Macro lenses
Macro lenses
Common fly with a Canon 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens
Macro lenses or Micro lenses
Macro lenses are very interesting in several reasons. Usually they are very sharp and has great magnification. Usual targets are butterflies, bugs, tiny creatures, flowers, fishes, etc in close distances. Macro lenses used by dentists for example. All this lenses are very high quality sharp, great magnification lenses usually with very good colour rendition, and smallest optical flaws.
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What a Macro lenses can add to your photography ?
I would say a lot. Macro lenses because of their high magnification, usually has closer working distance.
It means to blur the background is more easy with these lenses and you can have much better detail of anything as well.
Macro lenses are widely used by professionals in portrait photography as well.
Let’s see what we can have as a specialized macro lens:
Lens name | ultrasonic autofocus | Magnification | Minimal focus distance | Filter | Size | Weight | Price US |
Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro |
No | 1:2 | 23 cm (9.06″) | 52 mm | 68×63.5 mm | 280g (9.88 oz) | 300 USD |
Canon 60mm f/2.8 Macro |
yes | 1:1 | 20 cm | 52 mm | 73×70 mm | 335g (11.82 oz) | 470 USD |
Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 Macro |
No, only manual | 1:1-5:1 | 23.88 cm (9.4″) | 58 mm | 81×98 mm | 710g (25 oz) | 1049 USD |
Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro |
yes | 1:1 | 30.48cm (1″) | 67 mm | 78.7×119.4 mm | 580g (20.46 oz) | 600 USD |
Canon 100mm f/2.8 is Macro |
yes | 1:1 | 30.48 cm (1″) | 67 mm | 77.7×122.9 mm | 625g (22.05 oz) | 950 USD |
Canon 180mm f/3.5 Macro |
yes | 1:1 | 48 cm (1.6′) | 72 mm | 82.5×186.6 mm | 1090 g (38.45 oz) | 1500 USD |
Tamron 60mm f/2 Di II Macro (only Aps-C) |
no | 1:1 | 23cm (9.06 “) | 55 mm | 73×80 mm | 380g (13.4 oz) | 524 USD |
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro |
no | 1:1 | 28.96 cm (11.4″) | 55 mm | 71.1×96.5 mm | 405 g (14.29 oz) | 500 USD |
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Macro |
yes | 1:1 | 30cm (11.8″) | 58 mm | 76.4×114.5 mm | 550g (19.4 oz) | 750 USD |
Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Macro |
no | 1:1 | 47cm (1.54′) | 72 mm | 83.8 x 165.1 mm | 920g (32.45 oz) | 740 USD |
Sigma 50mm f/2.8 Macro |
no | 1:1 | 18.8 cm (7.4″) | 55 mm | 71.1×63.5 | 312g (11 oz) | 349 USD |
Sigma EX DG 70mm f/2.8 Macro |
no | 1:1 | 25.65 cm (10.1″) | 62 mm | 76.2×94 mm | 525g (18.5 oz) | 449 USD |
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro |
yes | 1:1 | 31 cm (12.2″) | 62 mm | 78.7×127 mm | 726g (25.6 oz) | 670 USD |
Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro |
yes | 1:1 | 38.1 cm (1.25′) | 72 mm | 78.7 x 150 mm | 1180 g (41.62 oz) | 1100 USD |
Sigma 180mm f/2.8 APO Macro EX DG OS |
yes | 1:1 | 47cm (18.7″) | 86 mm | 95×203.9mm | 1.63 kg (3.6 lb.) | 1700 USD |
Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X M100 AF PRO D Macro |
No | 1:1 | 29.97 cm (11.8″) | 55 mm | 7.37*9.5 cm (2.9 x 3.74″) | 540g (19.05 oz) | 359 USD |
Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 269 USD
Canon 60mm f2.8 USM Macro 420 USD
Canon 60mm f/2.8 Macro review
Canon MP-E65 f2.8 1-5x Macro 935 USD
Canon 100mm f2.8 USM Macro 549 USD
Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro review
Canon 100mm f2.8 USM L IS Macro 1049 USD
Canon 180mm f3.5 L USM Macro 1429 USD
Sigma 70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro
Sigma 105mm f2.8 EX DG Macro
Sigma 105mm f2.8 EX HSM DG OS newest highly recommended lens excellent built quality
Sigma 150mm f2.8 EX DG HSM APO MACRO
Sigma 150mm f2.8 EX DG HSM APO MACRO OS
Sigma 180mm f2.8 EX DG HSM APO MACRO
Sigma 180mm f2.8 EX DG HSM APO MACRO OS 1549 USD
Tamron 60mm f2 SP DI Macro
Tamron 90mm f2.8 SP DI Macro very good quality, very good value macro lens
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro
The Tamron 90mm also has a new VC USD version with improved optics
Tamron 180mm f3.5 SP DI LD IF Macro
Tokina AF 100mm f/2.8 AT-X PRO D MACRO
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Nikkor Pc 24 f3.5 ED
Nikkor 35mm f1.8 Micro
Nikkor 40mm f2.8 AF-S DX
Nikor 60mm f2.8 G-ED
Nikkor PC 85 f2.8 D
Nikkor 85mm f3.5G AF-S DX ED-VR
Nikkor 105mm f2.8 AF-D Micro
Nikon 105mm Af-D micro review
Nikkor 105mm f2.8G AF-S IF-ED VR Micro
Nikon 105mm Vr micro review
Nikkor 70-180mm Micro 4.5-5.6D 1200-1400 USD
Micro Nikkor AF 200 f4 D-ED – 1400 EUR/USD
Magnification: Usually these lenses has 1:1 magnification, the Canon 50/2.5 has 1:2 magnification, Canon MPE 65 has 5x magnification.
If we have a longer Macro lens we can have a longer working distance. For example with a 90mm lens we have a Minimum focus distance of 29cm, with a 180mm lens is 47cm. This distances calculated from the sensor the real working distance is in case of the 180mm lens is 25cm vs 9cm (Tamron 90mm vs 180mm macro).
How to choose macro lenses?
If we see the focal lengths of this primarily prime macro lenses, they can be used apart from macro purposes hundred different kinds of photography as well. Most of them in the preferred portrait range, can be used for compressed landscapes, animal photography, etc. The main factor to choose this lenses how we want to use them only for macro or other purposes as well, and what is our budget. For macro purpose I think I would choose a longer focal length lens to have longer working distance and better usage of teleconverters to have even better working distance. For depth of field the shorter lenses are better than we need to be very close and the lens makes shadow on a subject. Of course the longer macro lenses are more expensive. If our budget allows the Sigma 150/2.8 is very good price/performance lens. Another very good price/performance macro lens is the Tamron 90mm macro. A Canon 100/2.8 is also a very good buy, sharp wide open. If we want stabization, usm/hsm kind of ring type autofocus we pay even more. Autofocus is also important part of the lens, but for macro purposes the focusing is usually made manually. Some lenses change their physical length during focusing, some has constant physical length.