You’ve probably seen some amazing close up images of insects, flowers, food, or maybe products, and you think to yourself, hey, that looks really cool, I want to try macro photography out!
One of the big thrills of macro photography is that it opens up a whole new (miniature) world of creative possibilities for you as a photographer.
It does, however, require some specialized equipment to achieve the best results, and the first step in your macro photography journey is to choose the right lens.
Now just about any lens has the ability to take a decent close-up photo, but if you really want to get up close and personal, you need to look at a macro lens.
Of course, macro lenses can also be used for general photography, so you are able to use them in just about any photographic situation.
Reproduction Ratio (1:1, 1:2, etc.) & Focal Length – What to Know
The first thing to know is that what is known as a “true” macro lens has the capability of capturing a subject at a 1:1 reproduction ratio.
This allows the subject to fill the frame entirely and capture details that are almost unnoticeable to the human eye as shown in this macro image image of a fly.
Pro Tip: Most macro lenses with a medium to long focal length (100mm to 200mm) are capable of achieving a 1:1 reproduction ratio, with some even going as high as a 5:1 reproduction ratio, allowing for even more extreme close-ups of subjects.
The other advantage to having a macro lens with a longer focal length is that you can shoot from farther away and not have to worry about blocking light with your shadow. They also allow you to as to get close to the subject without getting close enough to “annoy” it.
Another thing to know is that lenses marketed as “macro” that feature a shorter focal length (roughly 35mm to 50mm) are usually limited to a reproduction ratio of 1:2.
It’s also important to know that most macro lenses feature a fixed focal length (also known as a prime lens), with 50mm, 100mm and 180mm lengths being the most common, but there are also plenty of other fixed focal lengths available.
Pro Tip: While there are “macro” zoom lenses available, they tend to produce lower quality images as they aren’t able to achieve the same higher magnification rates as the prime lenses.
Aperture – How Much Do You Really Need?
Depth of field, or how much of the image is in focus, is in part determined by the Aperture setting on the lens.
An aperture set at f/1.8 will produce an image with a sharp subject in the foreground against a very smooth out-of-focus background.
It’s important to remember that aperture isn’t the only factor that plays a role in the depth of field. The distance between the camera and the subject is almost as important too.
That being said, when you combine a close distance with a wide f/1.8 aperture, odds are that only a very small portion of the image as a whole will be in focus.
For macro photography then, it’s usually better to use a narrower aperture rather than a full open aperture in order to help keep the subject fully in focus.
Basically, while wider apertures (f/1.8, f/2.8 etc.) can be used to blur out the background in regular photography, they are most likely too wide for effective use in macro photography.
So, the good new is that if you are shopping for a lens to use for macro shots only, you don’t necessarily need to spend the extra money on a wider aperture lens, and opt for a lens with an f/3.6 or f/4 one instead.
Of course, if you plan on using the lens for more than just macro, you might still want to look at one that opens up wider.
Image Credits
Cover Image: Aaron Burden | Fly Image: Егор Камелев | Butterfly Image: Duong Thinh | Snowflake Image: Mihika
