The Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

Photographers love to argue about the merits of various camera brands. For decades, Nikon and Canon partisans argued over which brand was superior. In truth, for most purposes, both companies and many others make excellent cameras and lenses. For an insect photographer, though, Canon stands out because of one unique lens, the highly specialized MP-E 65mm f/2.8 Macro. Typical macro lenses focus from infinity down to 1:1 magnification. This lens doesn't focus to infinity or anything close. Instead it begins at 1:1 magnification, and goes up to 5:1 magnification. At 5:1, it's almost a low-power microscope. At 1:1, the maximum sized subject is, of course, the size of the camera sensor: 24mm by 36mm (approximately 1" by 1.5") for a full-frame body. At 5:1, a subject that's 4.8mm by 7.2mm (roughly 2/10 by 3/10 inches) will completely fill that same sensor. The ants that have been invading my daughter's house are about 3mm long, so they'll fill half the frame lengthwise at 5:1 magnification. That's something that isn't matched in any other major manufacturer's lens line. There are alternative ways of getting high magnification, such as close-up filters, extension tubes, and bellows. But all of these are more awkward to use, and in some cases will compromise optical quality. 

As you can imagine, there's a certain amount of technique involved in using this lens. To begin with, there's no autofocus. As we've discussed, at very close distances, the most effective focusing method is to move the camera rather than trying to adjust lens focus from a fixed camera position. So with the MP-E, the idea is to turn the magnification ring until you've set the right magnification, then position the camera so the subject is focused. Then lack of autofocus means you'll be using your eyes rather than the camera's automation to judge when the image is focused.