What Is A Macro Lens?

To put it simply, a macro lens is a lens that allows your camera to be extremely close to a subject while retaining focus. And when I say extremely, I mean it. Unlike a telephoto or normal zoom lens, macro lenses allow you to get sharp images astonishingly close to an object.

These lenses come in a variety of focal lengths, from telephoto to wide-angle. But when you’re dealing with such short minimum focus distances and reproduction ratios, the focal length mainly determines the field of view, rather than how tight (magnification working distance or magnification ratio) you can get.

True macro lenses are typically used to photograph or film very small objects and small subjects, or close details of larger ones. Things like flowers, insects, and electronics are popular subjects.

Most macro lenses are prime lenses with very sharp focus.

Full-frame macro lenses impart an extremely shallow depth of field into the camera sensor, a look that has become a staple of high magnification macro photography. For those who specialize in macro photos and macro images (there are some really great macro photographers and videographers out there), a regular lens is rarely even used.

Macro lenses are very commonly used in food photography.

There are even macro probe lenses with built-in lights (due to the narrow aperture of the lens) that allow for some truly wild close-ups, and (along with manual focus and image stabilization) can capture life-size POV macro shots that make the viewer feel like they’ve been shrunk and inserted into the scene.

Companies like Nikon, Sony, Canon, Tamron, and Sigma make a wide variety of macro lenses with all of the typical features and capabilities of photography and cinema camera lenses, such as autofocus, stabilization, and iris and shutter speed communication with a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Essentially a telephoto lens on steroids, the macro lens is definitely a specialty piece of gear, but for any serious photographer or filmmaker, a dedicated macro lens makes a great addition to your kit for any close-up photography applications.

Kevin is the Creative Director at Filmpac.