Getting Close

I was buying a big zoom lens for my DSLR recently and accidentally keyed the details wrong into Amazon. It came up and showed me a really cheap set of Macro Extension Tubes. Like less than £10. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001CWZE6A.

Now I had a set of these years ago for my old SLR and used them to do figure close ups, but they were always a bit expensive. However at £7.99 + p&p I thought they were worth a look.

Now you have to be careful attaching them, and it's a matter of judgement how many bits you use for each picture plus it disables your autofocus (not a problem for those of us who used SLRs in the 1980s) but I reckon the next photo shows they're worth it:


This is an Irregular Miniatures 6mm scale elephant, standing on an upturned Humbrol enamel tin. I took it with an 18-55mm standard Canon lens on an EOS 350D, using a 14mm extension ring.

You should be impressed. I am.

Comments

  1. Wow, that is impressive. I'll have to look into that.

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  2. Didn't understand a word of the camera techie stuff but the photo is damn impressive!

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  3. I realise both Phil & Tim are fooling about but just to make the camera stuff clear.

    I use a Canon Digital SLR, - you know the type with a removable lens. The photo was shot with the standard all purpose lens that comes when you buy the camera.

    The extension rings are a set of rings that screw together of varying depths, - you get a 7mm, 14mm, and 28mm and you can screw them together in any combination. The longer the extension tube the closer in you can get, so this was shot with a middling size ring.

    The downside of the rings is that you do lose depth of field, - the background to the elephant is very out of focus but that in some ways makes it easier as you don't have to worry about the background!

    In order to focus you have to manually focus the camera and also move backwards and forwards yourself until the shot becomes clear.

    As with all digital photography you can experiment a lot easier than with the old 35mm film SLRs as you can see the results immediately. This photo was the last of four I took quickly on the dining room table. First was too dark, second had camera shake, third out of focus the bingo for the last shot.

    Trebian

    Trebian

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