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If you complete whichever macro or close-up photography, you’ll likely turn up across the tenure “magnification.” Even outside of macro photography, the largest part camera lenses include their utmost magnification in the incline of specs.

So, could you repeat that? Is magnification, and why is it so worthy in photography? This article covers everything you need to know.

NIKON D7000 + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 280, 1/400, f/4.0

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What Is Magnification in Photography?
BY SPENCER COX 8 COMMENTS
LAST UPDATED ON MARCH 5, 2021

If you complete whichever macro or close-up photography, you’ll likely turn up across the tenure “magnification.” Even outside of macro photography, the largest part camera lenses include their utmost magnification in the incline of specs.

So, could you repeat that? Is magnification, and why is it so worthy in photography? This article covers everything you need to know.

Focusing dragonfly macro photography
NIKON D7000 + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 280, 1/400, f/4.0
Table of Contents
Magnification Definition
The Effect of Camera Sensor Size
Why Magnification Matters
How to Increase Magnification
Problems with High Magnification
Conclusion

Magnification Definition

Magnification, besides proven as reproduction ratio, is a property of a camera lens which describes how personally you’ve all ears. Specifically, magnification is the ratio linking an object’s size once projected on a camera sensor versus its size in the real humankind. Magnification is generally on paper as a ratio, such as 1:2, which is whispered aloud as “one to two magnification.”

For case in point, say with the aim of you’re liability macro photography, and the object you’re photographing has a projection on your camera sensor which is 1 shuffle across. If the same object is 2 inches across in the real humankind, your magnification is 1:2. (It doesn’t be of importance could you repeat that? Units of measurement you consumption; the worthy device is the ratio linking the object’s size on your camera sensor compared to its size in the real humankind.)

Magnification can besides be on paper in decimal format. For case in point, 1:2 magnification may well be on paper as 0.5x magnification (which is found simply by liability 1 ÷ 2). This is how magnification in the main appears in a incline of a lens’s specifications – 0.3x, 0.14x, 0.22x, and so on.

A special container is once the object is the same size in the real humankind as its projection on your camera sensor. This is 1:1 magnification, besides proven as 1x or “life size” magnification. It’s worthy for the reason that 1:1 magnification is considered the standard in lieu of macro photography, and the largest part macro lenses by their adjoining focusing distance will be by 1:1 magnification.

The closer you focus, the bigger your magnification will be. Macro lenses routinely exit to vis-а-vis 1:1 magnification, although various (such as the Zeiss 100mm f/2 Macro) can solitary exit to 1:2 magnification. A little specialty macro lenses can exit afar 1:1 magnification, such as the Laowa 100mm f/2.8, which can exit to 2:1. A well-liked excellent with macro photography enthusiasts is the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8, which can exit all the way to 5:1 magnification! However, this lens can solitary net macro photos and cannot focus on whatever thing distant from the lens; it’s confined to the focusing range from 1:1 to 5:1 magnification.

Most macro lenses tell you their current magnification in the same in rank window as your focusing distance. For case in point, on my Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro, the magnification is visible in the window at this time:

Magnification amount (top row, orange lettering) on the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR Macro lens

The Effect of Camera Sensor Size
How does magnification relate to the size of your camera sensor? It’s not as straightforward as you may possibly think.

On lone pass, magnification doesn’t adjustment by all for the reason that of your sensor size. It doesn’t even be of importance if you state a sensor; magnification is a property of the lens and the lens abandoned.

At the same stretch, you’ll notice with the aim of a macro lens can (seemingly) capture a more magnified scrutinize of your focus once you’re using a crop sensor camera. What gives?

Maybe a diagram will earn things up. Here’s how a sample focus (a coin in this example) looks by the same magnification on two separate sensor sizes:

Such as you can get, the coin’s projection is physically the same size on both sensors. (If it looks bigger to you on the aps-c sensor, that’s specifically an optical illusion; the pixel dimensions are the same.) So, it doesn’t be of importance could you repeat that? Size sensor I deposit behind the lens – it can’t adjustment the tangible size of the projection. The magnification is identical in both bags.

What does adjustment, however, is with the aim of the coin takes up a greater percentage of the less important sensor. If you were to cause a print of both of these photos and put on show them by the same size, apparently the coin would be bigger on the photo from the aps-c sensor. So, even though the magnification hasn’t misused, the masterpiece has.

If it helps, you can think vis-а-vis it like this: Shooting with a crop sensor is like cropping an image from a full-frame sensor. Now the same way with the aim of cropping a photo doesn’t become more intense magnification, neither does using a crop sensor. But it does cause the focus bigger in your final image.

The takeaway is with the aim of small camera sensors can in point of fact labor immense in lieu of this type of high-magnification macro photography. Now detail, if they state less important pixels than the extensive frame camera, they’re likely to be by an plus. (For demand, a 24 megapixel aps-c camera is generally preferable to a 24 megapixel full-frame camera if you need as much point as doable on a high-pitched magnification focus.) It’s analogous to the condition with extreme telephoto photography. When your goal is simply to deposit the utmost digit of pixels on a small or distant focus, a crop sensor with a small pixel pitch machinery very well.

That whispered, if you’re not by your lens’s utmost magnification (nor very close to it), corpulent camera sensors still state the same remuneration as for ever and a day.

NIKON D800E + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 200, 1/320, f/5.6

Why Magnification Matters
Unlike various camera settings like close hurry or aperture, you don’t really need to be thinking constantly vis-а-vis your magnification if you require to develop high-pitched quality photos. But with the aim of doesn’t mean it’s unimportant.

Magnification is worthy in two highest contexts: Wholesale a lens, and figuring old hat your depth of return.

The originator lone is straightforward. Now with the aim of you understand magnification, you can by a long way chart old hat whether a special lens offers adequate close focus capabilities in lieu of your needs. For case in point, you may possibly realize with the aim of you need a 1:1 macro lens in lieu of could you repeat that? You’re photographing, and a lens with the aim of advertises itself as macro but solitary reaches 1:2 won’t be adequate.

Alternatively, various lenses may possibly not advertise themselves as macro lenses, even if they state pretty impressive close focusing capabilities. For case in point, the humble Nikon 18-55mm AF-P kit lens can get hold of to vis-а-vis 1:2.6 magnification (0.38x), and the Canon 24-70mm f/4 goes even spread to 1:1.4 magnification (0.71x). That’s more than you’d develop with many so-called “macro” lenses from other manufacturers! With either of these lenses, you may well take close-up photos of bigger subjects like flowers, lizards, dragonflies, and so on, lacking costs hundreds of dollars on a fanatical macro lens.

NIKON D7500 + 300mm f/4 + 1.4x teleconverter @ 420mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6
The Nikon 300mm f/4D lens is famous in lieu of its close-up abilities despite not technically being a “macro” lens.

The other context in which magnification matters is in figuring old hat your depth of return. No be of importance could you repeat that? Lens you state, your depth of return is ready to be very shallow by high-pitched magnifications, and it cascade rancid dramatically on one occasion you’re by 1:1 magnification and greater.

This is for the reason that depth of return shrinks as you zoom in and focus closer. Because magnification can be philosophy of (and even spoken mathematically) as a combination of crucial chunk and focusing distance, there’s rebuff way around it: High magnifications state low depth of return.

If you know could you repeat that? Magnification you’re by, you’ll state a capable view of the depth of return you can develop. For case in point, I know with the aim of once I’m by 1:1 magnification, I need to consumption an aperture of by smallest amount f/16 in order to develop adequate depth of return, and maybe even f/22. By focusing a crumb farther back – say, 1:2 magnification – it becomes doable to consumption f/8 or f/11 as a replacement for, in lieu of the same depth of return.

This is of use awareness to state on the flutter if you don’t state stretch to chimp. It’s besides kind to know beforehand how to deal with definite magnifications – such as using a twinkle by 1:1 for the reason that of folks small apertures, or using focus stacking if you develop to extreme magnifications like 4:1 or 5:1 to develop back depth of return.

How to Increase Magnification
The solitary way to become more intense magnification lacking resorting to outdoor accessories is to focus closer and closer (or good buy a separate lens).

If you don’t mind using accessories to exit spread, at this time are various things you can complete to develop more magnification than your lens natively allows:

Extension tubes/bellows scheme. Extension tubes are glass-less tubes with the aim of exit on the back of your camera lens to back it farther from your camera sensor and become more intense magnification. (Bellows systems complete the same device but are shaped like accordions.) These accessories are very well-liked in lieu of macro photography, and they can pull out your magnification significantly. Extension tubes fail you the biggest magnification boost if you’re using a expansive point lens. Don’t lose sleep vis-а-vis using a macro lens; even something like an ordinary 35mm prime can develop very high-pitched magnifications (about 0.5x to 1.2x) once paired with a 20mm or 36mm lean-to tube. Survive all right with the aim of whatever lean-to tubes you develop state electronic contacts inevitable in lieu of your camera brand. Otherwise, you’ll state rebuff way of changing aperture with the largest part prevailing macro lenses.
Reverse lens system: I’m not a substantial fan of this route for the reason that it’s much harder to control aperture (aside from various specialty reverse adapters in lieu of Canon), but reversing your lens – factually attaching it to your camera backwards – is an extra prospective way to become more intense magnification. Particularly with a wide-angle or routine lens, this method can offer really high-pitched reproduction ratios such as 1:1, 3:1, or afar. The wider your lens’s crucial chunk, the more magnification you may well develop.
Dual reverse lens system: Interestingly, you can besides re-use the reverse lens system by attaching lone lens, reversed, against another’s front filter threads. Divide your lens’s crucial chunk by the reversed lens’s crucial chunk to develop your just starting out magnification. You can develop extreme macro images this way (such as reversing a 20mm lens on a 100mm lens in lieu of 5x magnification). It’s a crumb of an unwieldy setup and can introduce unsolicited lens aberrations, but it’s fun to conduct experiment with and certainly does labor.
Close-up filter. There are abundance of specialty close-up or macro filters with the aim of screw against the front of your lens. They don’t for ever and a day state the highest optical quality, but if you dodge the bargain basement priced ones, this is a capable way to become more intense your magnification even lacking a macro lens. Now contrast to an lean-to tube, close-up filters state a greater effect on longer lenses, and comparatively a smaller amount of an effect on wide-angle and intermediate lenses.
Teleconverter. If you state a teleconverter, that’s lone of the easiest ways to become more intense magnification. Specifically, a teleconverter increases your magnification by the same reason with the aim of it increases your crucial chunk. For case in point, a 2x teleconverter will bend your magnification – consequence with the aim of a 1:1 macro lens will currently be able to exit to 2:1 or 2x magnification. The biggest deal out with this method is cost; teleconverters cultivate to be more expensive than the other techniques on this incline.
The greatest way to develop high-pitched magnifications is still to consumption a macro lens, but expectantly this incline gave you various capable ideas on how to exit afar with the aim of. Personally, my favorite of these methods is to consumption a scenery of lean-to tubes combined with a 35mm or 50mm prime.

NIKON Z 7 + 300mm f/4 + 1.4x teleconverter @ 420mm, ISO 110, 1/1000, f/5.6
I used the Nikon 300mm f/4D in combination with a 1.4x teleconverter to become more intense my magnification in lieu of this photo.

Problems with High Magnification
High magnifications are a delivery of fun to consumption, but it’s not for ever and a day painless to develop promptly photos on one occasion you exit afar a definite peak. That’s for the reason that you’re not specifically magnifying your focus by these ultra-close focusing distances; you’re besides magnifying things like camera shake and focus indicate.

On top of with the aim of, for the reason that high-pitched magnifications state such a low depth of return, you’ll besides need to be shooting by small aperture settings once you focus especially close. This funds you’re in in lieu of various photos with the aim of are dark and blurry – not to discussion old hat of focus, since focusing is besides tough once your depth of return may possibly be specifically a little millimeters across!

If your focus is staying still, you can set a date for the largest part of these issues by focus stacking from a trivet. Even if you don’t focus stack, simply using a trivet allows you to consumption longer exposures to negate the darkness of f/16 or f/22. It besides makes focusing much easier.

However, if your focus is heartbreaking, or you’re shooting handheld, focus stacking is much harder, if not out of the question. At with the aim of peak, the greatest option is to consumption a twinkle while practicing your greatest close-up focusing system.

These challenges aren’t painless to overcome, but it’s doable to complete it with various effort, and that’s partly of could you repeat that? Makes macro photography so fun! When you complete succeed by getting a promptly photo by really high-pitched magnifications, it’s very rewarding.

NIKON D800E + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 100, 1/250, f/8.0