Does Anyone Use Extension Tubes?

[edgedamage]

I know family budgets and DSLR's don't go hand in hand. With that said, would a set of extension tubes be a temporary solution to buying a macro lens?

[goofball]

It can be but a set of the Kenko AF series will cost close to what a used macro lens can.

If you want to try macro on the cheap, go find a Cosina/Phoenix/Vivitar 100mm macro on ebay.

[Twitch1977]

I'm not sure what macro lens you can get for around $100, but you can def. get the Kenko tube set for around $100 on ebay. I got mine from a seller in Hong Kong (UR-Galaxy or something like that?). It came fast with no duty or taxes owing.

I've used my tubes a lot and it'll def. help you get closer especially if you have like a 50mm lens.

T

[eelfliw]

If you can get extension tubes for a good price, go for it.

The good thing about extension tubes is that it lets you use ALL the lenses you already have. So if you have some top notch prime lenses, then these lenses just became macro lenses.

The disadvantage of extension tubes is the light fall off. Of course, the amount of light fall off varies with the length of the extension tube. But 1 to 2 stops minimum is not uncommon. Considering the extreme short depth of field of macro shots and the light loss of extension tubes, you'll need a lot of light and a tripod to shoot decent photos.

If you have a camera with stopped down metering, you can also get manual extension tubes (and save $$$) and cheaper manual focus lenses (save more $$$) from older cameras. Since macro photography focuses by adjusting camera to subject distance, auto-focus is really an useless feature in macro. So, you can have have a DSLR mated to an extension tube and a fast M42 screw mount MF lens and it'll work perfectly fine.

Dedicated macro lenses are the ultimate in convenience. But it comes at a high cost. Need a 300mm macro lens? You have to buy one. Need a 100mm macro lens? You have to buy another one.

Here's my macro setup (bellows is like an infinitely adjustable extension tube). I use a 300mm lens because I shoot bees and don't want to get too close.

http://img145.echo.cx/img145/4755/closeup3rb.jpg

[Twitch1977]

Considering the extreme short depth of field of macro shots and the light loss of extension tubes, you'll need a lot of light and a tripod to shoot decent photos.

If you use a flash you should be able to hand hold most macro shooting you do. I've never used a tripod for any of mine and macro is almost all I shoot.

I use a 300mm lens because I shoot bees and don't want to get too close.

Unless you're poking them with your lens they'll leave ya alone, I don't think I've been bit by anything yet out macro shooting. Of course if you were severely allergic that's a different story.

T

[yani]

I'd highly recommend the Kenko extension tubes, you aren't going to be able to get a decent macro lens for anywhere near the cost of them, and although they aren't a replacement for a macro lens, they are pretty damn useful paired with the right lens, and a lot more flexible if you have a decent lens collection.

An example of a photo I took with mine is in the RFD competition thread here http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6409113&postcount=85

However keep in mind the Kenko tubes will only work with EF lenses, *not* EF-S.

[adblink182]

I posted these pics in the "Food" thread as well, but im sure got lost fast with the amount of posts in there

the following pics were taken with a set of Kenko extension tubes, I bought them off a member of FM for like a $110. I would remember using them on a telephoto lens (if you have one). You don't HAVE to, but it just makes it much easier because the higher the local length, the further away from the subject the lens can be.

I tried them first on my 50mm 1.8 it didn't work out as well because the camera needed to be way to close to the subject





http://www.demelophotography.ca/food1.jpg
http://www.demelophotography.ca/food2.jpg
http://www.demelophotography.ca/food3.jpg
http://www.demelophotography.ca/food4.jpg
http://www.demelophotography.ca/food5.jpg
http://www.demelophotography.ca/food6.jpg
http://www.demelophotography.ca/food7.jpg

[Neb]

I just got a set a few months back also. Using it on a 18-70mm. I find the 36mm is almost impossible to use with this lens because the subject is basically touching the lens and it's zoomed to 70mm. Is this normal? I am using the 12mm or the 24mm more, and never combined. I am getting a 55-200mm soon, will that be a better pairing?

I agree about AF, the Kenko AF will AF, but i usually MF and if you shoot at f/16 to increase dof, you will need a tripod or lots of light.

[mtlguy]

I use extension tubes all the time for macro. Drawback is that you lose 2 f-stops by doing so.
Think they work great, especially for the price you can get them at...

[NiMSo]

I've tried extension tubes in the past - they work as advertised, but I hated the hassle of having to mount/dismount them all the time.

[edgedamage]

Thanks for the replys. I will look into getting a set.

[adblink182]

I strictly use mine together with my lightbox/lightent so losing an f-stop or 2 is not a concern. Also the pics I posted above were at a focal length of 78mm (on a 1.6x crop body)

[Twitch1977]

Just use a flash and you don't need to worry about a tripod or worry about the light. ;)

Also watch your f-stops if you get too much over the sweet spot (usually around f8) you're going to start getting lots of diffraction in the lens that will kill the sharpness.

Even in a lens like the Canon 100mm macro with a few tubes in I can't really get over f12 before it diffracts all to hell.

T

[eelfliw]

If you use a flash you should be able to hand hold most macro shooting you do. I've never used a tripod for any of mine and macro is almost all I shoot.
I have not even contemplated handholding the setup I have above. The lens alone is 6 lbs. Add the bellows, camera body, and it's over 12 lbs. I mount it on 2 tripods. I sit below the bee hive for avg 15 min before a bee comes into view at the pose I want and I squeeze off a series of shots.

Unless you're poking them with your lens they'll leave ya alone, I don't think I've been bit by anything yet out macro shooting. Of course if you were severely allergic that's a different story.
I used to use a 85mm macro lens and managed to squish a bee and rocked the hive while trying to focus. That wasn't a pleasant experience. And helped to justify purchasing a 300mm f/2.8 lens.