Experiment with Tubes

[jeffashman]

After seeing an example of extension tubes being used with a large lens, I got curious, and used some extension tubes with my Sigma 150-600mm C lens. I was really surprised by the results. The subject is a planter gnome that is about 2 inches tall. It was more difficult to focus at 600mm than 150mm.

1 36mm tube @ 150mm
jun2920230136mm150mm by Jeff Ashman, on Flickr

2 68mm tube @ 150mm
jun2920230268mm150mm by Jeff Ashman, on Flickr

3 36mm tube @ 600mm
jun2920230336mm600mm by Jeff Ashman, on Flickr

4 68mm @ 600mm
jun2920230468mm600mm by Jeff Ashman, on Flickr

 

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day jeff

It's been many years since I have played with tubes onto a good-sized zoom lens, and I well remember the 'funny' effects that come about as one extends the lens via tubes. You certainly cannot zoom and retain any sort of focus

Your results "with the little bloke" are looking quite good, nice clarity and the sort of DoF that I would expect.
A 'well-done' from Downunder

Phil

 

[jeffashman]

G'day jeff

It's been many years since I have played with tubes onto a good-sized zoom lens, and I well remember the 'funny' effects that come about as one extends the lens via tubes. You certainly cannot zoom and retain any sort of focus

Your results "with the little bloke" are looking quite good, nice clarity and the sort of DoF that I would expect.
A 'well-done' from Downunder

Phil

Thank you! They will require some playing around with, but I did notice that I was able to cut down the distance at which I had to be to get close up shots with the 600mm, and that was pretty nice. At 150mm it allowed me to get within 9 inches, which is what I can do with my Tamron 18-400mm at 400mm. I also will try to see what they do when I use them with my Sigma 105mm macro.

 

[Red Wolf]

This is nice. I didn't see what aperture you were shooting at but I've found that to be really important when shooting with tubes.

I use extension tubes for ECU shots over diopters as I don't like the diffuse glow I get from the glass added to the front of the lens. Diopters always seem to add a chromatic diffusion. I have shot a lot of extreme close shots of stink bugs (both stills and video) that I sell as stock shots, but the hard part is holding any depth of field, especially with things that move.

Anything open of 2.8 is unusable and even at 16/22 it's just workable. And if the subject is moving (bugs, flowers in the breeze) it gets really tough sometimes. A flash is vital for stills but not much help for video.

I like the look you got with the long lens you used.

I prattle but... Nice shot!

 

[jeffashman]

This is nice. I didn't see what aperture you were shooting at but I've found that to be really important when shooting with tubes.

I use extension tubes for ECU shots over diopters as I don't like the diffuse glow I get from the glass added to the front of the lens. Diopters always seem to add a chromatic diffusion. I have shot a lot of extreme close shots of stink bugs (both stills and video) that I sell as stock shots, but the hard part is holding any depth of field, especially with things that move.

Anything open of 2.8 is unusable and even at 16/22 it's just workable. And if the subject is moving (bugs, flowers in the breeze) it gets really tough sometimes. A flash is vital for stills but not much help for video.

I like the look you got with the long lens you used.

I prattle but... Nice shot!

Thank you! f/5 at 150mm and f/6.3 at 600mm. 1/320 speed for all the photos. No flash on these, just ambient light and hand held to boot. I think that the IBIS and the lens IS combined helped a bit. Further experimenting to come. If the hornworm is still around tomorrow, I may try and get a portrait...

 

[Red Wolf]

Thank you! f/5 at 150mm and f/6.3 at 600mm. 1/320 speed for all the photos. No flash on these, just ambient light and hand held to boot. I think that the IBIS and the lens IS combined helped a bit. Further experimenting to come. If the hornworm is still around tomorrow, I may try and get a portrait...

Nice! Thanks for the information. Even more impressed knowing it was handheld and no flash.

 

[jeffashman]

It was still light enough that I popped on the tubes and the Sigma 150-600mm C and took a couple of portrait shots of the Hornworm. They didn't turn out too bad. I didn't use the flash, because I realized that I'm not sure how to remove the hot-shoe cover on the R7.

1 f/6.3 1/160 600mm hand held with 68mm tube
jun29202309 by Jeff Ashman, on Flickr

2 f/6.3 1/160 150mm hand held with 68mm tube
jun29202310 by Jeff Ashman, on Flickr

 

[Red Wolf]

These are really kind of amazing. You seem to have more depth of field and sharpness that I've ever managed to get. I'm wondering if it might be because the main body of the subject is parallel to the focal plan and falls off gradually in distance, as opposed to if you'd shot toward the face and then the shallow DoF would be more visible more quickly. In any case, that's a good thing for me to keep in mind and this looks great.

Nice selling image for extension tubes.

Thanks for posting and sharing.

 

[John 2]

It's the DoF that surprises me as well. How far from the subject were you Jeff?

 

[jeffashman]

These are really kind of amazing. You seem to have more depth of field and sharpness that I've ever managed to get. I'm wondering if it might be because the main body of the subject is parallel to the focal plan and falls off gradually in distance, as opposed to if you'd shot toward the face and then the shallow DoF would be more visible more quickly. In any case, that's a good thing for me to keep in mind and this looks great.

Nice selling image for extension tubes.

Thanks for posting and sharing.

Thank you! For this experiment, I just wanted to get the head, a portrait so to speak. I was really surprised at how the tube affected the focus and the DoF.

It's the DoF that surprises me as well. How far from the subject were you Jeff?

For the 150mm end of the spectrum, about 12 inches, and for the 600mm end of the spectrum, about three feet. It is quite amazing how the tubes really allow one to get closer to the subject. Without the tubes, the closest I can get at 600mm is about ten feet.

 

[SquarePeg]

It was still light enough that I popped on the tubes and the Sigma 150-600mm C and took a couple of portrait shots of the Hornworm. They didn't turn out too bad. I didn't use the flash, because I realized that I'm not sure how to remove the hot-shoe cover on the R7.

1 f/6.3 1/160 600mm hand held with 68mm tube
jun29202309 by Jeff Ashman, on Flickr

2 f/6.3 1/160 150mm hand held with 68mm tube
jun29202310 by Jeff Ashman, on Flickr

Great detail! Are you letting the little (beep) eat all your plants? They are quite destructive around here.

 

[jeffashman]

Great detail! Are you letting the little (beep) eat all your plants? They are quite destructive around here.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm sort of letting it do it's thing. At worst, I'll have to buy new Butterfly Plants, but these plants seem to be able to bounce back from adversity, so I think it will just take time for them to grow and bloom again. Out 100+ days are coming to an end this weekend, so they should be ok.

 

[slat]

Nice shots for experimenting around.

 

[jeffashman]

Nice shots for experimenting around.

Thanks!

 

[Ozzie_Traveller]

Thank you! They will require some playing around with, but I did notice that I was able to cut down the distance at which I had to be to get close up shots with the 600mm, and that was pretty nice. At 150mm it allowed me to get within 9 inches, which is what I can do with my Tamron 18-400mm at 400mm. I also will try to see what they do when I use them with my Sigma 105mm macro.

And Jeff -- btw -- funnily enough the DoF becomes very short when using the 'big-bertha' lens !
Phil