Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

Close-up filters provide an inexpensive alternative to which type of lenses?

1. Ultra-wide angle lenses

2. Macro lenses

3. Fisheye lenses

4. Telephoto lenses

The correct answer is: Macro lenses

Close-up filters serve as an economical substitute for macro lenses, making them an ideal choice for photographers looking to capture detailed images of small subjects without investing in specialized macro equipment. Macro lenses are designed to focus at extremely short distances and allow for high magnification, which is essential for tasks like photographing insects, flowers, or small objects with fine detail. In contrast, close-up filters can be attached to a standard lens to achieve similar results by decreasing the minimum focusing distance of that lens. This allows photographers to take close-up shots effectively at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated macro lens. While close-up filters do not offer the same level of clarity, image quality, or control as macro lenses, they are a practical tool for achieving macro photography on a budget. The other options, such as ultra-wide angle lenses, fisheye lenses, and telephoto lenses, fulfill entirely different photographic needs and cannot be effectively replaced by close-up filters. They each serve specific purposes that are distinct from the ability to magnify small subjects, which is where close-up filters and macro lenses align.