Macro lens VS Extension Tube! 

it's not unsharp image on corners but rather shallow DOF... because You are so close to the subject and f8 will not help at all... try set it at f22 or more [don't care diffraction]

no junk .. just technical and informative. Thank you for the video

Excellent video, with information presented in a clear and concise manner! Congrats!

Great comparison and nice to know and learn

I don't understand why every single video on macro tubes uses the plain tubes and they always say the ones with contacts are expensive. They're not. You can get them for like 30 pounds on Amazon. Dirt cheap.

Great comparison, clear sound, easy language thank you so much. You look great like on tv channel.

This video is awesome! Thank you! English is not my mother language but I understand you very well! Your explanations are perfect because I'm also an absolute beginner. So it's helpful for me to know that I don't have to spend hundreds of euros for a macro lens because I can also try it with an extension cube! Great video! :) Thank you!

thanks a lot, you explain very good, fast and clear.

Beautiful presentation! Thank you!

Great review! I've just ordered an (electronic) extension tube from eBay for $25, probably around 5% of the cost of an good quality macro lens. Even if the quality of the image might not be quite as good I think for the price difference its probably worth it.! Thanks for the video again.

The comments about the working distance are meaningless, as this is dependent on the focal length of the lens.

This was really alot of help. I didnt know how to work on the tubes til i found this video

GREAT JOB! Very impressed with the clarity and organization of your presentation. Roger

Very clear explanation. Compliments!Thanks.

Great educational video. Im impressed.

Very well done comparison 👍🏻

You rock! Thanks for such an excellent video 😊👍

Just getting into macro photography, i like the unsharp corners they tend to draw my eye to the subject.. i have also done the extra lens's can get some decent images

1) Light bounces off internal surface of extension tubes, making the image appear "milky". If your image suffers of this try lining the tube interior surface with black non-reflective material. Or change tubes. 2) Use a reversing ring, which is even cheaper than tubes. The lens is designed to focus at a certain distance, typ above 40cm min focus. On the other side of the lens the sensors is placed just a few cm away. By using extension tubes you are placing the focused subject just a few cm from the lens, while the sensor-to-lens distance is higher: you are using the lens not in the way it was designed for and aberrations and distortions are exaggerated. By using a reversing ring you are close to the design conditions: close focus (subject) on the "back" side of the lens, and far focus (sensor) on the "front". What do you lose? AR coating.

Very well presented! Thank you.

Good review, thanks!

Great comparison

Thanks for that. Great info

Thank you very much, very interesting

thanks for the informative video..

Thanks for your information

The test was informative. I would have liked that you use the same focal length for both tests. More information about the washed out results with the extension tubes wild have been helpful. Was this the result of cheap extension tubes ? The close distance of the lens ? Is a washed out photo to be expected when extension tubes ? How do correct a washed out result ?

One option people should consider along side extension tubes is vintage macro lenses. The Takumar Macro has an amazing reputation for a vintage lens, is very sharp and I was able to get one on ebay for just 50 GBP from Japan. Vintage macro lenses like this are designed to be used fully manual and thus can be further extended with macro tubes while still having a settable aperture ring.

Try some different tubes. My Kenko extension tubes have full electrical contact for AF, aperture (including DOF preview) and presumably IS too (I only have primes so I cant confirm that one).

Tubes often come as sets with several lengths. They can be used individually or in combination up to the maximum for the set. With a shorter tube, the magnification is not as great, the depth of field is deeper, working distance is longer which makes it easier to use. In the 35 mm film days, I used a set of extensions with a 135mm lens and took very good close-up pictures of jewelry with a working distance of around 6 feet. At that distance, the entire object was in good focus front to back and the jewelry filled the frame for maximum detail.

One thing I would also add is to reduce the flare by using of lens hood where possible or using black cards angled above the lens to reduce 'stray' reflected light.

I have the Canon 100mm L f2.8 macro and my extension tubes have the electrodes, but that is a very useful hack to know.

Thank you that was conclusive.

I think the smudgy corners are just because the DOF is so shallow when focusing that close. The flaring may actually be due to the extension tubes, if the insides aren't well coated then they can cause extra reflections.

Thanks, very interesting

Great comparison, thanks and good job.

50mm 1.4 is a very soft lens in itself I think with a sharp lens you can get way closer to a macro lens.

Great video. Which extension tube are you using? And how many are you using? Would that make a difference to image quality?

Yayayayayayayayaya thank you this is exactly what I needed.

hey ... how to use an extension tube with the nikon AFp lens ? i use a D3400 with an 18-55 kit lens and a 70-300

Very helpful and well-done. Thanks!

Thanks

Pretty good testing but you should have used the rings individually to compare!

Nice video my friend. I just subbed to ur channel. 👌🏻👏🏻from Denver Colorado

Unless you're like a lot of people who have older DSLRs and there's no depth of field preview button. Extension tubes I have we're only about $25 and they do have the electrical contacts so I can control all that anyway

The 50mm f1.4 is a bad choiche for this. The 50mm f1.8 by canon has a much smaller minimal focus distance and is thereby a better choise for macro photography or testing an extension tube

Remember to mention that it depends on the tubes you buy. Mine has autofocus and aperture control. . Only 25£

6:56 visual results

Can you reverse the 50mm standard lens, extend it and show us the results?

What extention tubes would you recommend for my D750 but I have a DX macro lens, the nikon 85mm, thanks.

Hi.. my question is.. Can a 1.2 ratio macro lens take a picture as1.1 ratio if i use extension tube..Thanks if you can advise..

Hi I have nikon d750 FX format camera. Will extension tube work with the kit lens(AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm ) i got with it? And if so which is the best brand?

I would suggest to use an enlarger lens on extension tubes or, better for focus, a bellows with rack and pinion. Enlarger lens are "flat field" lens, like native macro lens, have aperture control ring and are very inexpensive nowadays.

Well I got 3pieces set AF for $15 lol, I thought I would get really close at 300mm with my 70-300mm, but thats not the case. Somehow using all three, the closest I can get is at 70mm.

HI，ZY！I have a questions about lens:Is canon Extender EF 2.0x can be used for tamron 70-200mm f2.8？

0:18 or you can get a tamron 90mm f2.8 macro 1:1 for around 130$ Mint condition on Ebay

You have to get so close to the subject that macro lens is the way to go if you want to take pictures of insects.

Great 👍 do comparison of using a macro extension tubes 12mm 20mm a 32mm with a non 55mm regular digital lens compare to using the extensions tubes of 12mm 20mm 32mm with a digital macro lens

Why not get reverse rings and then flip the camera lens around so that the small side is the focal point? Also, great video.

What about a 100mm macro lens with a 50mm reversed VS a macro lens with a extension tubes? can you use both reversed and extension tubes.

I use Pentax k20d with image stabilization in the body. I use a Vivitar Series 1 zoom lens from the early 1980's and 3 tubes. The lens and tubes cost less than $60 total. Very sharp pictures. I am on a strict budget and Pentax allows me to use their lenses all the way back to the 60's without an adapter. I can indulge my hobby without stressing my wife and our budget. My mouth waters when I see people using such amazing modern lenses. So I take my light readings with my $10 light meter from the 70's and call myself an "artist". Not really.

for the price of a macro lense you can buy a fuji SL1000 bridge camera which has super macro mode.. trust me you will not be dissapointed

can i use a angular lens like canon 10-18mm with a extension tube?

Can we use two MP-E 65 mm lens at the same time?

Did you mention what the length in millimeters was the extension tube you used?

I am unable to attack the JJC EXTENDED TUBE to my Canon Rebel T5. Advices is appreciated!

Best way using the FD Len's

Hi just got set off tubes but they doesn’t work with my Nikon d 3400 I tried everything I am sending them back I tried for 2 day still not working .they supposed to be compatible with Nikon DSLR

did extension tube work in kit lens ??18-120 mm ?

Or you can buy an enlarger lenses on eBay, for about 10-20$ including Eos converter, and use it without tubes with kinda same magnification and sometimes much better resolution. I use very cheap soviet lenses Vega-11 and Industar-52, which costs me 10$ whole lot.

I have a Nikon D5100. What type of extension tube is compatible? I've tried Vello brand but the image is blurred. Thanks

Can you put the extension tubes on the macro ?

I've seen that adding velvet inside the extension tubes helps a lot with any reflections that could bounce and affect the quality of the photo, however, I haven't tested that method yet. Do anyone know if it works?

Inverted 18-55mm with inverter ring.

will extension tube work good with canon 55-250 or 18-55 kit lenses or is it gud with only heigh aperture lenses??

To all guru's of photography -- for taking pics of full dental arch and smile ... what would your budget lens setup be for a D550 cannon? .... would I get by with a extension tube?

Kenko makes "smart" extension tubes that will allow communication between the lens and camera body

Actual test start at 3:31

Extension tubes that split into three parts of different lengths with contact points for AF are really cheap nowadays. I don't see a reason for buying such a basic tube with no AF.

PUT THIS GUY ON DRTV :D

Can you tell me what I can expect if i add a canon 25mm ext tube onto my Canon f2,8 macro lens, will I get larger image??

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Hi, I bought a extension tube for my Canon 6D Mark II (from Aliexpress) but it doesnt work.... Focus problem (on AF and MF). can you help me?

Extension tubes are the best way to get macro with a standard lens. but a macro lens with extension tubes is far superior. and a short telephoto macro is the most useful...

When I use my reverse ring my flash dont connecting but I see your flash works when u are using extension tubes?

How to macro filters compare?

Exactly next time review the ones with electric contacts not those pieces of crap, I tried them once and it was impossible to take a shot with it because my aperture stayed fully shut and had no control over it.

what caused the flare/fog on the extension tube picture?

You don't need extension tube or a macro lens yes makes your life easier. But set your aperture, take the lens off and spin it around so it's back to front. You will need to hold the lens and move your head back and forward to get it in focus i tested this with an 18 - 55mm kit lens on the Canon 1100D they come up nicely. If you go out buy a macro lens it will look way better because the lens is made for it and extension tube make life easier, i just wanted everyone to know if you don't have the money or you're lazy like me to buy extension tube or macro lens you can do that way as well.

Can you also film with extension tubes?

Detach the 50mm lens directly when the camera power is on？is it harmful to camera or lens？

thanks brother good job and video man i went ahead and dished out the money for the 100mm :(

This tube work on zoom lenses for example 55-250, 70-300, 24-105 etc?

Also a note Same thing with ef_m lenses just remove the lens

Of course the working distance is shorter ..it's half the focal length 50 vs 100

Best Macro lens for the money is Tokina 100mm macro. You can get it for 300-350. It’s a bargain for the images you can take.

Why not use auto extension tubes?? Doing it the way he has it automatically buts the 50mm as a disadvantage!

the distance too close and the insect flew away before shooting.

Remember the DOF plane is curved ..not flat ..phorograph a wall..if the center is sharp the sides will be out of focus ..if the sides are sharp the center will be out of focus like a donut ..shoot on f/16 or f/22+

I use extension tubes on my macro lenses.