Define magnificationin biology

If you don’t mind using accessories to go further, here are some things you can do to get more magnification than your lens natively allows:

A special case is when the object is the same size in the real world as its projection on your camera sensor. This is 1:1 magnification, also known as 1x or “life size” magnification. It’s important because 1:1 magnification is considered the standard for macro photography, and most macro lenses at their closest focusing distance will be at 1:1 magnification.

If it helps, you can think about it like this: Shooting with a crop sensor is like cropping an image from a full-frame sensor. In the same way that cropping a photo doesn’t increase magnification, neither does using a crop sensor. But it does make the subject larger in your final image.

Magnificationformula

If you know what magnification you’re at, you’ll have a good idea of the depth of field you can get. For example, I know that when I’m at 1:1 magnification, I need to use an aperture of at least f/16 in order to get enough depth of field, and maybe even f/22. By focusing a bit farther back – say, 1:2 magnification – it becomes possible to use f/8 or f/11 instead, for the same depth of field.

You should wear sunscreen whenever the UV index is 3 or higher. At this level, UV radiation is strong enough to damage your skin and increase your risk of skin cancer. As the UV index rises, especially to high levels of 6-7 and very high levels of 8-10, applying sunscreen becomes even more critical. When the UV index reaches its highest levels of 11 and above, the radiation is extreme, and sun protection is paramount. In addition to sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, wear protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses, and seek shade during peak sun hours. Even on cloudy days, UV radiation can penetrate through clouds, so it’s important to stay vigilant. Regularly checking the UV index helps you take proactive steps to protect your skin, reducing the risk of sunburn and long-term skin damage. Always prioritize sun protection to maintain healthy skin and lower your risk of skin cancer.

It seems to me that there is a trend to use long telelenses rather than macro lenses or adapters etc. for macro subjects like butterflies and damselflies. This has the advantage of not needing to come close with risk of disturbing the insect. There are some example pictures taken with a telelens in your article, however the magnification (that must be high) is not discussed. I’m using myself a 70-200 mm semi-macro lens at the long end, sometimes combined with an extension tube, but I wonder whether an even longer lens for flying insects would not be more useful. Extension tubes have the disadvantage of getting too close to your living subject.

I just found this article when trying to understand the magnification offered by a non-macro lens. This 100mm full-frame lens. The manufacturer’s (Sony’s) blurb, complete with their colorful verbiage says: “Because one of the main features of this lens is bokeh, it has been provided with a macro ring switch that extends the lens’s range into the macro region where bokeh can be used to great effect. The macro mode provides 1.87 ft (0.57 m) minimum focus with 0.25x maximum magnification, with no compromise in resolution performance.” It is that ” 0.25x maximum magnification” I am trying to understand. I’ve got a pretty good reference for what 1:1 would be, as full frame based on the old 35mm film would be the size of a 35mm slide. I can picture four such rectangles forming a larger rectangle, (2×2)) or a total size 4x any one slide’s image. 4x sure sounds like 25%, but I am unsure that is the correct view. For all I know that 25% might be applied linearly, meaning I need to picture a 4×4 rectangle that covers 16 times the area of the sensor (or a slide image).

Define magnificationin physics

Regularly check the UV index to know when UV radiation levels are high. A UV index of 3 or higher means you should take sun protection measures.

Many long zooms like my Canon 100-400II have IQ compromises when used near MFD and there are few long primes with high magnification, good closeup image quality and modest weight and cost. Most recent lenses are either very bright, heavy and expensive primes with relatively long MFD or dim, optically compromised (for closeups) zooms; some exceptions though like Nikon PF lenses.

Definition of totalmagnification

If your subject is staying still, you can fix most of these issues by focus stacking from a tripod. Even if you don’t focus stack, simply using a tripod allows you to use longer exposures to negate the darkness of f/16 or f/22. It also makes focusing much easier.

Magnification, also known as reproduction ratio, is a property of a camera lens which describes how closely you’ve focused. Specifically, magnification is the ratio between an object’s size when projected on a camera sensor versus its size in the real world. Magnification is usually written as a ratio, such as 1:2, which is said aloud as “one to two magnification.”

It’s similar to the situation with extreme telephoto photography. When your goal is simply to put the maximum number of pixels on a small or distant subject, a crop sensor with a small pixel pitch works very well.

For example, say that you’re doing macro photography, and the object you’re photographing has a projection on your camera sensor which is 1 inch across. If the same object is 2 inches across in the real world, your magnification is 1:2. (It doesn’t matter what units of measurement you use; the important thing is the ratio between the object’s size on your camera sensor compared to its size in the real world.)

The first one is straightforward. Now that you understand magnification, you can easily figure out whether a particular lens offers enough close focus capabilities for your needs. For example, you may realize that you need a 1:1 macro lens for what you’re photographing, and a lens that advertises itself as macro but only reaches 1:2 won’t be enough.

For instance, a 24 megapixel APS-C camera is usually preferable to a 24 megapixel full-frame camera if you need as much detail as possible on a high magnification subject. On the other hand, a 45MP full-frame camera and a 20MP APS-C camera have almost exactly the same pixel density, so neither is preferable to the other for macro.

These challenges aren’t easy to overcome, but it’s possible to do it with some effort, and that’s half of what makes macro photography so fun! When you do succeed at getting a sharp photo at extremely high magnifications, it’s very rewarding.

Excellent writing. Very easy to understand for almost everybody who has taken his hands on an interchangeable lens camera. It’s concise, and nice to read, thanks.

Unlike some camera settings like shutter speed or aperture, you don’t really need to be thinking constantly about your magnification if you want to get high quality photos. But that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant.

Excellent article! So when compare a 70-200mm f2.8 lens at 100mm and a macro 100mm f2.8 lens, one has to compare at the each’s minimum distance, The 70-200mm f2.8 has min. focus distance at 70cm and the macro has the min distance at 26cm (my case). If you compare both at 70cm in distance from the subject, then the results (depth of field, bokeh) are same, right? But the 70-200 can never focus at 26mm. On the other hand, once move the 100mm macro to its min. at 26cmm, the depth of field is much narrower, that’s why one needs smaller aperture to increase the depth of field, and thus need better lighting. Some people suggest that bring a hand light with you. That’s also why a macro lens mostly at no brighter than f2.8 because you have to reduce it to maybe f5.6 at 26cm anyway. Am I right? I did not pay too much attention to Maximum Magnification until I read your article because I am considering buying a macro lens which is on sale (Canon RF 100mm f2.8). Again. thank you. I have learned a lot.

Spencer, you say about close-up filters: “They don’t always have the highest optical quality, so it’s not my top recommendation.” I wonder if you have any experience with Raynox DCR-250. I’m quite happy with its image quality when coupled with my telephoto lens (Nikon AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR). Also, unlike some other macro techniques, it gives me the flexibility to change the magnification ratio by zooming in and out with the lens.

An unsafe UV level is typically a UV index of 6 or higher, indicating high to very high UV radiation that can cause significant skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer. At a UV index of 6 to 7, precautions like wearing protective clothing, using sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, and seeking shade during midday hours are essential. When the UV index reaches 8 to 10, UV radiation is very high, and extra protection is necessary to prevent sunburn and long-term skin damage.

Glad you found it useful, Brian! I would need to read up on the technical background behind those specifications before writing an article, but I would consider it if there’s interest. I know what you’re referring to, but I’ve only ever used that specification when comparing how large the viewfinder will seem, among cameras with the same sensor size.

Define magnificationin science

Many dragonfly / butterfly photographers use longer lenses like a 4/300mm because of longer working distance and better background blur, especially for in-flight shots. However, this is more “close-up” than real “macro” with magnifications in the 1:10 to 1:2 or so range.

The only way to increase magnification without resorting to external accessories is to focus closer and closer (or buy a different lens).

The highest UV index possible is 11 or greater, which indicates extreme levels of UV radiation. This extreme UV index level is most commonly seen in tropical regions near the equator and at high altitudes where the atmosphere is thinner. UV radiation at this level can cause severe skin damage in a short period, increasing the risk of skin cancer significantly.

Tanning beds emit UV radiation that is as harmful as, or even more harmful than, natural sunlight. They significantly increase the risk of skin cancer and should be avoided.

If you do any macro or close-up photography, you’ll likely come across the term “magnification.” Even outside of macro photography, most camera lenses include their maximum magnification in the list of specs.

Thanks for an informative and, to me, unrealised aspect of focus. Does this relate to a situation were a large aperture (eg F5.6) has been used in a far ranging landscape shot, and yet (paradoxically to me) the shot is in focus from front to back? I am confused as to how this can be, because it seems to contradict the rule of smaller aperture = greater depth of field. I am sorry if this turns out to be off subject.

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Alternatively, some lenses may not advertise themselves as macro lenses, even if they have pretty impressive close focusing capabilities. For example, the humble Nikon 18-55mm AF-P kit lens can reach to about 1:2.6 magnification (0.38x), and the Canon 24-70mm f/4 goes even further to 1:1.4 magnification (0.71x). That’s more than you’d get with many so-called “macro” lenses from other manufacturers! With either of these lenses, you could take close-up photos of larger subjects like flowers, lizards, dragonflies, and so on, without spending hundreds of dollars on a dedicated macro lens.

I’m not surprised that you’re seeing a lot of depth of field when you focus on something far away, even at a medium aperture like f/5.6. The farther you focus, the greater your depth of field becomes. So, you’re correct that it relates to this article, where I say that your depth of field gets very shallow at high magnifications/close focusing distances.

When the UV Index is at its highest, such as between June and September for the US, the sun’s rays are at their greatest intensity, which causes the skin to burn in less time. For those with lighter skin, lighter eyes, and even reddish hair, the danger is elevated. Repeatedly burning the skin increases one’s chances of getting melanoma—a very common type of skin cancer. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 cancers diagnosed is skin cancer, while 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

Would you consider doing a similar article on viewfinder magnification? I can’t wrap my head around the magnification spec of “0.77x” (for example) of modern OVFs & EVFs.

As you can see, the coin’s projection is physically the same size on both sensors. (If it looks larger to you on the aps-c sensor, that’s just an optical illusion; the pixel dimensions are the same.) So, it doesn’t matter what size sensor I put behind the lens – it can’t change the physical size of the projection. The magnification is identical in both cases.

High magnifications are a lot of fun to use, but it’s not always easy to get sharp photos once you go beyond a certain point. That’s because you’re not just magnifying your subject at these ultra-close focusing distances; you’re also magnifying things like camera shake and subject motion.

The health effects of UV radiation include melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer, premature aging of the skin, cataracts and other eye damage, and immune suppression. In the summer months, stronger UV rays blanket much of the US with the greatest concentration over southern states, which may have the greatest occurrences of sun exposure-related problems. Even Canada experiences significant exposure during this time.

A productive sunscreen is helpful only if it is reapplied throughout the long summer days while covering your skin or seeking shade, and avoiding the sun altogether are the best solutions overall. Beyond the pain that comes with an uncomfortable and unforgiving sunburn, protecting your skin from the harsh summer sun is important to avoid more dangerous and long-lasting consequences.

Luckily, every manufacturer has at least one dedicated macro lens, which you can get from B&H photo with the following links:

Marcin, that’s a good point. I was thinking back to my negative experiences with a really cheap one, but if you get a good close-up filter, you can get some high quality images. I haven’t used the Raynox, but from sample images I’m seeing online, it looks quite good. I don’t see any of the severe chromatic aberrations that plague some of the cheaper close-up filters. Using it on a zoom to get variable magnification is also a good plan.

Navek, no worries, that’s a good question. Depth of field depends on more than just your aperture. There are also two other factors: focal length and focusing distance.

The takeaway is that small camera sensors can actually work great for this type of high-magnification macro photography. In fact, if they have smaller pixels than the full frame camera, they’re likely to be at an advantage.

Define magnificationof lens

The other context in which magnification matters is in figuring out your depth of field. No matter what lens you have, your depth of field is going to be very shallow at high magnifications, and it falls off dramatically once you’re at 1:1 magnification and greater.

This is helpful knowledge to have on the fly if you don’t have time to chimp. It’s also nice to know beforehand how to deal with certain magnifications – such as using a flash at 1:1 because of those small apertures, or using focus stacking if you get to extreme magnifications like 4:1 or 5:1 to get back depth of field.

All these lenses go to 1:1 magnification or more, and will likely provide enough magnification for almost any application.

Transitioning from moderate to high levels, the UV index ranges from 8 to 10, indicating very high UV radiation that necessitates extra precautions such as wearing protective clothing, applying broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, and seeking shade during peak sun hours. At an extreme UV index of 11 or higher, even a few minutes of sun exposure can result in sunburn, making it critical to take protective measures seriously. Always monitor the UV index in your area to safeguard your skin and reduce the risk of skin cancer.

I'm Spencer Cox, a landscape photographer based in Colorado. I started writing for Photography Life a decade ago, and now I run the website in collaboration with Nasim. I've used nearly every digital camera system under the sun, but for my personal work, I love the slow-paced nature of large format film. You can see more at my personal website and my not-exactly-active Instagram page.

However, if your subject is moving, or you’re shooting handheld, focus stacking is much harder, if not impossible. At that point, the best option is to use a flash while practicing your best close-up focusing technique.

The closer you focus, the larger your magnification will be. Macro lenses routinely go to about 1:1 magnification, although some (such as the Zeiss 100mm f/2 Macro) can only go to 1:2 magnification. A few specialty macro lenses can go beyond 1:1 magnification, such as the Laowa 100mm f/2.8, which can go to 2:1. A popular choice among macro photography enthusiasts is the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8, which can go all the way to 5:1 magnification! However, this lens can only shoot macro photos and cannot focus on anything distant from the lens; it’s confined to the focusing range from 1:1 to 5:1 magnification.

Define magnificationof microscope

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Through a multidisciplinary team approach, the Center for Melanoma, Skin and Soft Tissue Tumors at Saint John’s Cancer Institute provides individualized and compassionate care that is well supported by clinical experts and researchers working together to develop patient-specific treatment plans. The goal is to restore wellness by applying innovative methods and best-practice models that demonstrate improved outcomes for patients. We are a comprehensive melanoma oncology provider with immediate access to scientific research programs.

This is because depth of field shrinks as you zoom in and focus closer. Because magnification can be thought of (and even expressed mathematically) as a combination of focal length and focusing distance, there’s no way around it: High magnifications have low depth of field.

It’s encouraged that all adults get a skin check once a year. Unlike screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies, there is no universal protocol about when to start so try to apply common sense. If you are fair-skinned with red or blond hair, you are at higher risk for UV damage and might want to see a dermatologist in your late teens or early 20s.

What does change, however, is that the coin takes up a greater percentage of the smaller sensor. If you were to make a print of both of these photos and display them at the same size, obviously the coin would be larger on the photo from the aps-c sensor. So, even though the magnification hasn’t changed, the composition has.

Define magnificationin microbiology

The UV Index chart below shows where ultraviolet radiation is the strongest in June for the US. When the UV index is extreme, 10 and higher, skin can burn in just 10 minutes or less.

On top of that, because high magnifications have such a low depth of field, you’ll also need to be shooting at small aperture settings when you focus especially close. This means you’re in for some photos that are dark and blurry – not to mention out of focus, since focusing is also difficult when your depth of field may be just a few millimeters across!

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That said, if you’re not at your lens’s maximum magnification (nor very close to it), large camera sensors still have the same benefits as always.

On one hand, magnification doesn’t change at all because of your sensor size. It doesn’t even matter if you have a sensor; magnification is a property of the lens and the lens alone.

If you’re reading this article, chances are you want to find out how to get as much magnification as possible. If the tips above for getting high magnification with your existing lenses aren’t enough, it might be time to get a shiny new lens with even more magnification.

Protecting your skin care is a lifelong effort. Therefore, damage to the skin due to sun exposure and cancer risk are both cumulative—the progressive effects of UV exposure over many years. The experts at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Saint John’s Cancer Institute have weighed in on the matter and provided the following guidance that everyone should follow to protect their skin.

Nice article Spencer. I particularly had an “aha!” moment when reading that magnification is a property of the lens’ projection, not the size of the sensor behind it.

At the same time, you’ll notice that a macro lens can (seemingly) capture a more magnified view of your subject when you’re using a crop sensor camera. What gives?

Magnification can also be written in decimal format. For example, 1:2 magnification could be written as 0.5x magnification (which is found simply by doing 1 ÷ 2). This is how magnification generally appears in a list of a lens’s specifications – 0.3x, 0.14x, 0.22x, and so on. Check out this table to see some examples of lenses and their magnifications:

Hopefully this article answered your questions about magnification in photography. I’ve also introduced the challenges of getting sharp photos at high magnifications, which you can learn more about in our longer macro photography guide.

Most of the sun exposure in a person’s life happens before they are 25 years old. It is important to have good sun protection habits from the start. UV radiation from the sun and tanning beds can cause significant skin damage, leading to premature aging, sunburns, and an increased risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, which is particularly aggressive and common among younger people.

Maybe a diagram will clear things up. Here’s how a sample subject (a coin in this example) looks at the same magnification on two different sensor sizes:

Most macro lenses tell you their current magnification in the same information window as your focusing distance. For example, on my Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro, the magnification is visible in the window here:

Longer lenses (especially from 400mm or so) have disadvantages too to like lower native magnification, more size/weight that makes tracking fast/erratic flying subjects more difficult. DOF can be so small that it can be impossible to find and focus on the subject before it is out of the frame again. Because of those limitations I prefer a 100-200mm lens for the fastest dragonflies. Longer lenses are nice though when the subject is hovering or gliding.

The other factor, focal length, works the same way. The further you zoom in, the less depth of field you’ll get. This is how wildlife photographers can get a shallow depth of field despite focusing far away and even using narrow apertures like f/11.

The best way to get high magnifications is still to use a macro lens, but hopefully this list gave you some good ideas on how to go beyond that. Personally, my favorite of these methods is to use a set of extension tubes combined with a 35mm or 50mm prime.

I’ve corrected that part of the article to say “if you avoid the cheap ones, this is a good way to increase your magnification.” I think my prior wording was overly negative.