Macro Extension Tube

[Marignan_1515]

I would like to try macro shot, but I'm not really familiar with this technique
I was thinking about Macro Extension Tube to practice ans see what it looks like.
I've seen at Adorama some set of 3 Extension Tubes 12mm+20mm+36mm
$85 (ProOptic) or $110 (Kenko)

1. COMPATIBLE?
Is this ok to use with D30 + Canon 70-200L f/4 or Tokina 28-70f/2.8 ?

2. FOCUS, LIGHT AND AF ?
I've seen that you loose infinit focus (I guess it isn't an issue in macro anyway) and light. What your experience?
Do you keep the AF working or should I use manual focus?

4. TUBE REALLY EQUAL MACRO ?
Am I wasting $100 with such tubes? (again, I just want to practice first, so I do not want to invest a lot, but I still need to see what macro looks like)
What the choice btw ProOptic and Kenko (and other I don't know...)

5. ADVICE
Any advice on how to get good pictures / technic tips / etc..

[sjprg]

Before you jump off look at the Bee on Blue flower, and read Rodger's blog on macro work.

http://www.rogercavanagh.com/helpinfo/16_10D_blog_04.htm

Paul

[Marignan_1515]

Nice picture, but what do you mean? These tubes won't do much than that? I know I can use my tele to do pictures like this, but is it macro? That's it? I was already doing macro and nobody told me so??? ;)

Why are people buying Macro lenses for $X00 ? What the purpose of these tubes...

[robertwgross]

marignan_1515 wrote:
1. COMPATIBLE?
Is this ok to use with D30 + Canon 70-200L f/4 or Tokina 28-70f/2.8 ?

2. FOCUS, LIGHT AND AF ?
I've seen that you loose infinit focus (I guess it isn't an issue in macro anyway) and light. What your experience?
Do you keep the AF working or should I use manual focus?

4. TUBE REALLY EQUAL MACRO ?
Am I wasting $100 with such tubes? (again, I just want to practice first, so I do not want to invest a lot, but I still need to see what macro looks like)
What the choice btw ProOptic and Kenko (and other I don't know...)

5. ADVICE
Any advice on how to get good pictures / technic tips / etc..


1. Yes, it is compatible.
2. Yes, you probably get much tighter close focus and very poor or no far focus. You can try to keep AF working and see how that goes. But then I have found it best to switch off the AF and manually focus when the extension tube is on.
4. Your question is not clear.
5. Practice.

I've been using a single extension tube on a Canon zoom lens, and I use this on very close shots of flowers, from one inch to two inches across, at a range of one to six inches. It works. There are no f-stops of light lost with an extension tube.

---Bob Gross---

[reittila]

marignan_1515 wrote:
I would like to try macro shot, but I'm not really familiar with this technique
I was thinking about Macro Extension Tube to practice ans see what it looks like.
I've seen at Adorama some set of 3 Extension Tubes 12mm+20mm+36mm
$85 (ProOptic) or $110 (Kenko)

1. COMPATIBLE?
Is this ok to use with D30 + Canon 70-200L f/4 or Tokina 28-70f/2.8 ?

2. FOCUS, LIGHT AND AF ?
I've seen that you loose infinit focus (I guess it isn't an issue in macro anyway) and light. What your experience?
Do you keep the AF working or should I use manual focus?

4. TUBE REALLY EQUAL MACRO ?
Am I wasting $100 with such tubes? (again, I just want to practice first, so I do not want to invest a lot, but I still need to see what macro looks like)
What the choice btw ProOptic and Kenko (and other I don't know...)

5. ADVICE
Any advice on how to get good pictures / technic tips / etc..


1. Yes
2. Macro extension tube is basically a tube which extends the focusing range at the close distance end of the focusing area. In other words when you focus on close distance the lens elements must move away from the film plane (in digital from the sensor) and the extension tube simply extend this movement in order to be able to focus closer than without the tube.
That's why you can't focus to infinity with the tube.
AF you must check but I wouldn't use AF my self even if it worked.
You also will lose some light because of the lens movement away from the film (sensor) plane.
The loss of light can be calculated like focal length devided with the length of the tube equals the amount of f-stops times two.
fd= is f-stop difference
fl = focal length
l = lenght of extension tube
2 x fl / l = fd
That means for example that if the extension tube is 50mm long and you use 100mm lens you loose one f-stop.
4. Practically nearly as good but "real" macro lenses produce better picture quality because they are optically optimized for close distances.
5.
Practise and use tripod.

Edit: Corrected some miss spelling

[Roger_Cavanagh]

Jacques,

To some extent your choice of tool for close-up/macro photography depends on what you want to take pictures of.

You can get high levels of magnification with tubes: the length of tube/focal length gives the ratio. A 50 mm tubes (or a combination or tubes) with 50mm focal legnth will give 1x magnification - lifesize - but you will have very little working distance.

Another option work considering is the close-up lens. This csrews on the front of the lens where a standard filter would go. I've more explanation about this here: http://www.rogercavanagh.com/helpinfo/18_500D.htm.

This is quite a good option to use on a 200mm lens. You get up 0.57x with the 500D and you get a better working distance than with tubes: around 12-19 inches.

For even greater magnification you can use tubes and the close-up lens together.

With close-up work, depth of field is a function of magnification and aperture and you get very little DOF as magnification increases. So as Pekka says use a tripod and manual focus for best results.

Regards,

[RedShoesGirl]

marignan_1515 wrote:
I would like to try macro shot, but I'm not really familiar with this technique
I was thinking about Macro Extension Tube to practice ans see what it looks like.
I've seen at Adorama some set of 3 Extension Tubes 12mm+20mm+36mm
$85 (ProOptic) or $110 (Kenko)

1. COMPATIBLE?
Is this ok to use with D30 + Canon 70-200L f/4 or Tokina 28-70f/2.8 ?

2. FOCUS, LIGHT AND AF ?
I've seen that you loose infinit focus (I guess it isn't an issue in macro anyway) and light. What your experience?
Do you keep the AF working or should I use manual focus?

4. TUBE REALLY EQUAL MACRO ?
Am I wasting $100 with such tubes? (again, I just want to practice first, so I do not want to invest a lot, but I still need to see what macro looks like)
What the choice btw ProOptic and Kenko (and other I don't know...)

5. ADVICE
Any advice on how to get good pictures / technic tips / etc..


1. Yes. I use a set of Kenko tubes in various combinations with a 10D and a 80-200 f2.8 and a 100 f2. They allow me to get MUCH closer to the subject.

2. I read somewhere that AF is not recommended when using extension tubes. But I have had some good and some bad results using AF since I don't see well enough through the lens to focus quickly for extreme close-ups. You will find that if you use a zoom lens, setting the lens at its closest focusing point, the zoom then becomes the focus mechanism.

(what happened to #3?!) :)

4. You do lose infinite focus, but since you are trying to get macro shots do you need infinite focus? And YES, there is light loss when using tubes. A quick test with and without will show that. And it has been documented on some of the macro tutorials I have read. Lots of light is the key. Kenko seems to be the best I have tried and much less expensive than the Canon.

macro samples can be seen in my latest butterfly shots http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14992

I hope to be able to get a dedicated macro lens soon so as to get even closer!

This guy Plonsky does some amazing macro work. http://www.mplonsky.com/photo/article.htm

RSG

[RedShoesGirl]

I tried something new this morning: taped a reversed 50mm FD lens on the end of a 100mm lens to see what kind of magnification I could get. A LOT!

Of course I had the camera on a tripod and was looking at a dead bug's leg but all in all it is something to consider. Problem was I had to get SO close. Now this would be fine for bugs that hold still - like dead ones, but not sure how effective this will be in the long run. Still, another inexpensive way to achieve major macro.

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/35bug_leg_72.jpg

Have to order the reverse male to male coupling ring - tape tends to come unstuck. :)

RSG

[Marignan_1515]

great tips! thanks for your help.

[toddb]

I just got the 500D so I could actually pack it with me. Here is a sample shot used with the Canon 28-135 USM IS lens:

http://www.toddburke.net/post/dragon_fly_01.jpg

http://www.toddburke.net/post/fly.jpg

This is my first try at it. Probably too much sun.

[Marignan_1515]

Toddb,
Your fly is absolutely horrible and disgusting!! Details are so horribles.... Which just confirm that the picture is fantastic, very sharp, well exposed! Great!!
hummm did you try flowers instead?

Roger,
Thanks for your tips - Your website is pretty much the best I've seen for this kind of technical questions.
Your fly is very disgusting too! Congratulation for the sharpness, colors & contrast. The motion blur on the front legs just enable to imagine the fly moving.... burb!
http://www.rogercavanagh.com/galleries/fly/images/slide/020717-0059.jpg

I really much enjoy your bee:
http://www.rogercavanagh.com/helpinfo/images/sharpex/030506-0019-3-thumb.jpg