The best Canon lenses for macro photography

Which are the best lenses for macro photography? Besides the high magnification that enables you to capture tiny details and textures, what are the other essential features to look for when choosing a lens for close-ups?

Here, three Canon Ambassadors working in different environments – wildlife photographer Christian Ziegler , still life photographer Eberhard Schuy , and news and documentary photographer Ilvy Njiokiktjien – share their favourite Canon lenses for macro, while Mike Burnhill, Canon Europe's Professional Imaging Product Specialist and an expert on lens design and technology, explains why each lens is particularly suited to close-up and macro work.

In addition, wildlife, macro and adventure photographer Oliver Wright reveals how he made use of the versatility of the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM lens to take his work to a new level on a recent shoot.

In her photojournalism and documentary photography, Ilvy usually gets close to her subjects emotionally more often than physically. "Winning the trust of people is essential for good reportage," she says. The small details of their environments and activities, however, can be particularly intriguing and revealing, and Ilvy was pleased to be able to add a new dimension to her work with a compact, versatile RF-mount prime lens designed for macro as well as portrait photography.

Not sure whether macro photography is really for you? One inexpensive way to try it out is using an extension tube on your EF lenses, a simple accessory that increases the magnification of your existing EF lens and enables it to shoot closer subjects than normal. Mike Burnhill explains: "Extension tubes such as the Canon Extension Tube EF 12 II are often the unsung heroes of macro photography, and for me this is the place to start. These low-cost solutions can make any EF lens a macro lens without affecting image quality or performance too much. Even as you progress, these tubes can be partnered with dedicated macro lenses to get even closer. These simple tubes can be used by everyone, from beginners to professionals, to achieve macro results with existing EF lenses."

Ready to get serious about macro? Whether you're looking for a versatile, hard-wearing macro lens or specialist glass capable of capturing 5x magnification close-ups, here are the best Canon lenses for macro photography.

"Another benefit is the Hybrid IS," Oliver continues. "I often do my macro work handheld because a lot of the time I'm photographing subjects that move. A tripod just isn't going to work. With this RF macro lens and the Canon EOS R5, because you have stabilisation in both the lens and the camera body, I can get away with using quite ridiculously slow shutter speeds."

Oliver adds that the lens's Spherical Aberration Control allows him to control the look of the foreground and background bokeh (softening or hardening it), while adding a soft-focus effect on the subject. "It's a really exciting creative tool," he says, whether you are shooting macro, portrait or product photography. "I've been using the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens for about 10 years, and now using the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM lens it feels quite familiar," says Oliver. "The EF lens was super sharp, and this lens is even sharper."

Canon Europe product specialist Mike Burnhill says: "The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM takes all the great things about the legendary EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens and elevates the features to another level. Being able to get close enough to subjects to capture them at 1.4x life-size makes an amazing difference to your images that the numbers just can't convey. "While typically thought of as a macro lens, the lens is also at home as a portrait lens," adds Mike. "Its EF cousin was widely used as both, and this RF lens will almost certainly be no different."

"The honeycomb image was taken handheld at 1/60 second, and it's super-sharp thanks to the Hybrid Image Stabilization. At that shutter speed, the results would normally be quite shaky, but the Hybrid IS really works.

"The autofocus locked on quickly, even when shooting close-ups. The lens has a focus limiter switch, so you can prevent the camera trying to focus throughout the entire range."

Mike says: "Being a telephoto lens means that unlike with the RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM you do not have to be so close to capture macro images, which can mean there is less likelihood you will block the light reaching the subject. Plus, as you don't have to get so close, it's more suited to shooting animals and insects without disturbing the subject. As well as being a macro lens, this lens is also an excellent portrait lens – so two possibilities in one!"

"Due to its versatility, this is possibly one of Canon's most popular lenses," says Mike. "Not only can it do 1:1 macro with image stabilisation, it can also be used as a portrait lens, thanks to its focal length and fast aperture. A surprising number of photographers who don't usually shoot macro have this lens in their kitbags. It's the Swiss Army knife of macro lenses."

As an L-series lens, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM is robustly built with weather sealing, and also features some of the most advanced IS and autofocus technologies available. "Until recently, I only used manual focus mode," Christian admits. "But with the new Canon EOS-1D X Mark III – and its Dual Pixel CMOS AF – I use the autofocus more readily because I have more choice."

Mike adds: "The Canon TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro's longer focal length allows a greater distance between the subject and the camera. This makes it ideal in a studio as the greater working distance enables more room for the use of complex lighting setups. The focal length also matches that of the standard lens of large-format cameras, giving similar compression and movements for those photographers familiar with this format."