True Confession: I Still Don’t Undersatnd What a Macro Is

[Marty E]

Ok. I just purchased a used 100 mm f/2.8 macro lens and am trying to shoot “macro” with my training wheels on. I am totally baffled about how to know if/when I’m shooting a 1:1 ratio to qualify as a macro? I have no idea what size my “sensor” is, let alone compared to the size of my subject. Here are a few examples of some recent shots I took of a white banded crab spider that looked like a tiny puff of cotton to my naked eye. Note that the average length of this female spider  is between 1/4-1/2 inches.

Shot with a Canon kit 250 mm lens on a cornflower:

Shot with my new (used) 100 mm f/2.8 macro lens:

I got experimental and added a 31 mm extension tube  to my 100 mm macro lens to see what difference it would make:

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated! 😀 I have no idea what “sensor” refers to. I know that my results are absolutely NOT in the same ballpark as Click’s macros! I just want to understand what I’m missing. 😀

PS After a little reading, I checked my 100 mm lens. It shows 1:2.8, so I guess it’s not a macro lens?

[beth]

1:1 just means that the size of the object is the same size on the sensor.  ie, if you take a photo of a ruler, the inch marks will be an actual inch apart on the sensor.  if you photographed the ruler at 1:2 magnification, your inch marks would be 1/2 inch apart on the sensor.  you can take a 1:2 photo with a lens capable of taking a 1:1 magnification image, however you can’t take a 1:1 magnification photo with a lens that can only focus close enough to take a 1:2 magnification photo.  at least, not without some help from something like extension tubes or other black magic.

1:2.8 is the aperture, not the macro magnification.  if you look at any of your other lenses, they likely have the same 1:aperture markings.

[Marty E]

Great explanation, Beth! The detail using a ruler really helps as well as on the aperture markings. Thank you!

@loki

[Robert Apple]

Now that opens a 35mm can of worms, that must sound confusing as the active surface area of a full frame sensor is 36x24mm , about 1.5 in, yet you can fit a 12 in ruler on it at full size because it’s an expanded mega pixel sensor, or you could say 1:1 is the same size on your screen as in real life , but what size screen, phone, monitor, ect, but a 4/3 sensor shoots at a 50% crop ratio or @ 200% magnification. Digest all that. Technically it is a image printed out at full resolution that is greater in size then the real life subject, That’s the only consistent rule of thumb in these times. As tilt compound sensors exist and ever increasing megapixels the old rules of film days are obsolete.

In film days if you had a 35 mm wide piece of film and you filled it with a photo from edge to edge of a subject that was 34mm in length, your shooting Macro.

Just shoot close ups of little tiny things and make them look big on your screen.

[Marty E]

Thanks for your expanded detail based on 35 mm as well as current printing technical specs, Robert! I like your advice, I will take you up on it and just shoot tiny objects and make them look larger on my screen 😀

@robertapple

[beth]

robert pretty much hits the nail on the head with his last sentence.  take photos of little tiny things and make them look big on your screen.  don’t worry about the actual magnification.

[Patrick]

Just for fun Marty Try shooting something indoors at home like a coin or anything you like (standing on its edge if a coin ) anything you can place in such a way that allows you to shoot it at the lens closest focusing range manually focus if you can , shooting at the closest range the lens allows you will this will give you a frame filler , if you use a tripod you might not get as close as you need so hand holding will get you real close ..  place the weight of the lens on the table surface ( this will stop camera shake) and move the coin as close as the lens allows , i am just suggesting this little quickie to show you just how close you can get with your lens.

A little extra resource if you wish to have a look , some great ideas in this Ebook

How to Make the Ordinary Extraordinary – Free Quick Guide

[Marty E]

That sounds great, Patrick! I will definitely try it 😀

[Patrick]

If you are someone that likes to get out shooting a lot but the weather is not great then that macro lens opens a whole new world to you simply staying at home and shooting some abstract macro helps keep your eye in on those bad weather days 🙂

I like the photos you posted , you certainly have a good eye for the flowers Marty keep it up 🙂

[Marty E]

Thank you for your kind words about my shots, Patrick. I appreciate your encouragement. 🙂 And your suggestion about shooting abstract macros indoors when the weather is bad outside is excellent. Full sun with its glare and the wind are my enemies when I’m shooting flowers, and those days happen up a lot. Shooting macro will open up a whole new world to me, so I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m looking forward to starting by reading the Ebook linked above that you sent me.

@patrickw-2

[Marty E]

@patrickw-2

Patrick, I tried you process with the camera lens steadied on the table. Here are two results I had with the 100 mm lens as close as I could get it. Any feedback?

BTW, I’m having great fun taking some macro shots of my family missionaries-to-China heirlooms. This one was a small image on one of the ceramic bowls. I love the artistry!

[Patrick]

Thank you very much Marty , I think they all look great when viewed fullscreen , I am glad you are exploring more things with the lens and getting such nice results , Just curious no real reason are these photos shot as .jpeg Or Raw ?, You have so much choice to shoot stuff around the home that would normally not even considered , Thanks for posting these results and look forward to see more as you go 🙂

[Marty E]

Hi Patrick, here is an unusual full frame I result I got from one of my Chinese heirlooms that has an interesting story behind it. I love how the artist put humor into this image painted onto a ceramic bowl during the late 1800s or early 1900s in China.

Here’s a bit of the story I researched. Have you ever heard of the expression “foo foo dog?” It is also known as “foo dog” or “fu dog.” Chinese loved using symbols and myth to capture their culture artistically. This image shows the mythological figure of a “guardian lion,” that Westerners insisted these lions looked like dogs that they started calling “foo dogs.” “Fou” in French means crazy, so foo dogs were crazy! These mythical figures were valued as guardians of the home, both masculine and feminine, powerful, loyal, faithful, and bringing good luck and prosperity.

I’m also struck by the artistic flair in this painting of bottles, again full frame from the same ceramic bowl.

 

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

I shot one of those spiders year ago when messing around with bellows and extender rings.

Any idea what type of spider it is?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robwood/5133847463/in/photostream/

[Patrick]

I think they are crab spiders Rob

[Marty E]

Wow, great shot Rob! One of the big experts at davesgarden.com identified mine as a white banded crab spider. He told me there are a lot of color variations.

[Marty E]

I have to confess, I’m still confused about what constitutes a macro. I get it about the 1:1 ratio, subject life size is same size measured by a ruler on the sensor display. Yet I’m seeing a “macro” photo on my city’s website from last year’s contest that is two dahlias with a bee. (See https://www.cor.net/departments/parks-recreation/recreation-centers/huffhines-recreation-center/annual-photo-contest/categories) Is “macro” subject to the judges’ interpretation? The macro category is defined as “macro” with the description “Use your macro lens for a close up view. Think big, shoot small.” So I’m failing to understand what’s the difference between a macro lens (in my case a dedicated 100mm) and a closeup with a 250 mm telephoto?

[Patrick]

It sounds like the judges are including close up photography ( not true macro ) as Macro .. Could be they are less strict on what constitutes a Macro , it happens a lot that people post a close up image and call it a macro shot which it is not.

Macro is 1:1 or greater , because you see it there as an accepted as macro means very little other than they accept none macro as macro and if that’s the case then accept the rules or skip this one … Lol don’t believe all you read on the internet …but i know you don’t and i was just playing.

[Marty E]

Thanks for your clarification. I’m finding out that contest rules and judges can be “misinformed” (to give the the benefit of the doubt lol), but it’s interesting that the judges are always professional. At least I know enough to know that the devil is in the details lol, and I’ll skip this one on Macro. I’m learning that the term “macro lens” has a lot of wiggle room! Annoying though. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, you just saved me the entry fees. 😀

[Patrick]

That is a pity that you miss out , I do get where you are coming from though and it is absolutely valid , On the separate subject of fee’s … This one baffles the life out of me i admit i look at it maybe a little different than most and i do understand no fee means no prize money … setting that aside i could never see myself paying anyone to have my photo judged , if they want to judge it by all means do but they will be doing it for free … imagine winning if i paid for example $100 or pounds and won $1000 i would still walk away thinking i kinda paid for myself to win , like i said i look at it maybe in an odd way to  some.

[beth]

having “professional” judges likely just means they make money from photography.  customers are not art critics and professionals are not always skilled.

you don’t need to enter contests to validate yourself as a photographer.  you do great work already.  i’m not saying don’t enter contests, but you likely aren’t improving your skills with contests when the judges (or maybe the contest creators) seem a little inept.  i’ve judged several categories for the state fair’s 4h photography entries for the past few years now.  there’s some basic criteria to judge on, but it basically comes down to my personal preference.  there was no skill check to get into judging, my neighbor who teaches archery and shooting to 4h kids passed my name along to the 4h council who puts the fair exhibits together.  to my knowledge, none of them are photographers.

and you already support your city by paying taxes.  programs like this often cost more to run than what they bring in by the time you pay your city employee(s) their hourly wage plus benefits.  if anything like the “no cost” state employee art contest in my state then there’s also the advertising costs and the location to hold the show & awards ceremony.

[Marty E]

Hi Beth, thanks for your kind words for my work and for sharing your thoughts on contests. You make some valid points, and how interesting to know that you’re a judge for your state’s 4h photo contest and how you got into it. One thing I like about the contests I participate in is that the judges each get a chance to speak not only about the judging process and what was so special about the top winners’ work, but also give some pointers for ways to improve. They also may talk about the times they disagree. The judges are different every year and are usually professional photographers specializing in different types of photography such as portrait, fashion, and landscape. I always learn something from the experience, and there have been times that I was completely stumped by some of the winning photos. As I learned more about photography, I began to understand why they won. I’ve already been thinking I may not continue after the contest coming up (that I’m already preparing for), but overall it’s been enjoyable and a great learning opportunity. No regrets.

[r1ch]

I am a visual person myself. So 1:1 is judged when you use the closest focusing distance your 100mm 2.8 canon can get to your subject.  Your 90d is a crop sensor. 1:1 magnification is judged on a full frame sensor. If you stuck a spider on your full frame sensor and flattened it. That would be 1:1. if you take that same spider and flatten it on your crop sensor. That is 1:1  but if you looked at both images on your computer screen, your 90d image would look bigger as if you were closer even though it is 1:1 just like a full frame.  If we look at the this ruler at 1:1 it would show 35mm  on a full frame sensor.

If you look at this same ruler using your 90d crop sensor it would look like this.

This is because, the size of the sensors are different. But in the example above, both images are 1:1

The most important thing to remember to shoot 1:1  is to take your 100mm 2.8 macro, focus on your subject, move  the lens  closer and closer to the subject and stop before the subject goes out of focus then take the picture. Then you are shooting one to one and it is a macro image.  If you back the camera up a few inches to say get the whole flower in the picture, it is no longer 1:1 macro.

This link is where I took the images from. It has a longer more detailed explanation if you still not sure what shooting 1 to 1 is.

http://www.benharveyphotography.co.uk/blog/macrophotography

[Marty E]

Thanks so much for your detailed information on macro shooting @r1ch! Your tip on shooting macro is so helpful, along with your link to the excellent article on macro shooting. Now I have something that will help me practice step by step with my 100 mm 2.8 until I get comfortable with what “macro” truly means.  Great stuff! 😀

[Marty E]

I pay entry fees, no prize money is awarded.  I enjoy being a part of the competition and see it as a way to support my city holding this every year. It motivates me to improve my artistic eye and my technical skills to show my very best. It has also helped me gain confidence. Maybe I’m the odd duck lol, it ‘s one of my few luxuries.

[Patrick]

You certainly are not odd , plus you have a few good reasons to why you get involved .. Main thing is you get something from it on a personal level and you enjoy it so more power to you Marty , good luck with your submissions 🙂

[Marty E]

Thank you, my friend! 🙂

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

To me, that is pure motivation. If purism exists, that is an example. the absolute love of the craft.

[Marty E]

So beautifully put, Rob. I think that’s what we all aim at and support each other with here on LS: absolute love of craft. To me, photography is vast, and there’s always room for improvement and growth. @admin-2

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

It actually reminds me of one thing I didn’t like about Flickr all those years ago, and that was the “full frame” folks – always felt like there was a divide. And it definitely wasn’t about the images.

[Marty E]

And I had to look it up lol. 😀

[Author]

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