What's with the high minimum focus distances?

[Krydel]

Was just looking at some lenses. More specifically the f/1.8 or 1.4 50mm nikkor primes and the 70-300mm VR is a whopping 1.5m :O

Now i have enough trouble with my 18-105mm not focusing close enough at 45cm, but im gonna have even more trouble with a 50mm prime as its 45mm.

Granted, the telephoto wont be for things close to you anyway, but still. Wow.

What sort of lenses should i be looking at for a nice balance between range (or a prime) and minimum focus distances? Macro lenses, i hear you scream - These are expensive though?

[Wail]

If you use extension tubes, that will reduce your minimum focus distance; and they'd fit on most, if not all, lenses!

[Krydel]

If you use extension tubes, that will reduce your minimum focus distance; and they'd fit on most, if not all, lenses!

I have seldom heard of such things :O Do they have any downsides, like reduduced quality?

Can you walk around with them on or?

[Wail]

Never seen them degrade any of my picture / image quality; but you do lose some light which is dead-easy to compensate for.

Yes, they are easy to use, walk-about with ...

[Wail]

.... and this is a search I've just run on Kenko extension tubes (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/search.php?searchid=2314943); they are the most popular of the lot. Have a look / read through these threads, you will see what they're all about.

[Gofer]

I can only guess you're getting what you've paid for. I should imaging it isn't cheap for a manufacturer to produce a lens that has superb optics, wonderful build quality, minimal close focusing, etc, so in an effort to satisfy the lower end of the market, they have to produce lenses that are a compromise in one, some, all all of those areas.

[Krydel]

Never seen them degrade any of my picture / image quality; but you do lose some light which is dead-easy to compensate for.

Yes, they are easy to use, walk-about with ...

Sounds interesting. Thanks!

I just read up a little on them. Is it true you lose auto focus and have to shoot fully in manual? I'm a newbie togger and don't really have enough experience to shoot in anything other than P or A mode atm :S

EDIT* This post may be moot once i read the links i didnt see before i wrote this.

[postcardcv]

The biggest issue with leaving tubes on is that your lens won't focus to infinity so it does limit what you can shot. They are very useful though and dead easy to use, no glass involved so they do not effect IQ, but the shorter working distance will effect DOF.