What is Macro Lens And Why It Is Important

If you are interested in learning how to achieve the highest level of detail in your photos, it’s best to use a special camera lens for macro photography. A macro lens is unique in its ability to focus in on subjects that may not look like much from arms length, but when viewed close up can surprise you with stunning images.

What is a Macro Lens

Macro lens photography lets you capture a very small subject at very small distances, using higher magnification to offer you more detail.  The macro lens is the attachment to your camera which performs the magnification of your prime subject at a one to one ratio.

The camera lens for macro photography you choose can vary in terms of the focal length, between 15mm and 200mm. When choosing which focal length best suits your purpose, you should take into consideration what you are going to be shooting, what is a comfortable working distance, what will be involved, and the degree of background blur you require.

Focal length refers to the way we understand the angle of view. The higher the focal length you are shooting with, the more acute the angle. This means you will have more focus on your subject and your image will contain less background.  The term prime lens used to refer to a photographer’s primary lens, but now a prime lens is known as one that has a fixed focal length without  zoom capabilities. A prime lens is optimized to one specific focal length.

A macro lens can magnify your subject so that there is a reproduction ratio of 1:1, meaning the size of the subject in real life and the magnification will dominate your camera’s viewfinder and appear in the final image. You can get macro lenses that have magnification up to 5:1 but be mindful of shadows. There is always a possibility that shadows will dominate your image.

Various macro lenses specify a minimum focus distance, which means the shortest distance at which your lens will focus between the camera’s imaging sensor and the subject of your photo. This should not be confused with working distance which is measured from the front of your lens. Working distance is slightly smaller than the focusing distance.

What is a Macro Lens Used For

What are macro lenses used for? Well, unlike conventional camera lenses which boast close focusing capabilities, flat field macro lenses deliver edge-to-edge detail of the subject in wider apertures, which is something many conventional lenses struggle with even in smaller apertures. You might get a decent close up with a conventional length, but macro lenses perform much better and therefore are used for capturing dramatic close ups.

Macro lens photography is often used for shooting products. In product photography you will likely find a macro lens used to create images of jewellery, food products, beauty products, eye glasses, and fashion or hair accessories, as it involves taking photos of very small subjects. In this field, you may want to use your macro photography for photo animation to create 360° product visuals which can be used on websites, in social media or other promotional marketing.

Tips on How to Use a Macro Lens

Choosing the best camera lens for macro photography depends on the type of subject you will be shooting most frequently.  For example, if you are creating images of insects, the working distance needs to be longer so you’ll need a higher focal length. For general macro photography, a 50mm to 60mm lens will suffice, but many photographers choose a focal length of 100mm to give a little extra working length between the lens and the subject.

Depth of field can be very shallow when focusing in closely and you may find you need to use a smaller aperture than you first imagined.  This lengthens your shutter speed, so it may be a good idea to set your camera on a tripod. Tripod setups can help you achieve sharper images in macro lens photography. For the same reason, you should also try to release the shutter without touching the camera; use a self timer or remote release.

Another tip is that although they are used most frequently for close up photography, macro lenses are an excellent bit of camera kit for taking a variety of images. For example a 100mm focal length  can shoot close up or shoot from a distance and has a great depth of field, allowing for a blurry background and sharp foreground. Macro lenses are also great for portrait shots too. When you ask ‘what are macro lenses used for’, the answer is much more than just close up shots.

If you have never experimented with macro photography, you are missing out on a new adventure! Learn something new, experiment, and enjoy creating incredible images.