Macro vs Close-up

Today on the Ecency Discord channel i was asked what the difference is between close-up photography and Macro photography by @melinda010100 .

The short answer is everything with a 1:1 magnification or higher is macro.

Standing close to the subject and not have a 1:1 magnification is called close-up photgraphy.

Macro lenses can be expensive depending on the lens quality.
Extension rings don't mean you will reach the 1:1 , but it will get you a lot closer to the subject.

Then there is something called a closeup filter that you can put infront of your lens.
about extension tubes and close-up filters i find this Cambridge website very usefull

Reverse rings doesn't always make it to 1:1 works best on lenses below 50mm, however if you reverse a 50mm lens on top of a normal lens you might get close to 1:1

it's all Physics

Here are some boring photo's from a ruler with different lenses and settings hope you get the idea of macro vs close-up.

My Sony A6000 has an APS-C-type (23,5 x 15,6 mm) sensor that means if i take an image of a metric ruler at 1:1 it should show 23.5mm .

using the Sigma 105mm Macro lens at 1:1:

Using the Sigma 105mm Macro Lens at 1:2 good enough for close-ups

Using the Sigma 105mm lens at 1:4 not even good enough for close -up.

using the rokkor 28mm reversed : slightly better then 1:1

Using the helios 44-2 58mm lens not 1:1 but good enough for decent close-ups

Using the helios 44-2 58mm lens + extension 16mm tube, a lot closer but still not 1:1 so no macro but good close-up

Laowa Venus 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5x Ultra Macro with 2.5 - 5x magnification at 2.5 magnification picture on a cm ruler the spaces between each line is 1mm.
that makes it 9mm and a bit

using the same ruler at x5 magnification showing 4.5mm

All images are taken by me @stresskiller

Hope to see you soon on :