Macro Extension Tubes

eminart

Somebody help me out. I'm fairly new to photography, and really new to macro. I shoot with a D80 and my macro lens is a Tokina 100mm f2.8. It's a true macro lens with 1:1 reproduction. However, like most macro enthusiasts, I want to get CLOSER! I figure the best way to do this without buying another lens is to get some extension tubes. Which ones are best? I know I want my lens to meter, so that cuts out all the cheapie $10 ones. I see a lot of different ones fromNikon, the most common is the PK-13 (I think) which is a 27.5mm extension. How much more magnification would that give me? I also see the Kenko set that contains three different lengths. Are those any good?

Anybody have any experience in this area? Or better yet, some sample photos of how much closer a given length would get me?

Cygnus Studios

The Kenko tubes are very good overall, and will meter properly. You will have to use manual focus most of the time, and they will cause some loss of light. Even when they auto focus with fast glass, I have found that manual focus will result in sharper focus.

eminart

Cygnus Studios wrote:

The Kenko tubes are very good overall, and will meter properly. You will have to use manual focus most of the time, and they will cause some loss of light. Even when they auto focus with fast glass, I have found that manual focus will result in sharper focus.

Thanks! So, one good review for Kenko. Yeah, I'm not worried about autofocus. I never use autofocus on my macro lens. I just want to keep my metering.

BigAl

eminart wrote:

Anybody have any experience in this area? Or better yet, some sample photos of how much closer a given length would get me?

This fly was 6mm long (the white spots on it are talcum powder "granules"). Taken with a Sigma 105 macro and a full set of Kenko tubes (68mm). Doing some sums, this gives a magnification of 1.8x



I have read reports of the locking pins wearing out on the Kenko tubes, but I've had no problems with mine in nearly four years of use.

Robinivich

I'll third the kenkos! I use them in canon mount, but effects will be the same. I enjoy using the full set on my 150mm macro to get nice and close without being too close

Candid Arts

I recently started a thread on this. Check it out here.

Hope this helps.

Lord Vetinari

Go for the Kenkos - they will get you to 2:1 with that lens
Brian V.

eminart

Wow, thanks everyone! That's a lot of good info. But, after reading through the link Candid Arts provided, I'm more confused than ever.

I was under the impression that the tubes wouldn't change my working distance. In my simple mind, extending the lens from the camera would simply make the image larger on the sensor. Is that not the case? According to the posts in that link, the tubes just allow you to focus at closer distances.

If that is the case, I could save about $150 and just buy a reversing ring and hang my old 24mm lens off the end of my macro.

What is the advantage of the tubes over a reversing ring?

Candid Arts

eminart wrote:

Wow, thanks everyone! That's a lot of good info. But, after reading through the link Candid Arts provided, I'm more confused than ever.

Haha, sorry. I was in the same boat.

eminart wrote:

According to the posts in that link, the tubes just allow you to focus at closer distances.

This is true.

eminart wrote:

If that is the case, I could save about $150 and just buy a reversing ring and hang my old 24mm lens off the end of my macro.

What is the advantage of the tubes over a reversing ring?

I have no idea on this one. The added benefits of the extension tubes is that if 100mm just isn't enough for your macro work, but you have a 400mm lens, you can attach the tubes to your 400mm, and now you have a 400mm macro (in a sense).

Cygnus Studios

eminart wrote:

If that is the case, I could save about $150 and just buy a reversing ring and hang my old 24mm lens off the end of my macro.

This is true to a point. With a reversing ring you are limited to the ring size and the two lenses. Let's say you put a 100mm and a 50mm together to get 1 inch away. That is all you will ever get.
With the tubes, you can put any lens on the tubes. You can use 1 tube to focus 12 inches away. 2 tubes put you 4 inches away. 3 tubes put you half an inch away. You can mix and match the tubes to get you as close as you want. Tons more versatile.

cr8ingwaves

I love it when I come here looking for info and find it!

I put the Kenkos into my shopping cart and was debating if I wanted them. I was purchasing an 85mm 1.8 and wanted to be able to do more with it than just indoor sports and portraits. The extension tubes would allow me to have more fun with my new lens.

Accessories make the hobby fun!

thanks to everyone that provided input to this thread.

Off to the Macro forum to learn!!