Is there a difference?

[exilarch]

I have seen some lenses that have an aperture labelling of 1:2.8 and some others who have f2.8? Is there a difference between 1:2.8 and 2.8 ?

 

[amolitor]

Nope.

 

[exilarch]

Thank you! One more question, please. Is there an easy way to distinguish macro from non-macro lenses, without looking at the minimum focus distance characteristics?
Can I guess if a 100mm f 2.8 is a macro or not for example?

 

[pgriz]

Thank you! One more question, please. Is there an easy way to distinguish macro from non-macro lenses, without looking at the minimum focus distance characteristics?
Can I guess if a 100mm f 2.8 is a macro or not for example?

A lens with macro qualities (ie, close-focusing) is not the same as a macro lens which almost always allows you 1:1 subject scale. True macro lenses will have the image scale marked on the distance scale on the lens barrel.

100mm f/2.8 could be a macro lens, as macro lenses from Canon, Nikon, etc. have a macro lens with that focal length and aperture, but not necessarily.

 

[exilarch]

My question is related to buying an older lenses. There are a lot of legacy lenses that show up on different auction sites. How can I know if any of these are true macro lens? Is there a way to judge their capabilities only by looking at them? The aperture and the focal length are always indicated on the front of the lens, but what about macro ?

 

[pgriz]

I'm certainly no expert on legacy lenses, but my thought is that if it doesn't offer at least 1:1 image scale, it's not a true macro.

 

[amolitor]

There are a LOT of lenses that have had "macro" attached to them. Most of them are barely macro lenses, but depending on what you want to do, they might suit you anyways.

Your best bet is to read reviews and try to get a handle on what lens you want. Look at photographs of the sort you want to take, and either estimate or simply ask what lens they were taken with, if the information isn't attached to the image. Build a list of 2 or 3 specific lenses that would suit you and then go shopping. You needn't rule out every lens, you're only looking for a handful that would definitely suit you.

 

[exilarch]

Thank you

 

[djacobox372]

There is no standard to the term "macro" or "micro," but if u buy first party you're safe from being lied to.

Macro lenses isnt just about focus distance, a real macro lens will be optimized to perform best at its minimum focus distance, whereas most other lenses perform best when focused at infinity.

 

[bratkinson]

My question is related to buying an older lenses. There are a lot of legacy lenses that show up on different auction sites. How can I know if any of these are true macro lens? Is there a way to judge their capabilities only by looking at them? The aperture and the focal length are always indicated on the front of the lens, but what about macro ?

Probably the easiest way to find out about what a lens can and cannot do is to Google it. Simply type in "Canon FD 35-70" for example and look at what comes up. I think close to any lens ever made will likely show up in Google.

Of concern is your interest in legacy lenses. The prices may seem great, but there's more to it than price alone. I'm familiar with Canon, and there's a world of difference between an FD (or FL) lens and EF or EF-S lenses. In particular, Canon FD and FL lenses use a different mount than the newer EF & EF-S series lenses. Older lenses require a special adapter to work on newer cameras, and all settings (focus and aperture) are fully manual, as there is no way for the camera body to electronically communicate with the lens nor electronics in the older lenses. Loss of image quality and/or loss of ability to focus at infinity are problems common with lens adapters, from what I've read here and elsewhere.

In my estimation, using an older-mount lens (on a newer body) for 'general photography' is probably not what you'd want to do. However, buying an older special purpose lens such as macro or long telephoto lens may make sense, if the added 'work' to use it is worth it to you.

 

[Solarflare]

Actually, you can usually spot macro lenses easily by them being prime and having unusually high minimal f-numbers.

Like f/2.8 or f/3.5 on a 85mm or 105mm.

Macro needs a lot of stopping down because the field of view is so tight, so macro lenses dont need the large apertures / small minimal f-numbers of normal lenses.

Mind there are normal lenses with this high (and higher) minimal f-numbers, but they are extreme wide or extreme tele lenses.

 

[exilarch]

Thanks for the answers. I'm shooting with my kit lens for general photography, but I want to use older lenses for other genres of photography such as macro and portraits, where my kit lens fails .

 

[TonysTouch]

One way to tell if a lens is macro and does not just focus closely is to look it its depth of field. Marco lenses are designed to have a flat depth of field unlike the round DOF most lenses have.