Testing my Kenko Macro extension tubes.

I received my new Kenko macro extension tubes Friday and finally got a chance to play with then today(Sunday).

The Kenko rings are supposed to allow AF, but I found the camera hunting a lot and went manual focus. I tried some pics on a tripod, but once I started tying to get insects, I had to go hand held. DOF is seriously affected, with the stacked tubes the lens is almost touching the subject, which in turn causes shadow issues in strong light.

I could have post these to the assignment thread, but rather than flood it I thought it better to start my own thread, and I can also answer questions about the extension tubes.

This show how narrow the DOF is. Body in focus, eyes out of focus. Otherwise this would have been a better image.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bbi-4cZRdqw/S0...M/IMG_4334.jpg

This guy is well camouflaged.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bbi-4cZRdqw/S0...8/IMG_4295.jpg

I tried to exploit the shallow DOF on this one. Shot on Tripod.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bbi-4cZRdqw/S0...M/IMG_4279.jpg

This is an Australian Native Bee
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bbi-4cZRdqw/S0...Q/IMG_4277.jpg

This is and Ant (just like me:)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bbi-4cZRdqw/S0...0/IMG_4286.jpg

yellow flowers
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bbi-4cZRdqw/S0...2/IMG_4315.jpg

A weed
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bbi-4cZRdqw/S0...E/IMG_4338.jpg

They do get you nice and close but it looks like you are indeed having focus issues. Maybe with practice this will change?

You might need to use mirror lock up for these.

In real tight macro a macro rail is a great tool. Set your lens at a focus point and move the camera to focus. I find it easier to do this than the other way around though I am no expert.

eBay is a good source for these.

At least a couple of these are in focus. The DOF could be greater. I was focusing mostly by moving the camera as Greg suggested. Light reaching the sensor is definitely an issue and shutter speeds were getting to the limit of hand holding. I can see why ring flashes are popular for macro.

These rings are stackable, and a lot of these shots were done with the 2 biggest tubes stacked. I will experiment some more and persist with using a tripod and smaller apertures . I'm Looking forward to playing a bit more.

If I was to compare these shots with heavily cropped shots without the extension tubes, I would say these are sharper and obviously able to be printed much larger.

looks like those macro extension tubes take some serious getting used to! for my (admittedly rare) forays into macro work, i use my old Panasonic FZ20 with a Nikon 6T close up lens.... lets me use the full 12x zoom (equivalent to a 432mm lens) from 12" away... now if i could only find that darn battery charger!! :(