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An In-Depth Look at Kenko DG Auto Extension Tubes

02 Sep

The post An In-Depth Look at Kenko DG Auto Extension Tubes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

Extension tubes are neat little photographic accessories that allow you to create macro-like images without a macro lens. Are you considering getting into macro photography but don’t have the funds for a dedicated macro? Extension tubes could be the way to go.

There are plenty of different makes and models of extension tubes. The variety we’ll be looking at here are by a Japanese company called Kenko, which produces some of the most popular extension accessories available, the DG Auto series.

kenko extension tubes

What are extension tubes?

An extension tube is essentially a hollow spacer that locks between a lens and camera body. An extension tube adjusts the minimum focusing distance (the closest point a subject can be from the camera’s sensor while still being able to focus) by moving the lens further from the camera sensor.

You can stack extension tubes for greater magnification. The thicker the stack of tubes, the closer you’re able to get to a subject and still achieve focus.

A comparison reveals the different capabilities of the Kenko DG Auto extension tubes. Taken with a Canon 50mm f/1.8 II.

Why use extension tubes?

There are numerous benefits that extension tubes have over a conventional macro lens.

Generally, extension tubes are much cheaper than a dedicated macro lens, making macro photography a lot more accessible.

Another benefit is the lack of additional glass between the lens and the sensor. You won’t have to sweat about the quality of extra glass degrading your image. The lack of glass also means extension tubes are quite durable.

Finally, extension tubes are light and easy to carry. So if you don’t want to lug around heavy lenses, extension tubes can be a great option.

extension tubes on camera

What are the drawbacks of extension tubes?

Extension tubes are suited to lenses with small or medium focal lengths and generally work best with prime lenses.

Extending the amount of space between the sensor and the front lens element results in a reduction of light reaching the sensor. This requires an adjustment in shutter speed, ISO, or aperture to compensate. But when aperture controls the fine depth of field balance in a macro image, your only real options are a longer exposure, more noise, or a combination of both.

Also, because extension tubes increase the magnification of the lens, they magnify any flaws in a lens’s design.

In addition, extension tubes require you to remove your lens from the camera body each time you want to adjust the lens extension. This increases the chance of dust settling on the camera sensor.

While some extension tubes (like the Kenko DG Autos) offer autofocus compatibility, the results are generally mixed. Switching to manual focus is your best bet, and this isn’t entirely a bad thing, but it can slow you down in the field.

Not all macro photography has to be razor-sharp. For a softer effect, try adjusting your focus to just in front of your subject.

How do the Kenko DG Auto extension tubes perform?

Construction

Available for Canon, Sony, and Nikon makes, Kenko DG Auto extension tubes usually come in a set of three: one 12mm tube, one 20mm tube, and one 36mm tube. These can be used individually or in a stack.

extension tubes together

Each tube has a diameter of approximately 62mm with clear alignment markings to show where you should connect the tube to the camera body and lens. Unlike some cheaper plastic varieties of extension tubes, the Kenko DG Autos all have metal mounting mechanisms.

The 36mm Kenko DG Auto extension tube has a grip running around the outside of the tube.

Out in the field

For my close-up photography, I’ve been pairing my Kenko DG Auto extension tubes with my trusty Canon 50mm f/1.8 II. Without the added complications and weight of a zoom lens, the setup is simple and easy to assemble. The wide maximum aperture of the 50mm also helps compensate for the reduction in light that reaches the sensor as a consequence of the extension tubes.

One thing I look out for with the Kenko DG Autos: I ensure each tube has clicked firmly into place. While I haven’t had any accidents (thankfully), the mounts can be a bit soft sometimes. The potential amount of switching between extension tubes during a single shoot makes the chance of a misalignment higher, so make sure you fully lock each component.

A beautiful and rather patient bottle fly. This image required my 12mm, 20mm, and 36mm extension tubes attached.

Kenko DG Autos are designed with all the circuitry and mechanical coupling to maintain autofocus and TTL auto-exposure (provided there is enough light). However, as I mentioned before, the autofocus can still be a bit iffy. Plus, when taking an extreme close-up, there is such a small area of sharpness that any extra control over the focus of your composition is crucial. I still switch to manual focus 90% of the time for that degree of control.

As with all close-up photography, I use a tripod in a lot of cases to reduce camera shake. In addition, because of the reduction in light reaching the sensor, I often have to compensate with a longer exposure – which makes the tripod a valuable piece of equipment to have on hand.

Price

The Kenko DG Auto set is markedly cheaper than offerings from Canon. While a Canon EF 25 II extension tube is about $ 150 USD on Amazon, the Kenko DG Auto set (the 12mm, 20mm, and 36mm) is priced at just over $ 100 USD. Given that the tubes contain no glass, they have no optical difference and are very similar in construction. The largest difference between the two brands online is the release levers. The Canon tube release lever is reportedly smoother to that of the levers on the Kenko tubes.

A flower head photographed with a 36mm Kenko DG Auto extension tube

Conclusion

Extension tubes have made macro photography much more accessible. If you’re interested in macro photography, it may well be worth investing in the set offered by Kenko. For their price and utility, the Kenko DG Auto extension tubes are a definite staple in my photography kit.

The post An In-Depth Look at Kenko DG Auto Extension Tubes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

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Fujifilm releases 1.4x teleconverter and macro extension tubes for GF system

13 Apr

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Fujifilm is set to ship three new lens accessories for its medium format GF system.

First is the GF 1.4X TC WR teleconverter, which is designed for the 250mm F4 R LM OIS WR lens also announced today. It boosts the 35mm equiv. focal range of that lens to 277mm, though the aperture increases by a stop. The teleconverter is weather-sealed and weighs in at 400g. It will be available in May for $ 849.95 USD / $ 1059.99 CAD.

Next are a pair of macro extension tubes, which increase the magnification ratio of any of Fujifilm’s GF lens. The MCEX-18G WR is 18mm long while the MCEX-45G WR is 45mm. Both are weather-sealed and are priced at $ 329.99 USD / $ 409.99 CAD.

Press Release:

FUJIFILM INTRODUCES A NEW TELEPHOTO LENS FOR THE GFX MEDIUM FORMAT MIRRORLESS CAMERA SYSTEM

The GFX System Expands with the New FUJINON GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR Lens, FUJINON GF1.4X TC WR Teleconverter and MCEX-18G WR and MCEX-45G WR Macro Extension Tubes;
Firmware Updates for GFX, X-H1, X-T2, X-Pro2, X-E3 and X100F

Valhalla, N.Y., April 12, 2018 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the launch of the FUJINON GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR, a lens that expands the telephoto range for the FUJIFILM GFX 50S medium format mirrorless digital camera system.

When combined with the GFX medium format sized sensor with an area approximately 1.7 times larger than 35mm format, the GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR lens achieves exceptional image quality. Composed of 16 lenses in 10 groups, this lens delivers unsurpassed color reproduction, three dimensional image quality, as well as ultra-high resolution and rich bokeh.

In addition, this telephoto lens is equipped with a powerful five-stop optical image stabilization and a new focus preset function, which allows the photographer to instantly activate focus settings previously saved in the lens memory. With a rugged, lightweight magnesium alloy lens barrel designed to be dust and weather-resistant, the GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR is capable of operating in temperatures as low as 14°F/-10°C. The front lens element has a fluorine coating designed to repel water and dirt even under tough outdoor conditions.

FUJINON GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR Lens Key Features:

• Ultra-high image quality achieved with16 lenses in 10 groups, 1 super ED lens and 2 ED lenses.
• Powerful five-stop optical image stabilization to maximize high image resolution.
• Silent, high-speed autofocus operation and new mechanism to fix linear motor position. when turning power off or when in playback mode. Available with new GFX 50S firmware.
• Made with magnesium alloy, ensuring a robust, durable body.
• Dust and weather-resistant design capable of operating in temperatures as low as 14°F/-10°C.

FUJINON Teleconverter GF1.4X TC WR

The new FUJINON Teleconverter GF1.4X TC WR is designed for use with the new GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR giving approximately 277mm in 35mm format equivalent, without compromising image quality.

MCEX-18G WR and MCEX-45G WR Macro Extension Tubes

The MCEX-18G WR and MCEX-45G WR Macro Extension Tubes further expand the range of macro photography. Connecting these macro extension tubes to GF lenses allows for images to be captured at high magnification ratio. The MCEX-18G WR and MCEX-45G WR Macro Extension Tubes are compatible with all existing GF lenses.

Availability and Pricing

The new FUJINON GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR lens will be available in Late May 2018 for USD $ 3,299.95 and CAD $ 4,124.99. The FUJINON Teleconverter GF1.4X TC WR will be available in Late May 2018 for USD $ 849.95 and CAD $ 1,059.99 and Macro Extension Tubes, MCEX-18G WR and MCEX-45G WR will both be available in Late May 2018 for USD $ 329.99 and CAD $ 409.99.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Inflatable Luggage: Air-Framed ‘Zippelin’ Bags Made of Old Tarps & Bike Tubes

05 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

Lightweight, durable and compact, this new recycled Zippelin bag series features wheels for rolling like any good luggage. But instead of metal or plastic frames, these bags employ bicycle tire inner tubes that can be inflated instead. This strategy also allows the bags to pack into tiny space for storage when not in use.

Using truck tarpaulins that are made to resist water and withstand wear, the bags have evolved — early versions still included frames, which added weight. These were swapped out for bike tubes which, conveniently enough, can be inflated using a standard bike pump (no need to buy a specialized device).

FREITAG is not stranger to recycling — its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, is housed in a stacked shipping container building that boasts a similar rugged look, worn materials and an upcycling ethos.

Like the variegated containers that make up its home, the company’s Zippelin bags are all different. Helpfully, this also makes each bag easier for its owner to spot and identify, since each one is unique.

A product engineer at FREITAG and former architect, Nicola Stäubli says she’s “familiar with air-supported structures” and she also “used to be a bike messenger and was impressed by folding bikes that are fully functional when mounted, and compact when you stow them away.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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Cylinder House: This Residence is Just a Cluster of Glass Tubes

11 Aug

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

You know those glass tubes at the bank drive-through that shoot your deposits and withdrawals back and forth between you and the tellers? This house is like living in a cluster of them. Sadly, they’re not full of money, but it’s still pretty cool. ‘Cylinder House’ by lead architect Cyril Lancelin of the firm Town and Concrete is a modular glass residence in Lyon, France that can easily be expanded and rearranged without disturbing the trees around it by adding or subtracting one glass tube at a time.

Set on plinths, the tubes are narrow enough to allow for optimal malleability, conforming to the site. Some are taller than others, and some seem to hover above the landscape. The tubes can be fully open to each other, partially open or closed off altogether for smaller spaces. There are no walls or hallways inside other than the curving glass.

“The furniture marks space, but its movement can reinvent the house,” say the architects. “The plan is not fixed, to follow the evolution of the lives of these occupants. From the outside, the facades undulate… this system of cylinder juxtaposition allows to enlarge the house but also to have a blurred outer delimitation of the house with its context.”

The effect is definitely unusual when viewing the house from outside. As modular designs become more popular, their inventiveness only increases. It’ll be interesting to see how architecture as a whole is affected by the trend in the coming years.

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Let’s Get Up Close with Extension Tubes

26 Jan

If you want to get up close to your subject, closer than you can by setting your lens to its minimum focusing distance, then extension tubes are an excellent way of doing so.

When you turn the focusing ring of your lens away from infinity, the front element moves out from the lens body. The distance between the front element and the sensor (or film) plane is called extension. When your lens is set to its minimum focusing distance, the front element can move no further forward. You have reached the limit of the lens’s design.

An extension tube is a hollow tube that fits between your lens and camera body. It moves the lens further away, increasing the extension of the front element. In turn, this lets you move the lens closer to the subject, increasing magnification, and in some cases even matching the 1:1 magnification of a true macro lens.

This is the Fujifilm MC-EX 16 extension tube that I use. The electrical contacts, that allow the lens and camera body to communicate, are visible at the back (more on the importance of this later).

This is the Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 lens mounted to an X-Pro 1 camera. The distance between the front lens element and the sensor plane is the extension. This figure helps determine the closest point the lens can focus on (in this case 28cm), and subsequently the magnification.

Below is the same lens with the MC-EX 16 extension tube added. You can see that the front element of the lens is now 16mm further away from the sensor plane. Now the lens can focus on a much closer point.

Extension tubes versus macro lenses

Extension tubes are a great tool, but for the best possible optical quality and the most versatility you should choose a macro lens if you can. The reason for this is that increasing the extension of a non-macro lens means that you are using it outside the limits it is designed to work within. Macro lenses, on the other hand, are designed to give their peak optical performance at close focusing distances. They can also focus at infinity – whereas a lens fitted with an extension tube cannot.

The main benefit of extension tubes is that they are small and light. You can carry them around in case you need them, and leave your macro lens (if you have one) at home. They are ideal for anybody who travels a lot, or who wants to keep the weight of their camera bag down.

Cheap extension tubes versus good quality ones

You can buy inexpensive extension tubes from Amazon or eBay. These may look like a great deal but they break the electrical connection between your camera and the lens. If your lens has an electronically controlled aperture that means, you can’t stop the lens down. The camera also can’t record the aperture setting in the EXIF data.

Your camera will still work, and meter the subject to give you the correct exposure. But, given that depth of field at the widest aperture is incredibly narrow, and that you need to stop down to improve image quality, these cheap extension tubes are not of much practical use. They are only useful if you have a lens with a manual aperture ring.

The best ones to buy are those made by your camera manufacturer, or by a third party like Kenko or Vivitar, who make extension tubes that maintain the electronic connection between lens and camera. There is usually a choice of two sizes. The widest will get you closer, and the narrowest will come in useful when you don’t need to be quite so close. You may want to start off buying one or the other, but will probably end up buying both to cope with different situations.

Extension tubes and magnification

Extension tubes are most effective when used with lenses of focal lengths between 24-100mm. They are not so effective when used with telephoto lenses (for these, use a close-up lens). You can’t use an extension tube with some wide-angle lenses as it becomes impossible to focus with it fitted.

To see how much magnification an extension tube will give you with a specific lens, check the specifications on B&H Photo Video (United States) or Wex Photographic (UK). You may also be able to find the information on the manufacturer’s website. The instruction sheet that comes with the extension tubes also has this information, and you may be able to find a copy online.

There’s an easy formula for calculating how much extra magnification an extension tube will give you:

Increase in magnification = extension distance/lens focal length

For example, my Fujinon 35mm f1.4 lens has a magnification of 0.17x at its closest focusing distance of 28cm (I found this information in the spec sheet). Adding a 16mm extension tube means the increase in magnification is 0.45 (16/35), giving a total of 0.62x (0.45 + 0.17). This figure is a little academic, but it’s useful for evaluating whether you can add an extension tube to your lens and reach the 1:1 (1x) magnification, offered by most macro lenses.

Extension tubes in action

These photos show you how much difference an extension tube can make.

Extension tubes and close-up photography

This first image was taken with my 35mm lens. This is the closest I could get to the flowers.

This was taken with the 35mm lens plus 16mm extension tube. Look at the difference.

This photo was taken with a Canon 85mm lens fitted with a 12mm extension tube.

This was taken with the same lens fitted with a 25mm extension tube. It shows the huge difference a different sized tube makes to the magnification.

Your turn

Do you own an extension tube? Which ones do you have and how useful are they? Let us know in the comments, it will be useful for other readers who are thinking about buying some.

Mastering Photography

My ebook Mastering Photography: A Beginner’s Guide to Using Digital Cameras teaches you how to take your camera off automatic so you can take control and start creating the photos you see in your mind’s eye. Click the link to learn more or buy.

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The post Let’s Get Up Close with Extension Tubes by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Nameless Paints: Cleverly Coded Tubes Show Color Composition

05 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

nameless paint content color

Instead of names or swatches, this series of minimalist paints comes in tubes that show off constituent colors that double as lessons about how complex hues and shades are created.

nameless paint closeup view

The nameless tubes are intended to eschew the use of words altogether and thus avoid existing associations, representing contents instead as a combination of three primary colors (cyan, yellow and magenta) with dots indicating relative amounts. The effect simultaneously divorces the product from names and looks in favor of a more abstract representation scheme that recalls unintuitive systems like binary.

nameless paint image series

These 2012 Kokuyo Design Awards-winning visual labels hint at contents and teach kids how to make their own mixtures. The paints themselves will be on sale later this year.

nameless tube paint colors

“By not assigning names to the colors we want to expand the definition of what a color can be, and the various shades they can create by mixing them” says creator Yusuke Imai, who made these with design partner Ayami Moteki (via Colossal and Spoon & Tamago).

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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Fujifilm announces macro tubes, tethering software and X-series firmware availability

20 Nov

Fujifilm has unveiled two macro extension tubes for its X-series interchangeable lens cameras, as well as a launch date for the previously-promised Fujifilm X-T1 firmware. More firmware updates are also announced for the X-E2, X-E1, X-Pro1 and X-30, as well as the introduction of tethering software for PC. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sewer Pipe Sofa: Rusted NYC Tubes Recycled as Urban Seating

29 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

modular sewer pipe chair

The latest in a long line of city-centric upcycling projects, this modular couch turns the ultimate in untouchable urban infrastructure into a chic industrial work of furniture.

modular nyc sewer pipe

Carlo Sampietro created the Cloche Sofa after seeing a section of sewage pipe abandoned by a construction site, its spot being fit for replacement with a new set of tubes.

modular closed pip sofa

modular pipe sofa full

He then fitted the ends with stabilizing structural circles and plasma-cut sections for seats, welding them back into place, hinging them and creating two locked positions (open and closed). Various configurations can be achieved by opening and closing sections to create a pair of chairs, a love seat or a full sofa.

cloche seat closed opened

cloche chair urban art

safety barrel traffic cones

This is far from the first time that Sampietro has reworked urban elements into new forms – his Cloche Chairs turned safety barrels from “symbols of caution into objects of comfort.”

police barrier table light

police line table

Some of his pieces draw on the visual language of familiar street objects, but interpret them in new ways, like this police barrier table constructed from walnut, steel, resin and using LEDs (which light up through its lettering below).

modular pipe love seat

More about the sofa from the artist: “It represents landscape evolution that dismantles established structural standards and elements of construction materials, and repurposes a found material into sophisticated design, reshaping a common object into a meaningful amalgam. This piece harnesses objects that outlived their original uses, were discarded, reclaimed and renovated. The evolution of this landscape design could be achieved by taking in consideration other material such as concrete, stainless steel, wood or marble, all cylindrical forms present in existing construction materials or natural environment. The tube shape is accented by LED side panels and the conic footing. This renders the object’s hybrid functionality almost invisible, unnoticeable at the first glance.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

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Super Cheap: Replacement Tubes for Your Broken Speedlight

27 Sep

When it comes down to it, there aren't a ton of things that can go wrong with a speedlight. And if your flash appears to be in working order (i.e., charges, zooms, etc.) but won't fire, it is probably a bad or broken tube.

While you are probably looking at a three-digit repair bill from your OEM manufacturer, you can also DIY the repair for next to nothing.

How to use extension tubes

27 Oct

Turn all your lenses into macros, with a set Extension tubes: goo.gl Full hands on demo with the 70-200 and 50mm prime. You can get all this in Australia at www.dirtcheapcameras.com.au — use the code ThatNikonGuy at check out for 2% off all cameras and lenses, or ThatNikonGuyYouTube for 5% off all accessories. Join our Flickr forum: www.flickr.com www.facebook.com www.mattgranger.com https

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Posts Tagged ‘tubes’

An In-Depth Look at Kenko DG Auto Extension Tubes

What are extension tubes?

Why use extension tubes?

What are the drawbacks of extension tubes?

How do the Kenko DG Auto extension tubes perform?

Construction

Out in the field

Price

Conclusion

Fujifilm releases 1.4x teleconverter and macro extension tubes for GF system

FUJIFILM INTRODUCES A NEW TELEPHOTO LENS FOR THE GFX MEDIUM FORMAT MIRRORLESS CAMERA SYSTEM

Inflatable Luggage: Air-Framed ‘Zippelin’ Bags Made of Old Tarps & Bike Tubes

Cylinder House: This Residence is Just a Cluster of Glass Tubes

Let’s Get Up Close with Extension Tubes

Extension tubes versus macro lenses

Cheap extension tubes versus good quality ones

Extension tubes and magnification

Extension tubes in action

Your turn

Nameless Paints: Cleverly Coded Tubes Show Color Composition

Fujifilm announces macro tubes, tethering software and X-series firmware availability

Sewer Pipe Sofa: Rusted NYC Tubes Recycled as Urban Seating

Super Cheap: Replacement Tubes for Your Broken Speedlight

How to use extension tubes

Pages

Archives

Categories

Posts Tagged ‘tubes’

What are extension tubes?

Why use extension tubes?

What are the drawbacks of extension tubes?

How do the Kenko DG Auto extension tubes perform?

Construction

Out in the field

Price

Conclusion

FUJIFILM INTRODUCES A NEW TELEPHOTO LENS FOR THE GFX MEDIUM FORMAT MIRRORLESS CAMERA SYSTEM

Extension tubes versus macro lenses

Cheap extension tubes versus good quality ones

Extension tubes and magnification

Extension tubes in action

Your turn

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