Macro photography is an exciting genre—seeing those bees, bugs, and butterflies in closeup can be a remarkable experience for nature lovers. With a unique tool like a macro lens, you can bring out the details and textures of these critters.

Are you interested in knowing more about macro lenses to take incredible macro images? If so, stick around.

What Is a Macro Lens?

A macro lens is a special type of lens that can produce images in life-size. It also has a close focusing distance compared to standard lenses. This means that it can go closer to the subject and get even the tiniest detail on your subject.

A 1:1 macro lens is called a true macro lens that can take pictures the same size they appear to our eyes. We call this magnification ratio. A 1:2 macro lens, for example, produces images that look half the size of the subjects. These types of lenses are not true macro lenses.

Some macro lenses, called ultra macro lenses, can take pictures that look bigger than their actual size. For instance, a 2:1 macro lens will produce images twice your subject's size.

Many telephoto lenses are marketed with macro capabilities, but they are not genuine macro lenses because often, you will not find their magnification ratios.

Macro lenses have superior optics and solid build quality. They are also known for their flat-field construction. The photos from flat-field lenses are sharp throughout the frame, whereas pictures from standard curved-field lenses tend to be sharp only in the middle and not along the edges.

Who Uses a Macro Lens?

Nature and wildlife photographers predominantly use a macro lens to capture tiny subjects from the natural world. The popular subjects are flowers and bugs, but you can also shoot small critters like frogs and reptiles with a macro lens. A macro lens can show minute details that are invisible to the naked eye.

Product photographers also enjoy the life-size results of a macro lens. It is especially beneficial for taking photos of small objects like jewelry and watches.

Do You Need a Macro Lens?

With macro modes available on smartphone cameras and accessories like lens reversal rings and extension tubes, you may wonder if investing in a macro lens is wise. But it can be an effective tool if you're serious about macro photography.

You may not get enough light or complete control of your lens when using an extension tube. Likewise, if you use a reversal ring, you may accidentally damage the lens elements. The quality of the photos from these accessories can be acceptable, but investing in a macro lens is beneficial in the longer run.

Macro lenses produce sharper images and are built to last for a long time. They are also versatile for different types of photography. If you're still not sold on that, here are some things you can shoot with a macro lens other than macro photos.

Things to Know Before Buying a Macro Lens

A macro lens is an excellent option for getting close to and magnifying your subject, but it has a limitation you should be aware of. Since the lens is so close to the subject, the depth of field is shallower compared to a standard lens.

This is not a dealbreaker—you can leave the shallow depth and call it artistic freedom. Or, you can use the focus stacking technique to get razor-sharp images. So, there is an additional post-processing technique you should learn to use your macro lens efficiently.

Another thing to note is that macro lenses are pricey, thanks to their superb optics. However, many third-party macro lenses are great. You don't need expensive name-brand macro lenses. You can get ultra macro lenses for a bargain from other brands.

For nature and wildlife, you need a macro lens in the telephoto range, between 85 and 200mm. You can go for standard focal length macros like 40mm or 60mm if you're a product photographer.

See the World Up Close With a Macro Lens

We all love our DSLRs and mirrorless cameras because of their ability to take different lenses and give different perspectives. A macro lens is a powerful addition to your lens collection. It can up your photography game considerably.

If you don't want to spend on a macro lens immediately, try renting one and see its performance before deciding.