10 Best Macro Lenses for Canon to Capture Details

Which macro lens for Canon appropriate for getting high-resolution shots?

Canon macro lenses are equipped with a unique optical design which permits the significant growth of miniature objects.

If you've ever encountered a picture of a small herb or bug that fulfills the shot with its subject, presenting magnificent detail illustration that cannot be spotted with the naked eye, it was practically certainly shot with the help of a macro lens.

The average macro Canon lens price ranges from $500 to $2500. Surely, there are more expensive models, which are used by professionals for specific macro photography purposes, therefore, you should also take into consideration genres you plan to work in, and also your skills in equipment usage.

Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Autofocus: Ultrasonic (ring-type) | Minimum focus distance: 0.3m | Magnification ratio: 1x

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM is one of the best and most versatile Canon lenses for macro capturing with bodies containing Canon EF mounting. It allows taking sharp and high-detailed shots even in very low light conditions.

Moreover, this lens can help you increase the sharpness of the object and gripping blurring effect employing your camera. The price on the market slightly exceeds the average one - $1.299, yet the functions are worth being paid for.

Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Autofocus: Ultrasonic (ring-type) | Minimum focus distance: 0.31m | Magnification ratio: 1x

Sigma is a perfect macro lens for Canon full frame cameras. It is most compatible with Canon EOS models. Its fast autofocus is appropriate for almost all types of macro shooting except for the animals and insects, as its performance can be quite noisy.

A fluctuant inner focus minimizes deviations and also amends image deformation. Considering all its powerful capacities, the lens’s price is quite affordable - $569.

Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Autofocus: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.24m | Magnification ratio: 5x

If you need high-contrast and hi-res pictures, consider one of the most powerful Canon EF macro lenses with 65mm f/2.8 MP-E. It does not feature in-built stabilization and auto-focus unlike the best Canon standard zoom lenses, which may turn out to be a problem for beginners, however, the experts will benefit from more freedom and settings flexibility.

This lens enables you to increase your object 5 times on your camera screen in comparison with its real size which makes it a perfect choice for insect photography. This model will function on both full-frame and crop cameras. Personally, I have tried it on the 7D and the 5D Mark III.

Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Autofocus: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.5m | Magnification ratio: 0.5x

If you own a Canon camera for portraits, like EOS models, select Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Tilt Shift. The professionals claim this lens to be the best for portraits, especially when you need to shoot skin, hair texture or some face features.

This macro lens’s price is $1.399, which attracts photo experts. It also has an improved lens covering for ghosting and glare reduction, which makes it an advantageous lens for product photography of pro-level.

Maximum aperture: f/2 | Autofocus: Stepping motor | Minimum focus distance: 0.35m | Magnification ratio: 0.5x

If you possess a Canon mirrorless camera, you can utilize it for macro. Since this body is equipped with almost silent auto-zoom, Canon RF 85mm f/2 IS STM will be a perfect option for capturing birds, insects, etc. The price will also not frustrate you - $499.

Although the 0.5x magnification may be slightly disappointing for somebody, there are many functions to like here. The 5-stop picture stabilization system is incredible, and combining it with the in-built picture stabilization in the EOS R5 or R6 enhances it even more. Once the lens features excellent levels of sharpness, it becomes an appropriate lens for food photography.

Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Autofocus: Ultrasonic (ring-type) | Minimum focus distance: 0.3m | Magnification ratio: 1x

Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 IS STM is a great variant for beginners who are on a budget, as it costs $499, which is more than affordable. It has a built-in LED light for throwing some extra illumination on your tiny subjects. It is compatible with EOS R series cameras.

Although I discovered that sharpness was slightly poor at narrow apertures, which is unforgettable for this kind of lenses, the model offers speed and concise step motor autozoom.

Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Autofocus: Ultrasonic (ring-type) | Minimum focus distance: 0.3m | Magnification ratio: 1.0x

Tokina ATX-i 100mm F2.8 FF is a concise medium tele macro lens for Canon. Due to its light weight, compact design, high resolution feature, rapid aperture, low deformation, low falloff and beautiful soft blur, this body is an exclusively eye-catching tool for landscapes, macro, portraits, street art, business and overall purpose shooting.

Multi-covering, included into optical elements, efficiently controls glare and ghosting, which frequently comes in handy while capturing on DSLRs. The cost is really low – just $379.

Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Autofocus: Stepping motor | Minimum focus distance: 0.3m | Magnification ratio: 1.0x

It is an affordable model, which is extensively used with Canon cameras for macro photography and is also considered the best portrait lens for Canon M50.

A significant advantage of this lens is Super Macro mode, which increases the maximum magnification rate from 1.0x to 1.2x. Taking into consideration the crop factor of the smaller EOS M sensor, this lens provides almost twice the maximum magnification of photography with a 1.0x macro lens on a full-frame body.

Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Autofocus: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.1m | Magnification ratio: 2x

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 APO is thought to be the first 2x magnification lens, thus, it is one of the most widespread alternatives for working with Canon EOS R (needs adapter), Canon 70D, Canon EOS T7 etc. It doesn’t feature an autofocus, but you can feel unbounded with agile manual settings. The price is relatively low – only $499.

APO design significantly minimizes chromatic aberration. You can manage the aperture via the camera body (no aperture control ring on the lens body), and it will close only when you release the shutter.

Maximum aperture: f/4.0 | Autofocus: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.49m | Magnification ratio: 0.5x

Canon TS-E 135mm f/4.0L Tilt Shift offers a wide tilt and shift selection and a reasonable f/4 maximum aperture suitable for object shooting, studio portraits. This lens is not easy to set for beginners, but it features truly high image quality. The cost is correspondent - $2.199.

Its optical formula contains two UD lens components and an improved lens covering for hi-res pictures with minimized deviations. Designed for responsible, reliable usage, it is provided with big, quickly operated buttons and locking knobs.

Although a vast number of lenses with major plan facilities are regarded as macro Canon lenses, indeed there exists a more solid criterion for that categorization. In order to classify a lens as a "real" macro one, it is to have minimum 1:1 reproduction ratio, meaning that the object on the sensor plane is the same as or greater than its real size.

Focal distance. You will probably have to get very close to your subject, so a short focus length is a must, and, furthermore, the objects also tend to be longer in focal distance (the sweet spot is normally agreed to be around 90-105mm, although there are alternatives in both directions), as this facilitates filling the frame with one object.

Aperture. When completing macro pictures or close-ups, the perfect field depth is nearly always shallow, thus the typical aperture number for macro shooting is between f/5.6 and f/11. Those small aperture digits are necessary to ensure that all the details of your object will be sharp and detailed.

Autofocus. Autofocus availability will simplify your task, since it will help you shoot the object quickly and effortlessly. If we out in comparison manual and autofocus, the second variant will significantly accelerate the shooting process. It is especially fundamental if you shoot objects in motion, ensuring precision and clarity of each detail.

Dimensions and weight. For plenty of photographers it is vital to consider the physical parameters of the photography body, in particular those who are employed in such spheres as journeys, nature, plant or insect photography and so on. Canon lenses for macro photography are frequently unwieldy and heavyweight, so they normally require using mini tripods to improve stabilization.