WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF DEFINING A FEW TERMS

CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHY In this guidebook, we’ll use some industry-standard terminology, but it’s helpful
to be sure we’re all on the same proverbial page. To begin with, however obvious
One of the most popular ways for photographers to develop their vision it may be to some, let’s be clear on what’s meant by close-up photography. We’re
and creativity is to enter the world of close-up photography of small talking about photography of small subjects and objects, where the subject is
objects. Even the most commonplace, everyday subjects can be trans- a major part of the picture. We’re not talking about bringing distant subjects
formed from ordinary to extraordinary, by simply moving in close and “close” to the camera — that’s telephoto photography. And, we’re not talking
capturing detailed images of them. There are many reasons that pho- about being able to move close to a large subject, and get the entire subject
tographers work with close-up subjects... to document a craft or hob- into the picture — that’s wide-angle photography.
by, such as coin collecting; to illustrate a how-to project; to sell small
items online; and simply for the creative beauty that close-up images
Terms used in the industry aren’t always precisely quantified, but we’ll provide
can provide.
some general guidance here, to clarify information elsewhere in this guidebook.

And, as we’ll explain in a moment, you don’t need to invest in specialized

CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHY
gear to get started, or even deeply involved, in close-up imagery. The
Images of relatively small subjects, that essentially fill the frame. Think of sub-
lenses you own now, especially standard and telephoto zoom lenses, can
jects or objects roughly a foot (0.3m) or smaller, in length or height, where we
produce strong images when set to their closest focus distance, and
focus close... the picture of the pink flowers is an example.
zoomed to a longer telefocal length.

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
Pictures taken with more specialized equipment, where we approach or even
exceed “life-size magnification.” Here, think of small subjects like a coin, stamp,
or an individual flower, where we fill the frame with the subject.

2 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

 camera, we fill the frame from top to bottom with that coin, we are essentially
at life-size magnification. In other words, the size of the image on the image
sensor (or film) is the same as the actual size of the real-life object. You’ll see
this type of magnification expressed in several ways, in lens specification tables
and so on:

• Life-size magnification
• 1:1 reproduction ratio
• 1x magnification

These terms all mean the same thing — the size of the subject on the image sen-
sor is the same as the actual size of the subject. Of course, if you then were to
reproduce that digital image onscreen (to something like an online social media
page, or a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation), or make a print of it, the subject
An example of macro photography, where a subject about an inch or so
would look enormous. Most users define “Macro” shooting as shots taken at
in size essentially fills the frame. Standard camera lenses can’t focus
about 1/2 life-size or greater. In a shot taken at 1/2 life-size, the image would
this close... either a specialized Macro lens, or dedicated accessories,
appear at half the size on the film or image sensor as it is in real life. Below are
are required to produce this kind of imagery.
a few examples of different close-up and macro magnifications.

MAGNIFICATION
A very useful specification to understand, especially if you’re consid-
1⁄4 life-size (1:4, or 0.25 x magnification)
ering purchasing new gear for close-up and macro shots. Magnification
compares the actual size of the subject — like a coin, the grasshopper
above, or any other small object — to how large that subject appears
on the camera’s digital image sensor, or (on a film camera), the piece of
film recording the picture. 1⁄2 life-size (1:2, or 0.5 x magnification)

On a full-frame digital camera, the image sensor is the same size as

a traditional 35mm film negative or color slide — 24x36mm, or about
Life-size (1:1, or 1 x magnification)
1x1.5 inches (15x22mm for APS-C sensors). If we have a subject like a
US quarter coin, which is nearly 1 inch in diameter, and with a full-frame

3 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

WORKING DISTANCE lens, at the same 1:1 magnification, has a working distance almost six inches
The distance from the front surface of the lens, to the actual in-focus from the subject.
area of a small subject. When photographers ask the question “how
close can you get,” they are usually referring to the working distance
Some users might assume since the 35mm lens “gets closer,” that it would deliv-
from lens to subject.
er superior magnification of a small object when set to its minimum focus dis-
tance. It wouldn’t — the actual magnification is the same! This is why magnifi-
MINIMUM FOCUSING DISTANCE cation, not minimum focus distance or even working distance, is the first thing a
This is different. Minimum focus distance, with any lens, refers to the photographer should consider when comparing close-up lenses and accessories.
actual distance from the actual film or imaging sensor — not the front
of the lens — to the in-focus plane of the subject, with the lens at its
closest focus distance. This is the specification you’ll most often see in GETTING STARTED WITH THE
camera and lens brochures. For general photography, such as shooting
portraits, this spec is often sufficient for knowledgeable photographers LENSES YOU OWN NOW
to determine whether a lens will perform adequately for their needs.
However, for close-up and especially for true macro shooting, you’ll usu-
ally have a much more effective idea of how a lens or accessory will
work if you know the “working distance.”

MAGNIFICATION VS. WORKING DISTANCE

One place photographers can get misled is asking that question we just
mentioned above — “how close can you get?” It’s actually the wrong
question, if you’re trying to determine whether a lens or lens + accesso-
ry will deliver the close-up results you want.

The reason? If we consider true macro lenses for a moment, a huge fac-
tor is their focal length. For example, the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 IS Each of the images above has something in common — they were taken with ev-
Macro lens has an actual minimum focus distance of 5.2 inches (a work- eryday zoom lenses. Even with a standard lens like Canon's EF-S 18–55mm, or
ing distance of 1.18 inches, from the front of the lens to the subject), EF 24–105mm, if you zoom to your longest telephoto setting, and move in close
and delivers life-size magnification here. The EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro (at or near the lens' minimum focus distance) this is what’s possible.

4 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

Most of today’s standard and popular telephoto zoom lenses (like Consider this even with ultra wide-angle zooms, like the Canon EF-S 10–18mm or
many in the 70–200mm or 70–300mm class) can deliver magnifications 10–22mm lenses, or full-frame lenses like the EF 16–35mm or 17–40mm lenses.
to about 1:4, or 1/4 life-size. Typically, you’ll be at about 4 or 5 feet Again, it can be a powerful way to work with close-up imagery. A few examples
(1.2~1.5m) or so away from a subject, at a tele zoom lens’ nearest focus are shown below.
distance — and, zoomed to its longest telephoto focal length.

It goes without saying that this isn’t the right approach for a tight shot of an
As shown in the images on page 3, this means you can fill the frame with insect, or a similar small subject. But again, consider an ultra wide-angle lens for
a subject about the size of a dollar bill, using a full-frame camera. (With a different look, when you leverage its nearest focus distance.
a digital camera using a smaller APS-C image sensor, at that same 1:4
magnification, you’d be in even closer to the quarter coin in the sample
picture.)

So the point is that the lenses most of you own today are a great start
in getting effective close-up images.

WIDE-ANGLE LENSES FOR CLOSE-UPS

Without accessories, most wide-angle and ultra wide-angle lenses won’t
deliver the same, frame-filling magnification you can get with standard
zooms (or certainly with true macro lenses, as we’ll discuss shortly).
But, at their closest focus distances, they offer another alternative — a
strong perspective with the nearest subject taking up even more of the
frame, yet with surrounding background visible. It can be a powerful way
to add the environment to small objects you want to capture.

The key thing is to get close to the primary subject — work at or near
the lens’ minimum focus distance. And, since many wide-angle lenses
will focus to about a foot (or sometimes less) from a subject, you will
often need to really lean in to take maximum advantage of this.

5 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

FOCUSING DURING CLOSE-UP SHOOTING • Turn your lens focus ring to its minimum focus distance,
You may find that the AF system in your camera works well, even when or a distance/magnification you want to work
you move in super-close to work at or near the lens’ minimum focus with. For maximum close-up impact, you’ll usually
distance. However, as magnifications progressively increase, it’s not want to be at the minimum focus distance. Once you
uncommon to find AF to be more skittish, so to speak, and to “hunt” set it here, leave it alone — you won’t get any closer
back and forth with some subjects. by turning it any further; you’ve already set it to the
closest focus the lens can deliver!

And, you may want to ensure that your lens is indeed at its closest fo-
cus distance — not just somewhere near it.

Manual focusing is actually an effective answer in many of these situ-

ations. And, the more your magnification increases, the more effective
it can become.

Here are some steps to effectively begin using manual focus, when
shooting close-ups:

If your lens has a distance scale, like the one pictured above, setting minimum
• If you’re using a zoom lens, pre-set the zoom to the
focus distance is easy — just turn the focus ring until the nearest distance, in
focal length you want (with standard and tele zooms, feet or meters, lines up with the vertical index mark on the lens barrel.
this will often mean set the lens to its longest focal
length — the highest mm setting on the zoom ring).

However, many popular, lightweight lenses don’t have a

• Set the switch on the side of the lens to “MF” or Manual
distance scale— one example is the Canon EF-S 18–135mm
Focus. With Canon EF-M lenses, this will need to
USM lens, pictured to the left. How do you know when a
be done via the camera’s menu, rather than with
lens like this is focused to its nearest focus distance?
a sliding switch on the lens.

6 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

Two things to do here. First, make sure it’s mounted on your camera, and
that the camera is turned on. Tap the camera’s shutter button, to “wake
SHARPNESS IN CLOSE-UP
up” the camera.
SHOOTING
Be sure you’re zoomed to your longest lens focal length, unless you have No question: it can be a challenge to get good, sharp pictures when working
a distinct reason for using a wider setting. Now, while looking through close to small subjects. And normally, the higher your magnifications, the more
the viewfinder, turn the focus ring clockwise, until the view through the acute the challenges become. There are several distinct challenges to getting
finder no longer changes. At this point, the lens has been manually fo- sharp close-up and macro images, especially if you’re not using flash. We’ll look
cused to its nearest focus distance. Don’t turn it any further — you are at each individually.
already at its closest focus distance.

MINIMIZING BLURRED PICTURES FROM CAMERA SHAKE

The note about turning the lens focus ring clockwise, as you hold the Even a slight shaking of a hand-held camera can cause a loss of sharpness,
camera and lens normally and look through the viewfinder, applies to throughout an entire image. And the higher your magnifications are, the more of
Canon-brand lenses specifically. If you use a third-party lens, you may an issue this can become.
need to turn the opposite way to move to its closest-focus position.

ACTUALLY USING MANUAL FOCUS FOR CLOSE-UPS

With the lens already set to its nearest focus distance and manual fo-
cus engaged, taking pictures is deceptively simple — just move yourself
and the camera forward and backward, until you see the point of your
subject you want sharpest pop into focus. Once you’ve practiced this a
bit, you may find using manual focus in this way can actually be faster to
shoot a series of close-up or even macro shots than using AF.

Even at these small sizes, it’s easy to see how slight camera shake caused blur
and a loss of detail in the shot on the left. Good, steady technique can get you
a lot more images like the one on the right.

7 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

This means any of the following, where possible: GETTING GOOD FRONT-TO-BACK SHARPNESS
This is depth-of-field, to use the traditional photographic term. As you get clos-
• Image Stabilization er and closer to a small subject, and magnifications increase, the zone of sharp-
If your lens has it, and you’re hand-holding the camera, use it! ness in your subject gets progressively smaller. You can do two things about
it — either pull back and move farther from the subject (normally, reducing its
• Be mindful of your shutter speeds size), or work at smaller lens apertures. An understanding (or at least an aware-
Consider shutter speeds even faster than the traditional “1/lens ness) of lens apertures, and their likely effects, can make a huge difference in
focal length” often used as a baseline for slow speeds. In other successful close-up and macro photography.
words, again assuming you’re not using flash, if you’re hand-holding
a 100mm lens, try for 1/200 or 1/250, instead of the rule-of-
thumb 1/100 speed.

• Consider using a tripod

In available-light, close-up shooting, a tripod can deliver the
sharpest results.

• Shoot in the brightest light you can

Again, assuming you’re not using flash, anything you can do to
work in good light will help in getting those faster shutter speeds,
to avoid blurs like in the shot on the previous page. Raise ISOs as
needed, especially when ambient light isn’t too bright.

• Use flash
We’ll discuss this separately, but one big benefit of using
flash in close-up shooting is that the incredibly brief
burst of electronic flash can arrest nearly any handheld More so than in most areas of photography, if you want or need front-to-back
camera shake, especially if you are at fast enough sharpness in a small, close-up subject, expect to use small lens apertures. The
shutter speeds that there’s no “ghosting” from residual bottom shot of this watch face was taken at f/32, the smallest lens opening
ambient light. with the macro lens used here.

8 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

The example on the previous page is a good illustration of the need for If the photographer had positioned either the watch
small lens apertures in close-up images. But, don’t take this too literal- or the camera so the watch was more squarely into
ly — we’re not saying you need to shoot all images at f/22 or f/32! In the camera, there’s less surface area front-to-back that
fact, there are good reasons not to in many cases. But never forget that needs to be brought into focus. A sharp picture might
if you just let the camera pick an aperture for you (for instance, in the be possible even wide-open, at an f/stop like f/2.8 or
full-auto Green Zone, or P-mode), you usually won’t get that front-to-
f/4, if the watch was absolutely parallel to the surface
back sharpness when you work close to small objects.
of the imaging sensor on the camera.

Several points to help you here, whether you’re shooting flowers in your This isn’t always possible, of course, but consider
back yard, or carefully arranged product pictures: changing camera angle as one way to manage depth-of-field
issues with close-up or macro shots.
• Pick an appropriate shooting mode
An exposure mode like Aperture-priority (Av on • Put sharpest focus about 1/3 of the way into the subject
Canon cameras) gives you direct control over the lens Again using the shots of the watch as an example, the
opening the camera is picking, while still providing lens was focused carefully to put the sharpest plane of
autoexposure as light changes. Manual exposure focus around the word “quartz” on the watch face —
mode (M on the mode dial) is another alternative, about 1/3 of the visual distance from the front to back
which of course will lock-in shutter speeds and of the watch. And, this focus position did not change
apertures at the settings you set. Either way, you are from the wide-open shot to the f/32 shot. Placing
directly controlling the lens aperture. sharpest focus here, instead of at the front rim of the
watch, or halfway into it, is the surest way to extend
• Try to shoot squarely into your subject sharpness across its surface.
In the example images of the watch face on page 8,
the camera angle is looking diagonally across the This basic principle applies whether you’re shooting a
surface of the watch. This means there’s inherently flower, a large object like a car, or even a landscape.
a lot of foreground and background area on the watch
to try to get into focus, in addition to the plane where
sharpest focus was placed (around the word “quartz”
on the watch face).

9 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

What about the Close-up Mode? If you do use AF, try to manually select a single AF point, or use AF Point Expan-
sion (on cameras that offer it) to precisely tell the AF system exactly where to
Some EOS models have a fully auto shooting mode with
put sharpest focus. And if focusing manually, again, this actually can be quickly
a flower icon, called Close-up Mode. Understand that in
achieved in many cases, if you just pre-set the lens to its closest focus, as men-
this mode, lens apertures are intentionally set to a fairly
tioned before, and then move until you see max sharpness.
wide opening, giving a distinct look of focus being limit-
ed to a small area —like the first picture of the watch on
page 8. If you want extensive depth-of-field in close-up
shots, this Close-up Mode is not the answer.
LIVE VIEW — IDEAL FOR CLOSE-
PIN-POINT YOUR SHARPEST FOCUS PRECISELY
UP SHOOTING
Since close-up and especially macro photography inherently limits the
depth of sharp focus, even at smaller lens openings, one thing that’s al-
ways important is to be in charge of where the sharpest point of focus
is. We may not be able to get the entire subject in tack-sharp focus in
one picture, but if an important part of the scene is tack-sharp, you’re
on your way to a successful photograph.

Up to now, we’ve been discussing camera operation with the photographer’s eye
at the viewfinder. But modern digital SLRs and mirrorless cameras offer anoth-
er option — Live View, using the camera’s LCD monitor as a viewfinder. In close-
Even at f/16, it wasn't possible to get this entire wasp in sharp focus in up and macro shooting, Live View offers some substantial advantages, which
one picture. But by precisely focusing on its face and eyes, we get the users should consider:
impression of a good, sharp macro image, even though it drifts out of
focus as we move toward the background. • A larger view of the subject, with ability to easily
zoom-in to magnify it and verify sharpest focus

10 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

 • See on the LCD monitor the effect of camera settings
like exposure adjustments, changes in white balance,
EXPOSURE CONTROL FOR
and so on — before you take a picture
CLOSE-UPS AND MACRO
• On recent cameras, the ability to use touchscreen
We’ve already touched upon the frequent need for small lens apertures (high f/
technology to just touch the LCD monitor to define numbers, like f/11, f/16, or f/22), to get more extensive front-to-back sharpness
where the camera will focus. And, ability to instantly when shooting closeup images of many small subjects. But along with that is the
change this, as needed. balancing act of good, overall exposure.

• Tremendous ease of viewing if you are using a tripod,

Picking an appropriate exposure mode is part of the equation. As mentioned pre-
and even hand-held, some genuine advantages viously in this document, you often at the very least want to have an awareness
of the lens aperture and corresponding shutter speeds you’re working with, if
• On cameras with Vari-angle or tilting LCD monitors, you want quality results when shooting close-up and especially macro pictures.
ease of viewing for low- or high-angle positions

Keep in mind that exposure modes like P and Tv don’t al-

• Pressing the camera’s depth-of-field preview button,
low direct control of your lens aperture, and the P-mode
get a clean look at the effect of smaller lens apertures,
(as well as all full-auto modes, like the Green Zone and
without the obvious darkening that occurs when
aforementioned Close-up mode) will automatically set
checking D-O-F through an optical viewfinder shutter speeds, too. Full manual control may not be what
you’re after in continuous-light situations, but at the
No question: Live View for close-up shooting is something we strongly very least, you’ll often want to be in control of either the
recommend you experiment with, and see if its advantages are helpful lens aperture you’ll be working with, or sometimes the shutter speed. In macro
for you. It’s a perfect answer if you’re on a tripod, and again, often great shooting, one or the other will usually need to be the primary setting, most of
even for hand-held shots. the time.

11 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

Assuming you’re shooting with some form of continuous light — wheth- light — cloudy days outdoors, in shade, or with indoor
er it’s daylight outside, or indoor continuous lighting — you’ll want to continuous lighting.
ensure several things:

The bottom line is that for macro and close-up shots in continuous light, your
1. That you have a lens aperture that can deliver the
best bet is likely the Av mode if you want automatic exposure control, and Man-
range of front-to-back sharpness you want or need ual exposure mode if you prefer to lock-in whatever exposure setting you ini-
tially determine.
2. That the corresponding shutter speed is sufficiently
fast to avoid problems with shaking the camera
(already discussed, on page 7), as well as freeze any
possible subject movement. Even flowers gently swaying
FLASH FOR CLOSE-UP AND
in a breeze can become a source of blurred subjects
in a macro photo, if your shutter speeds haven’t been
MACRO
raised to a sufficiently fast setting. While something
like 1/60 or 1/125 might be absolutely fine with a totally
still subject, those swaying flowers might need something
like 1/500.

3. Your ISO setting is huge here, with continuous light.

Raising it may increase the level of visible digital
“noise” in your pictures to some degree, but it can also
mean the ability to shoot at safe shutter speeds to
minimize or even eliminate the risk of softness from
blurs, and also allow you more leeway in setting smaller One of the most effective ways to light close-up and macro images is with flash.
lens apertures. While every shooter’s opinions can vary, But usually, this means doing more than simply popping-up your built-in flash, or
we strongly suggest you don’t hesitate to raise mounting a Speedlite to your camera’s hot shoe and aiming it straight ahead. In
ISOs to settings up to 1600 or even higher, if that’s our video series, you saw Speedlites used off-camera, with modifiers to soften
what’s needed to get sufficiently fast speeds and the lens their light, produce beautiful results. An entire book could be written on the
topic, so we can only cover some of the basics here.
apertures that can deliver sharpness you need. This
is particularly true when you’re shooting in subdued

12 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

Our discussion primarily assumes using Canon Speedlites in their E-TTL to get started using a Speedlite off the camera.
automatic flash exposure mode. Be aware that Manual flash mode is
also possible, locking-in a given power level from shot-to-shot and thus
EX-SERIES SPEEDLITES
avoiding possible shifts in exposure if you change compositions, and so
One or more accessory Speedlites can be a terrific way to light close-up and
on. You’re free to experiment with Manual flash mode — not to be con-
fused with the M setting on your camera’s Mode Dial! — but we won’t go macro subjects. Again, however, you will typically have difficulty if you simply
into detail in the limited space we have here. attach a flash to the camera, aim it straight-ahead, and shoot a picture, for
the same reasons listed above for the built-in flash. In addition, the flash’s ad-
ditional height means that the closer you get, the more of a shadow you’ll see
THE BUILT IN FLASH
either below (in horizontal shots) or to one side (in vertical compositions) of
While super-convenient, if your camera has a your subject.
built-in flash, don’t expect miracles or even cre-
atively lit pictures if you rely on it alone. Some
Still, there are times where the convenience of a quick flash-fill picture of flow-
of its limitations may include:
ers in your yard or some other subject dictates shooting a flash-on-camera pic-
ture. Here are a few points:
• Closest distance it may normally fully cover is about 2~3
feet (0.7~1m) from the camera — in other words,
• You will tend to get more consistent results, albeit
if you get any nearer to a subject, you’ll likely cast a
with a very direct look to the flash illumination, if you
shadow from the top of the camera lens on the scene
shoot with a telephoto lens on the camera, and back
away from your subject, rather than work less than 3
• Very direct, frontal “look”
feet (1m) from it

• May be difficult to modify (diffuse or bounce its light, etc.)

• Close to a subject, you may want to manually zoom
the flash head to a setting wider than the actual lens
But even with these possible limitations, the built-in flash does have a you’re using — this will tend to give more even lighting
very important capability we’ll speak about shortly. That’s its ability to if the flash is on-camera. For instance, if you’re
work as a wireless “sender” unit, or triggering device, for one or more shooting with a 70–200mm zoom, you might want to
off-camera Speedlites. It’s a feature sometimes called the Integrated
consider setting the flash head.
Speedlite Transmitter, and it’s available in many (but not all) EOS cam-
eras that do have a built-in flash. We didn’t use this feature in our video
• Use a Speedlite’s -7° down bounce setting
on close-up and macro shooting, but be aware it’s there, and a great way

13 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

 head (again, to spread the light more evenly), it can become a nice aid for quick
close-up and even macro pictures. Technically, this -7° bounce position is for
shots from 2~6 feet (0.7~1.7m) from the camera.

Other Canon Speedlites, like the popular 400-series units (Speedlite 430EX III-
RT, etc.) and 270EX II don’t offer this added close-up ability. If you do use this
-7° bounce setting, remember to return it up slightly to its normal, straight-
ahead position when you’re done, or you’ll get flash cut-off on the top portion of
shots taken at distances much beyond 6 feet.

BENEFITS OF USING FLASH

Whether it’s on-camera, or used as a receiver unit off-camera, a Speedlite can
offer some great advantages to close-up and macro photography.

In this pair of close-up images, it’s easy to see the added fill-flash im-
pact of a Speedlite on-camera (picture on the right). In cases like this, LIGHTING CONTROL
the -7° down bounce setting helps ensure even illumination. A Speedlite can be a great “main light” if it’s used off-camera, and in quick close-
up shots outdoors, can be a great way to fill-in shadows (see the pair of images
With Canon’s 600-series and previous 500-series Speedlites (like the on the left, for one example of this). Either way, it can improve the detail in your
Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT, Speedlite 580EX II, and Speedlite 580EX), pictures through exposure control, in some situations.
there’s a little-known feature that’s designed for shooting closer than
about 3 feet (1m) from the subject, with a flash on-camera. It’s the minus
7 degree bounce setting. You may have noticed if you try to aim a 500-
or 600-series Speedlite’s head straight forward, it seems like there’s a
slight downward angle setting below that. There is.

This slight downward bounce position is to shoot closer than 3 feet from
the camera. If you combine it with a wider zoom setting on the flash

14 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

 And, flash can allow much smaller apertures for greater depth-of-field. Using
flash can suddenly make it easy to shoot at f/16 or f/22 when you need to. Ei-
ther way, even using a Speedlite on-camera with a telephoto lens can be an eff-
ective way to get sharp, detailed shots of small subjects.

COLOR
Flash illumination is nearly the same color as daylight, so if you’re working out-
doors with natural light, there may not be problems with trying to white bal-
ance any flash you add to a scene. And unless you’re mixing flash with another
form of indoor artificial light, when you use Speedlites as a primary source of
light, white balance control and natural-looking color are usually pretty easy to
achieve.

One hand-held Speedlite, off to the left of the camera (using Wireless
E-TTL flash to trigger it) provided all the light in this image. It shows how
a single flash can provide directional lighting, with shadows and texture.
And, since flash allowed a small f/16 aperture, the shot is tack-sharp —
something which would have been hard to achieve if we’d relied on am-
bient light and the (effectively) much slower shutter speeds we’d have
been forced to work with.

SHARPNESS
Flash can suddenly improve the overall sharpness of close-up and Mac-
ro images, for two reasons. The near-instant burst of flash fires at du-
rations of about 1/750 of a second or faster, freezing camera shake
and subject movement like plants swaying in the breeze outdoors. Slow
shutter speeds, often a by-product of using smaller lens apertures, can
to some degree be compensated for by the speed of flash.

15 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

CAMERA EXPOSURE MODES M MODE
Manual mode is actually often best to combine with flash,

AND FLASH especially when you want to truly overpower any existing light,
and have flash be your dominant light source. Pre-set a fairly
modest ISO (for instance, 400 or lower), your fastest x-sync
The primary consideration here is whether you want to blend whatever-
shutter speed (normally 1/200 or 1/250 with most Canon EOS
natural, ambient light is present with flash, or use flash as the primary
cameras), and an appropriate aperture, and you often are well-set to having
light source. This often comes down to two exposure mode choices:
flash be your main source of light. And, with Manual mode, once you make
those settings, they stay locked-in, and won’t try to adjust or change as you
AV MODE move from shot to shot.
Aperture-priority with Canon Speedlites means the
camera will always try to deliver a balanced, natu-
Briefly, other shooting modes with flash will typically behave as follows:
ral-looking shot, where the ambient light in the scene is
properly-exposed, and flash fills-in nearby subjects. If
• P mode
you want the ease of automatic exposure as you transi-
Program Mode will tend to pick wide apertures, based
tion from picture to picture, and want a natural-looking appearance, Av
mode is often one to consider. solely on the level of ambient light, and shutter speeds
no slower than 1/60. Will try to balance flash and
ambient in sunlight or overcast conditions, by raising
But remember, if you work at smaller lens apertures — a common theme
shutter speeds up to camera’s fastest x-sync speed for
in close-up shooting, and a great reason to use flash — the resulting
flash. Speedlite(s) become dominant light source in
slow shutter speeds may be too much to overcome. In a totally locked-
dimmer lighting, although wide lens apertures will
down, tripod-mounted situation like we see in the accompanying macro
videos, this may be no problem at all. But in hand-held shots outside, usually be used, too.
where you may have wind-blown subjects, this can turn quickly into a
source of blurs, secondary “ghost” images, and so on. P-mode, and most full-auto modes like Green Zone
and Close-up Mode are therefore not good choices for
close-up work with flash, unless you deliberately want
the effect of a wide lens aperture.

16 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

 • Tv Mode LENS APERTURES
Shutter-priority Mode always tries to balance natural, ambient
WITH FLASH
light and flash, picking what it thinks is an appropriate aperture for
whatever shutter speed you’ve dialed-in. Flash fills in for nearby
Flash frees you up to use pretty much any aperture you want, a huge benefit
subjects. This can be effective for close-up flash shots, if you
in macro and close-up shooting. Want that super-small f/22 or f/32 for maxi-
want the look of natural light, are hand-holding and need the secu-
mum front-to-back sharpness? You can just dial it in, and in most cases, suc-
rity of a known, sufficiently-fast shutter speed, and don’t mind
ceed with flash, as long as your flashes aren’t too far from your subject. And,
that you’ll tend to get fairly wide lens openings.
often with- out the problems associated with otherwise slow shutter speeds
you’d be coping with if you did this using only available light.
Tv mode could be useful, for instance, if you were shooting a
fast-paced series of close-ups with a tele zoom lens at a botanical
garden, a trade show, or another scenario where you were moving
ISO SETTINGS
quickly from one subject to another, wanted natural-looking
hand-held shots, and wanted the benefit of flash filling-in shadows
AND FLASH
and adding a bit of sharpness. But it’s rarely the answer if you want
to shoot macro images at small lens apertures. Keep in mind the following about using higher ISOs with one or more Canon
Speedlites in close-up and macro shooting (aside from the fact that digital
“noise” increases as ISOs get higher):
Exposure modes work exactly the same way for flash-on-camera shoot-
ing, and for any Wireless E-TTL shooting with one or more flashes
off-camera. • Less flash power is needed as ISOs increase

• Flash becomes increasingly effective if you’ve set small lens

apertures

• All else being equal, ambient light typically becomes progressively more
visible

17 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

In general, don’t fear raising ISOs when using flash in macro or close- Flash Exposure Compensation works exactly the same way to lighten and dark-
up shooting. Your flashes won’t work as hard, you can more easily use en flash output, whether your flash is on or off-camera, and whether you’re us-
small apertures without running out of flash power, and your recycle ing one or multiple off-camera flashes. All are adjusted evenly, up or down, by
times may be faster. But be aware of the impact of how ambient light this adjustment. Any flash ratios in a multi-flash set-up may be unaffected, but
will be recorded, and make decisions accordingly. Nowadays, even crit- the total brightness simply goes up or down.
ical viewers would probably agree ISOs up to 400 can be considered
almost universal, and raising ISOs to 800 or even 1600 is appropriate Remember that many mid-range and high-end EOS cameras have Custom Con-
when conditions require it (like shooting macro images at f/22 or f/32, trols, meaning you can dedicate a button to quickly access Flash Exposure Com-
with flashes positioned away from the subject, or in light-eating modifi- pensation. You’re not limited to the way things work when the camera first came
ers like some umbrellas or softboxes).
out of the box!

FLASH EXPOSURE FLASH AND LIVE VIEW MODE

COMPENSATION
Here’s an important point if you combine Live View — a great tool for close-up
shooting — with flash, especially if you work with Manual mode on the cam-
Whether a single flash or multi-flash set-up, the ability to make global era and combine small lens apertures with fast shutter speeds. Be sure to turn
changes to raise or lower flash exposure is vital if you’re shooting with
OFF “Exposure Simulation” in the camera’s Live View menu. (This is in the red
automatic E-TTL flash exposure. Deliberate lightening or darkening can
shooting menu area of most EOS models; some Rebel models do not offer this
be done to simply tweak exposure, or for intentional creative effects capability.)
like silhouettes. You can perform this using controls on the on-camera
Speedlite, or in many cases, using controls on the camera body. Use
whichever you can access most quickly and effectively. By turning it off, the Live View screen can simply produce the brightness it
thinks is normal as you set up and compose your shots. Flash, after all, will be
your main source of illumination in a finished image.
Flash Exposure Compensation can be a great way to get the amount of
fill-in effect you want in close-up subjects, if you’re shooting to com-
bine daylight and flash in an outdoor scenario. Think the flash looks too If Exposure Simulation is left enabled, it tries to show you what the current
bright or dim at the default settings in your first shot? Adjust it to taste! camera settings would look like in a finished shot. Often, this would be hope-
lessly dark and under-exposed, but Exposure Simulation can only show the im-
pact of whatever available light is present, and cannot show you the effect of

18 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

flash. Again, if your Live View looks super-dark, and you’re going to be source, the sun. Adding numerous light sources without regard for their direc-
shooting with flash, just turn Exposure Simulation for Live View off. tionality and impact can quickly create an unnatural look.

WIRELESS FLASH — GETTING TWO WIRELESS FLASH METHODS

FLASH OFF THE CAMERA Canon has two methods to trigger off-camera, EX-series Speedlites:

Wireless E-TTL is an ideal way to combine flash and macro images, and
OPTICAL WIRELESS FLASH
you often don’t need more than a single Canon EX-series Speedlite with
Sometimes mistakenly called “infrared” (it’s not), this uses a series of very rapid,
“receiver” (previously called “slave unit”) capability to make this happen.
low-power flashes from an on-camera triggering device to off-camera receiver
flashes. As mentioned previously, the humble built-in flash on some Canon EOS
Entire classes and even books have been written on the topic of Wire- cameras can be set in the camera menu to act as a sender (your menu may say
less flash with Speedlites, so once again, we’ll just scratch the surface “master” unit; it’s the same thing), and trigger an unlimited number of off-cam-
here. But understand that it’s a powerful way to work, and at the outset, era flashes, as long as they’re not too far away.
may require nothing more than the gear that’s already in your camera
bag.
Limitations include that off-camera flashes may have to be within a somewhat
direct line of sight to the on-camera sender unit, and in bright sunlight, you may
The beauty of moving the flash off the camera is the control you have be forced to jerry-rig “shades” similar to a small visor on the face of receiver
over the direction of the lighting. Even a single Speedlite, held off the flashes, so the modest pre-flashes aren’t drowned-out by bright, direct sunlight.
camera at a slight angle, can simulate natural sunlight much more ef- Usually, the sender unit on-camera can’t be much farther than about 10~15 feet
fectively than it might if it were mounted on the camera’s hot shoe. Be- (3~5m) from the receiver Speedlites if you’re in daylight, and sometimes built-in
tween the visual effects of modifying off-camera flash — anything from flashes may require the receiver units to be even closer for consistent, fuss-
bouncing it off a wall, using third-party diffusers, umbrellas, or softbox- free firing in daylight. In the indoor situations shown in the accompanying mac-
es — to adding additional lights to the scene, the potential is practically ro photography video, however, then traditional Optical Wireless E-TTL system
unlimited. But keep in mind that in real life, we’re used to one light would likely work extremely well.

19 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

Another advantage of Optical Wireless E-TTL is that many current and RADIO-BASED WIRELESS E-TTL
past Canon EX-series Speedlites have built-in receiver capability, so This method uses a radio transmitter in an on-camera “sender” unit, and built-
many photographers can get a running start with this method. in receivers in compatible RT-series Canon Speedlites. As of the time of this
video’s creation, this means that only Canon Speedlites with RT in their model
To fire off-camera flashes optically, the following can be used name can be used on- or off-camera for radio-based wireless flash. But, it also
on-camera as a sender unit: means flashes can be a lot farther from the on-camera sender unit (up to 98
feet/30m away), and can even be totally hidden from the camera’s line of sight.
Built-in flash, set to Wireless “sender/master” mode Similarly, there’s no concern about loss of receiver flash firing reliability if a
EOS Rebel T3i (and higher; models without “i” in name don’t have this flash is placed in bright sunlight. Radio-based wireless flash is state-of-the-art
technology, and certainly worth exploiting if you do a lot of off-camera flash in
feature)
your close-up and macro shooting.
EOS 60D and higher
EOS 7D (current versions)
RT-compatible sender devices
Radio-based wireless requires an on-camera device to trigger the off-camera
Speedlite with “sender/master” capability
flash(es). For Canon’s Speedlite system, as of early 2018, that means one of
Speedlite 600EX II-RT/600EX-RT
the following, mounted to the camera’s hot shoe:
Speedlite 580EX II/580EX; Speedlite 550EX
Note that the 600-series Speedlites have to be set to Optical Wireless
mode. Canon RT-compatible Speedlite
600EX II-RT; 600EX-RT; 430EX III-RT
Canon USA’s education team has made numerous video and written con-
tent available online (http://www.learn.usa.canon.com), which can walk Optional accessory Canon Speedlite Transmitter
users through the steps to get started, and use Optical Wireless E-TTL ST-E3-RT
effectively.
SPECIALIZED MACRO FLASH — MACRO RING LITE MR-14EX II
Canon has two dedicated, specialized flashes exclu-
sively for macro-type shooting. These are certainly
worth considering if you are (or evolve into) a serious
close-up and macro photographer. Both are complete-
ly E-TTL compatible with all current EOS digital SLRs
and mirrorless M-series models having a hot shoe.

20 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

The first is the MR-14EX II Ring Lite unit. This unit provides essentially
flat, frontal illumination for close-up subjects. It makes it easy to fill-
in small details on anything from a dental image to a shot of an insect.
There are two curved flash tubes which you can independently control,
to provide a sense of shadowed, directional lighting.

The front section of the Macro Ring Lite clips directly onto most ded-
icated Canon Macro lenses, like the EF-S 35mm f/2.8 and 60mm f/2.8
lenses, and the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM lens. Lenses with larger front sec-
tions, like the L-series EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro, and EF 180mm f/3.5L
Macro, require an optional, accessory Macrolite Adapter Ring (67mm
and 72mm, respectively) to attach the front section of the ring lite.

One beauty of the Macro Ring Lite is how easy it is to work with in the
field, for quick shots of insects and other small subjects. Pre-set a small
lens aperture like f/16 or f/22, dial-in a fast shutter speed to kill ambi-
Here’s an example where the flat, even lighting from a Macro Ring Lite delivered
ent light and essentially eliminate the risk of blurs (like 1/200 or 1/250),
nice results, paired with a macro lens. When shadows are either not wanted at
and pre-focus a macro lens to 1:1 or similar magnification. Now, with the
the subject, or you only want even lighting with a hint of them, the curved flash
lens set to Manual focus, just move close to small subjects until they’re
tubes of the MR-14EX II and a macro lens can deliver superb results.
sharp, and shoot sharp pictures. The Macro Ring Lite can change this
type of challenge into almost point-and-shoot simplicity.
Similarly, the MR-14EX II (or the previous-generation Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX)
can speed up the process of hand-held macro images to simply document small
subjects, like jewelry and rings, small mechanical or electronic parts, and so on.

The MR-14EX II (as well as its predecessor, the MR-14EX) can use traditional Op-
tical Wireless technology to trigger one or more off-camera flashes. Be aware
that there is currently no RT-compliant wireless transmission; it’s Optical only.

21 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

And, adding one or more Speedlites off-camera is a bit different than The two heads have a foot shaped to mount into traditional shoe-mount devic-
otherwise in the Canon flash system. By default, the system expects any es, and a threaded tripod-sized socket to further ease attaching to mini tripods,
off-camera flashes added to the MR-14EX II to be in the “C” group, and light stands, and other mounting devices. Their coiled cords are not detachable,
to be used for background or “accent” lighting — not for direct lighting so they must be positioned within reach of the on-camera controller unit they’re
on the primary subject which is lit by the Ring Lite! If you do add one or connected to. But since this is closeup work, you can often get great, directional
more flashes and trigger them with the Ring Lite, and you aim them at lighting without moving the heads more than a foot or two from a macro subject.
the primary subject, you’ll usually get over-exposure.

If you activate Flash Custom Function 15-1 with the MR-14EX II, however,
you change how off-camera Receiver units will operate, and now you can
add “A” and “B” units, and add them to illuminate the main subject along
with the curved flash tubes of the Ring Lite.

SPECIALIZED MACRO FLASH — MACRO TWIN LITE MT-26EX RT

Here’s another important,
dedicated macro flash for
serious macro enthusiasts.
The primary difference vs.
the Macro Ring Lite? The
Twin Lite can provide much
more potential for natural-
looking, directional light-
ing of close-up subjects.
Each of the two flash heads There are plenty of times where you will want directional lighting and shadows
can be moved, tilted, and even removed completely from the front at- to give that sense of detail and texture — such as in this shot at 3x magnifica-
tachment ring. They can be fired together, evenly or at varying ratios, tion of a peacock feather. The Macro Twin Lite MT 26EX RT (or its predecessor,
only one can fire, or be combined with flash from other, off-camera the MT-24EX) are ideally suited for these types of subjects. In this case, only
Speedlites. one flash tube was fired,and it was removed and placed behind this small subject
to deliver a pronounced back-lit look, and enhance the surface of the feather.

22 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

While a bit larger to work with hand-held than the Ring Lite, you can corner. They basically “trick” the lens and camera into thinking that the lens
pre-position the flash heads to work effectively with various subjects, they’re attached to (like your 70–200 or 70–300mm zoom) can focus much clos-
and (as discussed above with the Ring Lite) use this flash to shoot rela- er than it normally would.
tively quickly in the field. But it truly comes into its own when you move
one or both of the heads off the attachment unit, and exploit subject Yet another cool thing: for technical reasons, close-up lenses are the only macro
textures and details with directional lighting. type accessory that doesn't cause a loss of light as you get progressively higher
magnifications.
Again, this unit can trigger one or more additional off-camera receiv-
er flash units, via optical or (with the newest MT-26EX II-RT) using ra-
dio-based wireless flash technology.

TOOLS OF THE MACRO TRADE

CLOSE-UP LENSES
Here’s an example of the power of a Canon Close-up Lens 500D, attached to a
previous-generation 70–300mm zoom lens. The shot on the left captures these
small flowers at the nearest focus distance; there’s a stunning change in the
magnifications possible with the 500D attached to the front of the lens.

And, they’re one of the most affordable ways to get more effective close-up
images, especially with longer-than-normal lenses. Close-up lenses tend to be
We mentioned these several times in the video series, and they’re an quite effective at longer focal lengths (say, between 100 and 300mm or even
appealing accessory for both first-time macro shooters, and even for 400mm), and lose effectiveness at shorter focal lengths.
experienced enthusiasts and pros.

Interestingly, the opposite is true of extension tubes — the other primary ac-
Close-up lenses attach like a filter to the front of the lens, but they cessory to break into real close-up shooting. These get more effective, in terms
aren’t just a flat piece of clear glass. Instead, good close-up lenses use of magnification, as they’re attached to shorter focal length lenses.
a double-element construction of specially-curved, high-quality optical
glass to deliver very good sharpness across the image from center to

23 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

Canon makes two different Close-up Lenses: EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (77mm filter size)
Normal max. magnification — 0.21x
CLOSE-UP LENS 250D Max. magnification with Close-up Lens 500D — 0.6x

• Optimized for lenses from 50mm thru 135mm

• Available in 52mm and 58mm filter sizes EF-S 55–250mm f/4–5.6 IS STM (58mm filter size)
Normal max. magnification — 0.29x
Max. magnification with Close-up Lens 250D — 1.0x
Close-up Lens 250D is a nice accessory to combine with standard zooms
like the EF-S 18–55mm, suddenly turning it into an effective close-up
Be aware that there is currently no 67mm version of either the close-up Lens
device. And again, this is without the cost of losing light as you focus
close. 250D or 500D. Canon does not recommend using step-up adapters to fit a larg-
er filter, such as a 72mm or 77mm, onto a 67mm-equipped lens, although users
are free to try. And, check your lens’ instruction manual carefully — a few Canon
CLOSE-UP LENS 500D
lenses specifically recommend against the close-up lenses, because their added
• Optimized for lenses from 70mm thru 300mm weight to the front barrel of the lens can alter the plane of sharpness and thus
• Available in 58mm, 72mm, and 77mm filter sizes impact image quality adversely. (This is rare, but still, check your lens manual
— with their double-element construction, Canon’s close-up Lenses are a lot
The 500D is a simply superb way for to extend the versatility of a tele- heavier than a typical screw-in filter.) In general, however, we can continue to
photo lens, especially a tele zoom with compatible filter sizes, and make recommend close-up Lenses as a great accessory to extend what a tele lens can
it an effective tool for close-up images. A few examples, with the lens do in shooting small objects.
zoomed to maximum tele position, and focused to its closest focus
setting: In summary, when comparing close-up lenses vs. extension tubes, consider close-
up lenses as more effective to combine with tele lenses, and extension tubes
EF 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS II lens (77mm filter size) as the more effective option to combine with “normal” and wide-angle lenses.
Normal maximum magnification — 0.31x
Max. magnification with Close-up Lens 500D — 0.78x

24 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

EXTENSION TUBES EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Normal max. magnification — 0.21x
EF 12 II — 0.45x max. magnification (5 inch working distance)
The second method to make a conventional lens work more effectively EF 25 II — 0.74x max. magnification (3.2 inch working distance)
at close-up magnifications is to attach a hollow extension tube between
the camera body and the rear of the lens, moving the lens away from
EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM
the camera. This has long been known as a way to allow much closer fo-
Normal max. magnification — 0.28x
cusing, and higher magnifications of close-up subjects. (Just to be clear,
EF 12 II — 0.43x, at 135mm (4.4 inch working distance)
we’re not talking tele-extenders here! They have a built-in optical sys-
EF 25 II — 0.61x, at 135mm (2.7 inch working distance)
tem, unlike extension tubes designed strictly for close-up shooting.)

EF 24–70mm f/2.8L II
The effect is directly related to the length of the extension tube, and Normal max. magnification — 0.09x
the lens’ actual focal length. Canon makes two EF extension tubes, a EF 12 II — 0.63x, at 28mm (1 inch working distance)
12mm version (EF 12 II) and a 25mm long version (EF 25 II).
EF 25 II — 0.74x, at 70mm (1.7 inch working distance)

The closer the extension tube’s length is to the lens’ actual focal length, For the most part with extension tubes, you’ll be focusing the lens to its nearest
the greater the close-up magnification effect will be. And, you’ll find focus distance, although you’re free to experiment with changing focus distance
you’re working much closer to the subject. In extreme cases, you may on the lens manually (effects are usually slight). Autofocus generally will not
find with an extension tube in place with a wide-angle lens, that you’re work when an extension tube is mounted, so expect to use manual focusing. Live
nearly touching the front of the lens to a subject to get it in focus! View, with its magnification capabilities, can really simplify this, whether you’re
tripod-mounted or hand-holding the camera.

Basically, what this means is that extension tubes can make a subtle
improvement in close focusing when attached to a 200mm or 300mm There will be a light loss when extension tubes are mounted, but it’s not consis-
telephoto lens, and a dramatic change if you attach them to a 50mm or tent — just as magnification varies, depending primarily on the focal length of
28mm lens. Here are a few examples: the lens, light loss may vary similarly. The greater the magnification, the greater
the light loss. The good news is that if you expose using continuous light (such
as you saw in parts of the Macro video series), the in-camera metering recog-
nizes and accounts for this light loss, so manually-input compensation is usually

25 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

only needed if you were using a separate, hand-held light meter to cal- infinity, so they can be used for many general-purpose types of images, too. In
culate exposure. The same is true if you’re using E-TTL flash to expose fact, many photographers find a moderate telephoto macro lens to be a tremen-
your pictures…Manual flash mode, however, would require some tri- dous tool for tack-sharp portraits, and even landscape images. Wedding pho-
al-and-error adjustments at high magnifications. tographers can take posed or candid shots, even in fairly low light, and still have
the ability to focus right in on tiny details, from a couple’s new wedding rings
to details in flowers or on the invitations. A macro lens can be something of a
Swiss army knife in the hands of a creative photographer, and not solely a lens

MACRO LENSES for extreme close-up shots.

These are the optimum, albeit most expensive way, to get into macro
shooting. They are special-purpose lenses, optimized to deliver two
things a bit differently than conventional zoom or fixed focal length CANON’S MACRO LENSES
lenses:
Here is a quick run-down of the different macro lenses available in the Canon
• Produce their optimum sharpness and contrast when EOS system. Some of these are discussed during our video series on macro, but
focused at distances much closer than infinity (most all are available at the time of this writing. Further information and specs can be
lenses, on the other hand, are engineered to deliver obtained on Canon USA’s web site (www.usa.canon.com). We’ll list these in order
best performance at focus distances much farther from of their focal lengths, starting with the shortest ones:
the camera)
EF-M 28MM F/3.5 MACRO IS STM
• Deliver “flat-field” sharpness, for excellent corner and The EF-M lens series is exclusively for Canon’s compact
edge sharpness when precisely lined-up to flat objects “mirrorless” cameras, such as the EOS M5, M6, and M100
(such as when copying documents or flat artwork) cameras. This is the genuine macro lens for the M-series-
camera owner— a very compact and light lens, with built-
In general, if you invest in a genuine macro lens, there’s a good chance in Image Stabilization. And, it was the first Canon lens to
it’ll be the sharpest, or one of the sharpest, lenses you own. introduce built-in LED lighting, for close-up subjects. It
can focus from infinity down to 1:1 (even greater magni-
fications of up to 1.2x are possible if it's shifted into its
With one exception (as of the time of this writing), Canon’s macro lenses "super macro" mode).
can focus close enough at their minimum focus distance to deliver true
life-size, or 1:1 (1x) magnification. And, these lenses can focus out to

26 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

AF uses Canon’s STM, or stepping motor, technology, and this works EF-S 35MM F/2.8 MACRO IS STM
especially well when combined with the Dual Pixel CMOS AF in many of This macro lens looks similar to the EF-M 28mm, but it’s an
the recent EOS M-series cameras — even more so on those with EF-S lens, designed for EOS digital SLRs with the smaller
touchscreen operation. APS-C size image sensor. Any current version of the Canon
EOS Rebel, mid-range cameras like the EOS 70D or 80D,
and any current version of the EOS 7D can use this superb
performance macro lens. Its 35mm focal length means it gives the same field of
view that a 56mm lens would provide on a full-frame camera.

It emphasizes compactness, but still can focus from infinity to life-size, using
STM focus motor technology that works especially well with Live View and vid-
eo, and certainly effectively for still images shot through the viewfinder as well.

The EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro lens is perhaps the lightest and most com-
pact way to get into true macro shooting in the EOS system. This lens Like the EF-M 28mm, this macro lens also has built-in LED illumination. This can
can focus continually down to 1:1 magnification. Its built-in LED lighting be turned on or off at any time; there’s no obligation to use it. But it offers a
was used for the shot of the ring, above. very fast option to fill-in shadows of nearby subjects (even in sunlight), as well
as illuminate small subjects in dim conditions. Canon’s dedicated Macro Lite
flashes can also be directly attached to the front of the lens.
The 28mm focal length means this lens delivers a field of view equiva-
lent to what you’d see with a 45mm lens on a full-frame camera — a hair
wider than “normal.” Accordingly, at its nearest focus distances, your This is a supremely sharp, compact and easy to handle lens, that would be an
subjects will be pretty close to the front of the lens. Optical perfor- ideal step-up into hand-held macro shooting. And, with its “standard” equivalent
mance is stellar, and the built-in illumination can really transform what’s focal length, it would double as a fast, f/2.8 general-purpose lens that can focus
possible in quick, hand-held shooting. If using a compact camera is an out to infinity, whenever you desire.
important concern in your macro shooting, an EOS M-series camera
combined with the EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens should be on
your short list.

27 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

EF-S 60MM F/2.8 USM MACRO
Again, a lens with the EF-S mount, so it’s strictly camera, looking to make a clear step into macro photography.
for Canon EOS DSLRs with the APS-C size image
sensor — any current EOS digital Rebel, 70D/80D, EF 100MM F/2.8 USM MACRO
and the 7D series. It won’t work on full-frame There are two EF 100mm macro lenses in the Can-
cameras. on system, as of early 2018. This version has been
around the longest, and is a thoroughly proven
Here, the 60mm focal length translates into design. As with the previous macro lenses, this
an effective equivalent of a 96mm lens — one can focus from infinity down to full life-size,
meaning now we have a true macro lens that’ll 1:1 magnification. With a full-frame camera body, you can fill the frame
focus to life size (1:1 magnification), but have with a subject the size of a US quarter coin.
a longer working distance to macro subjects.
And, at the same time, a true portrait-length,
As you’d expect from a 100mm lens, this doubles as a terrific portrait or general
moderate telephoto lens with a fast f/2.8
medium-telephoto lens, and its wide f/2.8 maximum aperture means it remains
aperture. This lens could easily double as a
effective in many low-light situations. For about 1/4 the price of a 70–200mm
very effective portrait lens, or even a lens for
f/2.8 lens, you can enter the world of available light shooting, and in addition
low-light candids in controlled situations. It
have the ability to focus down to 1x magnification.
doesn’t offer the Image Stabilization of the
35mm macro described directly above, but it
remains an extremely compact and easy lens to hand-hold effectively. Optical performance is excellent... like most real macro lenses, you will not need
And, its modest weight means if you do use a tripod, there’s pretty much to stop this lens down to f/8 or f/11 simply to get good sharpness out of it.
no concern about a front-heavy camera/lens combination. It lacks the Image Stabilization of the more-expensive L-series 100mm macro
lens, but as a great general-purpose macro lens, and a great value, this lens is
tough to beat.
This is a proven design, and has been in the Canon EOS system for near-
ly a decade. It remains a tremendous choice for users who want the
option of a macro lens in a longer focal length package, especially for
nature shooters who can really use the increased working distance to
back-off from live subjects and still get high close-up magnifications. Its
Ultrasonic Motor (USM) focusing is fast and quiet, and this is an easy
lens to manually focus whenever the need arises, too. Overall, a highly
recommended option for Canon users with an APS-C size sensor in their

28 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

 EF 100MM F/2.8 USM MACRO
If your goal is to own the sharpest, best-performing Canon mac-
ro lens, stop here — this L-series lens is exquisite in its per-
formance, and it sits at the top of the Canon macro lens line.
Its outstanding optics are teamed with a very effective, hybrid
Image Stabilization system (built into the lens), providing two
distinct methods of optical stabilization — one optimized for
normal shooting distances, and a different type of stabilization
for close-ups and macro shooting. Image Stabilization really changes the char-
acter of this lens, and makes it very effective for hand-held shooting, even at
the slower shutter speeds often used when macro pictures are taken at smaller
lens apertures for added depth-of-field.
One of the beauties of a macro lens is how sharply they can photo-
graph flat objects, as long as the camera is squarely lined up with the
subject.

The longer 100mm focal length can mean working distance from the
front of the lens to a subject at life-size magnification is almost 6 inch-
es, so you have room to add lighting, space to avoid spooking nearby live
subjects (like a bee on a flower), and minimize the risk of casting shad-
ows from the lens barrel onto nearby subjects. The exquisite performance of the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS macro lens isn’t
limited to macro subjects... it’s a spectacular choice for larger subjects, up to
and including portraits, fashion images, and more. Here, it was used almost
Canon “EF” lenses can be mounted onto any current Canon EOS digital wide-open (at f/4) to photograph part of an antique cash register.
SLR camera, and with an optional Canon Mount Adapter EF–EOS M, it
can be used with mirrorless EOS M-series models as well. This lens func-
tions really well as the equivalent of a 160mm f/2.8 lens when mounted Again, this lens can focus out to infinity, so it’s a great choice for portraits, fash-
on a Canon EOS camera with the smaller APS-C size image sensor, such ion, product shots, and other subjects at “normal” distances. But keep focusing
as an EOS 7D model. Again, this is the value proposition in the EF lens closer, and you can reach life-size (1:1) magnification. It’s simply an incredibly
series among Canon’s macro lenses. practical, professional-grade lens for the serious and critical shooter. As with all
current EF lenses, this lens will work with any Canon EOS DSLR, including APS-C

29 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

sensor models (on the latter, the 1.6x “crop factor” gives this lens the
same field of view as a 160mm lens would have on a full-frame camera).

Like all current Canon L-series lenses, this lens ships with a lens hood
for protection from lens flare in outdoor situations. Canon’s Macro Lite
flashes can be attached, but this lens (unlike the non-L-series 100mm
lens, previously mentioned) requires an optional accessory Canon Mac-
rolite Adapter 67C to connect the flash to the front of the lens.

Working distance from the front element of the lens to a subject is

about 5 inches, with the lens at its closest focus distance and 1:1 magni-
fication. Few macro lenses from any manufacturer can match this lens
for outstanding, professional-grade results in macro shooting.

Here’s an example of where the added focal length of the EF 180mm f/3.5L Mac-
EF 180MM F/3.5L MACRO USM ro lens really shines — its ability to produce life-size magnifications, but with
The 180mm macro lens has the distinction of be- working distances nearly a foot (0.3m) from the front of the lens to the subject.
ing the longest focal length macro lens in the EOS Nature shooters working in the field are far less likely to upset subjects like this
system, as of early 2018. That alone sets it apart bee on a flower.
in the EOS system, and its working distance at
close-up magnifications is why. At full life-size Once again, the 180mm L-series macro lens can focus out to infinity, and then
(1:1) magnification, you can be nearly 11 inches from the front of the lens continuously closer until you reach life-size magnification. It’s actually a great
to the subject — far greater working distance than any other Canon choice for longer focal length portraits, fashion shooting, and products where
macro lens can provide. For nature photographers shooting live sub- more of a distinct telephoto look is desired.
jects, this can really make a difference in the number of quality shots
they can take.
This has been highly regarded for its sharpness, contrast, and overall optical
performance. It lacks the built-in Image Stabilization of the EF 100mm f/2.8L
IS lens, but it is equipped with a removable tripod collar, making it an easy lens
to use on a tripod or even a monopod. With its larger 72mm front filter size, an
optional accessory Canon Macrolite Adapter 72C ring is required to mount a
Canon Macro Lite flash to the front of the 180mm lens.

30 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

While arguably a bit too long for tasks like copying documents or flat • With some EOS cameras having a built-in flash, it’s possible the
artwork, this is a macro lens that absolutely comes into its own when (included) tripod mount adapter can sometimes hit the front
shooting nature-type subjects — whether hand-held or using a tripod. housing of the built-in flash. The tripod collar can be removed in
In addition, if you do a lot of studio-type macro and close-up work, this such instances.
added working distance can give you ultimate flexibility in terms of
room to light small subjects, with minimal risk of casting shadows on • This lens will not focus to infinity or anywhere near it... its most
them. And, it’s one to consider if outdoor portraits, using a longer focal
distant focus distance produces 1x, life-size magnification. It’s
length lens, are something you do frequently. It’s a very compelling al-
exclusively for macro shooting.
ternative to something like a 70–200mm lens, all the more so because
of its true macro focusing capability.
• Focusing is manual only — there is no AF capability, regardless of
the camera it’s mounted to
MP-E 65MM F/2.8 1~5X MACRO PHOTO
Until now, every Canon macro lens we’ve discussed has the • As the lens is focused, magnification gets progressively higher...
capacity to focus down to life-size — close enough to fill there’s a magnification scale engraved on the lens barrel to give
the frame with a typical-size strawberry. But the critical you a pretty precise idea of where you’re at as you focus the lens
macro user may reach the point where they need even more
magnification, for impressive shots of truly small subjects. • Working distance is very short, front of the lens to a subject. At 1x,
expect to be about 4 inches away; at 5x, your front element will be
Here’s the answer. The Canon MP-E 65mm lens is the most unique mac- about 1 inch from the subject.
ro lens in the entire Canon line-up, with continuous close-focusing from
1x (life-size) to 5x life-size (!). When sharp images of small insects, tiny Two additional points: this lens truly comes into its own when used with flash
products or parts, or similar small subjects are needed, this lens an- (either off-camera Speedlites, or a Canon Macro Lite unit attached directly to
swers the call. the front of the MP-E lens). Flash can easily allow the smaller apertures de-
manded for sharp macro images of 3-dimensional subjects with this lens, even
A few important points to keep in mind about this special-purpose if natural light is subdued.
macro lens:

• The lens can work with any current Canon EOS DSLR, and with mir-
rorless EOS M-series cameras via the optional Canon Lens Mount
Adapter EF–EOS M

31 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

 An additional point: some serious macro shooters will combine this lens with
an accessory, third-party focusing rail, for really precise focusing in situations
where they can tripod-mount the camera and lens ahead of time. Canon doesn’t
make focusing rail accessories, but they are available from well-stocked camera
dealers, as well as online.

One of the reasons flash is so effective with this lens is the unavoidable light
losses that accumulate as close-up magnification increases. Years ago, in the
days of completely manual film cameras and separate, hand-held light meters,
this made close-up photography a genuine chore, with constant adjustments to
compensate for light loss a constant part of macro shooting. Today, with out-
standing built-in meters and E-TTL flash, this is largely a forgotten relic of years
past.

This picture of a common housefly points out a few salient aspects of However, be aware that there still is light loss with the MP-E 65mm lens. At 1x
the MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1~5x Macrophoto lens. This was taken at 2x mag- (life-size), it’s effectively transmitting two stops less light than a conventional
nification, hand-held, using a single Speedlite off to the left of the cam- lens, at “normal” focus distances, would in the same lighting conditions. This
era. This enabled an f/11 aperture, and the resulting sharpness. Pre-fo- increases to about a 5-stop light loss at its maximum 5x magnification. This
cusing to 2x magnification, and simply moving in and out until the fly’s means that at its smallest f/16 aperture, effectively the lens is transmitting
eyes were sharp, got us this result. what a “normal” lens would at f/90 (that’s not a typo!). Bottom line: use flash,
and keep the flash(es) fairly close to your subject, or expect to have lots of nat-
And, in terms of practical focusing this lens, you’re dealing with tis- ural light on your subject. Raising ISOs in either case won’t hurt, either!
sue-thin depth-of-field, as magnifications increase. Even if you’re using
flash and shooting at f/11 or f/16, your best bet is to pre-set the mag-
nification you want to work at, and then move the camera forward and
backward until you see critical, sharp focus at the most important point
of your subject. Often with this lens, it’s impossible to get an entire sub-
ject into sharp focus in one picture — best strategy is often to decide
upon one part of a subject to be the plane of sharpest focus, and allow
focus to drift from there as a viewer’s eyes move forward and back in
the scene.

32 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook

SUMMARY Consider adding an EF Extension Tube to a standard zoom lens, or a Close-up
Lens 250D or 500D to a compatible tele zoom lens. You’ll be amazed at what
everyday lenses can deliver.
Close-up and especially macro photography can open an entire new vi-
sual world to the thinking and creative photographer. As we said previ-
And, like any form of creative photography, close-up and macro work are always
ously, even the most ordinary, everyday subjects can look extraordinary
at their best when visual creativity is applied, from composition to how lighting,
when you start getting close to them. These can be as varied as things in
exposure and color are handled. In the same way that composition is a vital el-
your home to exotic details of plants, animals and insects from halfway
ement of good landscape or portrait photography, it’s every bit as important to
around the world.
a great close-up image.

One of the most important virtues for the skillful macro shooter is sim-
Most important of all: simply go out and shoot lots of pictures! Try different
ply to slow down... don’t be in a rush to grab that first picture. Look in-
techniques, different subjects, different times of day. Like any other form of hu-
creasingly carefully at things around you, and let the pictures “come to
man endeavor, the more you practice and apply what you’ve learned, the better
you.”
you’ll become.

Use good technique, from where you put sharpest focus and how you
Canon USA’s education team thanks you for your investment in this video se-
compose the picture to good, sensible choices in camera settings.
ries, and likewise for your confidence in the Canon brand. We hope the series
Close-up and especially macro work truly reward the careful, critical
has been inspirational to you, and that this guidebook has been informative and
photographer.
helpful as you move forward in your photographic journey.

Think about opportunities to set up scenes in your own home or stu-

dio, as we saw in this accompanying video series. But equally important,
look for those close-up opportunities that simply happen, whether it’s
a butterfly landing on a flower close by, or just the way late afternoon
sunlight skims across silverware on the kitchen table.

And remember, you can get great close-ups with the conventional, ev-
eryday lenses and cameras you own now. If a genuine macro lens looks
to be out into your future, work with and make the most of the close-fo-
cusing capabilities in the lenses which are in your camera bag today.

33 Close-up and Macro Photography Guidebook © 2018 Canon U.S.A, Inc. All rights reserved.