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How to get started with macro photography on the cheap using extension tubes

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If you’ve always thought about dabbling in macro (and let’s face it, that’s most of us) but really can’t justify going out and spending a fortune on the usual (expensive) popular macro lenses out there like the Canon 100mm f/2.8 or Nikon 105mm f/2.8, then you’re just plain out of luck, right? Well, no. Of course, there are other third-party macro lens options out there with varying levels of ability but there are also extension tubes.

Extension tubes sit between the camera and the lenses you already own in order to turn just about any lens into a macro lens. And in this video, Dustin Abbott walks us through how we can use extension tubes to shoot macro as well as the pros and cons of using them rather than a “real” macro lens.

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Fotodiox release new auto extension tubes for shooting macro with L mount cameras

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Extension tubes are one of the best ways to get started in macro. They’re easy to use with your existing lenses to be able to get started shooting really close-up subjects and they’re a lot cheaper than buying an actual dedicated macro lens. Up until recently, there haven’t been too many options when it comes to extension tubes for L mount, though. There are a couple, but not many.

Well now, Fotodiox has entered the fray with their new 15mm and 35mm L mount Auto Macro Tubes. The “auto” bit means that they maintain electronic communication between the lens and camera, giving you full control over your aperture and autofocus system when using them.

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These 3D printed variable extension tubes let you shoot macro with EF lenses on Sony E cameras

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Macro is always a popular photography subject. Even if it’s not something you shoot all the time, it’s something that pretty much all of us will have a go at given the chance. But macro lenses are expensive, so it’s not something that a lot of people will try, even if they want to. There are less expensive options out there, though, especially if you own a 3D printer.

We’ve featured photographer Nick Sherlock and his 3D printed extension tubes and macro accessories before, but this pair of extension tubes is particularly interesting. They’re variable extension tubes with ranges of 0-35mm and 50-150mm, designed to let you adjust their length to whatever you need using Canon EF mount lenses on Sony E mount bodies.

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Pros and cons of teleconverters for macro photography

What are teleconverters and how do they work?

Tele-converters are handy lens add-ons that multiply the focal length of the lens they are attached to. They can be mounted in between the camera body and lens (typically a telephoto lens) and increase the focal length of the lens which they are attached to.

By how much is dependent on their power, which is stated as a factor. E.g. a 1.4x teleconverter multiplies the original focal length of a lens by 1.4. As a result a 100mm lens would turn into a 140mm lens, a 200mm lens would turn into a 280mm lens, and so on. Most common are 1.4x or 2x converters, but occasionally converters as strong as 3x can be found as well.

Why am I telling you this in a macro blog? Well, the beauty of these converters is that their power not only applies to the focal length of regular lenses, but to the magnification ratio of macro lenses just as well!

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Just how good are cheap extension tubes and do they really compare to an expensive dedicated macro lens?

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Macro photography is some of the most fun you can have with a camera. But good macro lenses can be very expensive. There are other things we can do, however, to get macro-like images with our regular lenses, though, without actually having to buy a macro lens. There are close-up filters, reversing rings and extension tubes, for example.

But the latter of those three options, extension tubes, is generally thought to give the best results. But how do they really compare to a true macro lens? In this video, Karl Taylor takes a look at true macro lenses vs extension tubes on both Sony full-frame and Hasselblad medium format systems to see how the two techniques stack up against each other.

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This photographer 3D printed his own “photo sniper” grip for his macro photography setup

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A few months ago, photographer Nick Sherlock shared with us his epic 3D printed 300mm long extension tube. Then he needed something to hold this beast and provide him with more stability, and he once again put his 3D printer to work. Inspired by the legendary Zenit Fotosniper, Nick designed and printed his own rifle-style grip. It doesn’t only look cool, but it gives him way more stability when using his macro setup.

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This photographer designed and 3D printed a massive 300mm extension tube for super macro magnification

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3D printing has come such a long way in the last few years. As developments in printer design and software have progressed, it’s become a lot easier to make some pretty accurate prints. One photographer, though, Nick Sherlock, decided to test the limits of his 3D printer to make a 300mm long extension tube allowing him to extend the magnification of his Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO Macro DG HSM lens.

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Fuji releases new 250mm f/4 lens, 1.4x teleconverter and two macro tubes for GFX medium format

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It’s Fujifilm’s turn to make their new announcements this week, and they’ve got some that GFX medium format shooters are going to enjoy. First up, there’s the new Fujifilm GF 250mm F4 R LM OIS WR lens. It has a field of view equivalent to just under a 200mm lens on a 35mm body. So suitable for both longer distance outdoor portraits, as well as shooting closer wildlife.

But to help with the wildlife side of things, there’s also the new GF 1.4X TC WR teleconverter. Priced at an eye watering $849, it’s not exactly cheap, but if you shoot medium format digital, the word “cheap” probably isn’t in your vocabulary. Fuji haven’t forgotten macro shooters in the new announcement, though, offering both new 18mm and 45mm extension tubes.

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3 ways to shoot macro for under $20

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Macro is always a popular topic, and it’s one that more people seem to be exploring for video content recently. But macro lenses typically aren’t inexpensive. My Nikon 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor, for example, was around $600 when I got it. Today, the current model Nikon 105mm f/2.8G AF-S VR is closer to $900. But there are a number of cheaper alternatives.

In this video, Caleb Pike looks at three very inexpensive options to get you started with macro.  Each of the three options comes with their unique pros and cons, but all three solutions cost under $20 each. If you just want to dabble without spending a fortune, one of these could be the way to go.

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The Fotodiox DLX Stretch adapters let you turn any lens into a macro

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With the advent of mirrorless, lens adapters have become very popular. With such a short flange distance, mirrorless cameras offer so many more lens options. You might not always get the full benefit of the lens, and some might kill your camera, but overall they’re extremely useful.

Fotodiox have just launched a new series of lens adapters for Sony, Micro Four Thirds and Fuji mirrorless cameras for a range of lenses. There are 8 different lens mounts available, and you can even lengthen the adapter. This means it essentially acts like an extension tube, offering you closer focusing with any lens.

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