Using the Close-up Feature on TAMRON Lenses

Close-up photography allows you to capture smaller subjects or objects up close with much more detail than the naked eye can perceive. It lets photographers get creative by finding ways to capture unique perspectives that the human eye alone would never be able to achieve.

With close-up photography, even the most mundane objects can become fascinating. To capture this incredible detail, you’ll need to reduce FOV (field of view), create a tight frame around the subject, and a lens that will help you do so.

Tamron Lenses with Close-Up Features

The lenses that are typically used for this type of photography are called macro lenses. At Tamron, we have many models of all-in-one, standard, and telephoto zoom lenses that work great for close-up photography in the macro range.

A few of the most popular are:

1:1 Macro

1:2 Macro

Closer than 1:4 Macro

In this blog, we’ll be going over some close-up photography tips and why Tamron lenses are the superior choice for those looking to get up close and personal with the subjects and objects that catch their eye.

How to shoot great close-up photography

  1. If you’re new to close-up photography, you’ll quickly realize that it takes more than simply getting as close as you can to your subject with one of our lenses. Whether you opt for the Tamron 18-300mm, Tamron 20mm, Tamron 28-200mm, or Tamron 50-400mm, there are certain settings you’ll need to familiarize yourself with and a few techniques you should have in mind.
  2. One of the most important settings you need to master is exposure. Exposure refers to how much light reaches your camera sensor or film and plays a crucial role in how light or dark your images will turn out. Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO all factor into how bright or dark your photos will be. We recommend you play around with how these things will affect your shots. Open apertures are used most often in close-up photography because they allow you to sharpen the focus of your subject while also blurring out the background when adjusting the depth of field.
  3. Because you’ll be shooting so close to your subject, even the smallest amount of motion will create a distracting blur that makes the image less detailed. To avoid this, invest in a quality tripod when you can. If you are using a lens with Tamron’s proprietary VC image stabilization — like the 50-400mm or 18-300mm — be sure to turn off the stabilization when using a tripod. Using a shutter release or putting the camera in self-timer mode can also aid in getting blur-free images.
  4. Use a reflector to bounce light onto your subject. And to avoid distracting backgrounds, place a black card behind your subject. The shallow depth of field will give a creamy background and make your subjects pop.

Tamron 90mm

The Tamron 90mm F/2.8 is a 1:1 (Lifesize) macro lens for full-frame and APS-C cameras (available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts). It is the first Tamron lens to feature a 12-blad aperture and offers remarkable bokeh.

Tamron 18-300mm

The Tamron 18-300mm lens is the first 16.6x all-in-one-zoom for APS-C mirrorless cameras (Sony E-mount and Fujifilm X-mount) and offers exceptional image quality along with amazing close-focus at just 5.9” for a 1:2 maximum magnification.

Tamron 20mm

The Tamron 20mm F/2.8 DI III OSD M1:2 lets you see the world from a whole new angle, and with its incredibly short 4.3 in MOD (Minimum Object Distance) for a 1:2 maximum magnification, you can get closer than you ever imagined was possible before! It’s sister lenses, 24mm and 35mm, each offer the same fast G2.8 and 1;2 macro capability.

Tamron 28-200mm

The Tamron 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 DI III RXD (Model A071) is another world’s first. This time, it’s the first all-in-one zoom that starts at F2.8. With great close-up shooting performance that you wouldn’t expect from an all-in-one lens, it allows you to maximize your creative potential. At 28mm wide-angle, the MOD is 0.19m (7.5 in) with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.1, and at the 200mm telephoto end it has an MOD of 0.8m (31.5 in) with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.8.

© Ken Hubbard

Tamron 50-400mm

The 50-400mm F/5-6.3 DI III VC VXD (Model A067) stands out for its impressive focal length versatility, paired with a 1:2 macro capability. It offers a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2 at a minimum object distance (MOD) of 0.25m (9.8″) at 50mm and 0.27m (10.6″) at 70mm. When extended to the 400mm telephoto range, the MOD is 1.5m (59.1″), delivering a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.

Want to learn more about how these amazing lenses can help you capture incredible close-ups? Find an authorized Tamron dealers in your area for a demo or visit the TAMRON Store today.

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