Extension Tubes vs Macro Lens

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Lee
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I currently have a Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM macro.

How would 13mm and 21mm extension tubes with a manual 50mm lens compare with the 100mm Canon out of interest? I already have a manual 50mm & EOS adaptor.

I don't shoot bugs etc at MFD - I use it more as a very close up lens. And that is WHEN I actually use it!! Maybe once this year. But I'm wondering what sort of results I could get with the other set up then I could sell the Canon & release some funds for other things.

Regards :)
 
I use my 100mm F2.8L lens with a 25mm tube quite often now! Not at a massive amount of extra zoom but it's a nice boost.

I've never used a 50mm macro but I get the impression that the lack of distance from the subject would be difficult to deal with sometimes.
 
How would 13mm and 21mm extension tubes with a manual 50mm lens compare with the 100mm Canon out of interest? I already have a manual 50mm & EOS adaptor.
Simply put, nobody can tell you without knowing minimum focus distance of the 50mm lens you intend to use and hence its native maximum magnification.

Bob
 
Be careful with the Chinese knock offs, I had the Devil of a job getting them off the lens once mounted. I have tubes and a macro 100mm lens. I use tubes on my 85 1.8 with very good results. Apart from having to get close to the subject they should work well with a 50 of you only intend minimal use per year. Framing is the main problem.
Matt
 
Simply put, nobody can tell you without knowing minimum focus distance of the 50mm lens you intend to use and hence its native maximum magnification.

Bob

The ones I was wondering about are Yashica fit for the Yashica 50/1.9 I have so I presume they are used, metal, old & original :)

According to the 'net the minimum focus distance is 0.5m for the Yashica 50's. Am I right in saying that I'll lose infinity focus with tubes attached? Sorry, I know nowt about them!!
 
50cm is quite long for a 50mm lens nowadays Lee, so the magnification is a little lower than you achieve with something like Canon's 50/1.8.

Some vague numbers....
The EF 50/1.8 has a native magnification of 0.15x and this goes up to 0.66x with 25mm of extension behind it.
Your Yashica has a native magnification of 0.1x and will achieve around 0.4x with the same extension.

(the numbers will vary a little based on the focus method employed by the lens....IF or OLE)

Bob
 
Got the macro lens and extensions tubes (see siggy link for 105mm below).

Get the tubes first, doesn't make much difference between the contacts and none except price. You can put the tubes on any lens, although the longer ones would be better for the macro.

Later, and if you like macro shooting, look at a dedicated macro lens with at least a 1:1.
Since you are a canon user, you can use that really difficult to use but wow does it magnify macro lens, although you may need some macro lights too... Or a normalish 100mm...

I tried the adapters for m42 lenses, and one that is just a slim ring wasn't a good idea, but with tubes you get to grasp so you should be ok.


Alternatively, go to a photo meet, see if someone there has some you can borrow and try. Then decide...
 
The tubes are no contacts because they are for manual aperture lenses anyway & I already have a dedicated Canon 100mm macro lens.

50cm is quite long for a 50mm lens nowadays Lee, so the magnification is a little lower than you achieve with something like Canon's 50/1.8.

Some vague numbers....
The EF 50/1.8 has a native magnification of 0.15x and this goes up to 0.66x with 25mm of extension behind it.
Your Yashica has a native magnification of 0.1x and will achieve around 0.4x with the same extension.

(the numbers will vary a little based on the focus method employed by the lens....IF or OLE)

Bob

Many thanks Bob - It's those figure I don't know how to work out & get my head around...?!? :)
 
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