I picked up some Macro Extension Tubes a couple weeks back and I'm now getting around to testing them out. The only problem I've had since switching over to a camera with interchangeable lenses is the lack of macro. Most mid-level point and shoot cameras have a decent macro mode, but when you make the switch to interchangeable lenses, you have to spring for an extra Macro lens if you want to do extreme close-ups.

...Or so I thought. There are several ways around that fact, and until recently I knew very little about them. One option is to buy extension tubes for your camera. This is literally just a tube that goes between your camera and your lens. It doesn't have any glass/optics in the tube; it's just a spacer. Adding some more space between your camera's lens and the camera's sensor changes the dynamic of your lens. It turns nearly any lens into a macro lens. For me, getting to use the lenses I already have is a fantastic arrangement because I have two very nice Canon prime lenses. The great thing about extension tubes is that they are literally just a plastic tube so they don't cost much at all.

Here is the first picture I took when I finally got them out. It's the edge of some soft toy that's meant for babies to chew on. It's indoors and without a tripod. Having a macro lens again is going to be fun.

August 21, 2011