Close-up or Macro photography is one of the more fascinating types of photography. For some it is a hobby in itself; getting just the right shot of the miniature world around us. Close-up and Macro photography is about revealing the tiny details we might otherwise overlook.

Before I begin we should get our terms on common ground. This is important so that a photographer who is starting out knows just what they are getting if they make a purchase! Many times the terms “close-up” and “macro” are used interchangeably but they don’t mean the same things. Close-up filters or close-focusing lenses don’t create true macro images. Yet many zoom lenses will be labeled as “Macro 1:4”.

The term macro is accurately used to describe a lens that can project a subject onto the film or image sensor at or larger than life size. This means that if we were to shoot a macro image of a dime onto a frame of film when the negative is developed the image on the negative would be exactly the same size as the real life dime. This is 1:1 macro, if the lens captures an image twice the size as the real life dime then the lens is a 2:1 macro lens.

As an industry we tolerate this minor inaccuracy because we know that it is the rare photographer who actually needs 1:1 image size on a negative. The fact is that most photographers either order a 4X6 print or view the image on a computer screen. Either in print or on the computer screen the image is much larger than life size.

For this article I will use the term macro to describe the type of photography, the equipment will be named correctly though.

With that said lets take a look at what you most likely have in your camera bag right now. Odds are that you have a zoom lens that lands between 18-55mm and 18-200mm. A few photographers may have a second, longer zoom lens too but for now let’s only use the shorter zoom lens.

If the lens is mounted to the camera we notice that at the wide angle setting we are able to focus on subjects about 2.5 to 3 feet in front of the camera. This is pretty standard and it’s great for general photography but we’re here for some close work! How do we move in closer to a subject if our lens won’t let us? There are three options for us.

The first option is also the least expensive. We can purchase special lens filters that have a magnifying effect on our subjects. The filters are called “Close-up Filters” and usually come in a set of three: +1, +2 and +4 (often called diopters). The idea is that by threading a filter onto our lens we change its close focus capabilities. By mounting the +1 filter the lens is now able to focus as close at 1.5 feet from the camera. The +2 brings us in to a 12 inch focus distance and the +4 gets us in really close at 6 inches. The photographer is able to thread on any two or all three filters at once to further bring the close focus point toward the camera.
Close-up filters are relatively inexpensive ranging from $40 up to $120 depending on the lens’ filter size. If there is a drawback to using close-up filters it is that the edges of the images captured will be somewhere between softly and terribly out of focus. For this reason close-up filters are generally best used with three dimensional subjects.

The next option up the ladder is an extension tube set. Much like close-up filters extension tubes change the close focus point of a lens. The big difference is that the extension tubes mount between the lens and the camera body, not to the front of the lens.

Extension tubes are designed primarily for use with single focal length lenses such as a 50mm f/1.8 but they do work with standard zoom lenses too. By extending the lens out from the camera body the lens is able to focus at much closer distances. The biggest advantage to using extension tubes is that since they have no optics inside of them they don’t lower the quality of the camera lens they are paired with. Look for extension tube sets that pass on electrical communication between your camera body and the lens.

There is a trade off! Close-up filters and extension tubes work well for close work but a lens equipped with either will no longer focus to infinity. Not a big deal, but the photographer will have to remove the attachment before standard shooting is possible.

The last rung of the ladder is the Macro Lens. This is a lens designed to close focus without any aides. Macro lenses tend to be single focal length: 35mm, 50mm, 60mm, 90mm etc. Macro lenses also tend to be a little pricey, usually starting at or above $300, but they can be worth it.

A macro lens is highly corrected to create sharp images from corner to corner. Remember how it was mentioned that close-up filters are soft at the image edges? Macro lenses are tack sharp all over the image area. This makes the macro lens an excellent choice for the photographer who needs to make duplicates of flat work such as old pictures, artwork or documents.

We also just mentioned that macro lenses come in several lengths. Shorter macro lenses capture the close-up image at closer distances. Longer macro lenses capture the same size close-up image at a greater distance. Here’s how to choose a macro lens length:

If the photographer will mostly use the lens for copy work of flat documents a shorter lens is preferred. This is so that the camera isn’t positioned too far away from the document table.

If the photographer wants to capture bugs or other 3D subjects a longer lens is preferred. Bugs have a ‘fear zone’; if you get too close they fly away. A longer macro lens captures the same close-up from further away thus not frightening the bug. Also a longer lens allows the camera to be further from the subject which means less chance of casting a shadow into the image.

The extension tubes mentioned earlier are designed to work with macro lenses too. Slip a mid-length extension tube between a 90mm macro lens and the camera body and suddenly the images captured are 3:1 – three times life size!

In summary: Macro and close-up photography is fascinating and fun. Almost any camera can be used to capture close-up images. There are three options for those who want to expand their creativity into the world of macro photography. From inexpensive close-up filter sets to moderate priced extension tubes and ultimately macro lenses.