Three distinctive ranges are available – Art, Contemporary and Sports. These are created with different features to appeal to all experience levels and to capture any subject matter. The image stabilization (IS) in this lens is incredible! It allows you to shoot with up to five stops of difference. This makes the difference between shooting freehand or on a tripod. The Hybrid IS compensates for camera shake during macro shooting. Another critical factor to consider with macro lenses? The minimum focusing distance. It’s the closest distance the lens can be to a subject while maintaining focus. The exact distance depends on the lens’s focal length. But the best macro lenses generally have a minimum focusing distance of no more than 30cm. Comes with a dedicated hood adapter which provides extra protection against harmful lights that harm image quality No, the Canon RF 85mm f/2 is not a true macro lens. The maximum image reproduction ratio is less than life-size (it’s 1:2), but for close-ups of flowers, wedding decor, food, and products, it’s ideal.

Optical highlights include two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements to improve sharpness and contrast, while reducing colour fringing, and Sigma’s proprietary Multi-Layer Coatings to minimize ghosting and flare. Typical of Sigma lenses, it’ supplied complete with a hood. More unusually, a hood converter is also supplied for optimising performance when using an APS-C format rather than full-frame camera. The Sigma 17-70mm Macro is compact and featherlight, and the build quality is impressive given the price point. The lens doesn’t feature a fixed aperture, though. If you like to shoot with a tripod or macro rail, then this shouldn’t be an issue as you can compensate for the smaller aperture by reducing your shutter speed, but f/4 isn’t so great for handholding, especially in lower light. However, Sigma’s image stabilization technology is a big help here, reducing camera shake so you can work at extremely slow shutter speeds without support. The Canon RF 85mm f/2.0 IS STM is described as a macro lens. But it only has a 0.5x max magnification. This still provides a closer view of your subject than most lenses. But, it won’t be able to photograph tiny insects with amazing ease.I’m also a big fan of the control ring. This separate ring around the lens allows you to change settings such as ISO or aperture! It also has a super-quiet STM AF motor. Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is a DSLR telephoto prime lens. It’s a lovely lens that works best for portraits, but it’s also quite versatile, but you can use it for other photography types too. The Art label marks that it’s of the highest quality. In addition, the Sigma 105mm f/4 Art is pin-sharp, has stunning bokeh, and fast autofocus. It’s a fantastic lens that’s well worth the money. This lens allows users to maintain an appropriate distance from the subject of their photos while still being able to take close-up images. The camera, or the shadow of the lens, will not affect photography. This makes it ideal for taking photographs of flowers, and similar subjects, under natural light. The working distance at its closest focusing position is 142mm thanks to which this is possible. Floating Inner Focusing While it moves a shade slower through its focusing range than the Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, it does this with impressive silence. Only when its Optical Stabiliser is employed does it make a little noise. Sigma macro lenses offer quiet, responsive auto focus and mounts for popular brands like Canon, Nikon and Sony.

We test lenses using both real world sample images and lab tests. Our lab tests are carried out scientifically in controlled conditions using the Imatest testing suite, which consists of custom charts and analysis software that measures resolution in line widths/picture height, a measurement widely used in lens and camera testing. We find the combination of lab and real-word testing works best, as each reveals different qualities and characteristics. See more on how we test and review at Digital Camera World. The Contemporary range combines high performance with compact, lightweight designs, making the perfect all-rounder for creators who want extremely portable, high-quality lenses in their repertoire. Additionally, bokeh quality on the 60mm f/2.8 is fabulous, and although there can be haloing and flare issues when shooting into the light, the overall image quality is far better than you would expect given the lens’s price tag.

The bokeh produced by the Velvet 85 is beautiful due to the 12 diaphragm blades. The minimum focusing distance is 9.5 in (24.1 cm), which is sufficient for most macro applications. The maximum image reproduction ratio is 1:2, so this isn’t a true macro lens, but it’ll still get you plenty close for beautiful detail photos. If you’re looking for an inexpensive zoom lens that can focus close, then the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM may be the right third-party macro lens for you. This is both a nifty fifty and an affordable macro lens with 1:1 magnification - which makes it an attractive option for a Sony user, as it is small and light enough to be something you keep in your camera bag. Unlike the other Sony-fit options, this is also a sensible choice for use with APS-C sensor cameras (such as the Sony A6000 series, or the ZV-E1) - and then offers an effective focal length of 75mm. Be warned that this lens is showing its age in terms of its autofocus performance! The lens is reasonably fast, with an f/2.8 at the wide end and f/4 at the long end. It consists of 15 elements organised into 12 groups, which helps reduce chromatic aberration. The lens also has a stepping motor and an HSM autofocus. This aids in focusing when shooting video or in low-light settings. The lens has a weather-sealing gasket around the mount, allowing you to shoot in inclement weather.

This is a lens that photographers either love or hate thanks to the soft, velvety glow it creates when used at f/1.8. The glow can look amazing with subjects like flowers and insects (and you can use it when capturing portraits for that old-style Hollywood look). The Tokina atx-i 100mm f/2.8 FF Macro isn’t as pricey as other options on this list, but don’t let that fool you; it delivers 1:1 magnification with a respectable working distance of 4.5 in (11.5 cm), along with outstanding image quality, excellent ergonomics, and more. Image quality and sharpness are excellent although there can be some vignetting and barrel distortion when shooting wide open.Another handy feature of the Canon RF 35mm: It’s compatible with Canon’s macro speedlight flashes. This flash range includes the Macro Twin Lites and Macro Ring Lites and enables you to create high-quality, controlled lighting for your macro subjects.

The 7artisans 60mm f/2.8 features a heavy, all-metal build, so it’s certainly not a lens you’ll want to carry around all day. And it only offers manual focusing, which may frustrate beginners. However, the focusing ring is well made and allows for precise adjustments, plus the lens is amazingly sharp, even at f/2.8. Macro lenses are lenses designed for macro shots—very close-up photography. Many people shoot macro photos without dedicated macro lenses. But the results will never be as sharp and breathtaking.

The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro is the last man standing from the company’s old-school line-up

The Sigma 70mm f/2.8 macro lens reproduces subjects at life-size (1:1), so it’s ideal for capturing tiny flower details and macro abstracts (and the 70mm focal length is also perfect for portrait photography). The lens delivers a reliable autofocus performance, but it can be somewhat slow, so if you’re hoping to shoot insects, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.