![]() The drawbacks of using a zoom instead of a prime are softer corners, slightly lower IQ, and rougher bokeh, but they aren’t severe enough to discourage you from trying it. For a more detailed description of shooting super macro with a reversed zoom check out this post about reverse mounting an 18-55mm lens. With this wide mag range it’s possible to shoot anything that you’re likely to encounter in the macro world without additional equipment or having to own a macro lens at all. At 18mm it produces almost 4:1 mag, and at 55mm it produces 1:1 mag like a regular macro lens. Therein lies the beauty of using a wide angle reversed zoom instead of prime lenses. Focal lengths that are best for super macro photography include 18mm, 24mm, 28mm and 35mm the smaller the subject, the smaller the focal length you’ll need. I usually shoot at 2x, which is about what a reversed 28mm lens produces. For example, an 18mm lens approaches 4x mag, which is so powerful that a house fly won’t fit entirely in the frame. Therefore, the smaller the focal length, the more magnification you get. When reversed, the optics work the opposite way they take tiny subjects and make them bigger than life size. When mounted conventionally, wide angle lenses take huge objects and make them fit on your sensor. (on sensor size) / (actual size) = MagnificationĪ reversed wide zoom like this 18-55mm is powerful and versatile If you now add magnification to your lens and double the beetle’s on-sensor size to 20mm, the new magnification ratio is 2:1, or twice life-size. For example, if a beetle is 10mm in real life, and also takes up 10mm on the sensor, the magnification ratio is 1:1. What does that mean? The magnification ratio is how large the subject is on the sensor compared to its actual physical size. Higher magnifications like 3:1 and 4:1 can fill the frame with only part of the insect, and 5:1 typically fills the frame with just the eyes/head. 2:1 is generally what it takes to fill the entire frame with a medium sized insect. What is “super” macro photography? I define super macro as a 2:1 magnification or greater. There are, however, surprisingly simple and inexpensive ways to produce high quality super macro photography with equipment that’s either inexpensive or that you probably already own. ![]() And some configurations are suited for studio photography of dead specimens, but can be too cumbersome for field work like stacked lenses and bellows. Others require highly specialized gear like enlarger lenses. Some are costly such as Canon’s remarkable MP-E 65mm lens. There are many ways to achieve super macro magnification for insect field work, but many have prohibitive disadvantages. On the other hand, a tripod will help you capture shots that are sharp all throughout the frame, rather than just around the subject.This jumping spider was shot at 2x magnification strong enough to fill the frame. It takes a long time to set up and change position, so you can’t quickly take shots from different angles. The biggest is that it limits your flexibility. While a tripod can be useful for macro flower photography, it has some drawbacks. You can also try purchasing some extension tubes, which will decrease your lens’s minimum focusing distance.ĭo you need a tripod for good macro flower photos? I’d suggest going through your equipment and finding the lens that focuses closest. You can still take great macro flower photos with other lenses. ![]() ![]() However, you don’t absolutely need a dedicated macro lens. The Tamron 90mm f/2.8 is a great budget option. ![]() My favorite macro lens for Canon is the 100mm f/2.8L, and my favorite macro lens for Nikon is the 105mm f/2.8 VR. ![]()
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