Taking Better Macro Photos with Extension Tubes
Most of us start off our search for the top macro photography gear by investing in a nice DSLR camera. Once we have a decent camera, it’s often a matter of finding a macro lens. The problem is that nice macro photography lenses can cost a pretty penny. Many budding macro photographers find that they simply don’t have the cash on hand that it takes to purchase a brand new macro lens.
So what are you supposed to do if you really want to take high quality macro photographs, but cannot afford to purchase a higher-end macro lens? Well, there are some other paths that you can take; like purchasing extension tubes. These handy pieces of photography equipment can help you to capture shots that are closer to your subject, without impacting your bank account as much as a macro lens purchase would. See what we’re talking about by watching today’s macro photography tutorial by Learn My Shot…
Did you see how much closer the photographer was able to get to his subjects by making use of simple, relatively affordable extension tubes? While it is true that extension tubes don’t perform exactly like macro photography lenses, with a little bit of practice you can get some pretty amazing results simply by using close-up tubes as a macro photography replacement.
There are some great extension tubes available these days that you can pick up at some pretty fair prices. So if you’re trying to take macro photographs, but just can’t purchase a macro lens right now, you may want to pick up an extension tube or two to help you up your game for the time being.
What To Look Out For When Choosing A Set Of Extension Tubes
There are many different types of extension tubes in the market. They typically range from a couple of dollars through to a couple of hundred dollars. We have tested a number of different ones and here are some of the things that you need to look out for when choosing a set of extension tubes –
1. Make sure you choose a set of auto extension tubes. If you use a non-auto (manual) set of extension tubes, you will lose your auto-focus and aperture control functions.
2. You want to ensure that you choose a solid built set of extension tubes. The cheaper sets of extension tubes are usually quite filmsy and may break or not support the weight of your lens. And the last thing you want to happen is for your lens to separate from the extension tube and fall onto the floor when you are using it. More importantly, we have typically found plastic and metal dust (that were caused from the locking mechanisms between each of the different parts of the extension tubes) in some of the cheaper sets of extension tubes – this is REALLY BAD for the sensor in your camera! So avoid the cheap and inferior ones at ALL COST.
If you are after a set of good extension tubes that fits the above criteria, then you should check out these ones from XIT. What we love most about the XIT extension tubes is that it is Auto and is very solid. The good news is that it is currently on sale for 40% off so check it out HERE or just click on the image below to see more information on it –
