What makes a macro lens?

leche solara

This might seem to some as a bit of a stupid question, but here goes anyway:

I have a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens and a Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens. The 60mm is sold as a macro lens while the 50mm is not.
What I want to know is what attributes must a lens have to make it a macro lens, as opposed to a non-macro lens.

DaireQuinlan

leche solara wrote: »

This might seem to some as a bit of a stupid question, but here goes anyway:

I have a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens and a Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens. The 60mm is sold as a macro lens while the 50mm is not.
What I want to know is what attributes must a lens have to make it a macro lens, as opposed to a non-macro lens.

Basically, a macro lens can form, on the image plane, an image which is at least 1:1 WRT the subject. That's the technical definition at least, most manufacturers fudge this though, and slap a 'macro' on any old lens. Pedantically however it's not a macro unless it can do 1:1 and above. I don't know the specs of the 60mm so I don't know whether or not it's actually a macro lens in the proper sense of the word. I presume given that its a canon that it probably is.

rowanh

I think what technically makes something a macro lens is if its able to make what is on the film or ccd the same size as it is in real life. A lot of macro lenses seem to be 1:2 or 1:4 which i think means the image on the ccd/film is half or a quarter what is actually is where as 1:1 is true macro. thats my understanding of it anyway, i might be wrong.

oshead

Both answers above are correct. The EF-S 60mm is a true macro lense. Ie, it can photograph lifesize (1:1). Another attribute of a macro lense is it's close focusing ability.