Macro photography Extension tubes vs closeup filters vs macro lens 

You should have shown us a photo using the extension tube/macro lens combination.

Thank you so much, very informative & easy to understand the differences!

Wow, this was super helpful, especially the part about the aperture trick with the extension tube. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

great video, thanks for sharing!

I use a close-up filter in the field because it is much easier to switch from landscape shots to close-up without having to expose the lens-body interface to the pollen etc in the air, and I don't have to do so much juggling of objects above mud etc. I might try out the extention tubes, however, for photography in my own garden where I am usually just doing macro work. Thank you for the video.

Very good video! good information, thank you.

Thank you.... your video was quite informative. I own the Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2:1 lens and because of your video, I'm considering to try an extraction tube with it. Next I will need to buy a ring flash for macro use as well.

Very helpful, thanks so much!

Thank you very much for your explanation! It is a nice video, very precise and accurate! I like the way how he explain and demonstrate the pros and negatives! This video helped me to decide which way to go without investing big money in macro lens! Thank you!

Great video! I do amateur food photography, so the extension tubes seem like a cost effective alternative to getting a 100 mm macro lens - at least until I save up for one! Thanks!

I bought a set of extension tubes, and I'm amazed at the extra magnification I'm given when using my 28-80mm Nikor lens. Attached to the camera, the aperture is controlled via the camera's electronics. When using the extension tubes, I can adjust the aperture manually, so I can experiment with very small aperture settings. I've ordered a second set of tubes - that will be a whole lot of fun! Also, I bought a reversing ring. When combined with the extension tubes ,it does give me loads more magnification. I've ordered a 0.45 x wide angle lens. I think this will get me even closer than my regular lens.

Thanks for the Video, It is very usefull information!

Great info thanks!

Thankyou brother..very helpful to choose

So once I stop the video 3 times and take screenshots and then paste them all into paint I will be able to see the difference.

The 10cm extension tube works well with the 50mm lens to give 2X magnification, however if you use it with the 100mm macro you will get 1X magnification. If you want lots of magnification from a tube use a shorter focal distance lens. Magnification is ratio of back focal distance to front focal distance, ie 100/50 = 2X, 100/100 = 1X, 100/25=4X magnification etc.

Closed up filters/lens are more effective on longer lens and extension tubes are the opposite. Closed up lens, with the same diopters, will give you higher magnification for longer lens. It also appears that you were using a single glass closed up lens which is of lesser quality than a double glass one. If you are a Canon shooter, the Canon double glass closed up lens 250D (diopter of 4, optimized for shorter lens) and 500D (diopter of 2, optimzed for long lens) can provide excellent results with minimum loss of image quality. Closed up filters and extension tubes obviously cannot measure up to dedicated macro lens. However, if you use them with their strength, you can obtain the most benefits out of them. Using extension tubes with a 50 mm as shown in your video is a fair comparison and demonstrates good use of the approach. For the closed up lens, please use a high quality double glass on a long lens. A better demonstration is to make magnification constant and demonstrate using various combinations to achieve it. Use of tripod is also crucial to get consistent results and alleviate soft photos induced by hand shakiness.

Just use a reverse adapter ring on a regular lens and get great macro pics 2 US dlls.

Can I use both extension tube with close-up filter I think it will be

what about a reverse ring on a macro lens on extube with a macro filter... can I see atoms now???

I wonder how it would perform with the tube and the filter both attached to the macro lens

The reasons I opted for the macro tube set are for the low price as well as they were compatible with my entire lens collection. With the Macro filter you can only use them on compatible lenses as well as a reverse macro adapter.

If you're doing still macro photography, the extension tubes are simply the obvious choice. At that point, it comes down to choosing whether you want to spend $6 for a larger magnification or $500.

Macro lenses better on 55-250mm or 24-105mm for wildlife like insects on flower without getting to close or too close of insects detail eyes??

What's your setup for the cold shoe flash?

You can actually use a telephoto lens with the extension tube so you don't need to get super close. Problem is that you also lose a bit of magnification power.

Are Extension tubes work well with Zoom Lens, example a 18-70 Nikon lens?

Cnt believe you r Malaysian. Your review is awesome. Proud of u

Great!

Please use the extension tube and the macro filter on the macro lens and see what kind of crazy magnification you can get

Can you use the macro lens with extension tube AND magnification cap together, all 3? How would that look like?

what abt reverse ring??

Have a Canon 400mm f5.6 prime lens that is limited to 3.5m for focusing on close objects. Want to shoot hummingbirds on a close hanging plant that is inside the 400mm lens focusing range. Will a set of extension tubes allow me to focus closer than the 3.5m lower limit? Guessing if it works, will have to switch from AF to manual. Thanks!

Would those attachments work for portrait or simply made a 50 mm lens a 200/500 mm lens? Or this only will work for macro world images?

Hi. I realise it's an eight year old post, but I was recently researching close up lenses and got your video. Would you remember what kind of close up lens you used? That is by how much it magnifies? I guess it would be too much to ask about the working distance, but at least was it too close or a comfortable enough distance? Because I see the image was very well magnified compared to the image with the 50mm only. Thank you.

I have the extension tubes on my rebel t3 and I can change the aperture while they are connected

Tnx 👌

Can you combine all three? The macro, the extension tubes and the filter?

what camera is that tho

you have the same accent as my teacher

I am wondering what will happen if I use raynox 250 on Macro lens or extention tube over macro lens?

Extension tubes are a pain in the arse!

Can you explain again how the close up filter might break the motor?

YOU SHOULD HAVE USED A TIPOD

very basic equipment u can mount them all on the 100 and shoot insects 1inch away and still not spook them... all in the wild... the important is technique

and an extension tube with a macro lens?

50mm is bad for all this... 85 Muuuuch better!, and today you can buy tubes with AF and aperture control. but anyway thanx for all info!

The music gives me nausea and makes me dizzy and depressed. I would donate some of my midi donations to the cause so I would not have to hear it anymore. Otherwise that was great video. It taught me everything for which I was looking.

I have no idea what he called the button you press to freeze the aperture. It seems like he thought the term was obvious and unimportant.

Why put up a 50mm lens against a 100mm macro lens.. this is not even close to a comparison

Where all these people gets idea of during their talk simultaneously play music & worse of it at this same volume as they speak

says f1.8, actually means f.8, shows f8 on screen text loll

People making Microscope industry broke

It's not very good, but tube+filter gives you a cheap digital microscope.

this vid 'd be 10 times better if you would have made the photographs first and then show the results and explain more. needing to watch like this whole thing live is pretty annoying.

Close up filters do not exist. They are supplementary lenses, not filters. They do not 'filter' anything, but change the optical properties of the fitted lens.

-1 from me. For an objective comparison between the different macro options the camera should have been from exactly the same, fixed position to the subject. Try again please ...

how van anyone listen to this guy? you only have to look at how he treats his lenses, first of allyou never place the lence down on the top, leaving the bottom / sensor side uncoved in the air as it will gather dust and risk getting the dust on your sensor. He then placed a close up filer on the end then placed itface dows on wood, so scratching the filiter. Just crazy.

Background music is very annoying, don't do it again.

Why on earth do these guys who have just started doing photography feel compelled to do videos about photography?

Get rid of that bloody music.