amfoto1 wrote:
I use Canon gear instead of Nikon, but have the Kenko tube set to use with it. I also have a few Canon OEM tubes.
The Kenko tubes are top quality, equal to what Canon themselves offer, but cheaper when you buy the set. Canon only sells individual tubes... 12mm for about $85 and 25mm for roughly $140, "street" prices new. The Kenko set includes 12mm, 20mm and 36mm, and currently is available new for $178 in the Canon mount.
There are cheaper. Both Opteka and Zeikos make sets that sell for $100 or less, but are a lot more plasticky than the OEM or Kenko. Note: the Zeikos sell relabeled under many brand names including Bower, Vivitar, ProOptic (Adorama house brand), Dot Line, Fotodiox and more.
There are also two grades of the Zeikos... the $75-100 version has metal bayonet mounts, while the sub-$60 set has plastic bayonets. Might be okay for occasional use, but you'll have to judge for yourself if you'll trust your camera and lens to them!
I have only seen photos of the Opteka... they are fairly new and appear okay. Their set includes 12mm, 20mm and 36mm, same as Kenko.
The Zeikos (etc.) set includes 13m, 21mm and 31mm tubes. Kind of odd sizes, but that's unlikely to be a problem. One thing I dislike about the Zeikos is they use a protruding lever to release the lens latching mechanism. To me that seems a little risky... I can imagine accidentally unlatching a lens and dropping it. The Canon and Kenko I use have a somewhat recessed button release, which seems safer to me. (I've had some teleconverters and macro tubes in the past, used with other camera systems, that had a lever release similar to the Zeikos design... I had a couple close calls with them, though no real disasters.)
You'll also find very inexpensive and simple extension tube sets, often for $20 or less. These have no electronic contacts to support auto focus and, on many modern lenses, aperture control. IMO, it's okay to focus macro shots manually, but lack of control over the aperture is a PITA and unacceptable. Might be okay though, if using vintage style lenses with a built-in aperture control ring right on the lens itself.
I use Canon gear instead of Nikon, but have the Ke... (
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Thank You for the information...