Extension tubes for Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

[996GT2]

The high quality extension tubes, such as Kenko ones, have electrical contacts that maintain AF/AE, while cheaper ones that are often <$10 shipped are just plastic tubes with no electrical contacts. Since the ones with contacts cost $100-150 a set, how important is it to have auto exposure for macro shots? Will the camera still meter properly with a set of inexpensive tubes in place?

Edit: The lens is a 50mm f/1.8D, which does have an aperture ring; also, the AF is the traditional screw-driven kind, now AF-I or AF-S.

 

[ElFenix]

iirc it depends on which nikon you have, and i don't know if the D70 would be able to do it.

it's not really important, though, as you can just take a picture and adjust from there after seeing the result.


nikon lens chart

i would expect that without any contacts the lens would act as an AI, AI-S, or E type.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

It will meter properly, but you won't be able to stop down the aperture depending on the lens that you use. This is the single biggest reason to get tubes with electrical contacts - you want to be able to stop down the lens for greater DOF. Even if the lens has an aperture ring, you'll have to focus and compose wide open, then stop down the lens manually to expose and shoot. This second step can throw off your focus and composition if you're doing handheld macro.

 

[soydios]

With a D-type lens you'll be able to do everything manually: focus, metering, and stopping down the lens if there is no aperture lever connection provided to the body. A G-type lens would require a tube with electrical contacts and the aperture lever.

Nikon D-type lenses will work with most any SLR camera made in the last half-century.

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: soydios
With a D-type lens you'll be able to do everything manually: focus, metering, and stopping down the lens if there is no aperture lever connection provided to the body. A G-type lens would require a tube with electrical contacts and the aperture lever.

Nikon D-type lenses will work with most any SLR camera made in the last half-century.

How do you manually meter?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: soydios
With a D-type lens you'll be able to do everything manually: focus, metering, and stopping down the lens if there is no aperture lever connection provided to the body. A G-type lens would require a tube with electrical contacts and the aperture lever.

Nikon D-type lenses will work with most any SLR camera made in the last half-century.

don't d-type lenses require some sort of electrical connection? if there is no electrical contacts when using the tubes, then there won't be an electrical connection. if i'm right, then it doesn't matter that it's a d-type lens out front, the camera will think it's an AI or AI-S.

can the D70 meter without an electrical connection? the chart i linked to indicates that it won't even turn the meter on for lenses earlier than AI-P (cpu)

Originally posted by: 996GT2

How do you manually meter?

assuming the meter turns on, you focus, then stop down the lens, and then start adjusting aperture and shutter speed until the meter indicates your exposure is ok.

 

[pennylane]

Originally posted by: soydios
With a D-type lens you'll be able to do everything manually: focus, metering, and stopping down the lens if there is no aperture lever connection provided to the body. A G-type lens would require a tube with electrical contacts and the aperture lever.

Nikon D-type lenses will work with most any SLR camera made in the last half-century.

Could you include this kind of information in your Nikon lens guide? It might be useful for people who want to try some macro work without getting a macro lens right away.

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
It will meter properly, but you won't be able to stop down the aperture depending on the lens that you use. This is the single biggest reason to get tubes with electrical contacts - you want to be able to stop down the lens for greater DOF. Even if the lens has an aperture ring, you'll have to focus and compose wide open, then stop down the lens manually to expose and shoot. This second step can throw off your focus and composition if you're doing handheld macro.

No. For lenses with aperture rings, as long as the extension ring has a mechanical coupling you don't have to compose and focus stopped down.

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
can the D70 meter without an electrical connection? the chart i linked to indicates that it won't even turn the meter on for lenses earlier than AI-P (cpu)

D70 can't. Lowest model in the Nikon line that'll meter with manual lenses is the D200.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
It will meter properly, but you won't be able to stop down the aperture depending on the lens that you use. This is the single biggest reason to get tubes with electrical contacts - you want to be able to stop down the lens for greater DOF. Even if the lens has an aperture ring, you'll have to focus and compose wide open, then stop down the lens manually to expose and shoot. This second step can throw off your focus and composition if you're doing handheld macro.

No. For lenses with aperture rings, as long as the extension ring has a mechanical coupling you don't have to compose and focus stopped down.

I never said you had to compose and focus stopped down...

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
It will meter properly, but you won't be able to stop down the aperture depending on the lens that you use. This is the single biggest reason to get tubes with electrical contacts - you want to be able to stop down the lens for greater DOF. Even if the lens has an aperture ring, you'll have to focus and compose wide open, then stop down the lens manually to expose and shoot. This second step can throw off your focus and composition if you're doing handheld macro.

No. For lenses with aperture rings, as long as the extension ring has a mechanical coupling you don't have to compose and focus stopped down.

I never said you had to compose and focus stopped down...

Woops, I read that wrong.

Yes, you can stop down the aperture as long as extension ring has a mechanical coupling and lens has aperture ring.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: ElFenix
can the D70 meter without an electrical connection? the chart i linked to indicates that it won't even turn the meter on for lenses earlier than AI-P (cpu)

D70 can't. Lowest model in the Nikon line that'll meter with manual lenses is the D200.

so, if i'm reading this right, the OP's D70 shouldn't even turn on its meter when using an extension tube that doesn't provide the electrical connections the lens cpu requires.


using old nikon glass is less complicated with canon cameras.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
It will meter properly, but you won't be able to stop down the aperture depending on the lens that you use. This is the single biggest reason to get tubes with electrical contacts - you want to be able to stop down the lens for greater DOF. Even if the lens has an aperture ring, you'll have to focus and compose wide open, then stop down the lens manually to expose and shoot. This second step can throw off your focus and composition if you're doing handheld macro.

No. For lenses with aperture rings, as long as the extension ring has a mechanical coupling you don't have to compose and focus stopped down.

I never said you had to compose and focus stopped down...

Woops, I read that wrong.

Yes, you can stop down the aperture as long as extension ring has a mechanical coupling and lens has aperture ring.

Oh crap, actually, I got lucky. I was giving the advice from the Canon point of view, where all the lenses are wide open to begin with, and you've gotta use either the camera or DOF Preview button to stop it down, thus requiring a tube with electrical contacts. I didn't realize that, unlike Canon, Nikon lenses are stopped down when not mounted to anything (right?). But if there is a mechanical coupling, when you mount the lens it will go wide open, and then you can compose and focus and do your thing.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: ElFenix
can the D70 meter without an electrical connection? the chart i linked to indicates that it won't even turn the meter on for lenses earlier than AI-P (cpu)

D70 can't. Lowest model in the Nikon line that'll meter with manual lenses is the D200.

so, if i'm reading this right, the OP's D70 shouldn't even turn on its meter when using an extension tube that doesn't provide the electrical connections the lens cpu requires.


using old nikon glass is less complicated with canon cameras.

Yeah, coming from Canon, this is very strange to me considering Canons meter constantly. I was metering fine with my Rebel XT and a Sigma 10-20mm reverse mounted to the body with no electrical connection to speak of (heh, or even a mechanical connection - there were times when I was just holding the lens to the body by hand). The body would just work with the light coming in regardless.

 

[ElFenix]

i'm too cheap to actually buy extension tubes so i was just holding a 50 mm in front of the camera and taking ephemeral shots of a sheet one day.

i should really try that with the 40D. it's got live view.

 

[troytime]

the lowest nikon body that will meter through the lens is the d200

buy the cheap ones, its not that hard

 

[996GT2]

So what I'm gathering from this is that my 50mm f/1.8D will NOT meter with my D70 and non electronic extension tubes?

I don't particularly care too much about having AF with extension tubes, but having never manually metered myself I'm not sure how to do it. Do I need to simply guesstimate the exposure if the meter does not turn on?

 

[angry hampster]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
So what I'm gathering from this is that my 50mm f/1.8D will NOT meter with my D70 and non electronic extension tubes?

I don't particularly care too much about having AF with extension tubes, but having never manually metered myself I'm not sure how to do it. Do I need to simply guesstimate the exposure if the meter does not turn on?

Yes it will. Light still gets to your light meter and you will be able to meter the xposure properly. So you're saying you've never had your camera out of the automatic modes to adjust SS and aperture?

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: angry hampster

Originally posted by: 996GT2
So what I'm gathering from this is that my 50mm f/1.8D will NOT meter with my D70 and non electronic extension tubes?

I don't particularly care too much about having AF with extension tubes, but having never manually metered myself I'm not sure how to do it. Do I need to simply guesstimate the exposure if the meter does not turn on?

Yes it will. Light still gets to your light meter and you will be able to meter the xposure properly. So you're saying you've never had your camera out of the automatic modes to adjust SS and aperture?

No no; I use my camera in aperture priority mode 95% of the time anyway. From what others said above, though, using extension tubes without electrical contacts means that my meter won't even turn on, since the lowest-end Nikon camera with TTL metering is the D200.

Doesn't this mean I would have to to somehow estimate the proper exposure? I'm not worried about manually focusing and choosing shutter/aperture; it's the lack of the exposure display that I'm worried about.

 

[soydios]

Don't worry about estimating exposure. Just take some test shots and see how they look on the LCD review.

A Nikon D-type lens has a mechanical aperture ring, and thus can be manually set at any aperture. However, to enable autoexposure metering on bodies lower than the D200, the aperture must be set at the smallest possible value (usually f/22 or f/16, indicated in orange on the aperture ring either way).

So to use an extension tube without electrical contacts but with an aperture lever (the aperture lever is important so that the lens stops down during the actual picture exposure):
- set the camera to Manual mode, then guess a shutter speed
- set the aperture using the ring on the lens
- take picture
- review picture
- adjust exposure and focus as necessary

None of the above applies to G-type lenses, only D-type, AI, and AI-s.

 

[angry hampster]

Oh that's weird.

Just take a shot, look at your histogram, and adjust exposure accordingly. You'll want to keep your shutter speed above 1/125 at the very least, so bump ISO to compensate.

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: soydios
Don't worry about estimating exposure. Just take some test shots and see how they look on the LCD review.

A Nikon D-type lens has a mechanical aperture ring, and thus can be manually set at any aperture. However, to enable autoexposure metering on bodies lower than the D200, the aperture must be set at the smallest possible value (usually f/22 or f/16, indicated in orange on the aperture ring either way).

So to use an extension tube without electrical contacts but with an aperture lever (the aperture lever is important so that the lens stops down during the actual picture exposure):
- set the camera to Manual mode, then guess a shutter speed
- set the aperture using the ring on the lens
- take picture
- review picture
- adjust exposure and focus as necessary

None of the above applies to G-type lenses, only D-type, AI, and AI-s.

Thanks. There are a TON of different extension tubes to choose from on eBay, so I'm not sure which ones have the aperture lever...

Does this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Ring-Mac...VWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Also, since extension tubes need an aperture lever, I'm assuming that reversing rings will not work on a Nikon D70 body since there is no way to stop down the lens during actual exposure?

Also, what about the option of simply trying to find a used AI or AI-S macro lens on sale inexpensively? Would the image quality be worse than my 50mm f/1.8D with extension tubes?

 

[ElFenix]

i can stop down my nikon lenses just by turning the aperture ring (they're stopped down by default). so you can do the same, even if your meter isn't operating.


dedicated macro lens will probably be better than a 50mm with extension tubes. extension tubes basically let you magnify the center image at the expense of losing longer focus. a dedicated macro lens will be optimized to give good resolution at short focal lengths, and so should be better than the jury-rigged method that extension tubes basically amount to. i got an old nikon 50 mm macro for under $50 on evilbay.

of course, my macro may be a pre-AI (i never could tell the difference), and so, even though it mounts fine on my canon, it may damage your D70. for some reason the D40/x/60 are able to mount pre-AI lenses without risk of damage, but the 70, 80, and maybe 90, can't.

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
It will meter properly, but you won't be able to stop down the aperture depending on the lens that you use. This is the single biggest reason to get tubes with electrical contacts - you want to be able to stop down the lens for greater DOF. Even if the lens has an aperture ring, you'll have to focus and compose wide open, then stop down the lens manually to expose and shoot. This second step can throw off your focus and composition if you're doing handheld macro.

No. For lenses with aperture rings, as long as the extension ring has a mechanical coupling you don't have to compose and focus stopped down.

I never said you had to compose and focus stopped down...

Woops, I read that wrong.

Yes, you can stop down the aperture as long as extension ring has a mechanical coupling and lens has aperture ring.

Oh crap, actually, I got lucky. I was giving the advice from the Canon point of view, where all the lenses are wide open to begin with, and you've gotta use either the camera or DOF Preview button to stop it down, thus requiring a tube with electrical contacts. I didn't realize that, unlike Canon, Nikon lenses are stopped down when not mounted to anything (right?). But if there is a mechanical coupling, when you mount the lens it will go wide open, and then you can compose and focus and do your thing.

Yah, Nikon works a little different. For lenses with aperture rings, they'll stop down when the ring is turned, but when they're mounted onto a body or onto an extension ring with a coupling, it'll stay wide open while you compose and stuff (even when you're turning the aperture ring). No electrical contacts needed

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: angry hampster

Originally posted by: 996GT2
So what I'm gathering from this is that my 50mm f/1.8D will NOT meter with my D70 and non electronic extension tubes?

I don't particularly care too much about having AF with extension tubes, but having never manually metered myself I'm not sure how to do it. Do I need to simply guesstimate the exposure if the meter does not turn on?

Yes it will. Light still gets to your light meter and you will be able to meter the xposure properly. So you're saying you've never had your camera out of the automatic modes to adjust SS and aperture?

No, it won't. I have a D70 and I can confirm that it won't meter with manual lenses. If you want lenses that meter with the D70, they need to be chipped and extension tube needs electrical contacts. Otherwise, you're stuck "guesstimating".