Has anyone used a Extension tube? Is that a good idea?

Question

Like what i have stated in the question, is extesnion tube for macro photography a good idea? I gonna buy it to use with my Nikon 50mm f1.8D.
What are the good points and bad points of using it?
The one i am gonna buy is the kenko, with Autofocus and the diaphram lock automatically.

Thanks for your helps.

Answer 1

An extension tube is a good way to get into macro photography with the lowest possible investment. Yes, you could buy "close up lenses" that screw on like filters, but there will be less distortion with an extension tube.

The fact that your Kenko preserves the autofocus and diaphragm action is a major plus, because this is usually what makes extension tubes a pain in the butt to use.

The biggest drawback of using an extension tube is the light loss. I am sure that the directions will give you the exact amount. Since you are using a through-the-lens meter, you will not have to do any calculations or anything. It will just work. The minimum aperture on your Nikon 50 mm f/1.8D lens is f/22. I will guess that there is a 2X loss of light, so the f/22 will admit the equivalent of f/45 to the film or sensor. If you need to open up to (say) f/8 or more, you will find that you have an extremely shallow depth of field. Most of the time, this is fine in macro work, but some times it is very limiting as compared to using a $400-800 macro lens.

It also appears that the greatest magnification you can get with the Kenko extension tube is 1:2 and you can't get all the way to a 1:1 reproduction. While this isn't as good as it gets in the macro world - once again, compared to using a $400-800 macro lens - it is still quite a bit better than the 1:6.6 that your lens would otherwise provide.