Camera / Optics
Macro Magnification Calculator
Find the exact field of view captured on your sensor at any macro magnification ratio, from 1:4 up to 5:1, live as you type.
Sensor & Magnification
Reference
Magnification compares the size of the subject’s projection on the sensor to its real-world size. At 1:1 (life-size), a 36mm-wide subject exactly fills a full-frame sensor’s width.
True macro lenses reach at least 1:1. Working distance to the subject depends on the specific lens design and isn’t something this ratio alone can determine.
Results
Understanding Macro Magnification Ratios
Macro lenses are marketed by their maximum magnification ratio — 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 — but it’s not always obvious what that actually means for how much of a small subject fills your frame. This tool converts any magnification ratio directly into the physical field of view it captures on your specific sensor.
What “Life-Size” Really Means
A 1:1 ratio means the subject is projected onto the sensor at its true physical size — a 36mm-wide subject exactly fills the width of a full-frame sensor. This is the threshold most photographers consider “true macro.” Ratios below 1:1 are closer to close-up photography; ratios above 1:1, like 2:1 or 5:1, are extreme macro, where even small insects or textures fill the entire frame.
Why Sensor Size Changes the Math
The same magnification ratio captures a different physical area depending on sensor size, since a smaller sensor divides the same subject size across fewer millimeters of width. This is why a 1:1 macro lens on a smaller sensor can feel more “zoomed in” on tiny subjects than the same ratio on full frame.
This tool is especially useful for:
- Macro photographers comparing how different magnification ratios will frame a subject.
- Lens buyers deciding whether a lens’s rated magnification covers their subject size.
- Product and jewelry photographers planning shots of very small items.