MACRO

Lens Guide

Basic considerations for choosing a macro lens,

plus a snapshot of what’s available for popular camera systems

By The Editors

M

acro is one of the more challenging

types of photography from a

technical perspective, and choosing

the right lens for macro work can be

similarly perplexing.

The word macro is often (and incor-

rectly) used interchangeably with

“close-up.” The two aren’t synonymous.

While a macro image may indeed be

made at a close distance to the subject,

it’s the magnification of the subject, and

not its proximity to the lens, that defines

macro photography.

Macro is the photo opportunity that’s

always available. You can find good

close-up subjects just about anywhere.

All you need is a way to make your cam-

era focus close enough. Dedicated macro

lenses are the best option because they can

focus from infinity down to close enough

to produce a life-size (1:1) magnification

at the image plane. Macro lenses are also

optically optimized for close focusing

distances, so they produce better results

at such close range than non-macro lenses

used with extension tubes (and lenses with

extension tubes attached can no longer

focus out to infinity).

Most macro lenses are also well

corrected for flat fieldwork, such as

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