what do the sizes on lens mean?

[furnic]

so ok, due to some extra load shedding finally had the time to play with my olympus slr and read the manual back to front- sheez.
anyhow, besides been blown away by how much these cameras can do, what exactly do the numbers on a lens mean?
The current lens I have is 14mm - 42mm, but what do the numbers mean?
For example I am looking at doing more Macro photos - so the lens I would need is a 35mm fixed lens? (they also have a 50mm but is costs like more than double) - so what do these numbers mean, thanks in advance.

 

[bwana]

I have no doubt the technical fundis will have a better answer for you but in short the 14-42mm is the focal length - 14mm giving you a wide angle and on out to a tighter 42mm.

For macro you want to be able to focus on the object when it is closer to the lens. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_photography

(The wiki article refers to a 35mm lens but in this case they mean a macro lens designed for 35mm format film camera)

There are a few ways I can think of that will let you use your existing lens for macro photography - the first is by attaching closeup lens to the front of the lens and another is by attaching an extension tube to the rear of the lens.

There's also this method if you have a steady hand

You reverse the lens and hand hold it against the body.