Posted by Paula Dittrick on February 24, 2009 at 5:52 PM
Has anyone done this? If so what extension tubes did you use and how did it work out? I have a Nikon D300 and an old extension tube that I have used with an old 200 macro. Everything is manual settings and focus. I tried putting the extension tube between the Nikon D300 and the Sigma lens, but I couldn't get the lens to focus manually. Maybe I got too impatient.
I have a project in mind in which I am thinking of trying to get a close-up wide angle effect. The project is documenting the changing seasons (colors) on a church altar.
Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Regards
Paula Dittrick
Houston
Posted by Dan Borzynski on February 24, 2009 at 6:16 PM
For what I am about to say, the camera body does not matter. It is a lens issue, not a camera issue.
In short, this probably will not probably not be useful with any extension tube. Technically, the combination should not cause any damage, but the focal length is way too short. I can put an 8mm extension tube on my 24-70 lens and the *maximum* lens to subject distance at 24 mm is under 1 inch. Short of a ringlight, this will be tough to light as well, due to the shadow you are casting. Using a shorter focal length will make this even worse. With 25 mm of extension, I don't think it is physically possible for it to focus, as you have already confirmed.
On the other hand, with a slightly longer focal length, you can actually focus on the front element of your lens. Useful for taking a picture of your fingerprint or bugs crawling across the lens.
Posted by Randall Quon on February 24, 2009 at 8:11 PM
If you want a close-up wide angle, use a close-up diopter in front of the lens. An extension tube on a wide angle will give minimal working distance or focus is not possible, which is what I suspect you encountered.
Posted by Basil Greber on February 25, 2009 at 3:55 PM
What was the length of the tube? I hope you're aware of the sort of reproduction ratios you're going to achieve by putting a tube on a 10-20 mm lens. 10 mm of tubes will give you 1:1 or more at 10 mm, and 1:2 or more at 20 mm - that's very close, or may even be INSIDE the lens. No wonder you couldn't focus.
And then, I think the 10-20 DC is a G-type lens (or the Sigma equivalent of that), meaning it doesn't have an aperture ring. So, unless your tube has electrical contacts, all your shots will be taken at the minimum aperture (f/22 maybe?), with all the diffraction nasties associated with that.
Basil
Posted by Paula Dittrick on February 25, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Thanks everybody for your comments. I might try the close-up diopter. I like the idea of a close-up wide angle, but the concept might not work out for this particular project.
Discussion
4 repliesI have a project in mind in which I am thinking of trying to get a close-up wide angle effect. The project is documenting the changing seasons (colors) on a church altar.
Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Regards
Paula Dittrick
Houston
In short, this probably will not probably not be useful with any extension tube. Technically, the combination should not cause any damage, but the focal length is way too short. I can put an 8mm extension tube on my 24-70 lens and the *maximum* lens to subject distance at 24 mm is under 1 inch. Short of a ringlight, this will be tough to light as well, due to the shadow you are casting. Using a shorter focal length will make this even worse. With 25 mm of extension, I don't think it is physically possible for it to focus, as you have already confirmed.
On the other hand, with a slightly longer focal length, you can actually focus on the front element of your lens. Useful for taking a picture of your fingerprint or bugs crawling across the lens.
And then, I think the 10-20 DC is a G-type lens (or the Sigma equivalent of that), meaning it doesn't have an aperture ring. So, unless your tube has electrical contacts, all your shots will be taken at the minimum aperture (f/22 maybe?), with all the diffraction nasties associated with that.
Basil
Regards
Paula Dittrick
Houston