Macro Photography with Cheap eBay Extension Tubes
If you are looking at exploring macro photography, there are a number of options available.
- Dedicated Macro Lens - can be an expensive option but will provide the most flexible solution. A Macro lens has been specifically design to provide a higher magnification and a closer focal point than normal prime or zoom lenses.
- Reversing the Lens - an adapter is available to allow a lens to be reversed onto the camera body. This will remove the automatic focus and aperture controls, but does offer a cheap solution, as cheap eBay adapters are available.
- Close-up Filters - similar to other lens filters in that they screw onto the end of your lens to provide reduced focal distance and magnification. You will need to ensure they match your filter size. Both Nikon and Canon offer close-up lens, as well as cheap eBay copies.
- Extension Tubes - extension tubes connect between the camera body and the lens, allowing you to focus at a much reduced distance and also increase the magnification factor of the lens. Available with electrical contacts for automatic focus and aperture, with the popular Kenko tubes up to 100 dollars each. Cheaper extension tubes are available that do not have electrical contacts, with cheap eBay tubes available for 10 dollars a set.
As a experiment, I decided to try out the cheap ten dollar eBay extension tubes. I was obviously not expecting much from them, but I was pleasantly surprised by the results I achieved.
