How To Build A huge Macro Tube for $5
Jan 11, 2015
Udi Tirosh
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
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Have you ever looked inside a macro tube to examine the optics there? haha. No optics, it is just a big tube filled with air.* This is why it is an extremely easy device to replicate. Maker Vinnie Hirt used the macro tube quality of nothingness to build his own set of an uber extension tube for a mere $5 give or take.
For his Micro 4/3 Hirt used 10 centimeter of a 1.5″ ABS pipe along with a rear lens cap and a camera body cap (both can be bought on eBay for cents). He also used an old manual Canon FD lens and a lens adapter which he already owned. (Using a manual lens makes life easier as you have access to the aperture ring).
Now here comes the magic all you need to is glue the rear cap and the front cap to the pipe using JB weld (or similar) to provide mounts on either ends of the pipe (to the camera and to the lens).
With the micro 4/3, 10cm will give you about X2 magnification and will cost around 3 stops of light. If you need to adjust those, you can get some help from the Macro Extension Tube Calculator.
Here are some of the shots taken with the tube:
*higher quality macro tubes will have electric contacts to control lens aperture, and focus / focus feedback.
[DIY Extension Tube | Makify]
Udi Tirosh
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
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7 responses to “How To Build A huge Macro Tube for $5”
It helps though if you drill holes in the caps to let the light through.
That’s true.
But by not drilling the holes it is possible to prevent flaring, when using on D750. :D
hahaha, you should watch the video, there is well explained the entire process. Greetings
If you use a pvc/abs coupler at each end, you can use various tube lengths to give various degrees of magnification. Glue the lens cap to one coupler and the camera cover to another coupler. Don’t glue the couplers, just twist them tight on each end of variable length tubes.
I remember doing this sort of thing 30 years ago with my very first camera a Nikon FM, 50mm lens and a found cardboard tube that fit the diameter, all held together with a lot of tape!
Brillante! lo voy a hacer
50 years ago I made one with wood around 36 inches long, 50mm lens attached reversed.
It was in Popular Mechanics…
Using a film camera lens you get to play with aperture…..need lot’s of light.