27
votes
Accepted
Why don't lens mount adapters have the same effect as extension tubes?
Because the Canon EF mount lens "expects" to be further from the sensor than a Sony E mount lens; this is known as the flange focal distance or the registration distance - a Canon EF lens focuses the ...
- 21.8k
17
votes
Accepted
Why doesn't an extension tube "crop" the picture?
The extension tube does change the field of view. Specifically, it enlarges the image circle size at the sensor/film plane. Light as it is projected by the rear of the lens onto the film/sensor plane ...
- 175k
16
votes
Accepted
Why am I having problems focusing with extension tubes?
Extension tubes do two things you may not yet have noticed.
They reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor*.
This is often enough to prevent autofocus from working at all. It's usual to abandon ...
- 23.1k
9
votes
Why am I having problems focusing with extension tubes?
When you add extension tubes, your camera become myopic, it will no longer focus to infinity (the ring shifts the focus range towards you). The thicker the ring or the shorter the lens, the more ...
- 20.6k
6
votes
Why don't lens mount adapters have the same effect as extension tubes?
Why don't lens mount adapters have the same effect as extension tubes?
They do. But whether it limits far-focus capability depends on one factor: the difference in distances from the image plane to ...
- 51.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Is there a way to adjust the aperture of a Nikon lens without a camera or physical aperture ring?
Ultimately, we decided to use a Nikon BR-6 Auto Diaphragm Ring combined with a BR-2A Lens Reversing Ring, plus a Nikon AR-10 cable release for setting the aperture.
This was the setup: A Nikon lens (...
- 91
5
votes
What am I losing when using extension tubes instead of a macro lens?
Just to add one thing to already posted answers: If you are going to do a really serious macro photography then you can not only forget about autofocus but in fact you can forget about manual focus as ...
- 151
5
votes
Accepted
What would happen if you put an extension tube on a macro lens?
As you focus a lens, you are changing the distance lens to sensor (or film). The job of the lens is to refract (bend inward) light rays incoming from the subject. This alters their path so that the ...
- 38.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Focussing with Extension Tubes
The only option to focus is to change the distance to the subject.
Basically, yes.
Is there any existing workaround?
A. Some rails are indeed one workaround rather than moving the tripod. There ...
- 23.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Is it worth it to purchase extension tubes instead of a dedicated macro lens?
Tubes are not quite as good as the other methods; slightly inferior to reversing the lens & a lot inferior to a dedicated macro lens, but they're straightforward, cheap & fun to experiment ...
- 23.1k
5
votes
Why am I having problems focusing with extension tubes?
What everyone else said... Try looking at something relatively close (flowers on a table, etc.) and focus by moving closer or further away. You'll find that the focusing ring may have little effect, ...
- 6,694
4
votes
What would happen if you put an extension tube on a macro lens?
It would let you focus closer. If this is the aspect of 'performance' that you need, give it a try. It will not IMPROVE image quality. It may not noticably increase distortion. Extension tubes ...
- 1,686
4
votes
Accepted
Can I combine a pinhole bodycap with macro extension tube to adjust focal length?
Yes, you can.
But keep in mind that the optimal performance of a given pinhole is related to focal length used. More on the theme can be found here: How to calculate the optimal pinhole size?.
Using ...
- 6,010
4
votes
Can I combine a pinhole bodycap with macro extension tube to adjust focal length?
Can I combine this with a macro extension tube to adjust the focal length?
Yes, you can.
You can make some extension tubes with cardboard too to make some preliminary tests.
P.D. Just make sure you ...
- 23.8k
4
votes
Accepted
Which side of a lens-mount adapter to attach an extension tube?
You don't really say, but it seems you have an EF lens and an EOS M camera?
They have different diameters, so does it make any difference if I put it between lens and adapter or between adapter and ...
- 175k
4
votes
Why am I having problems focusing with extension tubes?
Best to place the camera with tubes mounted super close to the subject and then slowly move the camera, further and further away from the subject. In other words, achieve sharp focus by camera ...
- 38.7k
3
votes
What are these two devices both called "macro adapters"?
Some cameras will allow close-up photography without the need to purchase any paraphernalia. Most modern cameras work in close by allowing you to select a “macro” mode. This is a menu item or button ...
- 38.7k
3
votes
Can we combine extension tubes and diopters for greater macro magnification?
Yes, macro photography can be done by using and combining multiple cheap methods (diopter rings, extension tubes and reverse mounting lenses) and here is an amazing example of what Alexey Kljatov ...
- 361
3
votes
Macro photography with an ultra-wide lens and extension tubes?
I have both wide angles and extension tubes in my bag. I have tried several times to use them altogether. With some of them, you can’t focus even with the thinnest extension tube. Indeed, the shortest ...
3
votes
How can I calculate what the effect of an extension tube will be?
Cambridge in colour has an online magnification ratio calculator.
And to quote the web site:
An extension tube increases lens magnification by an amount equal to the extension distance divided by the ...
- 514
3
votes
Blur image with a 1/2" lens on a 1/3" sensor
Indeed I didn't see but one is C and the other is CS so that's why the extension tube of 5mm was working.
One of your cameras is C-mount with 17.526mm registration distance, the other is CS-mount at ...
- 175k
3
votes
Focussing with Extension Tubes
You can still focus using the lens manual focus or even the autofocus but the ring drastically reduces the range of possible focus distances, so the subject-camera distance must already be in that ...
- 20.6k
2
votes
Do extension tubes degrade image quality?
Glare can be a real problem even if the inner surface is black, but not matt. For really bad tubes like those branded COMIX, some glare is present almost always. If a strong light source is outside ...
- 159
2
votes
How do I choose an extension tube for macro photography?
Even if macro extension tubes have no glass in them, with cheap ones reflections or play at the mounts can make a huge difference. I recently bought one set branded COMIX, sold by Commlite, from eBay. ...
- 159
2
votes
Accepted
How can I do macro photography with canon 700d kit lens?
Are they really useful?
Yes, extension tubes are useful. What you want is a set of extension tubes that maintain the electrical connections between camera and lens. There are many different brands ...
- 31.7k
2
votes
How can I do macro photography with canon 700d kit lens?
Macro is generally defined as a type of photography where the size of the subject on the film negative or sensor is the same size as the subject itself.
To take a large picture of a small subject ...
- 175k
2
votes
Accepted
Should I get extension tubes or a close-up macro converter for macro photography?
The distance from the lens to film/digital sensor is a variable based on subject distance. When the camera lens focuses on a far distant object (infinity – a far as the eye can see symbol ∞) the ...
- 38.7k
2
votes
What does the "DG" in "Kenko DG Extension tubes" mean? What are the differences between DG and non-DG versions?
'Digital Gate-Array IC', whatever that means.
According to Kenko:
It means the converter’s unique circuitry maintains signal integrity between the camera body and lens.
From that one could ...
- 175k
2
votes
Accepted
How do extension tubes affect the image circle?
You can grab a lens and move it closer and farther from a piece of paper to directly see what happens.
When you move the lens away from the film plane, light has to travel farther. The intensity of ...
- 26.9k
2
votes
Accepted
Does the attachment order of Canon teleconverters and adapters matter?
Canon designed the firmware that's running the camera, so if they say an order of operation for something, it's probably best to follow it.
That being said, I'd imagine this particular order is due ...
- 20.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible