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What does 'Macro' mean?
What does a lens have to do in order to be called a macro lens?

I have a 70-300 Tamron lens with a macro feature from 180mm onwards and it would seem to me that most of what a macro lens does is focus closer.

So if you took a regular zoom lens, say for example the 80-400VR, and magically made it able to focus closer, would that be considered having a macro function?

The reason I ask is that while drooling over reviews of the aforementioned lens I saw a reference to a.. Canon product, the 500D Closeup Lens. This is basically like a thick filter that you whack on the from of a 77mm lens and it reduces the minimum focus distance, with what seems to be no lack of picture quality. In the case of the 80-400, it apparently reduces the minimum focus distance from 7'6" to 18" or from 2.2metres to 45cms..

I guess i'm just looking for opinions as to how people think this would work out, if they've had experience with this kind of system ( i know I read about people using nikon's system similar to this '6M'? )

the absolute basics are how close you can focus to life-sized or beyond... I use a sigma 300 macro with a 6t attached, but that will never give clean results like the tamron 90mm sp macro lens with a couple of extension tubes.

rather than me dribbling on and on (plus the fact i'm at work and a little busy)... take a look at the following article..

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources ... cro_1.html

cheers

Good question PW. As you know, I have the same Tanron 70-300 that you do, and I must admit I have been wondering what actually happens when the little macro switch is activated to put the lens into macro mode.

Not the same question, but vaguely relevant I think.

Of course, one thing I failed to consider is that the mininum focussing distance will be for the 80 end, not the 400..

Does anyone (mudder?) know the minimum distance the lens can focus @ 400mm?

Try this link:

http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/photo/macro.html

Chris

Canon 500D is close up filter not lens
When you talking macro, you have to see macro in 1:1/ 1:/2 or 1:3 etc...
80-400 or 70-200VR can be attached a Canon 500D filter/ 77mm (AU$200) to them to shoot macro in MANUAL mode only.
It works but have to be patience with manual zoom. I have this baby and play around with it a bit.
The monies you're invest in the closeup filter is better to go straight to Nikon 60/2.8 macro or Tamron 90/2.8 macro lens.

sorry - meant filter, not lens.

Thanks for the super rapid replies!

Birddog114 wrote:The monies you're invest in the closeup filter is better to go straight to Nikon 60/2.8 macro or Tamron 90/2.8 macro lens.

How much is the Tamron 90/2.8 lens?

Kristine wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:The monies you're invest in the closeup filter is better to go straight to Nikon 60/2.8 macro or Tamron 90/2.8 macro lens.

How much is the Tamron 90/2.8 lens?

Kristine,
It's around AU$600.00

Further complications

Macro possibilities...
Nikon 105
Sigma 105
Tamron 90

Lusting....