Using a Macro Lens + About Macro

Tuesday, November 01, 2005


Macro - The ability of a lens to focus just inches away from an object or subject so as to produce big close-ups, sometimes even larger-than-life size.

You may not always need new lenses but the possibilities new lenses offer, are endless. The most useful lens tool by far is something to take close-up or macro shots. A few options are offered in the industry for macro shots.

The cheapest, but least professional, is a simple close-up lens. These are normally fitted over the normal camera lens. High quality images are not the greatest product from these lenses though. They are cheap with reason. When using a close-up lens on an SLR (single lens reflex) though faming and focusing are still easy close to the subject.

SLR cameras offer the option of a reversing ring, which gives you the option of mounting the lens backwards, which makes it possible to focus on closer objects. The lens was not meant to be used backwards so the image will not be of the best quality.

The real satisfactory methods are to use bellows, a real macro lens, or extension rings, which usually come in sets of three. The rings and or bellows are generally affixed to the camera front with the lens on the front of the bellows. These devices will allow a one to one magnification in your pictures. Bellows generally allow you to obtain any magnification in the range of the bellows. A macro lens allows you to take close-up shots without having to fuss with these awkward devices. Macro lenses can be used with bellows or rings to give an even greater magnifiation.