Camera Labs

Do you have to have a macro lens to still take good macro photographs?

What is the difference between a macro and non macro lens?
Can any lens be used as a Macro Lens?

- Jake

Hi Jake:

Only Macro lenses have capabilities of getting close up pictures. You can get to a certain distance with other lenses, but you really can get a 1:1 close up with a macro lens.

I don't have a macro lens, but I can give you an example of macro capabilities. I bought some time ago some macro adapters for my 35mm. Those adapters (they are filter like) come with values of +1, +2 and +4.

I have one 28-105mm non macro. I took 2 photos, one without the macro adapters and one with the macro adapters. Check it out:

Without macro adapters


With macro adapters

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Carlos - Caracas Venezuela
EOS 40D
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD/50mm f1.8II
my flickr

okay i get it. i have always been under the inpression, since they make 100mm macro lenses and for example a 28-135 zoom lens, that you could get in just as close.

are there specific lens coverings(+1,+2,+4) for certain types of lens' because i have a 18-135 af-s and i would love to do some macro photography

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D7000,Sigma 70-200mm hsm ii, 18-135mm af-s, 35mm 1.8 af-s,85mm af-s VR II macro, sigma 10-20mm 4-5.6, 500mm f8 off brand, sb600

The only thing you have to check is the size of your lens filter thread. You can combine them and obtain more "close up"

There are dozens of qualities but if you really want to do serious serious serious macro you should consider buying a macro lens. Anyway, close up filters are cheap but the result could be of less quality.

You can find some here: http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=itemlist&cat1=Filters&cat2=Close-Up%20Filters

You can find them on Ebay and almost everywhere.

Cheers

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Carlos - Caracas Venezuela
EOS 40D
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD/50mm f1.8II
my flickr

thank you for the help. Im probably going to pick up a +1 or 2 but before i do so are there some cheaper macro lenses i could use on a d40x. Im completely ok with using manual focus and no VR i just want a 1 to 1 scale when taking pictures.

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D7000,Sigma 70-200mm hsm ii, 18-135mm af-s, 35mm 1.8 af-s,85mm af-s VR II macro, sigma 10-20mm 4-5.6, 500mm f8 off brand, sb600