More than close-up

Macro lenses do much more than make small things look big

Macro lenses are one of the most popular prime lenses on sale. Mostly this is because they make pictures that are substantially different to what you’d normally see. Seeing subjects larger than life sure makes interesting pictures, but what else can you do with a macro lens?

Portraits are a common alternative. Most macro lenses are telephoto, they compress depth and this helps to make more flattering portraits. Lenses with a focus range limiting switch will focus quickly over a 80cm to infinity range.

Most macro lenses have a relatively fast maximum aperture, enabling you to take pictures with a limited depth of field – a look quite different to kit lenses. Faster apertures mean lenses will focus in lower light conditions too.

If the lens has a fast f/2.8 aperture then many EOS cameras will focus with much greater precision. One or more AF points at the centre of the frame will automatically switch to high-precision AF, with around three times finer focus control than slower lenses. In addition, the fast aperture will enable you to try using depth of field differently. There’s a big difference in depth of field if you compare a macro lens of 100mm focal length at f/2.8 versus a kit lens at f/5.6. Many macro lenses stop down to at least f/22, often much more, ideal for when you want lots of depth of field.

Macro lenses are especially designed to maintain a flat plane of focus across the frame. When used at or near maximum aperture there’s a different look to the pictures compared to a non-macro lens. The macro lens is usually sharper across the entire frame, rather than just in the centre.

Macro lenses are used to capture detail shots for movies too. These are often helpful when it comes to editing footage, as they allow you to switch between one main clip and the next without a hard cut. Shoot close-up details of the subject, things being explained or relevant to the movie, and your editing will go much smoother.

If you are thinking about your next photographic step, try a macro lens!

Ask Brian! Confused with your Canon DSLR? Email EOSSOS@ futurenet.com Getting this small gecko to fill the frame was possible with the 100mm macro lens, but it can do so much more

This portrait was taken with a 100mm macro lens at f/5.6 to keep the facial features sharp