Lense Question

[Zabimaru]

Sorry for being such a noob, this is probably a simple question.

Is a 'macro' lense just a lense that's 100mm or more. Every time someone mentions a macro lense it looks like one of the massive lenses(again, over 100mm) that cost a fortune.

Don't get me wrong i understand the whole point of a macro photograph is to have a shallow depth of field where you focus on a particular part of your subject and have everything else blurred out. (differential focus?)

It's just the lenses that confuse me...there's so many different ones lol.

 

[tirediron]

There's no need apologize for being new; however you do appear slightly confused about the purpose of a macro lens. A macro lens is one which is specifically designed to focus closely enough on a subject to produce an image on the sensor the same size as the original, or 1:1. A by-product of the optical design of macro lenses is that they do have very shallow depth of field, resulting in only very narrow areas (as little as a millimeter or less) being in focus.

Macro lenses are commonly available in 60mm and 105mm, and less commonly in FL as short as 40mm and as long as 200mm. Note that many of the longer FL lenses are not true macro lenses, that is, they do not focus closely enough to produce a 1:1 ratio image. Lenses which will only produce 1:2 and 1:3 ratio images (1/2 size and 1/3 size) are often incorrectly called macro lenses.

Hope that helps.

 

[Battou]

noooo, you have a lot to learn about Macro. Macro is close up photography.

And no a Macro lens is not a lens that's 100mm or more. A macro lens is a lens with an extremely short focusing distance and magnification qualities.

*EDIT*
Well since tirediron beat me to the punch I won't edit in the more detailed explination as he has that covered well enough

 

[Zabimaru]

oh, i see.

So if i wanted a lense that could zoom in from a very far distance i would want something different. Macro is for close-ups only.


learn something new every day. :thumbup:

thanks.

 

[Iron Flatline]

What you mean is "Telephoto" - the ability to get in close on something far away.

 

[Overread]

Macro lenses function like normal lenses - a 100mm lens and a 100mm macro lens will both allow give the same results at the same distances and settings, however the macro will allow you to focus the lens far closer to the subject than the 100mm will. This allows you to get right up close (very close) and get the magnifcation ratio of 1:1 when the lens is at its full closest. That produces all the closeup insect photos that you see.

Also to clarify Tirediron Macro Prime lenses (those with a single focal length - ie no zoom) in any focal range tend to always be 1:1 - ie true macro. There are some exceptions to this - some 50mm macro lenses are budget grade and thus only achive 1:1 with a maro adaptor. The maro zoom lenses on the other hand - tend to be the opposite - nearly all are just close focusing, which limits them to 1:2 macro (which means less magnifcation) this can be limiting when dealing with smaller subjects.

Also there is the canon MPE 65mm 5:1 which is the only macro lens (that I know of) which does not function in the normal manner and instead allows macro up to 5 times that of a normal macro lens - the trade off is that it is the most difficult lens to master and learn to use and it is also only able to do maro work - it does not focus at normal distances

 

[Edward Crim]

I use 3 Olympus OM macro lenses on my Canon cameras:
a 38mm f2.8 bellows lens that magnifies as much as 6.7x life size
a 50mm f3.5 that goes to 1/2 life size (1:1 with an extension tube)
and a bellows 135 f4.5 that magnifies to 1/2 life size

Olympus also made a 20mm f2 macro (13.6x) and 80mm f4 bellows and a 50mm f2 and a 90mm f2 macro that focused from infinity to 1:2

Also, depth of field in a particular format is controlled by aperture and magnification. It is not a function of lens design per se.

 

[Bifurcator]

Terms and definitions:

• Zoom Lens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoom_lens
• Zoom Lenses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenses_for_SLR_and_DSLR_cameras#Zoom_lenses
• Macro Photography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_photography
• Macro Lens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenses_for_SLR_and_DSLR_cameras#Macro_lenses
• Prime Lens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_lens
• DOF ("differential focus" ): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field
  and see: http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1307145&postcount=4

Example of a macro zoom lens: http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/349/cat/31
Related article: http://photo.net/learn/macro/


If you will actually read those articles you will know more than most users here. Knowledge it guud!

 

[tirediron]

Also to clarify Tirediron Macro Prime lenses (those with a single focal length - ie no zoom) in any focal range tend to always be 1:1 - ie true macro. ...

Thanks! I sort of wandered off into two things at once there!