Questions about macro...

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Tom Grove

Senior Member
I have a few questions regarding macro shooting…

What makes a macro lens a macro lens? Is it the ability to focus on smaller objects and at a closer range than standard lenses? If so, what is that ideal closer range?

Also… I have 3 different lens attachments that came as a package deal when I bought my D7000 (fisheye, telephoto, and wide angle) that all have a separate removable “macro” lens attached to them. They are unusable without the macro attachment and the macro alone makes my other primary lenses blurry… so obviously it’s unintended to work that way. Yet they don’t make much of a difference as a whole when attached to the primary. Is this because they are junk attachments, or am I using them wrong. When I try to do macro, it doesn’t do anything different than my mains (Nikon 18-55mm VR, Nikon 55-200 VR) normally do without them… I realize it is probably my inexperience so that’s why I am asking…

If you made it this far through this belabored questionnaire, I applaud you! If you respond, I thank you in advance.
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
Macro lenses focus much closer, typically to as much as 1:1 magnification, which the 1:1 means the image size is the same size as the real life object. That could mean for an example, an object one inch dimension (25.4 mm) could make an image slightly be larger than a DX 24mm frame width, or slightly larger than a 24mm FX frame height. In the old days (when we could hold the film and look at it), 1:1 meant the image on the film was the same size as the real object.

I am not familiar with your three attachments (can you provide a link that describes them?), but there have been lens attachments (attached in front of a lens) that makes the view be more telephoto or more wide angle. Typically those I have seen were for older cameras without interchangeable or zoom lenses. They would not focus closer. But there are close up filters (basically simply a magnifying lens) that makes the lens focus closer (but not as much as 1:1).
 
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nickt

Senior Member
A true macro is generally considered to have a reproduction ratio of 1:1 as Wayne said. I don't know if close focus officially falls into the definition, but in every macro lens I know, close focusing would be necessary and assumed to get that 1:1. They do tell you this info. You will see 1 or 2 different numbers for macro lenses. They may give minimum focus distance. This is the distance from subject to sensor plane. You need to subtract the length of the lens to see how close you can get. Or they might give working distance. This is the distance from the front of the lens. I think that is a more useful spec. 1 foot would be great. I think my Tamron 60mm is about 7". Some are less. You will scare bugs and stuff if you get too close. Most people want as much distance as possible to not scare things and also for better lighting.

I don't know why your attachments are unusable without the macro thing, I am not familiar. But if it is a regular 'macro filter', it would screw on your regular lens. Then almost everything will be blurry. You will only be able to focus on very close things. So try that. Very close and focus will be 'thin'. Very easy to miss the focus. Auto focus likely wont work.
 
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Tom Grove

Senior Member
WayneF said:
Macro lenses focus much closer, typically to as much as 1:1 magnification, which the 1:1 means the image size is the same size as the real life object. That could mean for an example, an object one inch dimension (25.4 mm) could make an image slightly be larger than a DX 24mm frame width, or slightly larger than a 24mm FX frame height. In the old days (when we could hold the film and look at it), 1:1 meant the image on the film was the same size as the real object.

I am not familiar with your three attachments (can you provide a link that describes them?), but there have been lens attachments (attached in front of a lens) that makes the view be more telephoto or more wide angle. Typically those I have seen were for older cameras without interchangeable or zoom lenses. They would not focus closer. But there are close up filters (basically simply a magnifying lens) that makes the lens focus closer (but not as much as 1:1).
Click to expand...

I will post a shot of both when I get home... Thanks for the info too.
 
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Tom Grove

Senior Member
nickt said:
A true macro is generally considered to have a reproduction ratio of 1:1 as Wayne said. I don't know if close focus officially falls into the definition, but in every macro lens I know, close focusing would be necessary and assumed to get that 1:1. They do tell you this info. You will see 1 or 2 different numbers for macro lenses. They may give minimum focus distance. This is the distance from subject to sensor plane. You need to subtract the length of the lens to see how close you can get. Or they might give working distance. This is the distance from the front of the lens. I think that is a more useful spec. 1 foot would be great. I think my Tamron 60mm is about 7". Some are less. You will scare bugs and stuff if you get too close. Most people want as much distance as possible to not scare things and also for better lighting.

I don't know why your attachments are unusable without the macro thing, I am not familiar. But if it is a regular 'macro filter', it would screw on your regular lens. Then almost everything will be blurry. You will only be able to focus on very close things. So try that. Very close and focus will be 'thin'. Very easy to miss the focus. Auto focus likely wont work.
Click to expand...

That all makes sense. I will try the macro again when I get home. Should I be using the view finder or live view when doing macro?
 
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nickt

Senior Member
Tom Grove said:
That all makes sense. I will try the macro again when I get home. Should I be using the view finder or live view when doing macro?
Click to expand...
See what works for you. Live view might be hard to see outdoors. A plus for live view is you can zoom in for some good manual focusing.
 
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