As a rough guide, the longer the focal length of the lens, the greater the working distance it provides. The closer you get to the subject, the more likely you are to encounter the following problems:. Scientists often chill their subjects before a shoot to prevent this from happening — but it requires care to apply just enough cold to slow the creature down without making it torpid or killing it.
Flash units can be too harsh, while studio lights add unwanted heat. Focusing is difficult because depth-of-field is very restricted. A tripod is useful for manual focusing but, even then, finding the focus point becomes more difficult the closer you are to the subject. The table below provides a guide to the minimum working distances for some commonly-used macro focal lengths.
Depth-of-Field and Focusing The closer you shoot and the more the subject is magnified, the smaller the depth-of-field in the subject. This issue is particularly important for DSLR users because the size of the imaging area sensor has a huge effect on depth-of-field. For some subjects, you may want to have as much of the subject as possible looking sharp. The subject usually dictates which strategy to adopt. Stopping down the lens is the best way to maximise depth-of-field.
But be aware that all lenses are diffraction-limited; a point will come where image sharpness will be noticeably reduced. For shots of insects and other small animals, the eye is usually the key point of focus; for flowers, the entire flower head works best for moderate close-ups, while the reproductive parts stamens, pistil are best for extreme close-ups.
When the lens is focused just off this area, as shown in the picture on the left, the shot is unusable. A true macro lens allows you to shoot dramatic close-ups of flowers. Taken with a mm macro lens on a DSLR camera with a 1. Check the background to the subject before taking the shot — particularly when you have stopped the lens down.
If your camera has a depth-of-field preview button it will allow you to see if the subject is overwhelmed by background detail. Reasons to avoid - Quality not as high as others. An excellent, versatile set of filters from a trusted manufacturer. Specifications Thread diameter available: 37mm, 43mm, 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm. Reasons to avoid - Only three strengths. Specifications Thread diameter avaialable: 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm.
Reasons to avoid - Not the cheapest option. Another premium option, these hardy filters can be used with telephoto lenses. Diopter strengths supplied: single strength diopter value not given. Reasons to avoid - Pricier than alternatives - Limited filter thread sizes. Gavin Stoker. When the image and the subject are the same size, the magnification is 1x.
When using a close-up lens, it is very easy to calculate the magnification for a camera lens set to infinity focusing. Simply divide the focal length of the camera lens by the focal length of the close-up lens. The same close-up lens with a mm lens will give a magnification of 0. If you're using a zoom lens, base the calculation on the zoom setting you've chosen. As you can see, the magnification increases with the focal length of the camera lens.
Even greater magnifications are possible if the camera lens is focused closer than its infinity setting. So how can you determine the magnification that a close-up lens gives when attached to a lens at a particular focusing distance? With the close-up lens in place, set the focus on the camera lens to the value you want maximum or minimum are the best values. Find a ruler that has a clear scale marked in millimetres. Position the ruler at right angles to the lens axis, and move the camera back and forth in front of it until the scale on the ruler comes into sharp focus.
Move the centre of the viewfinder over the middle of the scale, so that the millimetre markings run at least the full width of the frame. Don't try aligning the zero point of the ruler with the edge of the viewfinder — because of parallax error and the difference between the image frame and the viewfinder field of view, you risk ending up with a gap between the frame edge and the start of the scale.
Now take a picture. Take a look at the processed result and count the number of millimetres visible. Let's say there are The width of a full-frame sensor is This means that the magnification for that setup is 0. If you're travelling and space in your kitbag is critical, then you might prefer a close-up lens, which is much more compact than an extension tube. Otherwise, the choice depends largely on what lenses you have and what magnification you want to achieve with them.
Close-up lenses have more effect when they are used on a camera lens with a long focal length than on shorter lenses. This is exactly opposite to the effect of extension tubes, where the amount of magnification decreases as the camera lens focal length increases.
In practice, this means that extension tubes are more useful with short lenses up to mm, for example whereas close-up lenses are more useful with longer lenses. When you require greater working distance, the combination of a telephoto lens with a close-up lens will usually be the best choice.
If you use an extension tube on a wide-angle lens, you may find you're having to work extremely close to the subject to get it in focus. In addition, close-up lenses do not reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor, whereas extension tubes do. This can sometimes be critical when you need a reasonably fast shutter speed or a small aperture or both. If you have a long telephoto zoom, you can make good use of a close-up lens — and in practical terms it is a better option than using extension tubes with a telephoto lens.
If you use extension tubes with zooms, you will find that the focus changes as you zoom in and out, which means you continually have to re-focus. This doesn't happen with close-up lenses. Once you have focused, you can change your composition by zooming in and out, just as you can with any zoom used normally. Always use the camera on a tripod — the increased magnification will also increase the effects of any camera shake.
If you have a macro lens, you can make good use of a close-up lens to bring about even larger magnifications, although a close-up lens typically loses effectiveness at shorter focal lengths less than about 35mm. Related articles. Find Out More. Both lenses also feature 14 elements in their optical paths with a single ED element.
As FX format lenses need to produce a larger image circle, to cover the bigger image sensor, the mm is rather wider in diameter. Image quality is good overall with impressive sharpness across the whole frame.
The Nikon version also adds an aperture control ring. Nikon makes a cut-price 40mm DX format macro lens but this is a far superior optic for close-up shooting. The net results is that the working distance from the front of the lens to the target in full 1. Ultimately, the Tamron 90mm and Sigma mm lenses still have the edge for shooting with DX as well as FX format cameras.
While Fujifilm users do have to fork out a considerable chunk of cash for this macro prime lens, it is a wonderful piece of imaging technology. The minimum focusing distance of 25cm lets you get nice and close to your subjects for true macro work, and the extensive weatherproofing around the chassis means you can fearlessly take the lens out into wet and otherwise inclement conditions.
Stepping motor autofocus systems are renowned for their virtually silent operation but rarely feature a focus distance scale. Due to its relatively short focal length, the minimum focus distance is just 20cm, compared with around 30cm for many macro lenses. At maximum magnification, however, the working distance between the front of the lens and the subject is reasonably usable, at about 10cm.
Image quality and handling are very good in every respect, making this our favourite MFT format macro lens, and not just the best option for Olympus mirrorless cameras, but for Panasonic G-range cameras too.. Sharpness, lightweight build, tremendous ease of use, effective stabilisation and snappy autofocus.
The Panasonic 30mm f2. The lack of weather seals is a little disappointing, but really is the only black mark on this excellent lens's ledger. We'd definitely recommend this lens to any Micro Four Thirds user looking to shoot beautiful close-ups, especially given the extremely close minimum focusing distance of just 0.
Relatively compact considering its generous mm focal length, the Pentax mm f2. It'll work with Pentax's full-frame and APS-C DSLRs providing an equivalent focal length of mm on the latter , and its eight-bladed aperture allows it to produce images with attractive bokeh in shallow depth of field.
A useful Quick-Shift focus system allows you to quickly toggle between auto and manual focusing, though be aware that the autofocusing is not internal and does cause movement of the lens and the control ring.
For revealing ultra-fine levels of detail in anything from insect and bug photography to extreme close-ups of all things small and smaller, this is a fabulous macro lens. The lens also works well for portraiture and general short-telephoto shooting with Sony full frame cameras it's also available in an L-mount version. The optical path includes aspherical, ED and Super ED elements, built into a precision-engineered, weather-sealed metal casing. Handling benefits from a super-smooth and precise focus ring, with an electronic fly-by-wire coupling.
Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer — and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! He is also an encyclopedia when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related.
Included in this guide: 1. Diaphragm blades: 9. Autofocus: Ultrasonic ring-type. Stabilizer: Yes hybrid. Minimum focus distance: 0. Maximum magnification: 1. Filter thread: 62mm. Dimensions WxL : 79xmm. Weight: g. Specifications Mount: Canon EF. Filter thread: 67mm.
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