Can anyone with experience using different brands tell me if it is worth it to pay more for Kenko tubes? It doesn't have any optics, so does the brand really matter? I know you usually get what you pay for.
Thanks for the input.
Pay more for the Kenkos? I thought they were the bargain tubes on the market.
The Kenko tubes (get the set) retain all lens/camera functions, including AF, aperature stopdown, and electronic communications with the camera. My Nikon versions also allow the VR to work on lenses with it.
I've got a set of Kenko's, bought on eBay from a HK vendor for ~$100 shipped. They're fine, although with their plastic construction I wouldn't hang a 4000 f/2.8 off one of them. Be aware that there are tubes available without the electrical contacts for AF and aperture, and they're not going to work with lenses which rely on those functions.
I got a set of "Pro Optic" extension tubes from Adorama. THey work perfectly for me and cost about 85 bucks for the set. They include all the electrical contacts for Nikon. I think they are made of aluminum. A scratch is shiny like metal would be. I wouldn't be afraid to hang any of my lenses on them.
The box says manual focus, but AF-S lenses autofocus.
dcains wrote:
I've got a set of Kenko's, bought on eBay from a HK vendor for ~$100 shipped. They're fine, although with their plastic construction I wouldn't hang a 4000 f/2.8 off one of them. Be aware that there are tubes available without the electrical contacts for AF and aperture, and they're not going to work with lenses which rely on those functions.
What would you hang a 4000 f2.8 from?
My set of Kenkos, about five years old, are all metal--I'm sure, as I've taken a Dremel tool to them. The mounts are not perfectly tight, with just a little more slop than my Nikkor lenses.
I had a $120 set of Kenkos and bought a second $70 set from Adorama (Cambrov). The Kenkos were a bit more refined but the Combrov's have all metal construction and retain all functions with a tight fit. Not that I ever use af with the tubes though. I sold the Kenkos for what I paid for them and kept the cheaper Cambrov's since the only difference is cosmetic.
I have a set of (plastic) Kenkos. They feel a bit sloppy, but work fine. I know one fellow who dropped one of the Kenkos (with nothing attached to it), and placed it between his 1D2 and a 500mm lens. A hairline crack he had missed made the 1D2 plummet towards the ground when the tube split open from being dropped. Now he will only use "genuine Canon" tubes. I still use my Kenkos, but I don't go far from the camera when it is attached to them, either.
