Vello Extension Tube Set Evaluate

I really like extension tubes. Not simply because they offer you a substitute for a macro lens, however as a result of they supply different views and focal lengths for macro images. What could possibly be extra enjoyable than attempting to get macro pictures with a really vast lens or a random nifty fifty? In this text, I’ll be reviewing the autofocus-capable Vello Extension Tube set for Nikon Z system, additionally out there for Sony E, Canon RF, Fuji X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F, and Canon EF.

Construction

The Vello extension tube set has two tubes of 12mm and 20mm. They are plastic with a metallic mount. They’ve acquired contacts to permit the lens to keep up autofocus and aperture management. There can be a little bit of climate sealing within the type of a skinny rubber strip.

They really feel fairly stable, however not as outstandingly strong because the FTZ/FTZ II adapter. The few lenses I’ve tried on them match nicely with about the identical about of wiggle because the naked lens. The electrical contacts usually work nicely, though on two events I managed to get the “F –” image to seem, indicating that aperture management was misplaced. Rotating the tubes a short while they have been locked on the digicam mounted the issue. It occurred hardly ever, and didn’t impede my use of them, however could point out small imperfections within the tolerances.

Optical Features

The Vello tubes are stackable, so along with the 12mm and 20mm tubes, you additionally get a 32mm distance possibility. To calculate how a lot magnification these add to your lens, you have to divide the extension tube size by the lens’s focal size. For instance, a 100mm lens with the 20mm tube would add an extension of 20/100 or 0.2x to the lens’s current magnification. If the lens beforehand might attain 0.1x magnification, now it might attain 0.3x.

Below is a chart exhibiting the extra magnification you get when attaching these varied combos to 50mm, 85mm, and 105mm lenses. Remember that the magnifications beneath are added to the lens’s current magnification!

	50mm lens	85mm lens	105mm lens
12mm Tube	0.24x	0.14x	0.11x
20mm Tube	0.40x	0.24x	0.19x
32mm Tubes	0.64x	0.38x	0.30x

These tubes don’t have any glass parts, which is an effective factor for picture high quality. It signifies that they don’t add any additional lens aberrations to your photographs. (At worst, tolerance points might end in a “tilt-shift” impact, the place the depth of subject is not centered parallel to the digicam sensor; nonetheless, I didn’t expertise this.)

That mentioned, when utilizing an extension tube in your lenses, you’ll amplify any current aberrations and unsharpness on the lens. Due to the shut focusing distance, you additionally scale back the depth of subject considerably. In quick, in the event you’re sad with the sharpness of your photographs whereas utilizing an extension tube, it’s in all probability not the tube’s fault. Instead, it’s your selection of lens or aperture.

Good Lenses for Extension Tubes

It’s attainable to make use of these extension tubes to achieve further magnification in your current macro lens. The Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Z macro, for instance, can be able to 1.3x magnification with each Vello tubes connected. But I believe the actual power of extension tubes is that you should use them on completely different lenses that have been by no means made for macro.

In truth, I used to be fairly excited to check these tubes on my Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lens. On this lens, 32mm of tubes brings its quite lowly 0.17x naked magnification to a a lot cooler 0.81x.

Of course, you would possibly ask, isn’t f/1.4 too quick for close-ups? Well, probably not. It depends upon the impact you want to obtain. Faster apertures than f/2.8 can be utilized to create dreamy pictures that simply aren’t attainable with a conventional macro, and to me, that is precisely why I acquired the extension tubes.

Macro lenses are extremely corrected and sharp corner-to-corner at shut focusing distances. That’s nice in the event you want a extra scientific macro model, corresponding to stunning close-ups of bugs the place all their stunning constructions are proven in razor-sharp element. But the imperfections of different lenses, particularly when magnified with extension tubes, give a sure look that I have a tendency to love so much for softer topics like flowers.

It is with this attitude that I discovered the Vello extension tubes to be… only a entire lot of enjoyable. It was fairly neat to shoot nearer pictures within the f/1.4-f/2 vary and get photographs that have been fairly sharp sufficient in a slender aircraft, and dreamy in the remainder of the photograph.

Vello Extension Tubes in Practice

I vastly loved utilizing extension tubes to increase the capabilities of my nifty fifty. You can get sharper outcomes by pairing it with a lens just like the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S, however that wasn’t my purpose with these pictures. Actually, I by no means actually warmed as much as the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 till I attempted it with extension tubes.

As for autofocus, on all of the Nikon Z-mount lenses I’ve examined with the Vello extension tube set, the autofocus labored very nicely. I additionally examined them with a number of F-mount lenses (50mm f/1.8G and 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3) with the FTZ II adapter and surprisingly the autofocus labored fairly nicely, too. So, you may get fairly quite a lot of macro functionality with these tubes.

Can these Vello tubes change a macro lens? Well, macro lenses nonetheless have probably the most versatility in the case of macro images. Tubes limit your focusing vary so you may solely take macros, whereas a typical macro lens can be utilized at any distance. Macro lenses actually are constructed for macro with their biting sharpness at shut ranges, and so they can sometimes obtain extra magnification than utilizing tubes.

But in the event you perceive the compromises of extension tubes, I believe that they’re a worthwhile addition to any photographer’s equipment. The Vello tubes carried out nicely and don’t price very a lot, and I by no means skilled any vital points whereas utilizing them. Just pair them with the appropriate lens for the character you’re after, and you may get some nice photographs.

Conclusion

The Vello extension tubes are a pleasant solution to get to your lenses to focus extra carefully. And, in the event you use them on sooner lenses, they may give you dreamy pictures not attainable with a conventional macro lens. They work nicely sufficient that I’ll positively be bringing them with me each time I intent to shoot macro.

If you’re all in favour of these tubes, think about getting them at B&H utilizing the hyperlinks beneath to help our impartial gear critiques. They price $79.95:

1. Nikon Z
2. Canon RF
3. Fuji X
4. Micro Four Thirds
5. Sony E
6. Nikon F
7. Canon EF

And let me know within the feedback when you’ve got any questions!