Macro tubes or screw in lenses from ebay

[abstraction]

Curious about the cheap ebay alternatives for macro. I know obviously the best solution is a dedicated macro lens, but can't even think about it for at least 1-2 years. I just bought a canon 600d and am not allowed to open it for a week. So i did a little homework on this & would appreciate any clarifications.

1. 58mm Close Up Lens +1+2+4 Macro for Canon Rebel XTi XSi c.$17
These screw in lenses seem a really elegant & portable cheaper alternative, allowing use of all the auto features on the camera. But at this price, i wonder about the quality of the glass...

2. Macro Extension Tube Ring Loop For Canon EOS DSLR - about $12.
1x Camera body nount adapter 1x Lens mount adapter 1x 9mm tube (Tube 1) 1x 16mm tube (Tube 2) 1x 30mm tube (Tube 3)
I think you lose the autofocus with this? & they let less light in...

Does anyone have experience with either of these and have advice on the preference? Are these cheap ebay versions a bit of a trap?

Brett

[William]

Have the same problem as you regards a dedicated Macro lens, But I do have a Hoya Close Up Lens kit 52mm that I use with my 50mm 1.8 , Works quite well , Only drawback is you have to really get in close to the Subject , My set cost $90 from Teds a couple of years ago, $17 does sound cheap, What brand are they Brett ?

[ameerat42]

Brett. Do some research on the CU lens quality. By the time you stack the CU lenses they may give bad aberrations. All together, they would allow you to get 10-14 cm away from your subject. At that price I doubt they would be achromatic doublets.

For the extension tubes you would probably lose AF but that's not such a problem. I don't know how they'd be with other functions. Maybe it'll be all manual, but hey. The light loss would not be too much of a problem. (There are posts here about this, I think.)

If you have a variety of lenses the tubes might be the better option for macro. And then, a reverse adapter ring (a cheap option too) on a widish lens would allow fro some good close-ups, though all in manual mode.
Am.

[Steve Axford]

Close up lenses are definitely easier - but it stops there. Extension tubes keep the quality of the original lens, close up lenses degrade things a lot. If you want to get the best photos, don't use closeup lenses.

[Bennymiata]

Get yourself a set of Kenko extension tubes for around $150 from any grey web site.
You get 3 rings of different lengths and you can mix and match them to the way you want.

I even use them with macro lenses to get REALLY close!
If you get a screw on close-up lens, the quality will go downhill, and when you are able to get a proper macro lens, you'll throw away the close-up filter anyway, so don't waste your money and get yourself a set of tubes.

[peterb666]

The only type of close up lens to get is a doublet or achromat lens. These are not cheap and are usally in the range of $60 to $200 grey import depending on the filter size and brand. The Canon 500D Close Up lens has a reputation of being around the best there is but if you are on a budget, go for a Kenko automatic extension tube kit for around $150. Don't buy a set that doesn't have electrical contacts as you won't be able to control the aperture of your lens on the Canon.

[Allan Ryan]

i have the Kenko tubes and find them great.
Tubes have no glass to lower quality
Tubes can be used on any size lens - as far as i know anyway,
even on macro lens as stated previously

I would go the tubes but make sure you get the EFS type with the white and red markings.
Wether you have a full frame camera or croped they allow either EF or EFS lens on the front of them.

[fabian628]

the kenkos are good. Here is an example with kenkos + kit lens

[ameerat42]

Whatever you get, there will come a stage where IQ will drop off. It's where you push your optics past what they're designed for. It makes arguments like "...there's no glass to diminish IQ..." only partly true. You can only try and see. In the example of the thread above, the 5c image, the sharpness drops off near the edges. It would be hard to say exactly why, or how acceptable the IQ degradation is, but it's worth considering that one answer will not suit all situations.

Just to repeat it: to push any lens past what it's optimised for can lead to unexpected results.
Am.

[fabian628]

Whatever you get, there will come a stage where IQ will drop off. It's where you push your optics past what they're designed for. It makes arguments like "...there's no glass to diminish IQ..." only partly true. You can only try and see. In the example of the thread above, the 5c image, the sharpness drops off near the edges. It would be hard to say exactly why, or how acceptable the IQ degradation is, but it's worth considering that one answer will not suit all situations.

Just to repeat it: to push any lens past what it's optimised for can lead to unexpected results.
Am.

Indeed! what i forgot to mention this shot was with canon 18-55mm II (non IS) possibly one of canons most crud lenses! and i honestly think it was miss focused slightly too, not to mention not being perpendicular to the surface.

If you are using a 1/2 decent lens, stopped down a bit, IQ should be pretty decent. Definately a good taste of macro, without dropping many $$ on a dedicated macro lens.

And I think the resale on kenkos are pretty good too, i saw a used set go for $130 when a new set is $160 !