Tubes!

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mantamark

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Arg, my head hurts!

What, if anything, is the difference between Extension Tubes, TeleConverter Tubes & Macro Tubes?

I have a Sigma 70-300 APO DG Macro & would like to get the subject to fill the frame more, so i can get more detail into the shot (small birds, bugs, reptiles)

Also have a canon 50mm 1.8 and have heard these make a good mocro-ish lens?

What do i need?

some are in "mm", others are in "x"

My head is battered!

Thanks very much :)
 
A teleconverter magnifies the image optically, but also decreases the aperture. So with a x2 teleconverter, your "70-300mm F/4-5.6" would be become a "140-600mm F/8-11". So it would fill the frame more, but also be incredibly slow. I'm not sure if teleconverters are compatible with the sigma though?

Macro tubes and extension tubes are the same thing. They're hollow tubes, with a mount at each end (one male, one female), and simply move the lens further away from the sensor. They can be used to great effect, especially on the 50mm 1.8, but they're for macro work. So to take a photo of a bird a long way away, you need to get closer, or use a teleconverter. To get close-up photos of little bugs, you need extension tubes! Hope this helps a bit!

Chris
 
Just to add, you can't do bugs and birds with the same lens.
Keep the 70-300 for the birds, just find a way to get closer.
You could try extension tubes or a reversing ring with that 50 for true macro, or buy a dedicated macro lens.

Sorry Chris, I appear to have said pretty much the same thing....doh
 
Cool, cheers for that.

So i need a teleconverter for the Sigma to get the birdies, and extension tubes for the nifty fifty to get the bugs.

Oh how did i know it was going to cost me twice as much money as i first thought?

With the TC, do you retain the quality of the lens? and when you say slow, is that the AF slowing down?
 
mantamark said:
With the TC, do you retain the quality of the lens? and when you say slow, is that the AF slowing down?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant slow as in it's a small maximum aperture (i.e. a high f-number). If you put a teleconverter on your 70-300 (and I'm not sure if you can), the aperture will be so small that to get a decent exposure you'll have to have a pretty slow shutter speed, and the chance of getting a sharp, clear picture of a bird is pretty small, as motion blur and camera shake will get in the way. My advice would be to find some way of getting closer. That, or buy a longer canon prime (as long as you've got a spare couple of grand burning a hole in your pocket!). Until then, I'm afraid you're going to have to get sneakier so the birdies don't hear/see you coming! The tubes and the 50mm will work wonders though!

Chris
 
I'll stick to tubes for the 50 for now then, and invest in some sort of hide / camo gear for the birdies!

There are alot of cheap tubes on fleabay, for like 5 quid, i'm guessing it's best to steer clear of these?

Will any tubes work with the 50, or am i best buying a certain type?

Thanks for the info!
 
Well, to a degree you get what you pay for, but tubes are just that, tubes! There's no glass in them that could be of low quality, just a connector on each end. Kenko tubes come highly recommended, but I've never personally used them! You usually buy them in sets, and you can either use one of them, or stack them to get the desired level of magnification. Jessops did some own brand ones for about £30 but they sold our ridiculously fast! Look around, as long as they have the right connectors on I'd have thought cheap ones would work just as well to be honest, it's just a case of moving the lens further away!
 
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