Nikon users, extension tubes

[Mmarques]

Hey everyone, I'm looking to purchase a set of extension tubes to go with my d3100 for macro work, I've looked on amazon and found Kenko tubes but they are quite pricey, also saw some Polaroid ext tubes, what ext tubes do you use? Where can I get a set for a decent price which have the contacts to AF?

Thanks in advance,
Marco

 

[SleepyTree]

Marco, I bought the Keno tubes and have used them many times, so I can recommend them.

My brother bought another make (slightly cheaper), and they have not proved to be as good. Sometimes the contacts don't stay connected and this stops the AF and metering from working.

Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.

 

[Kaolin]

I have used the Kenko tubes with a D3100 and they work well enough. I would not worry about AF, as it is not very useful at the high magnifications available with extensions tubes. Manual focusing using live view is much more useful and reliable.

 

[Mmarques]

Marco, I bought the Keno tubes and have used them many times, so I can recommend them.

My brother bought another make (slightly cheaper), and they have not proved to be as good. Sometimes the contacts don't stay connected and this stops the AF and metering from working.

Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.

If I can't find decent ones for a cheaper price ill have to go with kenkos, do you use the AF with the kenko or just use MF?

I have used the Kenko tubes with a D3100 and they work well enough. I would not worry about AF, as it is not very useful at the high magnifications available with extensions tubes. Manual focusing using live view is much more useful and reliable.

So if manual focusing is better/more reliable would I be better off just buying a cheap set and then just use MF anyway?

 

[Gr8Shot]

If I can't find decent ones for a cheaper price ill have to go with kenkos, do you use the AF with the kenko or just use MF?



So if manual focusing is better/more reliable would I be better off just buying a cheap set and then just use MF anyway?

Get af ones for aperture control, they are just a method of moving your glass further away. Be aware though focusing is very difficult and takes some getting used to.
I gave up and bought a macro lens

 

[Dogfish_magnet]

If I can't find decent ones for a cheaper price ill have to go with kenkos, do you use the AF with the kenko or just use MF?



So if manual focusing is better/more reliable would I be better off just buying a cheap set and then just use MF anyway?

Cheap manual tubes are a painin the ass, it's not the manual focus that's the issue it's the loss of aperture control from the body that makes it very difficult. It's such a pain you just won't use them.

 

[mark richards]

So if manual focusing is better/more reliable would I be better off just buying a cheap set and then just use MF anyway?

yes & no?.. normally with cheaper ones the build quality would be rubbish...these tubes will be used to mount your lens to the camera, I wouldn't fancy my lens
coming off the camera, which could happen when cheap ones are used, I bought a old set of nikon tubes , manual only...but work great, keep a eye on flee bay.....mark.

 

[architectfadi]

Cheap manual tubes are a painin the ass, it's not the manual focus that's the issue it's the loss of aperture control from the body that makes it very difficult. It's such a pain you just won't use them.

+1. I had cheap ones and hated them. Now I have the Kenko tubes and love them

 

[unplugged]

I have a set of polaroid ones and yeah the fit to some bodies isn't great especially the newer non AF bodies.

You have to really turn them quite hard or the camera thinks theirs no lens attached.

Not long after I got them I was using them on a 3100 and it wasn't registering a lens so I gave it a "hard" twist and their was a small audible crack...... so yeah

It hasn't affected the camera or tubes in any way and I haven't seen anything or had any issues with the body so I can only assume that it was something plastic not quite sitting in the right place however the tubes now go onto this particular body with no issues whatsoever and snap nicely in place just like the rest of the lenses

Get Electronic for the metering but as mentioned don't get too hung up on AF it's next to useless at the DOF you get.

 

[Kaolin]

If I can't find decent ones for a cheaper price ill have to go with kenkos, do you use the AF with the kenko or just use MF?



So if manual focusing is better/more reliable would I be better off just buying a cheap set and then just use MF anyway?

Sorry forgot to mention I have only used manual tubes with older d type lens where you can still control the aperture, if you are using g type lens you will lose the ability to control the aperture with manual tubes.

I guess it also depends on what you intend to photograph, if the subject is still and you can you a tripod manual focusing is not an issue. If you are chasing insects then manual focus may be a help, although personally I still tend to use manual.

 

[Lyonspride]

I considered tubes for my Nikon, but in the end I waited patiently for the right lens to pop up on Ebay. So im using a 50mm 1:2.8 Macro by Sigma, it's £250-£300 worth of glass and cost me somewhere between £90-£100 a few years ago.
If you want to do things properly, you need a macro lens.

 

[ecniv]

Cheap set (read tenner from Cowasaki here) and a macro lens... MF and MA (aperture) all the way!!!

You've prolly been there, but links in the sig, the really zoomed in ones are all MF/MA and wobble technique*




* Wobble forwards and backwards, use flash and take lots of shots...

 

[TPFoster]

I'd agree with the suggestion about doing it properly and getting a cheap macro lens. I managed to pick up a used Sigma 105mm f/2.8 off Ebay, it wouldn't autofocus on your camera body but not much of an issue as you'll want to be using MF most of the time anyway.
It might be a slight bit more expensive than the tubes but you'll get much better results