camera buffs - what is a macro lens?

sinin1

I am trying to get better pictures from my sony mavica -

I have a UV filter coming - which I hope will lower amount of glare -

I am considering a macro lens - what do they do and can they improve photos?

The best I have done so far is below - still working on getting colors right.

Gilbert

Magnification of very very (macro) shots.

AbesNeighbor

That picture of your nickel is pretty good. The most important thing in Photography is LIGHTING.

Dan

ANACONDA

A non macro lens has a focal field which is concave. If you take a picture of a coin and the coin fills the entire view, the center of the coin
will be in focus and the focus of the coin as you move towards the edge, will gradually get out of focus.

A macro lens has a flat focal field. If you take a picture of a coin, the edges as well as the center will be in focus.

Macro lens typically have other benefits. The usually will have the ability fo take pictures with a higher F stop. The F stop is a measurement of how small the lens opening can get.

If you want to take a picture of a person and have the background thrown out of focus, use a low F stop. A low F stop is a vey wide opening to the camera.

If you want to take a picture of a person and have them standing oh, say next to the eiffel tower and have the eiffel tower also in focus,
you use a high F stop.

Lenses with high F stops typically cost more money.

Finally, Macro lenses often have a shorter focal distance. You can get closer to the object and the lens will still be able to focus on the object. Just remember, though, the closer
your lens gets to the object, the less light will fall on the object. In other words, i have heard of a cameral that has a lens that will allow you to get .7 of an inch away from the object. Thats'
pretty close and while it may come in handd for seeing of a gnat has shat on the hat of your Pat(tern), getting that close may preclude sufficient light from falling on your Pattern.

There, anyone still with me or have we all gone looking for Greg?

ANACONDA

Oh, and by the way, Dan is on the money. Lighting is probably the most important thing.

Suffice it to say, if the light ain't right, the photo will suck, no matter what tonnage of camera lenses you own.

Finally, i have a stock Nikon 4500 which i use without a macro lens to take most of my images with. The rest of my
images are either acquired with a scanner or with the precursor to the Nikon 4500....namely...the Nikon 990.

adrian

joejeweler

Adrian....we all know your pics are some of the best! Digital cameras sure are convenient! I use an older Sony Mavica for now, and it's tough getting close without creating shadows.

Eventually i want to get a series of great photo's of my collection using a premier lens/camera setup. I have a conventional 35mm camera(Olympus OM-4 Titanium). One of my full size "macro" lenses is a Vivitar series 1 90mm! It's about 15 --20 years old.....and i bought it new back then because of it's first class optics. (check any lens review). It never was popular back then because of the high cost and weight. I bought it at a close out price, so it wasn't too bad.....

I digress.....now what's GREAT about this lens is the 90mm focal length! Without the 1-1 adapter the photo's are 1/2 life size......but you can get back about twice as far away than most macros allow and still fill the frame with a full size image. With the matched optical adapter full 1-1 lifesize photo's are attainable.....again at a respectable distance.

This additional distance is important, as you know,.....because it allows for much easier lighting of the subject(coin) without creating shadows. Get too close with a smaller focal length lens and it's much harder to illuminate evenly.

Only problem for know is you have to have the film developed and digitized for uploading. Not as convenient but top quality never is. I also need to get a lighting setup.......and i'll be all set to satisfy my photo "perfectomania"! lol
Joe T

OH....by the way..........a 90mm Macro lens is a great "people" lens! (i shot several friends weddings with it when i was younger)Portraits are nice and often the photos are more natural because you don't have to be on top of the subject. They relax and almost forget you're there. And where a true macro shines is in copying a photo where there is no negative available. Paper money photos come out fantastic also, for the reason Adrian mentioned.......keeping the center AND edges sharp!