Macro Photography Equipment: 11 Essential Gear Items
Macro photography is one of the most addicting forms of photography. It allows you to check out some of nature’s coolest things in super close-up detail. But to do so, you’ll need some macro photography equipment.
When you first start, you’ll see all these amazing photos and think, “Wow, I want to shoot like that!” You then realize it’ll cost hundreds (or thousands) of dollars worth of equipment…
And that’s where I hope to come in. I’ve had experience with different types of equipment for macro photography and can help you know where to start when building your macro equipment collection.
1. Cameras for Macro Photography
You’ll hear that a proper macro lens is the most crucial piece of the puzzle for shooting macro photography. While this is true, another part of the equation is having a decent macro camera body. Regardless of your interest as an artist, scientist, or hobbyist – there are some things to consider.
Macro Camera Features to Consider
When I first started shooting macro, I looked online at close-up photos that blew my mind. I asked myself, how can I achieve that kind of shot? By reverse engineering how a macro photo is produced, I reached out to the photographer and got the low-down on what kind of camera, lens, and other techniques I’d need.
Design
Macro camera design is important when determining how you’ll handle your camera. You don’t want to get a cumbersome camera. Anticipating what kind of conditions you’d use your macro camera in can help you gauge what kind of design is ideal for you. This kind of reverse engineering to determine macro photography gear can be helpful.
For example, if you’re planning on extended trekking through rugged terrain or shooting in extreme temperatures. Or you can imagine being in tight, hard-to-reach spots and like the idea of rotating an LED screen, even touching it to auto-focus and take photos. Those factors need to be considered. Take a look at some design points below and prioritize what macro camera fits the bill.
· Weather-sealed (splashproof)
· Screen size / resolution
· EVF (electronic viewfinder)
· Tilting viewfinder
