Why invest in a Macro Lens ? |
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Why invest in a macro lens?
The lenses accompanying most SLR kits are all well and good for general photography, but for great close-up results you need a quality macro lens. Shorter lenses (50mm) are good for work where you can get close to the subject, while longer lenses (180mm and beyond) are the best suited for capturing wildlife from a distance when it is impossible to get any closer. But for general all round usage we find lenses with medium focal lengths (90-125mm) are the best suited for most tasks.
You need to choose your “Macro” Lens length carefully as this will also affect your Working distance between your lens and subject, enabling you to take effective control of your lighting and reducing the chances of scaring your subject away. This also helps you control your Depth of field (DOF). Controlling the DOF will have a major impact on your Macro images, the DOF will help you reduce the background to a Blur and this will help the subject standout. To some this is a challenge that can be to daunting and will put people off taking up Macro photography. Another thing to consider when buying a “Macro” lens is you will find yourself needing a good lighting solution. You will find that a standard DSLR flash will not work some well on Macro photography. Because you are so close you will find that the camera will cast a shadow over the area you want to photograph, or that such a direct flash will not give you the results you want. This is why there are specialist maro flash units on the market lick the Nikon R1C1 kit. These type of flash kits give you the ability to direct and spread light from almost any angle. You can also get a array of filters for this type of flash unit as you want to be able to control the colour temperature and the power of the light from each flash head.
Features to look for on a Mcaro Lens
- Focus Ring
- A lot of Macro work is done with manual focus, so pick a lens with a focus ring that works for you. It should be smooth but not likely to slip out of focus as some may do when pointing downwards.
- Quality Optics
- Macro lenses are designed to get the best results from close-up subjects, so the quiality should be a big influence on your buying choice.
- Wide Aperture
- Lenses that have a lower f/stop are also known as fast lenses. They create a shallower depth-of-field and allow more light in to the camera. Of course they cost more to.
- Close focusing distrance
- Lenses with closer focusing distance allow you to get closer to the subject, which often means that you can get a better picture. For lenses of this focal range, around 30cm is about right.
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