OutdoorOldie

Thanks to everyone who kindly offered advice and resources.I think I will see if I can win the Pentax set on eBay.If not,I will use whatever else works!! I do have a new Pentax 100mm f/2.8 WR macro lens to occupy me for a while!!
Thanks again!!
annie

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Not so fast Mr. Bill....

Here is an image taken with a $25 vintage film lens, and a $10 set of M42 extension tubes, with two $5 adapting rings.....

I rarely use my macro lens because it can't come close for true macro shots.

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FvS Loc: Netherlands

Hi Annie, this shot is the result of using Caruba Extension Tubes , I used them with my Olympus camera but they are also available for Pentax , as you can see it make very good macro's
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lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

No electrical contacts, so manual everything - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=276&fct=fct_camera-body-mount_65%7cpentax-k&origSearch=extension+tube&N=4077634539

fetzler Loc: North West PA

I see that you already have a macro lens. Up to 1:1 this lens is your best option. (you can use any lens with extension tubes too - including moderate wide angles) Of course you could use your macro lens with extension tubes to make even greater magnifications. With my Nikon D7200 and Nikon 85mm macro lens, I had difficulty with vibrations (from camera etc.) causing slight blur. Using Flash and using mirror up 3 sec before helped a lot. Ditching the tubes and using RayNox lenses attached to the macro allows for greater magnification and helps with vibrations by reducing leverage on the lens. For high magnification a computer controlled macro rail is a pleasure and makes life simpler. My favorite setup for high mag macros is my Pen F with m.zuiko 60mm and attached RayNox lenses. This is light and nearly vibration free. Microscope lenses on M42 (old Pentax screw mount) tubes are also fine.

Be sure to check out the the true macro site her on the Hog. Also see http://extreme-macro.co.uk

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I never said you could not get acceptable images with extension tubes, I just said their were limitations. And to take those limitations in account when using them. Go back in your cave and come out again when your mood improves.

agillot

i bought a set of 3 tubes from MEIKE brand , www.mkgrip.com .inexpensive , well made , has the electrical connectors .no issue .

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Bill, just because you are a cave dweller does not mean you will find the rest of us there with you.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

TreborLow

I have used those$10 tubes on several different (including old film Pentax cameras) with success. Yes, they are totally manual, which means that your current lens must have manually adjustable f stops as well as focusing. In fact I have a couple of sets currently, and the second set is NOT Pentax, so I can mix the front lens mount to another brand (currently Nikon) and the back camera mount stays Pentax. The intervening tubes have the same threads, so I can effectively double the length of the extension.
Have fun!

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

That's interesting...

Nikon brand PK-11A, PK-12 and PK-27.5 tubes for the F-mount DSLRs all lack any electronic electronic contacts. They mechanically support AI (auto indexing) and "screw drive" autofocus with "AF" lenses... but provide no autofocus with AF-S or AF-P lenses, which are now much more common than AF. Without any electronic connectivity, Nikon branded extension tubes also will not support VR on lenses that have it.

In comparison, Kenko tubes have electronic contacts, in addition to mechanical connectivity. As such, they'll provide AF with all types of modern on all cameras that support it. (Note: D7000-series and higher support both "screw drive" and in-lens focus motors such as AF-S. AF-P is supported by the extension tubes, too, though that type of lens' functionality will be limited to recent camera models that fully support it.) VR is supported with all lenses than have it, too.

You must have a faulty Kenko tubes, for them not to work properly with Nikon cameras and lenses.

I've got a set of Kenko for use on my Canon, as well as several Canon brand tubes. The quality is top notch and both it and their function are virtually identical. They all work flawlessly. The only differences I see are that the Canon tubes have more refined internal light dampening and some slight external cosmetic differences. Someone told me that the Kenko use a plastic tube, rather than the magnesium used in the Canon. That doesn't seem the case with the older Kenko set I use. But maybe they've changed them more recently (I know that Kenko changed the mount to be compatible with both EF and EF-S mount Canon lenses. My older set only works with EF lenses.) The Kenko set of three (12mm, 20mm and 36mm) costs less than one 25mm Canon extension tube and only a little more than a single 12mm Canon tube. (Canon tubes are only sold individually and they don't offer any longer than 25mm.)

The original poster asked about extension tubes for Pentax, anyway. All the above may be a moot point, because the only tubes I can find for modern Pentax DSLRs is a Dot Line set of three (12mm, 20mm & 36mm: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/896117-REG/Dot_Line_dl_mex_pk_Man_Ext_Tube_Set.html)... There don't appear to be any Pentax brand tubes available. The Dot Line set is cheap ($20), but it has no electronic or mechanical connectivity. They're what I call "dumb" tubes, which are purely manual... both manual focus AND manual aperture. With this type of tube, the lens MUST have a mechanical, aperture control ring on it, to be able to stop it down... Most modern Pentax K-mount lenses have an electronically controlled aperture that will only be usable wide open on these tubes (making for extremely shallow depth of field at close distances). There are a few Pentax and third party lenses still offered with mechanical aperture control ring. Many vintage Pentax lenses have that ring and would be usable, but of course will be manual aperture and manual focus only.

EDIT: Searching a little farther online, I found a set of Movo extension tubes (two: 20mm and 36mm) in Pentax K-mount that appear to fully support modern, electronically controlled lenses. Those would allow full aperture control, maintain wide open aperture during focusing and automatically stop it down during exposure, and allow auto focus to work. They seem a fair value at $99. https://www.newegg.com/p/0UF-00FA-00167?Item=9SIA5ST9283010&source=region&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-Movo%20Photo-_-Accessories%20-%20Camera%20Other-_-9SIA5ST9283010&gclid=Cj0KCQjww47nBRDlARIsAEJ34bmfTvpf3wJ5zDD9AqDSIk9FNQbUWmR5JFlh3TSJX4ex_PdkaCLvwwYaAgReEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

If you want to be able to use modern electronically controlled Pentax lenses, definitely buy this latter set... not the cheap Dot line "dumb tubes".
.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Be very careful what you buy on eBay!

The vast majority of the tube sets for Pentax on eBay....

1. Lots and lots of the cheap "dumb tubes", such as I mentioned above (Dot Line).

2. OEM Pentax "67" or "6x7" auto tubes, for the medium format Pentax cameras & lenses (won't fit Pentax DSLR).

3. Vintage Pentax M42 "screwmount" tubes, for early Pentax manual focus/35mm film cameras & lenses (needs an M42 to K-bayonet adapter to fit Pentax DSLR, no electronics, same limitations as #1).

4. Vintage Pentax K-mount bayonet, for later Pentax manual focus/35mm film era (will fit, but no electronic contacts, same limitations as #1)

Some #3 & #4 have mechanical linkage that gives exposure control with vintage types of lenses.... but will interfere with modern cameras... requiring modification of the tubes.

5. A very few with electronic contacts for fully compatible use with modern K-mount DSLR lenses and cameras:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Opteka-Auto-Focus-DG-EX-Macro-Extension-Tube-Set-for-Pentax-Q-Series/254223472186?hash=item3b30e6563a:g:STQAAOSwPEdc0aCG

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Movo-MT-P56-2-Piece-AF-Chrome-Macro-Extension-Tube-Set-for-Pentax-K-DSLR-Camera/382515648138?hash=item590fb5968a:g:jusAAOSwU5RbQ9K4

Frankly, for use with modern lenses and cameras I would only consider #5. If you're using vintage Pentax lenses, you might consider #1, #3 or #4, depending upon the type of lens.

blanam Loc: Detroit

I've looked many times but never seen them. Do you have a link or a supplier name?
I use this Pentax site: https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/shop/#section-sport-optics

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

Don't know if you're looking for legacy K-mount tubes or for subsequent PK mounts incorporating auto functions for aperture or auto-focus, but I purchased a set of Kooka extension tubes, a 20mm and 36mm, on Amazon, if I remember correctly, for PK mount. That was about 2 years ago. Amazon shows all Kooka extension tubes "Out Of Stock" at the present time. These Kooka tubes have all the electrical contacts and AF screw drive used by Pentax in their digital lenses. I bought them right after I bought a used K5, just to have them in my Pentax digital kit. Like so many things these days they are made in China. I haven't used them since I acquired them. The website listed on the box, www.kooka-optics.com, gives a 403 error in Chinese.

Here's a link to Kooka products from Alibaba

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/KOOKA-KK-P56-Copper-Macro-Extension-Tube-Set-Auto-Focus-Close-up-Image-with-TTL-Exposure/326814_32638129287.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.4.61782bd9XVYqcy

I've never used Alibaba so can't advise on them.

The Movo brand rings shown at the link posted by user amfoto must be a generic photograph - the contacts on K-mount are on the mount face/flange and are not recessed inside the tube as shown. The one shown in that photo would not provide any electrical contact with a Pentax lens or body mount.

Stan

blanam Loc: Detroit

Good idea with screwing together unlike tubes. Very clever.

I also have the manual tubes and have no trouble, as long as the lens has an aperture ring. I manually focus and use manual exposure anyway.

But the MOVO tubes look interesting, providing metering, focus and aperture control for the newer lenses (some cropping on FF).

https://www.newegg.com/p/9SIA5ST9283010?Item=9SIA5ST9283010&source=region&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-Movo%20Photo-_-Accessories%20-%20Camera%20Other-_-9SIA5ST9283010&gclid=Cj0KCQjww47nBRDlARIsAEJ34bmfTvpf3wJ5zDD9AqDSIk9FNQbUWmR5JFlh3TSJX4ex_PdkaCLvwwYaAgReEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&RandomID=50856662272342620190521145907