[Zascar]

Sorry forgot to ask aperture also? Seems like there is too much depth of field almost! Cool shots though, keep us update on your progress, I might get one myself!

Can you link to what you bought on Amazon?

[Goolay]

Yeah, they're all wide open at 1.8. Once you go above f4 they're completely overexposed. This particular set of extension tubes require lenses with apeture rings. I think the main problem (if there is one) here is that I'm using all the tubes together at once so it's crazy-magnified to use the correct scientific terminology. Going to experiment with different combinations.

The set I got was: This one

Add £3 GBP for shipping

[pixbyjohn]

1cent by pixbyjohn, on Flickr

[DaireQuinlan]

Originally Posted by Goolay

Yeah, they're all wide open at 1.8. Once you go above f4 they're completely overexposed.

That's probably because you're setting the aperture on the body. These tubes don't have the little lever necessary to transmit the set aperture to the lens to stop it down, so if the lens is wide open at f/1.8 and you set f/4 on the body it'll overexpose by two stops. You're better off setting the camera to use the aperture set on the lens (if you can do that with your camera body) and use aperture priority, metering stopped down, or just use manual and chimp.

Most macro I've done has been just using TTL flash to provide the illumination, with the shutter speed set to sync speed or less, and the aperture set to f/16 or so to get some DOF.

The reason TTL metering (either straight metering or flash) is useful in macro is because you get quite dramatic fall off as you approach 1:1. At 1:1 the lens is extended to twice its focal length away from the sensor, so you're losing 2 stops or so. You have to compensate for this yourself if you're metering externally and shooting manually.

[Goolay]

Thanks Daire.

Meant to say underexposed! Yes that's it, have to set aperture on the lens as on the D90 I don't think I can change on the body. In manual or A mode I'm just getting "f.EE" where aperture would normally be on the LCD

[af_thefragile]

I got myself the kenko extension tubes today!

Now can't wait to take some nice close up macro shots!

Although I'm a little worried if the weight of the 70-300mm lens + the extension tubes would damage the camera when its on the tripod??... Mines only a plastic bodied Canon 600D...

[Chinpool]

id say youd need some support anyway. I always have my lens supported even with just the 50mm

[Nforce]

This thread encouraged me to get off my behind and to dust off my macro lens (not literally,thankfully).

Anyhow, this is the result..





My lens is fully manual and I was holding the camera(rather shakily),instead of mounting it on a tripod which would have helped immensely with the focusing .

[af_thefragile]

Originally Posted by The Great Chinholio

id say youd need some support anyway. I always have my lens supported even with just the 50mm

How would you support it on a tripod?

[dinneenp]

some recent enough ones:

[af_thefragile]

Finally got CS6 so here's a pic I took a few weeks ago... Hopefully there should be more to come soon!

[Faing]

a fellow boardsie is getting me a set of tubes (thankyou pixbyjohn) so I have been wondering, is a lightbox necessary for doing some of tthe incredible macro shots that you guys do? I have been looking to make one tonight and they seem easy enough. In the meantime I took a couple of pics of a toy car on the kitchen table.

[pixbyjohn]

Buy a white laundry basket >

Pop_Up_Laundry_Basket Image from the web
Makes a nice light box

[SuperWoody101]

I would also like to try out macro, would I be better off buying a marco lens or the tube? I use the d90 and have a 18 - 50mm, 18 -105mm, 50 - 200mm & the 70 - 300mm. Photography is still very new to me so any help would be great.

[dinneenp]

Originally Posted by pixbyjohn

Buy a white laundry basket >

Pop_Up_Laundry_Basket Image from the web
Makes a nice light box

Great tip. I know nothing about light boxes.
Would you just use it for a white background or shine a light against it with object inside etc.?