24-70S f/4 and 50/1.8S focus ranges with extension tubes

[Pa]

Like some of the rest of you I bought a set of Meike extension tubes to use with my Z 6 and 24-70S. In actual use I have had trouble knowing where to place the subject in order to get good focus with these tubes. So today, with time on my hands, I decided to try to map it out. I put a ruler on a table and placed a good focus subject alongside it and measured the minimum and maximum distance that it would focus at 50mm and 70mm focal length.

I did this first naked, then with the 11mm tube, the 18mm tube, and both together (29mm). All distances were measured in inches from the front of the lens.

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I thought some of you might find this useful. I invite you to verify this for yourselves to check my work.

Incidentally, the second decimal place is not significant in each case.

(50mm f/1.8S in Post #9 below)

 

[SrMi]

Thank you. Is this for f/4 or f/2.8 lens?

 

[Mike Buckley]

On a related topic, I've recently learned after using my Z6 for about a month that when working with tabletop photography, focus peaking is not as accurate as I need it to be. My solution is to display the part of the scene I want to be in focus at 100% in the rear LCD. That method was always effective when using my DSLR and continues to be effective when using the Z6.

 

[Pa]

Thank you. Is this for f/4 or f/2.8 lens?

Sorry, I should have stated that. Corrected now.

I forgot there is an f/2.8 version.

My solution is to display the part of the scene I want to be in focus at 100% in the rear LCD.

That's how I verified focus for this test.

 

[daveg]

Did either of you try setting a different colour for the Focus Peaking?

DG

 

[Pa]

Did either of you try setting a different colour for the Focus Peaking?

DG

I didn't use Focus Peaking at all in my test. But when I do use it I vary the peaking color to contrast with the subject.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Did either of you try setting a different colour for the Focus Peaking?

DG

I've used yellow mostly but switched to red when the colors in the scene made the red easier to see. I moved the focus ring slightly back and forth until settling on the position that rendered the densest focus peaking in the area I wanted to be in focus. This is with the scene displayed in the LCD at the default magnification. After releasing the shutter, the part I wanted in focus and had been indicated by the focus peaking to be in focus wasn't in focus.

Then I began magnifying the image in the LCD to at least 100% to manually set the focus. It worked every time.

As a reminder, my anecdotal testing is only in close-up photography, not macro photography or photography that is distant enough that I wouldn't consider it close-up photography. The focus peaking may be more accurate in other types of photography. My hunch is that it's no more accurate when doing macro photography because the depths of field are so small but that it's very accurate in non-close-up photography because the depths of field are considerably larger, thus allowing more margin for error.

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

Useful! Thank you!

 

[Pa]

Here's a similar table for the 50mm f/1.8s.

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The distance between minimum and maximum focus distance is so tiny that only the shortest tube is useful, in my view.

 

[Palouse]

Thanks Jim.

 

[nuclearjock]

Cool beans Jim. Grazie ?

 

[Terri French]

Thank you for doing this.

 

[Pa]

Thanks Jim.

Cool beans Jim. Grazie ?

Thank you for doing this.

I did it for my own information, but I'm happy to share.

There is no warranty either implied or explicit! I invite others to reproduce these numbers.

 

[TomP]

Mount your tubes on a longer lens like a 70/200, amazing images. I have to use autofocus and rarely have any trouble with that. I bought my granddaughter a set of Kenko last month, we are sharing images during the Coved.

 

[Palouse]

Mount your tubes on a longer lens like a 70/200, amazing images. I have to use autofocus and rarely have any trouble with that. I bought my granddaughter a set of Kenko last month, we are sharing images during the Coved.

Us Z6 folks like to use our native S-lenses. The Z bodies and the S lenses take to extension rings vey well The Meike set are externally well made. I have shot with my 200-500 and used rings.

 

[TomP]

Us Z6 folks like to use our native S-lenses. The Z bodies and the S lenses take to extension rings vey well The Meike set are externally well made. I have shot with my 200-500 and used rings.

I got great shots with my 200/400 and tubes, but the 70/200 was a go lens for critters. I know nothing of the Z set. Jim could see if there is a reversing ring for the Z on a 50MM he might enjoy that, I use it but focusing is very hard for me on the reverse.

 

[Richard_M]

Thank you Jim, that is most helpful!

I haven't purchased extension tubes for the Z bodies. I'll look into getting a pair of these. I recently purchased a NiSi closeup lens during a recent sale. As yet I haven't had a chance to play with it.

 

[Allan]

As others have said, thanks for testing and posting.

 

[Pa]

Mount your tubes on a longer lens like a 70/200, amazing images. I have to use autofocus and rarely have any trouble with that. I bought my granddaughter a set of Kenko last month, we are sharing images during the Coved.

I got great shots with my 200/400 and tubes, but the 70/200 was a go lens for critters. I know nothing of the Z set. Jim could see if there is a reversing ring for the Z on a 50MM he might enjoy that, I use it but focusing is very hard for me on the reverse.

Thanks for contributing, Tom. I bought these tubes specifically to improve close focusing of the 24-70S lens since Nikon doesn't yet offer a native Z-mount macro lens. And I'm not that interested in 1:1 macro; I only need close focusing for small wildflowers and fungi where 1:2 is probably good enough.

Once Nikon makes a true macro available in Z-mount I'll probably acquire one. But right now I have five macro lenses in f-mount!