Macro photography

Maximum zoom ratio

All lens magnification is determined by its focal length. For macro photography, we also pay attention to how close we can get close to the subject. Both of these factors, the focal length and minimum focusing distance, determine the maximum lens enlargement ratio, sometimes referred to as the "reproduction ratio". The closer you are to the subject with the lens at a particular focal length, the higher the enlargement ratio you will achieve.

The classic definition of a macro lens is a lens that has a maximum enlargement ratio of at least 1: 1, or "1x" in the lens specification. That is, the subject can be reproduced in full size on the camera image sensor: a 10 mm object can be projected into the sensor as a 10 mm image if the lens is close enough to the subject. Maximum zoom ratio of 1: 2 or "0.5x" means that the maximum size that an image of the same 10 mm object can be projected into the sensor is 5 mm, or only half the actual size.

Other characteristics of the macro lens you need to know

Other characteristics of the macro lens you need to know
The macro lens is specially designed to deliver optimum optical performance at very short and typically sharpest focal distances at close range, though it does not mean that you can only use it for macro photography. Many macro lenses are also capable of performing well when shooting a normal subject at a normal distance.

Another important characteristic of the macro lens used at short distances is that the lens has a narrow field depth. This means the lens should be focused carefully to get the desired detail in perfect focus. You may need to stop the aperture to get enough depth of field with multiple subjects. But shallow depth of field can be an advantage, confirming the detail of the important focus while blurring the disturbing background.

[1] Focal distance (approx. 13 cm / 5.1 in. At 1x magnification) [2] Functioning distance (approximately 2 cm / 0.8 in. At 1x magnification) [3] Minimum focal distance (approximately 35 cm / 13.8 in. At 1x magnification) [4] Distance works (about 16 cm / 6.3 in. At 1x magnification) [5] Surface sensor image