What does "macro" mean in a Sigma lens name?
Macro Photography can reveal the details of a magical world on a scale that’s hidden right before our eyes. Simple, everyday objects can become compositions of beautiful abstract forms when just a sliver is glimpsed at a high magnification, and creatures not much bigger than a grain of rice can loom large in the viewfinder. For photographers who have caught the Macro bug, Sigma offers many different options for bringing the tiny world into view.
Sigma designates a lens as a macro when its maximum magnification ratio is at 1 to 3 or greater. 1 to three magnification means that a one inch long object will be recorded to the image sensor as one third of an inch. One to two magnification means that the same one inch object is captured across one half an inch of the sensor. And one to one magnification – also called life-sized – means that a one inch object is recorded across one inch of the image sensor.
Which sort of macro lens is right for you? This informational video should help you decide.