10 Best Macro Lenses 2025 in the United States

The Canon RF100mm F2.8 L Macro is a high-quality lens tailored for macro photography, especially for users with EOS R series mirrorless cameras. With a medium telephoto focal length of 100mm, it provides an impressive maximum magnification ratio of 1.4x, making it perfect for capturing intricate details in close-up shots. The bright f/2.8 aperture allows for excellent low-light performance and beautiful background blur or bokeh.

The optical image stabilization, offering up to 5 stops of shake correction, and the hybrid IS, which compensates for angular and shift camera shake, ensure sharp and clear images even in handheld shooting conditions. The spherical aberration (SA) control ring adds versatility by allowing photographers to adjust the bokeh’s character for creative effects.

On the downside, the lens is relatively heavy at 1.61 pounds, and its size might be a bit cumbersome for some users. However, its robust build quality and weather sealing make it durable and reliable for various shooting environments. The autofocus performance is strong, providing quick and accurate focusing, which is crucial for capturing fine details in macro photography. The Canon RF100mm F2.8 L Macro lens is a top choice for serious macro photographers, offering excellent image quality and advanced features to bring close-up subjects to life.

The Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro lens offers a versatile focal length of 85mm, which is quite suitable for portrait and macro photography. Its bright f/2 aperture allows for beautiful bokeh and great performance in low light conditions, enhancing image quality. The lens provides a maximum magnification of 0.5x and a minimum focusing distance of 1.15 feet, making it capable of capturing fine details in close-up shots, although it’s not a true 1:1 macro lens which might be a limitation for some macro enthusiasts.

One of its standout features is the Optical Image Stabilization, providing up to 5 stops of shake correction which is very beneficial for handheld shooting, especially in macro photography where stability is crucial. The hybrid image stabilization further helps in reducing angular and shift camera shake during macro shots, ensuring sharper images. The autofocus performance, driven by STM (Stepping Motor) technology, is smooth and silent, useful for both stills and video. However, it may not be as fast as the more advanced USM motors found in higher-end lenses.

Build quality is solid with a compact and lightweight design, weighing only 1.1 pounds, which makes it easy to carry around. However, it seems to lack full weather sealing, which might be a drawback for shooting in harsh environments. The control ring for direct setting changes is a convenient feature for quick adjustments, making it user-friendly for those new to macro photography. This lens is compatible with Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras, such as the EOS RP, R, R5, and R6, ensuring seamless integration. It is a strong choice for hobbyists and semi-professional photographers looking for a versatile mid-telephoto macro lens with good stabilization and user-friendly features.

The AstrHori 25mm F2.8 macro lens is designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras, especially Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma L-mounts. It offers an impressive 2x to 5x magnification, which is higher than many standard macro lenses, allowing you to capture extremely close-up details of tiny subjects. The working distance of about 37.5 to 45mm helps you set up lighting and composition without being uncomfortably close to the subject.

The 25mm focal length is shorter than usual for macro lenses, but this actually gives you a larger depth of field at these magnifications, making it easier to keep more of your subject in focus and reducing the need for complex photo stacking. With a bright maximum aperture of f/2.8 and an 8-blade iris, the lens performs well in low light and can create smooth background blur (bokeh) that highlights your subject nicely. The lens construction includes 10 elements in 7 groups, featuring specialized glass to reduce distortions and improve sharpness.

This lens is manual focus only and does not have autofocus, which may be challenging if you're used to quick focusing systems, especially at high magnifications where precise manual focus is critical. There is no image stabilization built-in, so using a tripod or steady hand technique is recommended. The build feels solid, but the lack of autofocus and stabilization means it’s best suited for photographers comfortable with manual precision work. It is a strong choice for enthusiasts eager to explore extreme close-ups with excellent image quality and depth of field control, provided they are okay with manual focusing and stabilizing their shots themselves.