Back to Basics - 3 - What is a macro lens & why do you need one

[@usernamemykel]

Allan, when you speak of "diopter/close-up" lenses, are you referring to what Kenko refers to as a "teleplus" (teleconverter), such as their 1.4X Pro 300 DGX?

[@allanc803]

Mr. Walls thank you. I found your YT channel yesterday and have been binge watching ever since. I bought an Olympus 60mm macro lens to pair with my E M5mark2 and have found a learning curve like no other. I have a few mobility problems and have found myself taking photos of everything around the house at a view I have not noticed before. The way you pass on your knowledge is fantastic. Once again thank you. Now I am off to take more photos.

[@daviddaw999]

Allan, I have discovered your channel at exactly the point in my photographic journey when macro appeals. I consider myself really fortunate to have stumbled across what is a superb source of information and advice, so please accept my thanks for the work you do in creating this channel. Your videos are crammed full of wisdom, but they are tempered with a measure of humor that makes watching a pleasure. I can see myself spending quite some time watching your output.

[@mickeygraham]

Great video! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! I have learned a great deal by watching your photography videos. ☺

[@JDanJPaquette]

Allan, you are so good at explaining these macro ideas for someone at my level. You're always pointing out possibilities of weak points in all of these configurations whether it's microscope objectives, extension tubes, reversed lenses...Thank you for all of the work you put into these presentations. dp

[@OldguyinBelize]

i too have just now began macro and found your channel,, thank you! i have owed a nikkor 105 2.8 macro for years and i find it to also be my favorite portrait lens..... a two-fer!!

[@lesprice42]

I watched this excellent tutorial, but it didn't answer my question - I have a very singular purpose - to use my Canon EOS Rebel T5 DSLR to convert 35mm slides to digital, using a tripod mounted, downward pointed, light board illumination setup. What Macro lens is recommended? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks

[@josema133]

🙋🏻‍♂️🇪🇦 Gracias por compartir sus conocimientos. Me ha entusiasmado. 👏👏🤗🤗🤗😁

[@keithgarnham]

Great presentation with the issues clearly explained and peppered with the usual Allan Walls wisecracks! A pleasure to listen to. Keep up the good work. I am considering beco ming a Patreon by the way.

[@rogeryoung3587]

01:44 Oops - not a half. If it's micro four thirds, it's about a *quarter* the size (area) of a full frame sensor - 17.3 x 13 vs 36 x 24 (approx mm).

[@optunu8132]

You are the best in this field, in explaining all of the details and things that are needed to achieve great results. All my photos from my video is because of your explanations. You have all my respect and keep up the good work! Wish you all the best!

[@chrisbusby4395]

I’m so grateful for your videos on here. Being new to macro they are just what I need and more importantly your relaxed informative way of teaching suits me down to the ground, thankyou sir.

[@MOAB-UT]

Great video and tips. I love my new macro lens. I also paired it with some nice extension tubes. Following this, LIGHTING is key to getting the shot.

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

Excellent survey. I’m really looking forward to the rest of this series!

[@hanklevesque426]

Allan, had your basic series been available a few years ago, it would have saved me a lot of time getting to the point where I feel at ease using anything from a reversed lens, a Raynox conversion lens, a 65mm 1x-5x, a 100mm 2:1, a bellows attached 50mm, or microscope objectives ranging from 4X to 20x. Having said all of that, the journey was still half the fun. Thinking of becoming a patreon supporter. Would that give me access to past stream recordings? Thx.

[@cgoismarques]

Great information and humour! 😄

[@NeilW210]

Thanks for another great presentation Allan. I've had the older Tamron 90mm macro (without the image stabilisation) for years, and it's been superb.

[@borderlandpeppers7740]

Great Video im glad i made good choices ! Im so happy with my fujinon 80mm f2.8 macro Super stabilization and insanly sharp 👌🏻

[@Dstonephoto]

Splendid presentation. With Canon you can preset the aperture on a lens by unscrewing the lens after holding the preview button or by using one of the movie modes . It’s sloppy but it works. The aperture doesn’t get reset to wide open until it has an electrical connection . Would it make sense to compensate for resolution loss on some of these enlarger lenses by doing the equivalent of an image stitch but for macro?

[@davidsoto7951]

Very good video Allan, I would like to know your opinion of the nikon micro 70-180 that I have

[@araneus32]

Tokina 100mm, find one second hand and enjoy the sharpnes. Ok the focus is slow, but for 200$ its hard to get better.

[@messylaura]

i'd be interested in taking a look at that list of recommended lenses you mentioned, i took a quick look on you main webby but i couldn't see it, where be it hidding

[@KingsPhotographySolutions]

Hi great video as always. 😁 I was wondering if you had any thoughts on reverse lens adapter's that have electronic pass through? (I thought they might address a few of the issues you mentioned about modern lense's electronic controls when the lens is reversed.) My real issue is that I'm torn on my next lens choice, and would really appreciate advice from this wise community. The two lens options are: •Sigma 20mm f1.4 DG DN Art •Sigma 105mm f2.8 DG DN Art (1:1 macro) For Macro on each of them: • I'd use the Novoflex Reverse Adapter, L Mount (electronic pass through from the "camera mount", to the "female bayonet filter adapter" on the end of the reversed lense.) So I could use the electronic controls on the Sigma 20mm f1.4 while reversed. Although I'm unsure what the final magnification ratio, or even focal length would be after reversing? It would still be lovely to add this wide angle, fast aperture lens to my kit. (Do dioptre's work on reversed lense's to increase magnification? Is it down to the focal length and focus distance?) •The Sigma 105mm f2.8 (1:1 macro) is a lovely sharp lens, that can even become a 210mm f5.6 (2:1 macro) using Sigma's 2x telephoto adapter. So great range for expanding to higher levels of magnifications in future. (I also believe I could use a nisi 77mm dioptre at "210mm 2:1" for some extra magnification, but don't know exactly what the final ratio is. If the dioptre is x3.3 at 200mm from your testing, does that make it around 6:1? I expect I am missing something in how I'm ment to calculate the ratio.) So that's the 2 lenses and my reasoning for each, thanks for your help and advice. For reference I currently have 1 lens, a Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 (which I'm also curious if it's worth reversing with the electronic pass through adapter, and if a dioptre works on a reversed lens?) Thanks for your time and hope you have a great day. 😁

[@mariusvaiciulis5072]

i do have a nikkor micro 105g vr, and i love it, and i hate it. i love the picture i get, but i hate its weight, since it is usualy not the single lens that i'm carrying with me when i go out. so i'm looking into nikkor micro 85G vr, because of its focus distance and weight (using crop cammera), but the reviews of that lens are kind of mixed, and quite a lot of them are saying "do not buy this lens, buy 40mm DX". wonder what your thoughts on this lens are.

[@victormultanen1981]

Just trying to put Nikon D1 for focus stacking. Is it possible to reduce the mirror shake? I purchased this camera for bigger pixel pitch, hopefully to get better diffraction limit performance.

[@OccultDemonCassette]

Do you have any videos explaining the difference between "Depth of Field" and "Depth of Focus"? I'd read an interview with the optical engineer of Laowa and they were stating that the focal length chosen when developing macro lenses are more about the "depth of focus" rather than the "Depth of Field" when explaining why they used 25mm for their ultra macro, but I didn't really understand what that meant.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

I will give a full explanation at the Q&A on Tuesday at 8PM on KZbin - yours is the second question, but I will answer it first. Great question! Thanks!

[@OccultDemonCassette]

@@AllanWallsPhotography thank you so much!! :)

[@SomeonewithaSony]

Mr Walls, sorry my question is not related to this video but I discovered something interesting...after flocking my tubes, I forgot to attach the relay (Raynox) lens while taking a test shot. I used the 5X Mitutoyo. I found I had the exact same results/sharpness when comparing the image with and without the Raynox/relay. What's up with that?

[@rontrus]

Hi, Allan, I was a little irritated and looked it up again: The DX-sensor (even more APS-C) is less than half the size of a full frame sensor, and MFT has only a little more than a quarter of FF-size.

[@dylanhill1640]

Would you recommend a Nikon 28-105mm 1:3.5-4.5D?

[@АлександрЗверев-г6с]

What is the best lens at 24 minutes of the video, what is the name of this lens?

[@ramipo1]

which macro lens (and not heavy) would you recomend for canon m50 mirrorless?

[@moremedia99]

Mostly good sir

[@lucdelhaize4029]

This is exactly the explanation that I needed to understand my purchase requirements because yes, I have sold my soul to the macro devil 😈

[@gustavogarza2279]

Hi Allan, what's the brand or specifications for the enlarger lens. ?

[@toivoylinampa6131]

I think it is El Nikkor 50mm f/2.8N

[@havefunwithmacrophotograph3839]

first comment thank you for nice content

[@waegnw1793]

I have no idea how taking a photo with a lens that produces life size images at 1X, or 1:1, ever came to be considered a "Macro" photograph, or why the lens would be labeled as a macro lens. I have a science background and have spent more than a few hours viewing things through a dissecting microscope at magnifications of 5 to 20X. Never once did I consider buying a lens combination for the microscope that would produce a 1X magnification. In fact, I don't think that the companies that make microscope lens would have even considered making a 1X lens as few people would buy it. If I wanted to examine something at 1X, I could just hold it in my hand and view it without the microscope. Just wanted to point this out as this concept of a 1:1 "Macro" lens seems (to me) to be a joke. There have been many times where I have seen a link to a new macro lens. I click the link and start reading the "Macro" lens reviews and/or specs. Then I notice that the lens I might have been interested in buying for my Macro work has a maximum magnification of 1X, or 1:1. I immediately shut down the website for that particular lens knowing that I have just wasted my time. So, to conclude. I absolutely do not consider a lens that has a maximum magnification of 1:1 to be a "Macro" lens. In fact, I consider that title to be a misnomer. My understanding of the term "Macro" means a lens that produces an image that is greater than life-size. For example, lens that have a maximum magnification of 1.4:1 up to 5:1 would qualify in my book as a Macro lens, even though I consider the 1.4:1 lens to barely qualify as being in the "Macro" category.