Shooting with Tubes

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Shooting with Tubes

CGrindahl
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p.2 #1 · Shooting with Tubes

Thanks Jim! Definitely, stopping down helps when you have enough light to do so. No doubt, shooting on a tripod helps as well since you can tolerate slower shutter speeds. I may have to consider buying one... and join the club, so to speak.

For those who don't know the Nikon 50 f/1.4 AI-s is another manual focus lens. There are quite a few of us playing with these lenses on our NIkon digital SLRs and having great fun. Anyone interested can check out a thread I started in the Nikon Forum on the subject. Here's a link -

Manual Focus Nikon Glass

I know many folks use Nikon's outstanding MF glass with converters. This thread is specifically intended for those who use that glass on their Nikon cameras.

Apr 21, 2011 at 09:12 PM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #2 · Shooting with Tubes

I'll close the evening with one more shot of the little ladybug that could... this time rambling down the leaf of the plant I was shooting at the time. This was shot with the 180 f/2.8 AI-s with a 36mm tube attached. It is un-cropped and re-sized.

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:05 AM · View previous versions

Apr 22, 2011 at 04:44 AM

Mike4AU
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p.2 #3 · Shooting with Tubes

Here is one I took with 36+12 tubes. Some kind of clover. The little flowers are about 1/8". Really small. As you folks know, using tubes is really difficult, but can produce some good shots.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Apr 22, 2011 at 05:51 PM

e6filmuser
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p.2 #4 · Shooting with Tubes

If there is any way you can use OM lenses this gives great results with film or digital and, with about 115mm extension gives about 1.5:1 (3-1 on small sensors) with a huge working distance of nearly 130mm.

http://www.alanwood.net/photography/olympus/macro-lens-80-4m.html

Apr 22, 2011 at 07:12 PM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #5 · Shooting with Tubes

Mike4AU wrote:
Here is one I took with 36+12 tubes. Some kind of clover. The little flowers are about 1/8". Really small. As you folks know, using tubes is really difficult, but can produce some good shots.

You don't mention the lens and camera you use. I'm curious. The shot is beautiful Mike, at least to my eye. And you're right, of course, gaining focus is definitely a challenge, but you got there.

Here is a photo of a bee sipping at a plant taken with the Nikon manual focus lens, the 180 f/2.8 AI-s with two tubes stacked, the 12mm and 36mm Vivitar tubes. This was shot wide open, hand held.

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:10 AM · View previous versions

Apr 22, 2011 at 07:29 PM

Mike4AU
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p.2 #6 · Shooting with Tubes

Too cool!

I shoot with a Nikon D300 and used a Nikkor 105 VR for that shot.

BTW, if you also have a 20mm tube, add that to the other tubes and shoot that little blue flower. Bet it would be awesome.

Apr 23, 2011 at 12:08 AM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #7 · Shooting with Tubes

No doubt I'll eventually stack all three tubes I have, which will bring the total to 68mm. I wonder what that would do to the Nikon 300 f/4.5 AI-s ED-IF... perhaps tomorrow.

Here's another flower shot with a hard working bee making its appearance. I was driving down a narrow, winding road in my home town and noticed these flowers to my left. I stopped, opened the window and leaned out with the 135 f/2.8 AI with a 12mm tube mounted on my D700. I was able to take a few photos before a car pulled up behind me and I had to leave. Since the light was a bit dim I shot manual mode at 1/160th of a second, wide open, which required ISO 640 to make the photo work.

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:11 AM · View previous versions

Apr 23, 2011 at 03:59 AM

Mike4AU
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p.2 #8 · Shooting with Tubes

I have used tubes on my 300 f/4 AFS lens. Talk about difficult...but can produce some good stuff.

Cool shot!

Apr 23, 2011 at 12:16 PM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #9 · Shooting with Tubes

So this is the first photo processed from a bit of shooting I did this afternoon with the Nikon manual focus lens, the 300 f/4.5 AI-s ED-IF with THREE tubes stacked, totaling 68mm. I shot wide open, hand held. This is the full image simply reduced in size. I was shooting manual mode at 1/325th of a second and wide open, having found that even in daylight there wasn't enough light for my first shots. This image was slightly overexposed so I reduced exposure and ran a modest pass of Smart Sharpening, then reduced the size and saved as a JPG. I always shoot RAW.

I'm surprised that I still have about three feet of working distance with all these tubes attached. The 280 degree focus ring throw gave me quite a bit of room as well to fine tune focusing. Like with other tubes, however, it still requires a steady hand and in this instance a bit of luck since there was a breeze blowing that wanted to bounce around most everything I shot. When I look at everything I shot today, I'd say my keeper rate was a bit less than 50%, which isn't bad when shooting with such a long lens and without a tripod. It definitely is doable.

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:12 AM · View previous versions

Apr 23, 2011 at 08:34 PM

e6filmuser
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p.2 #10 · Shooting with Tubes

CGrindahl wrote:
I'm surprised that I still have about three feet of working distance with all these tubes attached.
Try it with about 30mm of tubes for greater working distance for large flowers/insects.

Apr 23, 2011 at 08:54 PM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #11 · Shooting with Tubes

e6filmuser wrote:
CGrindahl wrote:
I'm surprised that I still have about three feet of working distance with all these tubes attached.
Try it with about 30mm of tubes for greater working distance for large flowers/insects.

Thanks. This was actually an experiment after having shot most recently with a 36mm tube on this same lens. Here's a shot I took shortly before the one about with the same setup... 68mm tubes, wide open, hand held in manual mode and 1/325th of second.

And here is a shot taken a couple of days ago with the 36mm extension tube attached.

Midday shots are challenging because of the bright light and both images required some adjustment to exposure, but as you note the shorter tube definitely moves me back. I've been experimenting with different length tubes with different focal length lenses to find the optimal arrangement for each lens. It is all part of the play...

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:16 AM · View previous versions

Apr 23, 2011 at 09:07 PM

Jimmy D
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p.2 #12 · Shooting with Tubes

Out for a walk this afternoon with my youngest boy Seamus at the Local Apps Mills conservation area. Finally a break in the weather!

Forest flowers are coming out finally.

#1 D3x, 85 1.4 ais with PK-13 ext tube @ iso 200 f5.6 1/200 sec

#2 D3x, 85 1.4 ais with PK-13 ext tube @ iso 200 f5.6 1/250 sec

#3 D3x, 85 1.4 ais with PK-13 ext tube @ iso 200 f8 1/250 sec

Apr 24, 2011 at 12:05 AM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #13 · Shooting with Tubes

Lovely shots Jim. That is one lens I haven't used with tubes yet, but it is such a great performer I have no doubt it will sing, much as it does in these shots.

Here's another with the 300 f/4.5 AI-s ED-IF wide open with 68mm worth of tubes... I cropped this for artistic reasons.

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:16 AM · View previous versions

Apr 24, 2011 at 12:48 AM

Jimmy D
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p.2 #14 · Shooting with Tubes

Very nice Curtis, I like the crop.

Jim

Apr 24, 2011 at 12:58 AM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #15 · Shooting with Tubes

Here's another shot taken with the same setup yesterday, un-cropped but reduced in size. The scene required Auto ISO of 1400 to capture the image, wide open at 1/320th of a second shutter speed. Doubtless, a tripod would have permitted me to slow the shutter speed and increase the aperture a bit. The tradeoffs that come with hand holding...

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:17 AM · View previous versions

Apr 24, 2011 at 07:35 PM

e6filmuser
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p.2 #16 · Shooting with Tubes

You are getting some great results with wide apertures. The selective DOF can be very effective. However, many subjects, arguably, look better with considerably more DOF.

Apr 25, 2011 at 08:09 AM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #17 · Shooting with Tubes

e6filmuser wrote:
You are getting some great results with wide apertures. The selective DOF can be very effective. However, many subjects, arguably, look better with considerably more DOF.

Doubtless you're right, though without artificial lighting, shooting stopped down with tubes can be extremely difficult except in the most rare circumstances. I was shooting in bright midday sunlight on Saturday with the 300 f/4.5 AI-s ED-IF with 68mm worth of tubes attached and had to shoot manual mode to get the shutter speed up to 1/320th of a second. On Sunday with the 85 f/1.4 AI-s I was shooting at f/8 and had plenty of light. I likely could have stopped down farther but I do like to isolate elements of a subject.

For the record, here is a shot taken at f/8 with the 85 and a 20mm tube attached. This is un-cropped and downsized.

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:17 AM · View previous versions

Apr 25, 2011 at 02:49 PM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #18 · Shooting with Tubes

Here is another shot with the same setup from yesterday...

With a 100% crop...

Edited on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:18 AM · View previous versions

Apr 25, 2011 at 02:54 PM

Gehjl
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p.2 #19 · Shooting with Tubes

This was shot with 49mm in extension tubes and the nifty fifty lens,shot at f11 if I remember correctly. First time really out there playing with them.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

I want to play around with a longer lens on them or less tubes, just haven't had a chance yet to go out and shoot.

May 02, 2011 at 03:21 AM

CGrindahl
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p.2 #20 · Shooting with Tubes

This is a gorgeous shot! Extension tubes really are magical and using them really expands one's horizon when it comes to shooting. You'll find you have more working distance with longer lenses, but then you won't necessarily have something as evocative as this shot. Thanks for sharing Gehji. Keep shooting and sharing!

May 02, 2011 at 03:28 AM

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