Extension tubes for Nikon.
- Thread starter hobbzz
- Start date
maroun.c
New member
Do you mean extension tubes or Teleconverters? as TC are more referred to as extenders?
I have the Kenko set of extension tubes, they are automatic ie allow focusing and metering. an extension tube has no optical element so whatever works to hold the lens farther away and as a plus allows you to focus and meter would be fine. I have not seen the Nikon extension tubes however the built of the Kenko is a bit too plasticky and I would assume Nikon ones shold be better built, not that it makes any difference.
Now if it is Teleconverters you're asking for, I also hve the Kenko Pro DG300 built quality is Ok Still nikon is better. don't have hte two to be able to compare the optical quality of both however would theoratically assume that Nikon would be better, But there is a small area where the Kenko TC is "better" than the Nikon one and that is with lenses like the 18-200 and 70-300 where the nikon one will not attach (or maybe attach and cause damage or get damaged) I have both lenses and that is the reason I went for Kenko and not Nikon. Still it will cause any slower lens to focus: a lot slower/sler/ and someties fail to focus and keep on hunting for focus depending on the lighting conditions and apertures.
I have the Kenko set of extension tubes, they are automatic ie allow focusing and metering. an extension tube has no optical element so whatever works to hold the lens farther away and as a plus allows you to focus and meter would be fine. I have not seen the Nikon extension tubes however the built of the Kenko is a bit too plasticky and I would assume Nikon ones shold be better built, not that it makes any difference.
Now if it is Teleconverters you're asking for, I also hve the Kenko Pro DG300 built quality is Ok Still nikon is better. don't have hte two to be able to compare the optical quality of both however would theoratically assume that Nikon would be better, But there is a small area where the Kenko TC is "better" than the Nikon one and that is with lenses like the 18-200 and 70-300 where the nikon one will not attach (or maybe attach and cause damage or get damaged) I have both lenses and that is the reason I went for Kenko and not Nikon. Still it will cause any slower lens to focus: a lot slower/sler/ and someties fail to focus and keep on hunting for focus depending on the lighting conditions and apertures.
KurtsReef
Premium Member
I have the Kenko extension tube set, as Maroun states they allow auto focusing which is something the Nikon tubes do not perform. They work fine, good price on the set. I picked mine up on ebay or from KEH for $100
The kenko tele converters, I owned a 2x pro that I did not like and now own the Nikon 1.4 and 1.7x converters which perform much better IMO.
The kenko tele converters, I owned a 2x pro that I did not like and now own the Nikon 1.4 and 1.7x converters which perform much better IMO.
hobbzz
How do I change this?
Yes but as the others said, the Kenkos allow auto-focusing, which the Nikons don't. Which is why I asked about them. I know what they are and I know the difference between them and tele-converters. That's why I asked for recommendations on some good brands, instead of asking "what are they" or "what are tele-converters". Thanks guys. I'll give the Kenkos a try.
maroun.c
New member
Hobzz,
Here's a link to a thread where I posted some shots with extension tubes and a reversed 50mm on top.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1185997
as you can see you can achieve great magnification with this setup but your object has to be within cms of the glass. I did it the hard way started with close uplenses on my 50 mm and my 18-200 Vr then got a reversing ring for the 50 mm and after that got the extension tubes.... you can get decent results with any of these or with them combined however the ease of use is a limiting factor. also for corals not really close to the glass it won't be an option.
As for the autofocusing and metering ability It's not really the deciding factor (not pushing you to buy Nikon I didn't anyway).
As in most shots where you have more than one extension tube or even with only one it will be very hard to autofocus. What I found to be the most important factor in this is a very sturdy tripod and a macro rail without which i couldn't have done most of what I cachieve with this setup.
As I said even after having all the gadgets I got I see the 105 Vr coming as the hassle of setting up the lenses and tubes with tripod and rail and all the trouble of focusing and metering will be taken out with a dedicated macro lens. Now a macro lens with extenision tubes or with a 50mm reversesd on top of the 1-5 would be a killer setup with very high magnification ratios.
One last thing I still didn't have the time to try is to use TC in addition to Extension tubes which is supposed to give more working distance. don't know if my 1.4 TC will make a difference but if it does then maybe I'll also get a 2x TC just for this.
Here's a link to a thread where I posted some shots with extension tubes and a reversed 50mm on top.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1185997
as you can see you can achieve great magnification with this setup but your object has to be within cms of the glass. I did it the hard way started with close uplenses on my 50 mm and my 18-200 Vr then got a reversing ring for the 50 mm and after that got the extension tubes.... you can get decent results with any of these or with them combined however the ease of use is a limiting factor. also for corals not really close to the glass it won't be an option.
As for the autofocusing and metering ability It's not really the deciding factor (not pushing you to buy Nikon I didn't anyway).
As in most shots where you have more than one extension tube or even with only one it will be very hard to autofocus. What I found to be the most important factor in this is a very sturdy tripod and a macro rail without which i couldn't have done most of what I cachieve with this setup.
As I said even after having all the gadgets I got I see the 105 Vr coming as the hassle of setting up the lenses and tubes with tripod and rail and all the trouble of focusing and metering will be taken out with a dedicated macro lens. Now a macro lens with extenision tubes or with a 50mm reversesd on top of the 1-5 would be a killer setup with very high magnification ratios.
One last thing I still didn't have the time to try is to use TC in addition to Extension tubes which is supposed to give more working distance. don't know if my 1.4 TC will make a difference but if it does then maybe I'll also get a 2x TC just for this.
edwing206
New member
maroun.c
New member
Hobbzz it's so difficult that you will not be even focusing manually. You will be moving the whole setup (camera extension and lens with or without the flash on ) Back and forth. you adjust your setup with the lens fully open which helps in two reasons:
- it allows more light in for you to be able to see what you are focusing on.
- this makes your DOF just a hairline so you can clearly see when things are in focus.
This moving back and forth with the camera on a tripod means that you have to push and pull your tripod sometimes jsut a few mm which is a pain. this is why a macro focusing rail comes in handy it attaches to your tripod head and you attach the camera on it, the focusing is by releasing a knob whic allows free movement of the camera till you are close then yo ucan fine tune by just turning a screw which moves the camera in the order of mm. Then a wireless trigger or a wired one serves to take multiple shots without moving hte setup. sometimes just operating the camera to change aperture or shutter or flash power throws you out of focus so you have to repeat.
- it allows more light in for you to be able to see what you are focusing on.
- this makes your DOF just a hairline so you can clearly see when things are in focus.
This moving back and forth with the camera on a tripod means that you have to push and pull your tripod sometimes jsut a few mm which is a pain. this is why a macro focusing rail comes in handy it attaches to your tripod head and you attach the camera on it, the focusing is by releasing a knob whic allows free movement of the camera till you are close then yo ucan fine tune by just turning a screw which moves the camera in the order of mm. Then a wireless trigger or a wired one serves to take multiple shots without moving hte setup. sometimes just operating the camera to change aperture or shutter or flash power throws you out of focus so you have to repeat.
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