Best macro lenses for mirrorless and DSLRs

If you’re looking to improve your macro photography, then a great first step is to pick up one of the best macro lenses. The ability to focus in close and magnify subjects to fill the frame will allow you to render even tiny subjects like insects in full, glorious detail. In macro photography, the lens arguably counts for a good deal more than the camera – any camera can shoot close-ups, while many lenses can’t. So, we’ve put together this guide to help you find the right lens to shoot macro.

We’ve included options for all the major mounts and systems, in both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras – so, as you can imagine, this is quite a long list. If you want to cut to the chase, our quick list below provides top recommendations for each major lens mount. And if you need a few key terms explained, scroll to the bottom of this page for our quick primer on how to choose a good macro lens.

Macro is quite a technical discipline, but it’s less intimidating than it seems, and the barrier to entry isn’t as high as you might think. Yes, there are some very pricey macro lenses out there, but there are also some really quite affordable options, so there’s no reason to feel excluded on account of budget. We even have a dedicated guide to the best-value macro lenses to help you find some great-value optics.

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Best macro lenses: our quick list

Looking for the best deal on macro lenses? Here are our quick picks of macro lenses for each major mount our ‘Buy now’ buttons set up to automatically take you to the best prices, from trusted retailers. You’ll also find a list of other retailers below each lens, so you can find the right deal for you.

Mirrorless macro lenses:

• Best Canon RF macro lens: Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM – buy now
• Best Sony E macro lens: Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II  – buy now
• Best Bright Canon Macro lens: Canon RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM – buy now
• Best L-mount macro lens: Panasonic Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro – buy now
• Best Laowa Macro lens: Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO – buy now
• Best Fujifilm X macro lens: Fujifilm XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro – buy now
• Best Fujifilm XF macro lens: Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR – buy now
• Best Laowa macro lens: 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro – buy now
• Best Nikon Z standard macro lens: Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S VR
• Best standard Nikon Z macro lens: Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 – buy now
• Best Nikon Z macro lens: Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S VR – buy now
• Best Micro Four Thirds macro lens: OM System M.Zuiko ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO – buy now
• Best bright MFT macro lens: Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro – buy now
• Best Panasonic macro lens: Panasonic Leica DG 45mm Macro Lens – buy now
• Best third-party macro lens (Sony E / L-mount): Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art – buy now
• Best Sony macro lens: Sony FE 90mm f2.8 macro G OSS – buy now
• Best Canon EF-M macro lens: Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro STM – buy now
• Best Canon RF macro lens: Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM – buy now

Best macro lenses for DSLRs:

• Best small Canon macro lens: Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM – buy now
• Best Canon EF macro lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM – buy now
• Irix 150mm f/2.8 Macro 1: 1 Dragonfly Lens for Canon– buy now
• Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO – buy now
• Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5x – 5x Ultra Macro – buy now
• Nikon AF-S DX Micro 85mm f/3.5G ED VR – buy now
• Best Nikon F macro lens: Nikon AF-S VR Micro 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED – buy now
• Pentax HD DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited – buy now
• Best Pentax K macro lens: Pentax FA 100mm f/2.8 WR Macro
• Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art – buy now
• Best third-party DSLR macro lens (Canon EF / Nikon F): Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro OS HSM – buy now

Read on to learn more about these lenses and other options for each system, as we count off the best macro lenses you can buy…

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Best macro lenses for mirrorless cameras

First up, we’re covering the best macro lenses you can buy for mirrorless systems. We’ve included brilliant close-up options for Canon (RF and EF-M), Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Sony E and Micro Four Thirds. That’s quite a bit to get through, so let’s get started!

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Best Canon RF macro lens: Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM

At a glance:

• Canon RF-mount
• Min. focus distance: 26cm
• Max. magnification: 1.4x
• Price: $1,742 / £1,369

You’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s nothing particularly special about Canon’s latest pro-spec macro lens for full-frame mirrorless, the RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM, given that it’s named almost identically to its DSLR predecessor. However, Canon has added some intriguing new features. Firstly, it now offers 1.4x magnification, which means you can photograph a subject measuring just 26mm x 17mm. Secondly, a new ‘SA Control’ ring allows users to smoothen the out-of-focus blur in front of or behind the subject. In testing, we gave the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM a full five stars rating and our Testbench Gold Award, describing it as an ‘absolutely superlative lens.’

Pros:

• Very good magnification
• Near-faultless image quality
• Autofocus works beautifully with EOS R cameras

Cons:

• Huge
• Very expensive

Read our Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM review

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Best Sony FE-mount macro lens: Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II

At a glance:

• Sony FE mount
• Min. focus distance: 26-42cm
• Max. magnification: 0.5x
• Price: $2,098 / £1,649

This outstanding Sony telephoto earned five stars in our review. It has an impressive close focusing distance, dazzling image quality throughout its zoom range, and offers a significant cost saving compared to the f/2.8 zoom in the same focal range. It’s not quite a true macro lens, with a 0.5x magnification rather than the full 1.0x, but the results speak for themselves. In testing, we were able to take full advantage of the close-focusing to produce pin-sharp, highly detailed images of small moving subjects like little ducklings, and fill the frame with small still-life subjects. The lens produces lovely circular bokeh when used wide open, and optical distortions and aberrations are nowhere to be found thanks to Sony’s automatic camera corrections.

Pros:

• Sublime image quality
• Fast, quiet, close focusing
• Relatively compact build

Cons:

• Not ‘true’ macro
• Price hike over previous version

Read our full Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II review

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Best Bright Macro lens: Canon RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM

Key specs:

• Canon RF mount
• Min. focus distance: 14cm
• Max. magnification: 0.5x
• Price: $851 / £669

While this wide-angle prime isn’t a ‘true’ macro lens, with a magnification ratio 1:2 (rendering subjects on the sensor at half of life-size), it’s still a great walk-around lens with a solid line in close-ups. It focuses in much closer than your average 24mm prime, with a short distance of just 14cm. The well-placed slim manual focus control ring fits perfectly in the hand, and it can be adjusted even when the AF is engaged for efficient adjustments. Focusing is nice and quiet and image quality is excellent, particularly in the centre. This is a quite a short lens for macro, so keep in mind you may have to get very close to your subjects for striking, frame-filling images. Watch you don’t cast a shadow.

Pros:

• Excellent focusing feel
• Good all-purpose prime
• Image quality generally good

Cons:

• Not true 1:1
• No weather sealing

Read our Canon RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM review.

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Best L-mount macro lens: Panasonic Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro

At a glance:

• Mount: L-mount
• Min. focus distance: 20.4cm
• Filter thread: 67mm
• Max. magnification: 1x
• Price: $999 / £999

An excellent short telephoto lens for Panasonic L-mount users, with a compact and leightweight construction. It is in fact the smallest and lightest lens of its type. It’s just 8.2cm long and weighs less than 300g, but despite its small size it packs impressive optical quality. The Lumix S 100mm F2.8 is a true macro lens with 1x life-size magnification capable of filling the frame of a full-frame camera with a subject measuring 36 x 24mm.

Compared to similar lenses it has a relatively short focusing distance with only 20.4 cm, resulting in your subject sitting as close as 10 cm to the front of your lens. Autofocus is impressively quick and accurate thanks to the new ‘dual phase linear motor’ and surprisingly for a macro lens it focuses well on moving subjects too, in AF-C mode. Thanks to its 100mm focal length and fast autofocus capability it also doubles up as a portrait lens.

Images appear sharp corner to corner owing to the extensive use of special elements, but if you are after an atrractive out of focus background with rounded bokeh the nine curved aperure blades deliver that too.

All in all it is an exceptional macro lens, that leaves little to be desired.

Pros:

• Extremely small and lightweight
• Useful 1:1 magnification
• Fast, quiet and precise autofocus
• Autofocus is entirely usable for macro shooting

Cons:

• Relatively short working distance at 1:1

Read our full reiew of the Panasonic Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro.

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Best Laowa Macro lens: Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO

At a glance

• Mounts: Canon RF, Nikon Z, Leica M, Sony E and L-mount
• Min. focus distance: 15.3cm
• Max. magnification: 2.0x
• Price: $622 / £489

A versatile lens available for several different mirrorless systems, the Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO is smaller than many of its counterparts and rivals. This is due to a simple concession Laowa has made to the laws of physics – reducing the size of the maximum aperture.

By making this an f/5.6 lens, rather than the more common f/2.8, Laowa allows it to be relatively compact. It’s also able to focus on a subject area measuring just 18 x 12mm. So is the aperture a big sacrifice? As we found in our testing, this is much more of a specialist macro lens than most. It’s good for close-ups, and less good for everything else. As long as you’re aware of that going in, this is a great lightweight macro option to add to your kit bag.

Pros:

• Lots of mount options
• Exceptional magnification power
• Compact and lightweight

Cons:

• Highly specialised to macro
• Only f/5.6 maximum aperture

Read our Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO review

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Best Fujifilm X macro lens: Fujifilm XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro

At a glance:

• Mount: Fujifilm X
• Min. focus distance: 25cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $1,398 / £1,099

X-system users interested in close-up photography are well served by this fully featured, if pricey, macro lens. Its slightly longer-than-usual 120mm equivalent view allows a longer working distance, while life-size reproduction is offered at the 25cm minimum focus. The lens employs linear motors for quiet autofocus and has a distance-limiter switch to reduce hunting.

Optical stabilisation is built in, promising up to five stops of benefit, and weather-resistant construction allows you to keep shooting in less-than-perfect conditions. For those in a tighter budget, there’s also the XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro with a less refined design that only offers 0.5x magnification, or the XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR – more on this lens can be found below.

Pros:

• Life-size 1:1 reproduction
• Built-in optical stabilisation
• Quiet autofocus performance

Cons:

• Expensive when purchased new

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Best Fujifiilm XF macro lens: Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR

At a glance:

• Mount: Fujifilm X
• Min. focus distance: 10cm
• Weather resistant
• Price: $762 / £599

The Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro was announced at the end of 2022, and is designed to work not only as a traditional macro lens, but as a more versatile standard lens for everyday use. Giving an equivalent focal length of 46mm, it’s close to a “nifty fifty”. This makes it well suited to a range of different subjects, including street photography, portraits, pets, and, of course, close-up subjects thanks to its close-focusing ability and 1:1 magnification ratio.

Considerably smaller and lighter than the XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro, it features a very short minimum focus distance (10cm) and can be tucked into your bag without really noticing it. An aperture ring is found towards the mount end of the lens that you’ll need to twist to adjust aperture, while it also has very impressive autofocus capability.

As for image quality, an overall impression of high sharpness is revealed in images and video taken with the lens, while examining shots a little more closely also reveals excellent results.

Pros:

• Small and lightweight (200g)
• Near-silent” AF and minimal focus breathing.
• Attractive bokeh
• Weather resistant

Cons:

• Not a stabilised lens

Read our full Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro review

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Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro

The Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro is another exceptional manual focus lens. Photo credit: Andy Westlake

At a glance:

• Mounts: Fujifilm X, Sony E (APS-C)
• Min. focus distance: 17cm
• Max. magnification: 2.0x
• Price: $533 / £419

Just at the moment, Laowa is the most innovative lens maker when it comes to close-up photography. This 65mm f/2.8 optic offers twice life-size magnification (effectively 3x in full-frame terms) for users of APS-C mirrorless cameras and at a very tempting price. Its robust metal barrel is impressively compact at 100mm long and 335g in weight, and both focusing and aperture controls are fully manual. Crucially, it offers excellent image quality, combining excellent sharpness and beautiful background blur. It’s available in Fujifilm X and Sony E mounts, while Micro Four Thirds users get a scaled-down version, the Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO, which costs £409.

Pros:

• Powerful magnification factor
• Delivers the goods in image quality
• Robust but light

Cons:

• Fully manual (no electronic communication with camera)
• Not weather sealed

Read our full Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro review

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Best standard Nikon Z macro lens: Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8

At a glance:

• Mount: Nikon Z
• Min focus distance: 16cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $698 / £549

Nikon announced two macro lenses for its Z system simultaneously back in 2022, with the shorter of the two being a slightly unexpected focal length from a company that has previously favoured 60mm optics. Unlike its 105mm sibling, this lens lacks weather sealing and optical stabilisation, which might make it look like the less-desirable choice. However, it makes up for this with its optical quality, which is quite simply superb. Its relatively compact size and light weight also make it a good match for Nikon’s smaller Z-series camera bodies, including the APS-C format Z 50.

Pros:

• Amazing sharpness and overall quality
• Well balanced on smaller Z cameras

Cons:

• No stabilisation
• No weather sealing

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Best Nikon Z macro lens: Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S VR

At a glance:

• Mount: Nikon Z
• Min. focus distance: 29cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $1220 / £959

As the more pro-focused of Nikon’s two new Z-system macro lenses, this packs in pretty much every feature you could wish for. It’s optically stabilised, weather-sealed, and employs an internal-focus design, which means that if focuses quickly and silently and its length stays constant. Along with a large manual focus ring, there’s a control dial on the barrel for changing exposure settings, whose function can be customised from the camera body. A small display panel on top can show the focus distance and depth of field. In our full testing, we found the lens to be supremely sharp, even at f/2.8.

Pros:

• Tough and weather sealed
• Big focus ring with manual override
• Top-notch quality

Cons:

• Cheaper options available
• Some diffraction at narrow apertures

Read our full Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S VR review

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Best Micro Four Thirds macro lens: OM System M.Zuiko ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO

At a glance:

• Mount: Micro Four Thirds
• Min. focus distance: 25cm (S-MACRO: 22.4cm)
• Max. magnification: 2.0x
• Price: $1,652 / £1,299

A relatively new macro lens for Micro Four Thirds, the OM System M.Zuiko ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO is one of the best buys a serious macro MFT shooter can make. With an impressive maximum magnification of 2.0x that kicks in when you activate its dedicated ‘S.MACRO’ mode, the OM System M.Zuiko ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO can also be paired with extenders to push the magnification still further. All the way up to 4x if you want! Elsewhere, the lens delivers what is fast becoming OM SYSTEM’s signature feature, IP53 weather sealing, and an autofocus system that does a credible job of quickly acquiring macro subjects. If you’re serious about macro and you’re using MFT, this is an outstanding (if expensive) buy.

Pros:

• Excellent close focus
• Amazing magnification potential
• Can be pushed further with extenders

Cons:

• Expensive
• Can be tricky to use at first

Read our OM System M.Zuiko ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO review

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Best Bright MFT macro lens: Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro

At a glance:

• Mount: Micro Four Thirds
• Min. focus distance: 19cm
• Max. magnification: 1x
• Price: $571 / £449

This brilliant little lens is one of the jewels of the Micro Four Thirds system. Its dust- and splash-proof barrel is extremely small and light at 82mm long and just 186g in weight, while its slimline 56mm diameter minimises the risk of shadowing your subject. Yet it still finds space for both a focus distance indicator and a focus limiter switch that has a dedicated 1:1 position. Autofocus is fast and silent, and there’s absolutely nothing to complain about with regards to image quality. Set to its 19cm minimum focus distance, the image area of 17.4 x 13mm is equivalent to 2x magnification in 35mm terms.

Pros:

• Very small and light
• “True” macro magnification
• Focus limiter switch
• Great value

Cons:

• At this price, not much to complain about!

For more options, have a look at the best Micro Four Thirds lenses.

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Best Panasonic Macro lens: Panasonic Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm F2.8 OIS Asph

At a glance:

• Mount: Micro Four Thirds
• Min. focus distance: 15cm
• Max. magnification ratio: 1.0x
• Price: $762 / £599

While the more affordable Olympus 60mm f/2.8 may look like the best choice of macro lens for Micro Four Thirds shooters, Panasonic’s Leica-badged 45mm f/2.8 has its own charms. It’s even smaller, at just 63mm in length, yet is still capable of life-size reproduction thanks to its shorter, 90mm equivalent focal length. It also includes optical image stabilisation, which is particularly handy for those using older or smaller Lumix bodies that lack in-body stabilisation, although it’s of limited use at macro distances. Optically, it delivers the goods though, with impressive sharpness used wide open and minimal aberrations.

Pros:

• “True” macro lens
• Just 63mm long
• Good sharpness across the board

Cons:

• Pricier than similar Olympus lens

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Best third party macro lens: Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art

At a glance:

• Mounts: Sony E and L-mount
• Min. focus distance: 29.5cm
• Max. magnification ratio: 1.0x
• Price: $889 / £699

Designed from the ground up for full-frame mirrorless cameras, this lens is available in Sony E and L mounts. Cosmetically, it resembles the firm’s 70mm f/2.8 Art DSLR lens, but with an aperture ring added. A large, complex focus group moves internally to give 1:1 magnification at its 29.5cm minimum focus distance. According to Sigma, this sacrifices some AF speed to deliver both high sharpness and effective suppression of colour fringing, which is borne out by the superb image quality we found in our full review and testing. There’s no optical stabilisation, but most of the cameras the lens will be used on feature in-body stabilisation anyway.

Pros:

• Nice big focus ring
• Exceptional image quality
• Aberrations well controlled

Cons:

• Big old price hike

Read our Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art lens review

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Best Sony macro lens: Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS

At a glance:

• Mount: Sony E
• Min. focus distance: 28cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $1,080 / £849

While this lens now has stiff competition from the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN, it’s still an excellent choice for users of Sony E mount cameras. Unlike its more affordable rival, it includes both optical stabilisation and internal focusing, with the latter perhaps making it a preferable choice for those photographers who’d also like to use their macro lens for shooting portraits. Other highlights include a focus ring that can be pulled back towards the camera to engage manual mode, and a focus lock switch on the side of barrel. Optically it’s absolutely superb, giving super-sharp images.

Pros:

• Great handling
• Internal focusing mechanism
• Top sharpness

Cons:

• Pricier than Sigma alternatives

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Best Canon EF-M macro lens: Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro STM

At a glance:

• Canon EF-M Mount
• Minimum focus distance: 9.7cm (9.3cm Super Macro)
• Max magnification: 1.0x (1.2x Super Macro)
• Price: $374 / £294

One of the most unusual macro lenses available, this optic offers an angle of view equivalent to 45mm on full frame. Its standard focusing range provides life-size magnification, but engaging Super Macro mode extends this even closer to 1.2x. At this point, the image area is just 18.6mm x 12.4mm, and the subject a matter of millimetres from the front element. Normally, this would cause problems with lighting, so Canon has included a small LED ring light around the front element. Despite this, the lens is a mere 46mm long and tips the scales at just 130g, so it won’t take up much room in your bag. In our first-look review, we were very impressed by the ‘clever and innovative design‘ of this lens.

Pros:

• Built-in macro light
• 1.2x magnification
• Lightweight and compact

Cons:

• Rather short for a macro
• EF-M’s days may be numbered

Read our Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro STM review

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Best Canon RF macro lens: Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM

At a glance:

• Canon RF mount
• Min. focus distance: 35cm
• Max. magnification: 0.5x
• Price $787 / £619

Canon EOS R system owners already have an unusually large number of lenses labelled ‘Macro’ to choose from, ranging from the £499 RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM to the £1499 RF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM. While the latter is absolutely superb, we suspect its high price will push many users towards its 85mm f/2 stablemate. This isn’t what many photographers consider a ‘true’ macro lens, offering only half life-size magnification, and instead is perhaps better considered as an affordable portrait lens that’s unusually good at close-up shooting. But it offers five stops of optical stabilisation on the EOS R and RP that lack in-body stabilisation, and up to eight stops on bodies with IBIS.

Pros:

• Great value for money
• Effective stabilisation system
• Wide f/2 aperture

Cons:

• Not “true” macro

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Best macro lenses for DSLRs

With DSLR systems having been going strong for decades, they’ve built up an enviable catalogue of macro lenses for close-up shooting. Here are what we reckon are the best macro lenses you can buy for the three major DSLR mounts – Canon EF, Nikon F and Pentax K.

Best Small Canon macro lens: Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM

At a glance:

• Mount: Canon EF-S
• Min. focus distance: 13cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $149 / £331

Designed to be a compact, affordable option for photographers using Canon’s APS-C DSLRs, this lens packs in an impressive array of features. It offers 1:1 magnification at a minimum focus distance of 13cm, which equates to just 3cm from the front of the lens. To help with illuminating your subject at such close range, it also includes a built-in LED ring light. Meanwhile, Canon’s Hybrid IS system provides up to four stops of stabilisation. Weighing in at a mere 190g, the 56mm equivalent focal length also allows it to do double duty as an everyday standard lens.

Pros:

• Super-close focusing
• Built-in LED light
• Incredibly lightweight

Cons:

• Getting harder to find new in UK
• Not weather-sealed

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Best Canon EF macro lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

At a glance:

• Mount: Canon EF
• Min. focus distance: 30cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $469 / £369 (excellent used condition)

Canon’s third-generation 100mm macro for its full-frame DSLRs is an absolutely stellar optic, with all the attributes we’d expect from the firm’s professional L range. It delivers superb image quality, with exceptional sharpness, minimal chromatic aberration and essentially no distortion. A ring-type ultrasonic motor delivers rapid, silent autofocus and life-size magnification is achieved at the minimum focus distance of 30cm. Optical stabilisation is built-in, with Canon’s hybrid system promising four stops stabilisation with distant subjects, dropping to two stops at half life-size magnification. The barrel boasts robust weather-sealed construction, and an optional tripod collar is also available.

Pros:

• Quick, silent autofocusing
• Solid construction
• Beautiful L-series sharpness

Cons:

• On the expensive side

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Irix Dragonfly 150mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1

At a glance:

• Mounts: Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K
• Min. focus distance: 34.5 cm
• Max. magnification: 1:1
• Price: $542 / £426

Irix may not be the best-known lens brand, but it has established a reputation for making high-quality optics at very competitive prices. The advantage of this 150mm lens over its competitors lies in the way the longer focal length enables 1:1 magnification with a greater working distance. This means you’re less likely to disturb skittish subjects such as butterflies. In return, you have to live with focusing manually, but this is often standard practice for macro shooting, anyway. The barrel boasts weather-sealed construction and a tripod collar is included in the box, with an Arca Swiss compatible dovetail profile. The lens is available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Pentax K mounts.

Pros:

• Long focal length enables greater working distance
• Weather-sealed
• Very good optics

Cons:

• Manual focus only

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Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO

At a glance:

• Mounts: Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, L
• Min. focus distance: 24.7 cm
• Max. magnification: 2.0x
• Price: $698 / £549

Venus Optics produces a whole family of Ultra Macro lenses with a unique trick, in that they offer 2x magnification while still focusing to infinity. The 100mm f/2.8 is designed for full-frame DSLR cameras and available in Nikon F, Pentax K and Canon EF mounts, with the latter coming in two versions with a choice of manual or electronic aperture setting. The lens has also been adapted for full-frame mirrorless, in Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E and L-mount versions. The minimum focus distance is just 24.7cm, and colour fringing is suppressed thanks to the apochromatic design. Despite the enhanced close focus, the size and weight are similar to conventional 100mm macro lenses.

Pros:

• Apochromatic design
• Not too heavy
• Exceptional close focus

Cons:

• No autofocus/electronic camera communication

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Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5x – 5x Ultra Macro

At a glance:

• Mounts: Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, L
• Min. focus distance: 17.3cm
• Max. magnification: 5.0x
• Price: $507 / £399

For serious devotees of close-up photography, this unusual lens provides ultra-high magnification at a remarkably low price. Unusually, it doesn’t focus to infinity, but instead provides between 2.5x and 5x magnification across a focus distance range of 17.3cm to 23.4cm. It requires both manual focus and aperture operation, and is generally best used on a tripod fitted with a macro rail. The slimline, tapered barrel is specially designed to minimise shadowing of your subject. The optics cover full frame sensors, and the lens comes in Canon EF, Nikon F and Pentax K mount versions for DSLRs, along with Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E and L-mount mirrorless options.

Pros:

• Incredibly magnifying power
• Slim barrel
• Broad compatibility

Cons:

• Requires a lot of setup to be at its best
• No electronic camera communication

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Nikon AF-S DX 85mm f/3.5G ED VR Micro

At a glance:

• Mount: Nikon F (DX)
• Min. focus distance: 28.6cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $584 / £459

Designed specifically for DX format (APS-C) DSLRs, this lens offers an unusually long 128mm-equivalent focal length. It’s packed full of attractive features, including a silent wave motor that promises quiet, precise autofocus, and optical image stabilisation. At its minimum focus distance of 28.6cm it can focus on subjects measuring 24 x 16mm, which is equivalent to 1.5x magnification in full-frame terms. The 9-blade aperture promises attractive bokeh and stops down to f/32 for extended depth of field. For those on a tighter budget, there’s also a Nikon AF-S DX 40mm f/2.8G Micro for just £269.

Pros:

• Long equivalent focal length
• Can stop down to f/32
• Super-quiet autofocus

Cons:

• Pricey for a DX lens

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Best Nikon F macro lens: Nikon AF-S VR Micro 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED

At a glance:

• Mount: Nikon F
• Min. focus distance: 31cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $418 / £329 (excellent used condition)

When it was launched, this was the first macro lens to include optical stabilisation, and it’s since become a stalwart of Nikon’s F-mount line-up. It provides a longer working distance for life-size shooting than the firm’s other current options, which means there’s less chance of disturbing the subject or blocking off the light. The internal focus design means that the lens’s length doesn’t change between infinity focus and its 31 cm minimum object distance. A silent wave motor provides fast autofocus, and the VR system is rated to provide up to 3 stops benefit, although this reduces at close distances.

Pros:

• Internal focusing mechanism,
• Long working distance
• Effective stabilisation

Cons:

• Sharpness drops at narrow apertures

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Pentax HD DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited

At a glance:

• Mount: Pentax K (APS-C)
• Min. focus distance: 14cm
• Max. magnification : 1:1
• Price: $762 / £599

This lovely little lens can be used as an everyday standard prime on Pentax APS-C DSLRs, while also providing 1:1 magnification at its 14cm minimum focus distance. Available in either silver or black, it’s beautifully constructed with an aluminium barrel, and even has a built-in sliding hood. Autofocus is driven from the camera body, which helps keep the size down, and the manual focus ring is marked with a distance scale. A 9-blade diaphragm gives a circular aperture for attractive bokeh, and like most of the other Pentax Limited primes, it employs 49mm filters.

Pros:

• Solid aluminium construction
• Built-in hood
• Focus distance scale

Cons:

• APS-C only

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Best Pentax K macro lens: Pentax FA 100mm f/2.8 WR Macro

At a glance:

• Mount: Pentax K
• Min. focus distance: 13cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $800 / £629

Unlike the 35mm f/2.8 Limited, this Pentax macro lens works on full-frame DSLRs, as well as APS-C models. It’s also cheaper than its shorter focal-length sibling. While the optical design dates back to 2004, the lens received a substantial update five years later with a weather-sealed aluminium barrel and revised mechanical construction. It’s unusually compact for its class, at just 8.1cm long and 340g, thanks to the use of an extending focus mechanism. The working distance between the lens and the subject at 1:1 magnification is 13cm, and a Quick Shift focus system allows autofocus to be overridden manually at any time.

Pros:

• Hardy and weather-resistant
• Pleasingly compact
• Useful Quick Shift manual focus override

Cons:

• Changes length when focusing

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Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art

At a glance:

• Mounts: Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, L
• Min. focus distance: 25.8cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $507 / £399

At first glance, the first macro lens to join Sigma’s acclaimed Art series line-up might seem a strange choice compared to its 105mm sibling, which is cheaper and includes optical stabilisation. But the 70mm is smaller and lighter while offering superb image quality. The barrel boasts dust- and splash-proof construction, and a coreless DC motor provides precise autofocus backed up by full-time manual override. It’s made in versions for Canon EF and Nikon F mount DSLRs, which are compatible with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters for when you require more reach. It’s also available for Sony E-mount and L-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Pros:

• Small and light
• Excellent sharpness
• Weatherproof

Cons:

• Pricier than Sigma 105mm

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Best third-party DSLR macro lens: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro OS HSM

At a glance:

• Mounts: Canon EF, Nikon F, Sigma SA
• Min. focus distance: 31.2cm
• Max. magnification: 1.0x
• Price: $342 / £269 (excellent used condition)

Long one of our favourite lenses, for many years this was our go-to option for testing the resolution of DSLRs, due to its superb sharpness. Available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma SA mounts, it provides a comprehensive feature set at a very tempting price. You get an ultrasonic-type autofocus motor that enables full-time manual override, along with optical stabilisation that’s good for up to four stops of shake reduction. An inner focusing system means that the length doesn’t change on focusing from infinity down to its 31.2cm minimum, at which point the lens provides life-size magnification.

Pros:

• Stellar sharpness
• Internal focusing
• Well priced

Cons:

• Limited mount availability

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How to choose the best macro lenses

If you’re picking the best macro lens for your camera, there are a few key specs and features to consider when making your choice. Here are the main things to focus on.

Magnification factor: To be considered ‘true’ macro, a lens needs to have a magnification factor of at least 1.0x. What does this mean? It means the lens reproduces an object at life-size or greater on the camera’s sensor. And, when you bear in mind that an image sensor is about the size of a postage size, you start to see how macro lenses render tiny things in such crisp detail.

Focal length: Focal length is something of a different matter when we look at macro lenses. Longer focal lengths are better for getting more of a subject in the frame. However, longer lenses tend to have longer minimum focus distances – and in macro, we want to be as physically close as possible. So it’s necessary to strike a balance. A focal length of around 90-105mm is generally considered to be the sweet spot for macro, though, as we’ll see, there are still great lenses on either side of this range.

Optical performance: This is obviously important with any lens. With macro lenses, however, you want to pay particular attention to how the lens performs at narrow apertures, as you’ll often need to be using these to get a decent amount of depth of field.

Manual focus ring: Manual focusing is generally the name of the game in extreme close-ups. This means you’ll ideally want a lens with a smoothly rotating manual focusing ring.

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Once you’ve read our guide to the best macro lenses, make sure you have a look at our top tips for macro photography, to get the most out of your purchase, or have a look at our round-up of the best second-hand macro lenses if you want to save some cash by buying used.

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