Extension Tubes: I've got a really good macro lens but what really annoys me is the extremely narrow DOF...are extension tubes just as bad or are they any better...? cheers, Ron. :sm02:...

SX2002 Loc: Adelaide, South Australia

I've got a really good macro lens but what really annoys me is the extremely narrow DOF...are extension tubes just as bad or are they any better...?
cheers,
Ron.

TomC. Loc: Bel Air, MD

SX2002 wrote:

I've got a really good macro lens but what really annoys me is the extremely narrow DOF...are extension tubes just as bad or are they any better...?
cheers,
Ron.

Hi, Ron
I usually try to compensate for that by making the aperture smaller. 3 stops narrower works pretty well. Still has good bokeh. I have no experience with extension tubes.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

That's what extension tubes do ... They're nothing but tubes of empty air and no brand's air is better than anyone else's. As long as they pass focus & aperture control electronically between the camera and lens, you can't do better. You can only use them better, such as adjusting the lens aperture, focusing via the LiveView on DSLRs or the 10x zoom in the MILC EVF, and assuring a bright exposure in the image.

SX2002 Loc: Adelaide, South Australia

TomC. wrote:

Hi, Ron
I usually try to compensate for that by making the aperture smaller. 3 stops narrower works pretty well. Still has good bokeh. I have no experience with extension tubes.

Thanks Tom, yes I've played around with that but am still wondering if the tubes are as bad...I don't do stacking as all my insect macro is live and as it happens so there is no time for that.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

SX2002 wrote:

I've got a really good macro lens but what really annoys me is the extremely narrow DOF...are extension tubes just as bad or are they any better...?
cheers,
Ron.

Personally I find that in shooting macro, or to be more precise, between greater magnifications than 1:1 to 'close up' the narrow DoF can be used very much to the advantage of the composition and result.

We do not always need to see that one wing is the same as the other or that every petal is identical.

As for tubes, the closer they allow you to focus the narrower the DoF will be as already mentioned.

SX2002 Loc: Adelaide, South Australia

Grahame wrote:

Personally I find that in shooting macro, or to be more precise, between greater magnifications than 1:1 to 'close up' the narrow DoF can be used very much to the advantage of the composition and result.

We do not always need to see that one wing is the same as the other or that every petal is identical.

As for tubes, the closer they allow you to focus the narrower the DoF will be as already mentioned.

Thanks Grahame, that's al I wanted to know..I've had a lot of success with my macro photography and just wanted to know about the tubes...

TomC. Loc: Bel Air, MD

SX2002 wrote:

Thanks Tom, yes I've played around with that but am still wondering if the tubes are as bad...I don't do stacking as all my insect macro is live and as it happens so there is no time for that.

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Extension tubes will give you no better depth of field than a dedicated macro lens.
You can get a little better DOF by using a higher f stop. But focus stacking is the best way to get the most DOF.

will

SX2002 Loc: Adelaide, South Australia

Soul Dr. wrote:

Extension tubes will give you no better depth of field than a dedicated macro lens.
You can get a little better DOF by using a higher f stop. But focus stacking is the best way to get the most DOF.

will

Thanks Will, yes I know that (F stop) and I can't do stacking as I shoot live insects and there is just no time to stack...
Thanks,
Ron.

User ID

SX2002 wrote:

I've got a really good macro lens but what really annoys me is the extremely narrow DOF...are extension tubes just as bad or are they any better...?
cheers,
Ron.

Whole story: Exactly same issues.

A macro lens is just a lens with the convenience of a variable built in extension tube.

petrochemist Loc: UK

Rearranging the formulae for DOF it turns out for any given sensor & aperture DOF is directly proportional to magnification. The means of achieving the magnification is irrelevant.

The only real way around the physics is to use focus stacking.

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

CHG_CANON wrote:

That's what extension tubes do ... They're nothing but tubes of empty air and no brand's air is better than anyone else's. As long as they pass focus & aperture control electronically between the camera and lens, you can't do better. You can only use them better, such as adjusting the lens aperture, focusing via the LiveView on DSLRs or the 10x zoom in the MILC EVF, and assuring a bright exposure in the image.

Excellent point: "you can only use them better"

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

SX2002 wrote:

I've got a really good macro lens but what really annoys me is the extremely narrow DOF...are extension tubes just as bad or are they any better...?
cheers,
Ron.

They will compound the problem of extremely narrow DOF.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

SX2002 wrote:

I've got a really good macro lens but what really annoys me is the extremely narrow DOF...are extension tubes just as bad or are they any better...?
cheers,
Ron.

They are basically the same, the only way you can increase your DOF is to come up with a good diffused flash solution and shoot at very small apertures, f/11 and smaller. Pay close attention to the focus plane when shooting, angle the camera where you are getting the focus plane to cover as much of your subject as possible.

agillot

shoot at f22 with a lot of light .