Whats a Macro

[chrisburke]

I just got a lens in the mail yesterday.. its a 52mm .045x digital wide lens with macro... what is a macro... the small piece on the bottom of it says its the macro, but what is it, what does it do?

 

[Garbz]

A macro lens is often combined with a re-production factor, a number 1:something. Macro lenses can focus closer to the front element than other non-macro lenses. The true macro lenses with their fixed focal length often achieve reproduction ratios of 1:1 That is a 2cm wide object will project a 2cm wide image in the sensor, and thus when blown up on the computer screen, about 50cm wide depending on the sensor resolution or the type of film.

Basically it should be called a micro lens since it allow you to take big pictures of small things like a drop of water: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1193/533225920_cff12621a3_b.jpg (Taken with a 105mm 1:1 Macro lens)

 

[deanimator]

Wikipedia has a nice article about the subject here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_photography

And they make a good point about the ratios being produced for digital cameras, for example a ratio of 1:4 creates a life-size image on a 4 x 6 print

 

[chrisburke]

Thanks Guys, that helps a lot