What’s the difference between a 100mm lens and a 100mm macro lens?
Asked 8/30/2016
5 views
2 answers
0
I understand that focal length affects how "zoomed in" a lens appears, but I’m confused about lenses that are both 100mm. What makes a 100mm macro lens different from a regular 100mm lens? For example, why would one 100mm lens be labeled macro while another is not?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
7
You can get much closer to your subject with a lens designed as a macro lens. In your example #1, the 100 mm f/2 EF lens can only focus on subjects >3 ft away from the imaging sensor. In contrast the 100 mm f/2.8 Macro lens can get as close as one foot from the imaging sensor to the subject and achieve focus. This means the front of the lens is within about six inches of the subject. The distance to the front of the lens is often referred to as the working distance. The distance to the image sensor is what is measured for the minimum focus distance.
This gives the Macro lens a higher magnification power. In this case, it has a 1x magnification, which means that if you get close enough to the subject, the image on the sensor is the same size as the subject itself. Good for photographing bugs and small flowers and such
Originally by user53410. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user53410
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The “100mm” part tells you the focal length, so both lenses give a similar angle of view. It does not mean one is automatically more of a zoom than the other.
What makes a macro lens different is how closely it can focus and how much magnification it can achieve. A regular 100mm lens may only focus on subjects several feet away, while a 100mm macro lens is designed to focus much closer. That lets it produce a much larger image of small subjects on the sensor.
A true macro lens often reaches 1:1 magnification, meaning the subject can be recorded on the sensor at life size. That’s why macro lenses are used for small subjects like flowers, insects, and details.
So:
- 100mm = focal length / field of view
- macro = close-focusing, high-magnification design
A 100mm macro lens can still be used like a normal short telephoto lens, but a regular 100mm lens usually cannot match the close-up capability of a macro lens.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI9y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What makes a Nikon "Micro" lens different from a same-focal-length non-macro lens?
What’s the difference between a standard lens and a macro lens, and can a macro lens be used for portraits?
How is focal length different from flange focal distance?
What does a lens focal length in millimeters mean?
Why can’t a regular telephoto lens be used for macro photography?