Clarabo Loc: Scotland

Hiya folks ( beginner here)

I've to recreate a still life for my course and I chose this image I attached. I have a 5dii and only a 50mm 1.4 lens and a 28-135mm.

With the 50 mm it loses focus close up. I'm know, think? I need a macro lense but I read you can by extensions to both turn your lens into a macro ( which would allow me to take this and submit for my course) and extend for further away stuff.

I have looked and there's so many to choose from. Can any one recommend good ones to order that aren't expensive as the canon brand?

Any Input much appreciated.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I got the cheap - under $20 - extension tubes. You have to adjust the camera manually, but doing macro, I prefer that, anyway. One word of caution. In order to remove the tubes, you have to slide that little silver button. Pushing it in won't work. Several members have posted here about tubes being stuck on the camera. Of course, releasing probably varies by brand.

https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=estension+tubes

Clarabo Loc: Scotland

Many Thanks for the advice Gerryc41. I'll have a look at them.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Although a macro lens is preferable to a 50+ extension tubes, it won't solve your problem which is increasing DOF. Focus stacking can do this. A visit to the UHH Macro forum is advised.

Clarabo Loc: Scotland

Thank you LoneRangeFinder I'll head along there too.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I'm not up enough on Canon to specifically recommend something, but with many Canon lenses, say the ones with no aperture ring (no click stops), You may be better off biting the bullet and paying for the Canon tube(s) with the electrical contacts to maintain automation if you really need AF, and you probably don't. $139 does not seem unreasonable to me for Auto-Extensions tubes. I can use (cheaper or older) manual tubes on my Pentax cameras, but again with the ones with an aperture ring such as virtually all "film" lenses. Actually I have two different sets. Not really sure how to use "digital" lenses w/o an aperture ring with extension tubes even on my own cameras.

Actually, if you can find them any Canon compatible Manual Focus extension tube(s) are fine. AF is almost useless for macro-photography anyway. You'll want to manual focus for extreme close-ups or macro shots (and use the camera on Manual or AV). A "normal" prime lens for you camera would do a fine job with a tube. I've done macro many ways with different equipment from simple inexpensive such as reversing a lens with a reversing ring (cheap) to a Macro lens with bellows. The only thing I have not tried yet is using a bellows lens. That is a specialty macro lens with a short rear housing (rear flange) that does not provide focus if used directly on the camera, you must use the lens on a bellows or extension tube. Not really sure what the point of that is.

Your Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens is likely a really good lens. Interesting image idea there too!

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Kekno tubes are more expensive but they mate with the camera's electronics http://amzn.to/2fvTijN

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"With the 50 mm it loses focus close up..." Actually a lens reversal ring may be a wiser option... You'll have to manually focus but optically the results can be excellent... Also you may want to look into focus stacking if you need clarity for a wider DOF... No macro lens nor extension tube will help here... The only advantage is the flat field of focus on higher end macro/micro lenses...

btw, you'll be best served with a metal construction ring... avoid the plastic cheap knockoffs...
Here is an example for a 52mm thread mount
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/82173-REG/General_Brand_AV52C_Reverse_Adapter_Canon_to.html

And a 48mm thread mount
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/82172-REG/General_Brand_Reverse_Adapter_Canon_to.html

Yes I use lens reversal rings... They work extremely well especially considering the cost/value ratio...

Hope this helps Clarabo or is at least food for thought...
I wish you well on your academic journey

agillot

buy the set from MEIKE , It has the connections for full functions , i think i paid around $35 . work well www.mkgrip.com [ on the box ] the part number seem to be MK-N-AF1-B .

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

Definitely understood: just make sure the extensions fit your camera -- I found a Viltrox extension tube set for my canon camera for a very reasonable cost….less than $35.

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Focus-Extension-Cameras-Bayonet/dp/B00T2SKM0Y/ref=sr_1_50?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505838170&sr=1-50&keywords=extension+tubes

This might help--

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Yes, macro extension tubes can be used with many different lenses, including both of yours, to increase close focusing ability and magnification. Personally I use both the Canon and Kenko tubes, with my modern Canon gear. But, ever since learning to use them (which isn't difficult) some 25 or 30 years ago, I've always carried a few of them for whatever system I was shooting... because they are lightweight, don't take up much room and are VERY useful to have on hand.

Don't be TOO cheap. If you want to be able to autofocus (not particularly important for macro work) AND control the lens aperture (VERY important)... DO NOT BUY the cheap $20 tube sets! Those don't have the electronic contacts necessary for autofocus and aperture control. Those really cheap extension tubes are fine when used with old lenses with a mechanical aperture control ring right on the lens itself... BUT THEY ARE A PITA with modern electronically controlled lenses like both of yours and most of mine!

I recommend the Kenko tube set that sells for about $109 (at B&H Photo in NY and likely elsewhere). That's a set of three (12mm, 20mm and 36mm) for less money than a single Canon 25mm tube ($140) and only a little more cost than one Canon 12mm ($82), which are the only two sizes Canon themselves sells and are only sold individually. The Kenko are pretty close to the quality and copy the design of the Canon. There are cheaper tube sets with the necessary electronic contacts ($50 to $75 typically) from Zeikos and Opteka (both of which sell under a whole bunch of different brand names)... But they are more plasticky and lightly built than either the Canon or the Kenko. And their lock release buttons or tabs also are more vulnerable to accidental releases. To me, the extra money for the Kenko is well worth it.

However, the quality of images with tubes on non-macro lenses typically isn't quite as good as true macro lenses. Non-macro lenses are generally optimized to focus on objects five or eight feet away or more and don't use a "flat field" design. True macro lenses intended for very close focusing are usually "flat field" designs that render better edge-to-edge sharpness and more even illumination across the entire image area at the higher magnifications. For example, you'll likely find that your 50mm f/1.4 lens has some softness and vignetting toward the corners of the image, especially at the largest apertures. Stopping down to a middle aperture will reduce this to some extent. Not sure about the 28-135mm, but you should try it too at various focal lengths (note: the longer the focal length, the longer the macro extension tube needs to be to have any significant effect). The zoom might actually show less corner softness and vignetting. But those aren't necessarily bad things, anyway... it depends upon the image (I sometimes deliberately use a lens/tube combo and settings to produce softer edges and some vignetting).

I always have some macro extension tubes with me. They come in handy for many different things. Below are some examples shot with non-macro lenses fitted with various macro extension rings to be able to focus closer and render higher magnification...

This was shot with a 20mm lens with a 12mm extension tube (petals of the closest flower were touching the front element of the lens)....


This was shot with a 50mm lens with a large aperture (deliberate vignetting and image softness) and a 12 or 20mm extension tube....


This was shot with a 70-200mm lens with a 20 or 25mm macro extension tube....


This was shot with an 85mm lens with a 20mm extension tube...


This was shot with an old 90mm macro lens that only goes to 1:2 on its own, with a 20mm extension tube to increase magnification...


This was shot with a 300mm lens with a 36mm tube...


And this was shot with a 500mm lens with a 36mm tube to make the lens a bit closer focusing (not "macro", by any means)...


Lens reverse rings are generally used for extra high magnification... AND are limited for use with the specific lens(es) they fit (such as 58mm diameter for use with your 50mm lens or 72mm diameter for use with your 28-135mm)... AND unless you spend a lot to get a reverse ring that has electronic connectivity, you have the same problem with them as with the cheapo extension tubes: no means to control the lens aperture (and no autofocus, of course).

Actually, there IS a work around with the non-electronic tubes and reverse rings.... But it involves removing the lens, re-mounting it normally and selecting the aperture, using the depth of field preview to stop the lens down and then removing the lens while holding that, and finally remounting the lens on the tubes or reverse rings. You'll need to repeat that process any time you want to adjust the lens aperture. Like I said... a real PITA!

Bill_Foto

Why not try closeup diopter lenses/filters. You get a set.I own a Hoya which screws into front of the lens various thread sizes. There are 3 lenses in the set +1 +2 +4 diopters. You can vary the closeup length by stacking the lenses using the combination all three or two at a time. If you have photoshop you can take two exposures of the same subject. Expose for one focus point and the other for the other using a tripod. Import the two photos into photoshop as layers. Create a layer mask and brush in the second layer to show the sharp area.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

The process is much cleaner and easier using stacking software such as Zerene. I've stacked as many as 100 files--and it's not a PITA.

A random few.....

(Download)


(Download)


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(Download)

Bill_Foto

I haven't come across Zerene. I looked up the web site and am most impressed. I definitely will give it a try. Thanks Lonerangefinder📸