
- #MACRO VS MICRO LENS MANUAL#
- #MACRO VS MICRO LENS SOFTWARE#
- #MACRO VS MICRO LENS ISO#
- #MACRO VS MICRO LENS PROFESSIONAL#
Close-up filters such as the 500D comes in four sizes and fits on the front of 52mm, 58mm, 72mm and 77mm non-macro lenses.

This fantastic manual-focus lens can render subjects at up to five times life size with an impressive minimum focusing distance of 238.76 mm.Īlthough the results won’t be as good, it is also possible to get close to your subject using a ‘normal’ lens with close-up filters. Canon has an excellent range of macro lenses, including the MP E65mm f/2.8 1-5x macro lens. The best lens for macro photography will be a specialised macro lens that’s designed specifically for the job. Specialist Macro Photography Equipment and AccessoriesĬhoosing a Dedicated Macro Photography Lens Focus stacking is the act of stacking slices of sharp focus areas in a frame and combining them to create one, perfectly-focussed image.
#MACRO VS MICRO LENS SOFTWARE#
The narrow depth of field achieved using macro lenses can be overcome using focus stacking software such as Helicon Focus, Zerene and Photoshop (more on these below). Stopping down to f/22 widens the depth of field but does not necessarily give a sharper image due to diffraction. For example, a lens with a wide open aperture of f/2.8 would have an optimum aperture of f/5.6 or f/8. Remember that almost all lenses have an optimum aperture that is usually 2 to 3 stops down from wide open. Depth of field becomes narrower the closer the lens is to the subject. Tackling low light and working with shallow depths of field can also be more of a challenge when photographing at this scale. Whether trying to focus on a tiny insect that keeps scuttling out of frame or a flower that won’t stop dancing in the breeze, even the smallest of movements are amplified in macro photography. Like all areas of photography, macro is a specialised area that requires immense skill and patience.

#MACRO VS MICRO LENS ISO#
But remember that a higher ISO number will result in more grain or noise in your images.Īlways try to keep your aperture to a value that enables a fast enough shutter speed to capture your subject in focus without motion blur, especially if you are working with moving subjects.Īlso remember that you can use the camera’s histogram to check exposure. If you’d like to use a smaller aperture in order to maintain greater depth of field, you can increase your ISO setting and shutter speed to compensate. you will require a slower shutter speed when shooting at f/16 than at f/4. The smaller your aperture, the slower your shutter speed will need to be – i.e.
#MACRO VS MICRO LENS MANUAL#
When shooting macro photography, set your camera to manual mode and switch your lens to manual focus. I was amazed at the detail revealed with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro IS USM and Canon Macro Ring Lite MR-14EXll flash. I recently photographed a tiny Money Spider that was barely 5 mm in length. Macro lenses are capable of reproduction ratios of at least 1:1, although the amount of magnification you can achieve depends on the equipment you use. “In short, with macro photography the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than it is in reality.” Jacqui Dean For example, the finest detail of a flower can only be captured with a macro lens. True macro photography is where you photograph something very small and the lens has the capability of seeing the finest detail. Therefore, if the subject you are photographing is small but you make it look big, you end up with a macro view of a micro subject. The important thing to remember is that macro means ‘large’ and micro means ‘small’. The terms ‘macro’, ‘micro’ and ‘close-up’ photography can be confusing. To enter this wondrous world, macro photographers need to know and understand their camera and equipment intimately. Whether photographing flowers, insects or subjects from the man-made world, macro photography allows us to shoot up-close and in extreme detail. “In its purest form, macro photography allows us to zoom in on the world in microscopic detail and experience it at the same scale as its inhabitants.” Jacqui Dean This detailed guide includes tips on everything from focus stacking and macro lighting techniques to using specialised macro photography gear and editing software.


Here, Jacqui provides an introduction to the fascinating world of macro photography.
#MACRO VS MICRO LENS PROFESSIONAL#
Jacqui Dean is a Grand Master, Fellow and Honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography, and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography.
