting at a magnification ratio of at least 1:1. Therefore, a 'true' macro lens has the ability to produce a magnification ratio of 1:1, or higher. A small subject like this shield bug required approximately a 1:1 magnification.
Key advantages. MC series macro lenses are designed to capture images of small objects when both very good resolution and nearly zero distortion are needed. Small object fields of view are often observed by means of long focal length lenses equipped with an additional spacer, used to adjust the working distance.
The fastest lens ever is the legendary Carl Zeiss Super-Q-Gigantar 40mm f/0.33 (opens in new tab), though it was a publicity project by Zeiss and didn't actually work.
Many people use too small of a small depth of field when shooting macro photography. This causes only a very specific part of the subject to be focused. The rest of the subject and image appear blurry.
Even if your camera is laying steady on a table or tripod, your picture still may not be sharp. Usually this happens because of a bad focusing point. This might not be your fault; your camera or lens may be the culprit. That's why it's better to focus manually when it comes to macro photography.
The other two caveats are that for one, not all lenses are capable of infinity focus, so you'll have to make sure that you're using a capable lens to take these kinds of images. For two, some adapters and filters — such as macro filters — will make it impossible for you to focus to infinity, even with a capable lens.
1. Use natural light. Outdoors, the best light for macro photography is a bright, overcast sky where the thin cloud diffuses sunlight and acts as a giant softbox. This provides an even, gentle light that brings out texture and detail and renders colour beautifully.
Can macro lenses also be used for taking "regular" pictures and photographs of distant subjects and landscapes? Absolutely. Even though macro lenses are optimized for close-up photography, they can certainly be used as "regular" lenses with excellent results.
(From Sigma lens literature) Capable of macro photography, this lens has a 1:2 maximum close-up magnification at the 300 mm focal length. It's the ideal high performance lens for portraits, sports photography, nature photography, and other types of photography that frequently use the telephoto range.
The closest focusing distance of the Sigma telephoto zoom lens is 1.5 m by which you can capture the right moment at the right time to add them to your archives. The Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 DG Macro lens is an appropriate choice to capture scenic details and even groups of flowers.
The Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM offers an affordable way to get into Canon's mirrorless camera system. The lens is sharp, renders pleasing colors, and produces nice bokeh. The Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 also has a very handy macro mode.
Yes. For full-frame 35mm cameras, macro lenses that focus down to life-size or greater are available in focal lengths ranging from 15mm ultra-wide-angle lenses with 110° angles-of-view to 200mm telephotos.
Having said that, a macro lens is also a supremely capable tool for capturing portraits, landscapes, and all other types of photographs. Most mainstream macro lenses are not “one-trick ponies” in the photo world.
This is known as close focus wide angle photography. Close focus wide angle photography is the easiest way to get a macro wide angle photo - all you need is a macro lens, like the Nikon 8-15mm fisheye, Panasonic 8mm fisheye, or Canon 8-15mm fisheye, a compact dome port, and some underwater lighting.
Macro photography was invented to capture insects and plants that the naked eye could not see in detail. To this day, macro photography is a great way to get close-up shots of flies, bees, dragonflies, butterflies, worms, flowers, leaves, grasses, and more. 1. Nature.
If macro photography is something you'd like to delve into without first having to invest in a macro lens, you have several options to choose from—close-up filters, reversal rings, and extension tubes. They each get you in real close using your existing lenses with similar—though visually different—results.
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