bstotka Loc: Dilliner, Pa

I'm having some issues. I have been using my macro lens and I love it. It's a nikon AF-S 60mm. I know there are way better ones, but this is about where I wanted to be on price range for now. I'm not a pro, or anything, I'm just one who likes to play around with photography. I was reading up and was told to get a little closer I should go and get some extension tubes. So I get them and I read the info. The problem I don't know what I'm doing after I get it on the camera. I was told to stay in auto with the tubes on, but I don't think that's right. I have no light with the tube on. I set the picture, I have a good with a good amount of light on my subject. But it's black and nothing when I have the tube on and the camera and the lens. I try to push the button to take a picture and it doesn't respond. What do you think I should try next? Thanks.

Be kind please.
If you can't be nice don't say anything at all.

jkoar Loc: The Gunks, NY

1) Is the lens cap on?
2) Is the mirror up?
3) Does the auto-illuminator light up?
4) Do you have the in-focus lock set so that the shutter will not release unless you are in focus?
5) can you see the object in the view finder?

That's where I would start.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

You don't mention what kind of extension tubes you have - some of the less expensive models do not make the connections between the camera and lens, either mechanical or electrical, so you may be suffering from multiple issues:
1) the aperture in the lens is closed to its smallest diameter because the lever in the camera body that normally holds it open has no counterpart in the tubes; this means that a tiny portion of light is getting through the lens itself
2) because the tubes move the lens further away from the camera, there is even less light making it through to the mirror/eyepiece
3) you don't mention your camera model, but if it is set to autofocus then it cannot "see" anything and thus not focus, so it will not take the shot

Beyond that, know that extension tubes (or a bellows, which is essentially the same thing but flexible in length) allow you to physically move the lens closer to the subject (at the loss of enabling any focus at infinity, which is not an issue in macro generally). This means that if you were situating the camera 5" from your subject before, with tubes adding extension you will have to move even closer - depending on how much extension that could even be down to an inch or less.

There is nothing wrong with the 60MM Micro Nikkor; it is a fine lens. In the world of macro shooting, longer focal length lenses allow for more "working distance" (that space between camera and subject) so a 105MM or 150MM or 200MM macro lens (Nikon''s, or Sigma or others) would allow you to get a bit more space between camera and subject - which may be nice for better lighting options (i.e. - the shadow from the front of the lens doesn't get in the shot) or for "icky" subjects (if you don't want to get too close to that bug or whatever). But the 60 is a fine lens.

As it happens, extension tubes are not the only way to 'get closer"... the other option is a set of "close up lenses". These look like filters and screw onto the front of the lens rather than mount behind it, and enable you to get closer to the subject without the loss of light moving the lens away from the body suffers. As with extension tubes, you lose the ability to focus to infinity, but again that shouldn't be an issue. Your lens uses a 62MM diameter filter, so you would get a filter (or set; sometimes they are packed as three different diopter powers in one kit which can be stacked) for anywhere from $30 to $80, give or take. This might be a better alternative as it will at least avoid some of the problems mentioned above. Again, though, using these also means you will physically need to get closer to the subject which may or may not be what you want.

I hope that made some sense. There's a macro forum on this site with lots of folks who are quid experienced and helpful as well.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

That's a fine lens. But do note that out of the box it will focus closer than you really want to get with a 60mm lens!

Hence extension tubes and diopter lenses aren't a great deal of help.

You could put a 2x teleconverter on it, but they cost as much as a longer focal length lens.

If you want higher magnification you'll need a longer focal length, which provides more working distance between the front of the lens and the subject. Then, if that lens doesn't by itself provide the magnification you want, extension tubes might very well be useful. (And most of the longer focal length macro lenses won't give any greater magnification than your 60mm lens does, as most of them are designed for 1:1.)

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Most intelligent reply I have ever not read from you.

bstotka Loc: Dilliner, Pa

I don't know what the mirror up means I'm sorry. Or the auto illuminator lighting up.

I can tell you this. I can see the image through the viewfinder, I do not have the lens cap on. It's very dark though. As far as the mirror I can say its the same as it usually is when I use the actual lens. It isn't moved. The camera isn't damaged or anything.

bstotka Loc: Dilliner, Pa

It is set to auto because that's what my information says to set it on. So that's what I did. Thank you for correcting that.

I have a Nikon 7100. I'm not a pro or get paid for anything so I don't feel I need anything over $2000 to get what I want. I know I have a huge desire for a camera that costs around $8,000. But then again it's a hobby. I just play around with it. Thank you for your help.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I always back up when I find myself in a dark tunnel.
In other words, try no extension tube, then add one. If you can see, take a shot and evaluate.
If that looks OK, add another. And so on.

I like to mount the camera or lens to get a solid platform. Then work out from there.
In the case of the lens being mounted, the camera gets removed and a tube put in place, then reassemble things and try and focus. If things are dark, or weird, it's easy to back up.

Your aperture setting is the greatest factor in my limited experiance. With my 180mm, the camera gets confused if I don't start with an F32 aperture. (I get a window on my LCD, and the camera won't shoot)

So slow down, back up, rethink, and try baby steps. One step at a time so you can back up one step if it gets off.
You'll get it, just go back and start from where you were last successful. ;)

jkoar Loc: The Gunks, NY

Most DSLR cameras have a mirror lock-up mode to reduce camera shake. It is a setting that lets the first shutter push lock up the lens and the second to take the picture. It is used with a remote shutter release so you don't touch the camera. If the mirror is locked up then you can't see through the viewfinder.

The auto-illuminator is a green light on the front of the camera that aids in the autofocus function of the camera in low light. If the light illuminates then you are in a low light situation or the camera is stopped down.

I was trying to find the cause of the problem and your answer that the image is dark in the viewfinder is telling.

I would take the advice of f8lee. I suspect that the aperture is stopped down.

Kenko extension tubes are recommended on the macro group site. I have used them with success.

Keep trying.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Slick Willie Loc: The U. S.

I haven't read everything so I may dupe what someone else said. First, put your camera in "M" (manual) mode and select your most wide open aperture and see if that gives you a brighter image in your viewfinder. Did you buy a set of 3 tubes and did they come in a box with all three put together as though they are one tube? If so, take the three apart and just put the thinnest one on and see if that lets you have more light. Then add another which should cause your picture to be a bit darker.

A big problem you have is that with the 60mm lens you have to get real close to your subject and when you add ext tubes that'll cause you to have to get even closer and if you're not careful, you'll block all the light to your subject. You may have to add in some light like maybe with a small led flashlight or something that will get light under your lens without getting it in your lens. Tinker with all this and see if you cannot figure out what you need to do to use the tubes with your 60mm lens. You may find out that it is impractical to try to use all 3 of the tubes you bought unless you want to pick up another lens like maybe a 105 or 180 later if you should desire to pursue macro further. The best use of your tubes may not be with the 60mm lens. You might even try using the tubes on a longer lens you already have like a zoom, maybe a 55-250 and zoom it out some to get more distance between the end of your lens and your target. Don't be afraid to experiment. If you experiment with a regular zoom lens as opposed to the macro, you most likely want to shoot your subject in the center of the lens because with the curved front lens you will start to see some out of focus parts around the edges. Macro lens are flat so they don't have that problem so much. Oh, and you might want to go into manual focus and not count on the autofocus to work.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Exactly WHY you should read ALL previous posts. You have added no new information; just parroted what has already been posted.

Slick Willie Loc: The U. S.

Well, I scanned rather hurriedly through what had been said this morning before I posted, reading some and skipping over some gibberish and felt I had a pretty good grasp of what had been said but threw in that disclaimer in case I seemed to be repeating someone's words verbatim. After your comment, I just went back and read word for word what had been said prior to my posting, taking all the side trips to the urls and reading, and sorta got the idea that a person new to tubes might not be understanding or pulling together the scattered information from all the posts so I thought I'd put it in a little clear language just in case.

I do think I contributed in a positive way and that I did say a couple of things that hadn't been clearly covered and made a little more sense of some of what had been said, at least from my perspective and the perspective of a person totally new to ext tubes. If I failed to do that then I apologize for taking up space here in this subject but I don't think I made the situation any worse than it already was, for sure. I thought posting was encouraged. In reading here for a few weeks or months, I had gotten the impression that we don't all always say things as clearly as some people need things said to get the point so a few overlapping replies may lead to a better understanding. What's wrong with that?

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Your article was quite appropriate. You did restate, but with a different perspective, some points that others had made. You also provided at least a couple of new things to consider. In particular you were the only one to really emphasize, and explicitly so, the very important concept of experimenting to see what works and what does not.

Everyone learns in their own way, and many times having the exact same thing said in several different ways is precisely what makes a complex subject suddenly pop into place. I'm sure somebody, and probably more than one, picked up on the big picture because of your article!

Mubashm Loc: Gaithersburg, Maryland

Did you try focusing in manual mode. May be when you put the extension tube it is not allowing to focus in auto.

Mohammed