I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a set of auto-focus extension tubes for Sony E Mount lenses. I'm interested in trying out macro photography without immediately investing in a dedicated macro lens, and extension tubes seem like a great way to get started.
I've seen offerings from Meike, Neewer, Vello, Kenko, etc., ranging in price from $30 to $130. They all look pretty similar, and I assume are functionally the same, with small differences in build quality.
Does anyone have first hand experience with any of these brands who could recommend a set to purchase (or stay away from)?
I had a set of Meike, I didn't use them a lot, but they served the purpose for quite some time. I had a Kenko set with my Olympus and they were also quite fine.
I just bought a set of Neewer extension tubes. I suspect after having read a number of consumer product reviews for a several brands (Newer, Meike, JJC) that build quality is quite similar across them... which is to say adequate for the price point and not great QC (including for the pricier Kenkos which is why I didn't go with those). Makes we wonder if they're all the same manufacture just rebranded.
Be sure to carefully test their fit as some reviews have reported them to be very tight and others quite loose. In my set, my larger tube fits very well while the smaller tube fits a bit loose on the lens mount side, but I'd rather have that than being too tight (as there have been some reports of damaging lenses trying to remove tubes that are too tight). If it seems too tight, don't force it and return/exchange for another set (even from the same brand).
When using the 2 rings（10mm and 16mm) of this extension tube combined together on Sony G MASTER
lenses or on Sony G lenses, due to a voltage drop, the camera may not recognize the lens and fail to shoot.
For this reason, please refrain from using the two rings together with the below lens models.
Sony G MASTER lenses: SEL2470GM, SEL70200GM, SEL8514GM, SEL100F28GM
Sony G lenses: SELP28135G, SELP18110G, SEL70200G, SEL100400GM, SEL200600G
However, no issues occur when using the 10mm or 16mm separately.
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Kenko note should be "these tubes have so much freeplay that it's unlikely using both tubes will work. In fact, even a single tube may not maintain a reliable connection between lens and body"
I have Meike extension tubes and recently, I used both of them in combo on my Sony GM 600mm without any issues at all. My extensions tubes have metal mounts and I understood that there are extension tubes of the same brand that have plastic mounts. I am not saying that they don’t work as well but I am just pointing out that there are apparently two versions of extension tubes of the same “brand”.
The 35 and 50 GM are fine with both Kenko tubes. I have not tried the others mentioned. The bigger issue, in my opinion with all of the tubes I am aware of for Sony is that they are all plastic…no brass tubes. I don’t like to dangle heavy and expensive lenses on plastic.
I have the Kenko set and use them almost exclusively with MF vintage lenses. They are fine for that.
The other alternative for close up work is a diopter. Those are magnifying lenses you screw into the lens’ filter threads. Those can be great. As they are themselves lenses, getting a good one is worthwhile. Canon and Nikon both make nice ones…just pay attention to the focal length limits for each product. Other companies like Murami make them as well, but I have not used theirs.
It is also worth noting that what you call a dedicated macro lens is a bit of a misconception. All but a few specialty lenses are good from their maximum magnification all the way out to infinity. The Zeiss ZE/ZF 50mm f/2 makro lens is among the best 50mm landscape lenses you’ll find, even though it is badged “macro.” The Leica R 60mm f/2.8 and 100mm f/2.8 macro lenses are lovely for any subject matter (not that the Zeiss isn’t). The Zeiss and Leica 60 run about $300-500 used. The venerable Nikkor 50mm f/2.8 Micro Ai-S is a great lens that often sells used for $100.
Wanting to use AF with macro is also perhaps up for grabs. If chasing bugs, I get it, but for stationary subjects, part of the pleasure of macro is manually dialing in your focus.
guitardirky wrote:
bumping this up to see what folks are finding works best with the Sony 100-400 GM or 400mm GM
.
In my opinion, once focal length goes over 200mm, the best approach is an extender and not a tube. If the 1.4x extender is not enough magnification, then using a diopter with or without the extender…granted, diopters may not be available >77mm thread size.
1.4x extender + 100-400 is pretty nice in the field.
Grenache wrote:
In my opinion, once focal length goes over 200mm, the best approach is an extender and not a tube. If the 1.4x extender is not enough magnification, then using a diopter with or without the extender…granted, diopters may not be available >77mm thread size.
1.4x extender + 100-400 is pretty nice in the field.
Jim
how does that change the minimum focus distance and magnification?
guitardirky wrote:
how does that change the minimum focus distance and magnification?
The magnification becomes 1.4x more than what you had without it … 0.35 x 1.4 = 0.49… 1:2 at 400mm and minimum focus distance. That is the max magnification of many macro lenses. To achieve that same magnification at 400mm with extension tubes, you would need 200mm of extension!
The minimum focus distance is unchanged.
Keep in mind that the f-stop goes up one, and your shutter speed will need to account for the longer focal length for sharpness…or use a tripod…which you should usually do anyway for macro. 🥳
This is 400mm at MFD, without an extender. Even in that route, you get nice bokeh.
