Extension Tubes

[RAitch]

I have the 50 1.8 and the 70-200/F4.
What kind of results would you get using an extension tube with these lenses?
I'd love to do some macro work, but I'm not ready to get another lens just for that. If the results are descent, I'm thinking it might be more flexible to get a tube to use with different lenses.

Anybody try this? Didn't find anything on the board about this.
Does anybody have any pics with these lenses?

[gasrocks]

Do a Google search for Canon EF lens specifications. I have a chart in front of me - lists all canon ef lenses and (amoungst other things) mag. you get with 12mm and 25mm extension tubes (for each lens.)

[D Boone]

Just got the Kenko extention tube set. I have tried it on my 50 and can tell you it works. I don't know how well cause I haven't downloaded the pics yet. With all three tubes on it will focus pretty close. Maybe 1.5" away. That allowed me to take a picture of my Baby Girls eye and it took up the entire viewfinder. I haven't aquired the 70-200 yet but hope to get one by middle of summer... and I haven't tried it on the 75-300 yet. It does make it hard to focus though. Especially handheld.

[RAitch]

Thanks Gasrocks, but I'm more after the image quality, and people's impressions.
I've read that the DOF becomes extremely narrow and very hard to focus. I'm already having focussing problems from up close with my 50.

I'm interested to see the difference an extender makes. For example, if you take a picture about 2' away from a subject using the 50, and you take another one from the same distace with a tube... what does that do to the image? There's some light reduction which changes the effectiveness of the apature and some obvious magnification... but what does that LOOK like.

D Boone, post some pics if you can. I'd love to see some examples. (comparision shots without the tube would be cool too)

[CyberDyneSystems]

Extension tubes do not effect image quality per se,. they are hollow tubes,. that merely shift the focal point which gets your lens closer to the subject,. thus increasing total magnification.

You'll find they work better with moderately telephoto lenses than with the 50m...

In fact,. with your 70-200mm .. you will get some of the best use out of tubes availble! I love the 70-200mm with tubes! Its an excellent combo!

[sid]

Just got the Kenko extention tube set. I have tried it on my 50 and can tell you it works. I don't know how well cause I haven't downloaded the pics yet. With all three tubes on it will focus pretty close. Maybe 1.5" away.
I'd like to some pictures when you get a chane to download them from the camera.

[SDK^]

Be aware that you will lose several stops with the tubes fitted.

[D Boone]

I'll get those downloaded tonight and try and post some. Might be I was a little wobbly and they didn't come out, but if thats the case I'll take some more. I got that and the remote and the new backpack on wednesday, and I really have barely had time to touch them.

[robertwgross]

The advantage of using an extension tube is not the magnification from two feet. The advantage is that you can move in closer than the normal minimum focus distance. That effectively gives you more magnification, but the exact amount depends on which lens and which extension tube.

---Bob Gross---

[D Boone]

Heres the best one. I havn't gotten a chance to take any more. Might get some of some stuff tonight and post it. This was 5mins after I opened the box and just stuck all three on the 50.

[D Boone]

Just a quick note to say, be careful with the extention tubes! I took some shots with all three with my 75-300, and the weight of the lens caused some play in the connections... In short I got an error 99, turned the camera off. Turned it back on and got an error 1! Whatever that means its not good. My camera would not boot back up and for about 10mins I was really getting worried. Took out both batteries for about 5 mins and when I booted back up all was well...

[Anders Östberg]

Before buying a macro lens I used Kenko tubes with my 70-200 IS, and 85/1.8, and the results were very good. The 70-200 is heavy but I still preferred it over a shorter lens as you get a longer working distance.

[RAitch]

Hmm... that sounds good that it works well with the 70-200... I wasn't expecting that for some reason.
D, that's a good example. How far were you away?

This is exactly what I need. I did some reading and most people were pointing at the macro lenses as a better solution then the tubes. I had some of those for my old camera but wasn't that impressed. That and I don't like adding glass if I don't need to. Most were saying you have a better working range.. not really sure what that means.

How does the tubes affect the DOF? I know there is light reduction (because only the center part of the light hits the sensor) so the only problem would be shutter speed restrictions or having to boost the ISO?????????

How close can you focus on something with the 70-200 and how far away can you be (with the 12mm and 25mm)?

What do most people have? The 25?

I don't really understand those numbers on the big-ass stat page that was mentioned before.

[Chazs]

Not sure if this will help much, but here is a comparison of a photo with a 50mm lens, and the 50mm with a 7mm extension tube. The thumb is just for size comparison. Shot on a 20D (but with an Olympus Zuiko lens, because that's what my extension tube is for.)

http://home.wavecable.com/~stevensc/photos/tube.jpg

Also, a 100% crop of the photo with the thumb in it.
http://home.wavecable.com/~stevensc/photos/tubecrop.jpg

[RAitch]

That's pretty sweet.
I guess maybe I should just buy one and play with it. But the information you guys give is great!! Thanks for the help.

Keep some pics coming. I'd love to see more of what these things can do.

[Anders Östberg]

I may have posted some or all of these here before, but since you ask for examples here are some macros using Kenko extension tubes on either the 70-200 IS or the 85/1.8:

http://www.andersostberg.com/fotogalleri/albums/userpics/10001/Humla_6012.jpg

http://www.andersostberg.com/fotogalleri/albums/userpics/10001/Bug_5990.jpg

http://www.andersostberg.com/fotogalleri/albums/userpics/10001/Dragonfly_6083.jpg

http://www.andersostberg.com/fotogalleri/albums/userpics/10001/SnigelTagg_4499.jpg

http://www.andersostberg.com/fotogalleri/albums/userpics/10001/Vinbergssn%E4cka_5953.jpg

[Yan]

Fret.. very nice images!!

what made you choose Kenko over Canon extention tube??

[condyk]

Wow! These are some of the best images I've seen here. Now I'll have to look at getting some extension tubes myself ... more money!!! I just didn't realise you could get images like these :-)

[RAitch]

Man those are nice!!!
And you have lots of DOF to work with.
Looks like I'll be getting some for sure.

[Anders Östberg]

Thanks for your nice comments!

Fret.. very nice images!!

what made you choose Kenko over Canon extention tube??

Price. It's also a nice set with three different lengths that you can combine as needed.

I'd possibly choose the Canon tubes if the purpose was to use it on a heavy supertele to decrease the near focusing limit, but for any "normal" weight lenses I feel the Kenko tubes will hold up quite well.

As to DOF, these are perhaps more "close-ups" than "macros", you lose DOF very quickly when you move closer.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I've got the kenko set as well, you can't beat the price,. about $100.00 for the three tube set. They are just hollow tubes,. so worrying about Canon "optics" is moot in this case.

If you intend to use them with seriously heavy monster primes,. like 300mm f/2.8 or larger,. I'd stick with the Canon tubes as they are simply more solid...

But the kenko's I have are fine with anything up to the size of the 70-200mm f/2.8 or 100-400mm IS for example,. I even used them with the much heavier "Bigma" a few times with no problems.

[condyk]

... I even used them with the much heavier "Bigma" a few times with no problems.

You predicted exactly what I was going to ask re. Bigma ... though I think I'm more likely to use with Sigma 70-200 f2.8, just in case!

[RAitch]

Is this the set you're talking about?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=375102&is=REG

If you had to get just one... would you go for the 20mm??????

What kind of shots can you do with all 3 of these stacked? Are you limited then on how far away you can be from the subject?

[RAitch]

Actually, I see Kenko only have a 12 or 25 separately... the 20 is in the 3 pack though.

[robertwgross]

What kind of shots can you do with all 3 of these stacked? Are you limited then on how far away you can be from the subject?

Absolutely.

When you first start applying extension tubes in order to shorten the minimum focus distance, the first thing that is lost is the ability to focus at infinity.

---Bob Gross---

[Yan]

=( cannot use EF-S with Kenko..

[CyberDyneSystems]

=( cannot use EF-S with Kenko..

GOOD Point.. I did not know that!
... but it makes perfect sense.. in fact Canon altered the design of there own tubes to accomodate the EF-S.


Wow,. the price has gone up since I got them two years ago.