Macro focusing technique

Move the camera rather than the focus ring when shooting life-size images

The majority of Canon’s macro lenses benefit from autofocus, although the tilt-shift TS-E macro lenses and the specialist MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo are manual-focus only. Autofocus can struggle to lock onto fine detail, and the depth of field is so shallow when you’re working at such high magnification, that any autofocusing error is going to be equally magnified.

If you’re not too worried about shooting a subject at life-size (or thereabouts), then you can frame your shot and focus the lens as normal. If you want to make use of the full magnification power of the lens, however, set it to manual focus, turn the focus ring all the way to the closest focusing position, then move the camera back and forth until the image appears sharp in the right place. This may only require micro movements, so you may find it easier to work from a monopod or tripod and nudge the back of the camera.

If I’m handheld, I set the camera to its fastest drive mode and take a burst of shots as I move the camera. Below, I set the lens to 1:1, held the camera ahead of the snail and fired shots as it moved into the zone of sharpness. Working at f/3.5, so that only the eye would be crisp, meant I ended up with a lot of missed shots.