{"id":11321,"date":"2019-02-27T02:56:51","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T02:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apogeephoto.com\/?p=11321"},"modified":"2019-02-28T02:08:46","modified_gmt":"2019-02-28T02:08:46","slug":"canon-macro-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apogeephoto.com\/canon-macro-lens\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Canon Macro Lens"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"bestMacro lenses are camera lenses designed to achieve extreme close-ups on a subject. Traditional lenses are usually optimized to maximize image quality out to infinity. After all, the purpose of most lenses is to capture distant subjects. Macro lenses, on the other hand, work to bring out details from subjects up close to the camera. <\/span><\/p>\n

A \u201ctrue macro\u201d lens has 1:1 magnification or greater, which means that the lens is creating a true to life-sized image on the sensor of the camera. Other macro lenses might only create a 1:2 (1\/2 life size) or even 1:3 projections. But they still do better than your average lens at creating a large image full of rich details from up close.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canon has one of the largest selections of lenses available from any lens manufacturer, and macro lenses are no exception. From wide angle primes, macro zooms and long-range telephoto lenses, there\u2019s a Canon lens for every purpose. But before you pick up your lens, do you know what qualities you\u2019re looking for? <\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/b>Macro Prime vs. Macro Zoom<\/b><\/h2>\n

Initially, the choice seems like an obvious one: a macro zoom has a focal range that gives you added versatility. A prime lens, on the other hand, is set to a single focal length. Why would you ever give up that range for a macro prime lens?<\/span><\/p>\n

Lens design has to do with finding the best possible compromise between image quality and features. All lenses aim to maximize image quality while reducing or negating chromatic aberration and optical distortions. When you change the focal length of your lens the distortions the lens seeks to correct are also altered. The lens now has to make constant adjustments throughout the zoom range, which may not always result in optimal image quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a single or couple good walk around lenses, a focal range of 24-70mm and aperture of f\/2.8 is a good place to start looking. But finding this combination in a macro lens is rather difficult. The Canon 24-70mm f\/4 is the nearest thing to a macro zoom you\u2019re going to find as the f\/2.8 version doesn\u2019t offer enough magnification. There are always compromises when it comes to lens shopping. <\/span><\/p>\n

And buying zoom lenses, unfortunately, means there are even more compromises to navigate. These often include losses in sharpness and chromatic accuracy, especially in cheaper lenses. But if you\u2019re a hobbyist shooter, the benefits may outweigh the drawbacks for you.
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Having a zoom lens often means not having to carry 2-3 prime lenses in your bag. And the highest quality zooms can reduce or negate the optical benefits of an equivalent prime lens, if not the cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Lens Focal Length<\/b><\/h2>\n

Whether you want a macro prime or zoom, you\u2019ll need to give some thought to what focal length you want. And this depends mostly on your subject matter as well as your operating distance. If you want close-ups of flowers, wood and stone textures, and other generalist uses, a lens in the range of 35-50mm will work nicely. <\/span><\/p>\n

If your subjects are skittish or otherwise can\u2019t get too close, then look at lenses with longer focal lengths. 90-105mm works nicely for insects and other animals that may be skittish in the field. The minimum focusing distance is something you want to look at. <\/span><\/p>\n

The more distance you need from your subject, the longer the focal length you should be considering. They generally peak at around 180-200mm. Macro lenses often have wider apertures, which give a nice shallow depth of field for portrait photography as well. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just keep in mind that the depth of field shrinks slightly when working with close up objects in 1:1 reproduction. For those who don\u2019t know, depth of field in photography is how much of a given scene is in sharp focus. f\/2.8 is relatively shallow in portraiture; but in macro photography, it may be a smaller slice of a subject than you might expect. Stopping down the lens or simply getting a narrower aperture will not only improve sharpness but also save you money; wider apertures are almost always more expensive.<\/span><\/p>\n

The narrower depth of field also means your subject appears much more isolated when using a lens with a longer focal length. f\/2.8 on a 50mm will give an entirely different look from f\/2.8 on a 180mm lens in terms of depth of field as well as how out of focus the background appears. Both focal lengths can find a place in your lens collection, but it\u2019s a great idea to rent or borrow a few lenses and see what sort of photos they create before committing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Weatherization<\/b><\/h2>\n

Macro photography can involve being in the outdoors quite often. When you\u2019re shooting, and it starts to rain having gear that\u2019s weather sealed can make the difference between scrambling for cover and adding macro photos of water droplets to your collection.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many mid to higher end macro lenses come with weatherization that includes rubberized seals to prevent dust or moisture from penetrating the inner elements of the lens. They can add some weight and cost depending on the make of the lens, but it\u2019s well worth the investment if a particular aperture\/focal length comes weatherized. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Canon Brand vs. Third-Party<\/b><\/h2>\n

This is a question that every modern electronics owner will face at some point or another. Is it worth saving a bit of money and buying a third-party lens? Or should I stick to Canon lenses for my Canon DLSR camera body?<\/span><\/p>\n

And the answer is: it depends. Canon\u2019s lens selection is massive. But there will occasionally be gaps in aperture or focal lengths that you may not have easy access to. Third-party lenses often fill those gaps for you and at discounts of 30-50% compared to Canon brand gear.<\/span><\/p>\n

But that cost savings sometimes comes at the price of build quality. You may find that the third-party version of a great aperture\/focal range combination has a plastic construction and feels cheap and light in comparison to the Canon model. <\/span><\/p>\n

Compatibility is another major factor when it comes to in-brand purchases. If I buy a Canon macro lens I can be assured that all of the functions of the camera will be 100% compatible. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes when buying third-party advanced image stabilization (if your camera is sensor stabilized) and autofocus features may not operate perfectly, even if the lens attaches and seems to work fine. If you see IS in the title of your Canon brand lens you know it also comes with hardware stabilizing elements. And USM (Silent Wave Motor) is a huge advantage for quiet autofocusing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Canon EF vs. EF-S<\/b><\/h2>\n

While there\u2019s a dizzying array of acronyms, the difference here is quite simple. Canon EF lenses are meant to be used with full-frame Canon DSLR bodies with a 35mm field of view, like the 6D Mark II. Cropped sensors like the Canon Rebel series use a sensor sized 22.20 x 14.80mm.<\/span><\/p>\n

All of the high-quality L series lenses are for EF bodies. Fortunately, EF lenses can also be used with EF-S (cropped) cameras because the field of view created by the lens is larger than the camera\u2019s sensor. <\/span><\/p>\n

EF-S lenses tend to be cheaper and lighter than their EF counterparts. But EF-S lenses can\u2019t be used on an EF body. The result would be vignetting (darkening of the borders of the photograph) due to the smaller image circle of the EF-S lens.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Best Short Telephoto Macro Prime<\/b><\/h2>\n

Canon EF 100mm f\/2.8L Macro IS USM<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"Canon<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The red stripe on the lens lets everyone know you\u2019re shooting with a professional lens. <\/span>Canon\u2019s L (luxury) lenses<\/span><\/a> are all wide aperture lenses (or fixed aperture if it\u2019s a zoom lens) and use the highest quality glass to prevent chromatic aberrations. The f\/2.8 Macro IS USM<\/a> is also weatherized in order to avoid light rain and dust from ruining your photoshoot. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just keep in mind that with any weatherized lens the body needs to also be sealed, or you\u2019re asking for trouble. The weatherization combined with the specialized optics gives it a hefty 625 g weight.<\/span><\/p>\n

This lens uses a hybrid stabilization system optimized for close range photography, compensating for both linear and rotational shake. Combined with the true macro 1:1 magnification (at a minimum focusing distance of 11.8 in.) the EF 100mm f\/2.8 lives up to the expectations you\u2019d have of the Canon L series. The IS of this lens offers a range of stabilization capacity. <\/span><\/p>\n

On long-distance subjects, you can expect up to 4 stops of stabilization. This decreases down to 2 stops when focusing on closer subjects. A tripod is still a safe bet when using this subject for macro imagery.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n \n \"Canon\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n Canon EF 100mm f\/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras, Lens Only <\/a>\n
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