MIRRORLESS MACRO MARVELS
Photography week|August 04, 2022
For macro, you need a lens that makes the most of your high-res mirrorless camera. We test four of the finest macro lenses on the market
MIRRORLESS MACRO MARVELS

A 'full macro' lens with 1.0x or 1:1 magnification at its shortest focus setting will reproduce small objects at full life-size on the image sensor. That might not sound like a big deal, but when you're filling the whole image frame with something the size of a postage stamp it enables massive enlargement when viewing shots on screen or in print. Indeed, with the mighty megapixel count of some of the latest full-frame mirrorless cameras, you can reveal near-microscopic levels of fine detail.

But there's a catch. Capturing such minute detail and texture places great demands on the optical quality of a macro lens, not to mention the photographer behind it. Shooting macro images demands a high level of precision. Depth-of-field can be wafer-thin, even when using fairly narrow apertures. This demands that macro lenses deliver good sharpness and contrast at narrow apertures, which tends to be degraded by diffusion.

Accurate focusing is also critical, and this demands a lot from the autofocus systems of mirrorless cameras and their attached lenses. Alternatively, many macro photographers prefer to focus manually, often selecting a magnified Live View image to really nail the point of focus. A good macro lens should therefore have a manual focus control ring that operates with a smooth action and a high level of precision.

This story is from the August 04, 2022 edition of Photography week.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 04, 2022 edition of Photography week.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PHOTOGRAPHY WEEKView All
VILTROX AF 27MM F1.2 PRO
Photography week

VILTROX AF 27MM F1.2 PRO

A 'pro' lens with a consumer price tag

time-read
5 mins  |
March 28, 2024
HOW TO...MASTER SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Photography week

HOW TO...MASTER SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

This powerful tool has more to it than meets the eye, and it's ideal for landscapes

time-read
1 min  |
March 28, 2024
PATCHWORK PORTRAITS
Photography week

PATCHWORK PORTRAITS

Mike Harris uses the Brenizer method to shoot and edit a bokeh panorama with a super-shallow depth of field

time-read
4 mins  |
March 28, 2024
PHOTO CONTEST CELEBRATES BRITAIN'S NATURAL WONDERS
Photography week

PHOTO CONTEST CELEBRATES BRITAIN'S NATURAL WONDERS

British Wildlife Photography Awards feature amazing images of fauna and flora

time-read
1 min  |
March 28, 2024
COMPLETE GUIDE TO LANDSCAPE POST-PROCESSING
Photography week

COMPLETE GUIDE TO LANDSCAPE POST-PROCESSING

Take your best scenic images further using natural editing techniques

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 28, 2024
INSTAX MINI 99 LETS YOU TAKE CONTROL AND GET CREATIVE
Photography week

INSTAX MINI 99 LETS YOU TAKE CONTROL AND GET CREATIVE

Fujifilm's most advanced Instax yet gets colour effects and new focus modes

time-read
1 min  |
March 28, 2024
LUMIX S 100MM F/2.8 MACRO
Photography week

LUMIX S 100MM F/2.8 MACRO

It ticks many boxes, but it's not a total success

time-read
4 mins  |
March 21, 2024
HOW TO...GET THE LONG-EXPOSURE LOOK
Photography week

HOW TO...GET THE LONG-EXPOSURE LOOK

James Paterson shows you how to use the Stack feature in Affinity Photo to combine a set of photos and blur choppy waters

time-read
1 min  |
March 21, 2024
FLASH FUNGI
Photography week

FLASH FUNGI

Master macro with off-camera flash to capture mushroom photos with James Paterson

time-read
5 mins  |
March 21, 2024
PORTRAITS AND PREDATORS: WPA ANNOUNCES OPEN WINNERS
Photography week

PORTRAITS AND PREDATORS: WPA ANNOUNCES OPEN WINNERS

Prestigious contest reveals its latest round of amazing winning images

time-read
1 min  |
March 21, 2024