Okay, so I had learned about these nifty little gadgets called “extension tubes” during my last class with Bryan Peterson. They are glassless tubes that come in a set of three different sizes that can be used individually or stacked. You connect them between the camera and your lens (any lens, I might add!) and they give you the ability to get much closer to your subject. I had been perfectly content to use my magnifying filters and my Raynox 250 until this past week’s assignment in macro. We aren’t allowed to use flowers as our subject, and I was having a VERY hard time getting a neat abstract macro using my lenses. I couldn’t get close enough, and the focus wasn’t as sharp as I would have liked. So, I finally bit the bullet to the tune of $100 and bought the tubes. I bought the Pro-Optic brand tubes, but if you want to splurge, Kenko makes a set for about $170 that Bryan Peterson uses. I had about 15 minutes to play with them, and here’s what I got…these are SOOC. (Same flowers that I used for the black and white shoot by the way.)
And one non-flower shot:
I think I’m in love.
A Half Hour a Day 
This is SO COOL!!! I was just looking at extension tubes a couple of weeks ago, debating whether or not to get them. So you really like them? They’re worth the money? Are they difficult to work with? I can’t remember which brand I was looking at, but it was a 3-piece set like yours.
I think this will be my next purchase… and that fisheye lens will have to wait a little longer.
Well, Daily, based on my 15 minutes working with them, and the fact that I didn’t do anything other than twist them on and start shooting, I’d say they are pretty easy to work with. 🙂
I will have to play with them a lot more to figure out all the nuances, and I haven’t used them separately, only stacked. You have to adjust your exposure manually, and you have to compensate for the fact that less light is making it in, but I didn’t find it a problem. It was SO much easier to get a sharp focus with these! I LURVE them!
Thanks! I have them bookmarked and will probably order them within a week or so. Oh, and that was the Kenko brand I was looking at, it’s the only set that B&H has. I think I’ll save some money and order from Adorama 🙂
I’m having a hard time picturing how these extension tubes work. I know with the Raynox its a very strict 117mm focusing distance. How do the tubes allow you to get closer?
Is the last photo hair by any chance?
Karma, you attach them to the camera in place of the lens, then attach the lens to the end of the tube/tubes. They are hollow, but extending the distance between the sensor and the lens allows you to get really close. I still don’t quite understand the “physics” of it, but I don’t need to! lol
The tubes come in three different lengths, and you can use them individually or stacked to get different magnifications. I guess there’s a degradation in photo quality when you add glass to a lens, and these add nothing but length.
Oh, yeah, and that last photo is twine.
Mine are on their way
The Tubes in honor of your beautiful work
🙂
Adding to my list of wants too!! These pictures are amazing!!
Thanks Dalia! I can’t wait to spend more time using them. The shots I took were for the sole purpose of seeing how close I could get. Way cool!
Interesting. I wonder if these would work for me. As you may or may not remember, I have a glorified point-and-shoot that I am able to attach a limited number of lens to with the help of an adapter tube.
I’m not sure if they would work. ??? You’d have to do some research. My guess though, is that they are for D/SLR’s.