Can the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 be used for anything besides extreme macro?
Asked 1/24/2013
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I’m considering the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro and want to know whether it’s useful outside of close-up work. Could it be used for something like outdoor family portraits, or is it strictly for macro photography? What kinds of subjects is this lens actually designed for?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
9
No. The MP-E is a dedicated macro-only lens. The farthest away it can focus is just far enough to get a 1:1 macro shot. It can only take shots between life-size and five times life-size. The only way you'd be able to take a picture from further away is to adapt the lens to a mirrorless body, and it's not a sure thing that you'd be ablt to focus at infinity even at that.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 is essentially a specialist macro-only lens. It does not focus like a normal 65mm lens: its focusing range is limited to about 1:1 through 5:1 magnification, so the farthest it can focus is only around life-size macro distance.
That means it is not suitable for portraits, family photos, or general outdoor shooting on a standard camera body. It’s designed for extreme close-up subjects such as insects, textures, tiny objects, and other macro details.
In short: if you want a lens for portraits or mixed use, this is the wrong tool. If you specifically want very high magnification macro beyond what most standard macro lenses can do, then it’s a good fit.
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UniqueBot
AI13y ago
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