So you are seeking information on extension tubes! Perhaps, you have just started with digital photography. It is also possible that you wish to get acquainted with this important learning curve to sharpen your photographing skills.
No matter the reason, getting familiar with extension tubes is paramount to making the most out of your photography tenure. Also, it affects the quality of images you shoot. Here is a comprehensive guide on what an extension tube is and just how it works.
What is an extension tube?
It is an attachment that rests between the lens and the camera body to alter the minimum focus distance (MFD). The MFD of any lens is actually a measurement of the nearest point an object could be from the sensor of the camera while still being in focus. In case the object is nearer to the sensor than the MFD of the lens, you just can’t focus on the object.
The thicker the tube you use on the lens, the higher the magnification of the lens will be. This is simply because you are in a position to move the lens quite closer and still achieve focus. What all this indicates is the fact that you are able to turn a standard lens into something with higher magnification to snap macro-type images.
Extension tubes are available in many shapes and sizes. You can buy a couple of these handy tubes in varying sizes for shooting pictures from close points. It is also easy to stack two or more tubes together to get a longer extension, which means more magnification power. By using extension tubes in digital photography, you can shoot close pictures of your loved ones, nature, food items and other things in a detailed manner.
How does an extension tube work?
Extension is the term that is used for describing the distance of the front element of your lens that could be moved forward. Extension tubes work by actually increasing the extension of the camera lens.
These attachments are a hollow light tube that fits between the camera mount and the lens. They move the lens further from your camera and the front element nearer to the object. The closer you focus, the more the magnification will be.
Since the tube is not an optical element, no glass is involved. All the tube does is it get your lens farther away from the focal plane. The practical benefit of this adjustment is your minimum focus distance becomes smaller. With an extension tube, you could get closer to the object, fill the frame and still achieve the right focus.
Let’s understand this with an example. Suppose you have a 24-105 mm lens that features a minimum focus distance of 0.45 meters (1.48 feet). If you are trying to shoot a flower with this lens, you can get as close as you want. However, if you wish to snap minute details of the flower, you may want to magnify it. This is where the extension tube comes in handy.
By adding a tube, you get a bit of boost of magnification. With this simple setup, you don’t have to get too close to the subject for shooting. Instead, the tube will do the job by magnifying it, and you get a closer snap. However, there is a trade-off to using tubes in digital photography. They tend to eat some of the light. To compensate for the light loss, you may have to make necessary adjustments.
For instance, you can decrease the f-stop or increase the ISO to get a little more light. If you happen to use a wider aperture, you will have less depth of field to work on. So there is a trade-off of depth of field versus magnification. In spite of this, you get a chance to get closer to the subject from a distant place – something that is not possible with bare lens.
Another big plus of using an extension tube is you don’t need to worry about cropping the image in post-production in order to get closer to the subject. You already get to use more pixels in your camera with the tube. Extension tubes can be used with any types of lenses – portraits, zooms, primes or even macros. In fact, they are the most economical way to get the type of short focusing distances that you actually get with a dedicated and highly priced macro lenses.
How to use an extension tube in digital photography?
The best way of using extension tubes is to set the camera lens to manual focus. Focusing on the subject can be done by using the manual focusing ring on the lens.
The depth of field is pretty narrow in this close setup. You may want to raise the ISO to get a small amount of aperture to get adequate depth of field. In case the subject is still, you could use a tripod. This will allow you to use a lower ISO for maximizing image quality while eliminating any incident of camera shaking during the shot.
If you are holding the camera in your hand, you have to use a faster shutter speed than normal speed to snap a sharp image. The extra magnification will also magnify camera shake and the subject. It is recommended to use a shutter speed of 1/250 or more for better results. However, there is no hard and fast rule with respect to the choice of the shutter speed, and you can choose a shutter speed that fits you perfectly.
Concluding words
Extension tubes are highly affordable as well as useful to photographers. If you love nature photography, then these tubes come in handy for shooting small plants and animals. They are also helpful to travel photographers for picking detailed shots of foods using the travel zoom lens.
By expending a minimal sum, you can make a vast difference to any image with a high-quality extension tube. This is why majority of photographers prefer to include this useful accessory in their digital photography kit. If you are interested in shooting images with utmost intricacy and minutest details, consider buying a good pair of tubes and enrich your photo shooting skills.