Nikkor Micro/Macro Lens

[frankie_frank1]

<p>Nikkor's micro lenses can reproduce 1:1 image. With high MP photos, we can crop the image to 1:1 ratio and still retain good IQ. Does it mean that micro/macro lenses are useless?</p>

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[jose_angel]

<p>If you crop you will have a smaller image (less pixels), then with less detail than an uncropped, full sized image. It could be noticeable at certain enlargements.</p>

<p>The lens design is decisive, too. A lens designed for macrophotography will be more resolutive at higher magnifications than an all-round design.</p>

<p>The difference is in <em>"... and <strong>still</strong> retain good IQ".</em> How much good "<em>still</em>" means to you? Perhaps we don`t have the requirement that others could have, e.g., Bjorn Rorslett.</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>Your question indicates a misunderstanding of micro/macro - the 1:1 reproduction ratio means the object is reproduced in <strong>life-size on the film or sensor</strong> ; how is a crop going to change that?</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>A 1:1 magnification ratio from a macro or micro lens (don't want to get into tiresome semantics here) is not the same thing as a 1:1 crop from a full resolution photo. Sounds the same but you're measuring two entirely separate things. It's rather akin to saying a one ounce container filled with an ounce of liquid is the same thing as a one liter container filled with a liter of liquid. Both are 1:1, relative to volume to container, but nowhere near the same otherwise.</p>

<p>If you step back and use any ordinary lens to frame a coin so that a 1:1 crop will yield a 400x400 pixel photo showing only the coin, all you'll have is a 400x400 pixel image to work with. It may be suitable for a small thumbnail JPEG for web display, but that's about all. This would translate very roughly to the above mentioned ounce of liquid in a liter container.</p>

<p>Use a macro/micro lens at 1:1 to fill the frame with the same coin and you have the camera's full resolution image to work with (minus the edge crops to create a comparably square image). You'll have enough image information to make a good print.</p>