Best Camera System Lenses For Macro Photography

There are a variety of camera system lenses for macro photography, with options for every major mount, including Canon, Sony, Nikon, and more.

The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM is a great option for Canon users, offering 1.4x magnification and a dedicated bokeh control ring. For Sony E-mount cameras, the Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS is an excellent choice, delivering superb image quality and effective stabilisation.

Nikon users should consider the Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, which provides precise control for super-fine adjustments and pro-grade construction. Meanwhile, the Fujifilm XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro is a sublime piece of kit for Fujifilm X users, offering beautiful image quality and a weatherproofed lens.

For Micro Four Thirds systems, the OM System M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 Macro is a fantastic option, delivering an impressive 4:1 reproduction ratio. Lastly, the Panasonic Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro is a compact, pin-sharp lens for L-mount cameras.

Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM

The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM is a medium telephoto macro lens designed for full-frame EOS R-series cameras. It has a fixed 100mm focal length and a bright f/2.8 maximum aperture for blurred backgrounds and low-light shooting. It also features fast, highly precise autofocus and a spherical aberration control ring.

The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 10.2 inches and a maximum magnification of 1.4x, making it ideal for macro photography. The optical image stabilisation and Hybrid IS system help to reduce blur and compensate for camera shake during macro shooting, respectively. The Super Spectra coating minimises ghosting and flare when working in strong lighting conditions.

The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM is a lightweight yet durable lens. It produces sharp and clear images with a nice bokeh effect, making it fantastic for portraits and especially golden for headshots. It is also a good product photography lens.

Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II

The Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II is a versatile telephoto zoom lens that delivers exceptional performance for both professionals and enthusiasts. With its impressive close-focusing capabilities, you can get as near as 26-42cm to your subject, allowing you to capture stunning macro shots with a maximum magnification of 0.5x. This lens stands out for its sublime image quality, producing pin-sharp and highly detailed images, even of small moving subjects. The optical design effectively corrects for distortions and aberrations, ensuring that your photos are crisp and clear.

The lens features a bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture, which not only contributes to its ability to capture well-lit images in low-light conditions but also provides greater control over the depth of field for those desirable shallow depth-of-field effects. The optical image stabilisation further enhances the sharpness of your handheld shots by minimising the impact of camera shake. This feature, combined with the fast autofocus system, makes this lens ideal for capturing fast-moving subjects with precision.

The Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II is a member of Sony's esteemed G Master series, renowned for their emphasis on high-resolution images and smooth bokeh. The lens incorporates a range of advanced optics, including one XA element and two aspherical elements, along with four ED elements and two Super ED elements. This sophisticated optical design ensures that your images are consistently sharp and exhibit true-to-life colours, with minimal chromatic aberrations and colour fringing.

The lens is also designed with intuitive handling in mind. It features a focus range limiter switch and three focus hold buttons, allowing for fast and efficient operation while shooting. Additionally, the dust- and moisture-sealed design enables you to confidently use the lens in a variety of weather conditions without worrying about damaging your equipment.

Overall, the Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II is an exceptional telephoto zoom lens that delivers stunning image quality, smooth bokeh, and impressive close-focusing capabilities. It is an excellent choice for photographers seeking a versatile lens that can capture both stunning macro shots and crisp handheld images, even in challenging lighting conditions.

Canon RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM

The Canon RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM is a small, lightweight 24mm prime lens with a wide aperture, making it ideal for shooting creatively in low light. The lens has a 5-stop Optical Image Stabilizer and quiet autofocus, making it perfect for smooth, high-quality video. The minimum focusing distance of 14cm (0.5x magnification) allows for creative wide-angle shots and lets you get extra close to your subject, showing fine details within its environment.

The RF 24mm F1.8 is a versatile lens suitable for various photography genres, including landscape, architecture, and street photography. It is also useful for vlogging, with its wide view and Eye AF capability. The lens has a customisable Lens Control Ring for easy adjustment of settings and a dedicated focus ring for precise manual focusing.

In terms of image quality, the lens performs well, delivering sharp and crisp results, especially in the centre of the frame. However, there is some vignetting and distortion, which can be corrected in post-processing. The bokeh quality is good, and the lens has excellent flare resistance.

Overall, the Canon RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM is an affordable and versatile lens that offers excellent value for money. It is a great choice for photographers looking for a lightweight, wide-aperture lens with strong close-focusing capabilities.

Panasonic Lumix S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro

The Panasonic Lumix S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro is a lightweight, compact lens with a focal length of 14-28mm, making it ideal for capturing nature and buildings in high definition. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.15m and a maximum magnification of 0.5x, allowing for excellent close-ups of small subjects. The lens is also dust, splash, and freeze-resistant, making it suitable for use in harsh conditions.

The lens is designed for LUMIX S5 series cameras and features a fast and accurate autofocus system, making it ideal for both photo and video use. It has a common overall length and position of control parts, making it easy to use. The lens construction includes 14 elements in 10 groups, with the use of aspherical lenses and ED lenses to minimise aberrations and ensure superb resolution.

The Panasonic Lumix S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro is an excellent choice for photographers and videographers looking for a lightweight, versatile lens that delivers high optical performance. It is available for purchase at a price of $799.99.

Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO

The Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO is a macro lens designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. It is the most compact 2x macro lens on the market, weighing in at around 250-300g depending on the mount. The lens is available with Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, Leica M, and L mounts.

The Laowa 85mm f/5.6 features an apochromatic (APO) design, which minimises chromatic aberration at both 'in-focus' and 'out-of-focus'. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 16.3cm/6.41", and can focus from infinity to 2x magnification. It has a 28.55° angle of view and a focal length of 85mm.

The lens features 13 elements in 9 groups, with 3 extra-low dispersion elements to reduce chromatic aberration. It has a modest maximum aperture of f/5.6, which contributes to its sleek and lightweight design. The Laowa 85mm f/5.6 is a manual focus lens, with an internal focusing design that prevents the lens from colliding with objects and prevents dust from entering the lens.

The Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO has received mixed reviews. Some users praise its compact and lightweight design, impressive magnification, and image quality. However, others have found it challenging to use, particularly due to the lack of autofocus and weather sealing. Some reviewers also noted the limited number of aperture stops and the difficulty of finding the right CPL filter due to the small filter size.

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