MACRO LENSES

F OR the little things in life, you can’t beat a good macro lens. Unlike zoom lenses that carry a ‘macro’ badge, most macro prime lenses deliver full 1.0x or 1:1 magnification at their closest focus distance. This enables you to fill the camera’s whole image sensor with something the size of a postage stamp, gaining enormous magnification when you view the resulting shots on screen or in print. Indeed, with APS-C or Micro Four Thirds crop-sensor cameras, you’ll get an even greater ‘effective’ magnification ratio between 1.5x and 2.0x, compared with a full-frame body. Many manufacturers make APS-C format as well as full-frame compatible macro lenses. However, they often have a relatively short focal length, which also results in a short minimum focus distance. In some cases the ‘working distance’ between the end of the lens and the subject you’re shooting can be as little as 3cm. This can be quite impractical, especially when you’re shooting under ambient light, as the lens is likely to cast a shadow over the subject.

For this group test, we’ve selected lenses that give a more