Ezra Zoomed

This week’s theme for Shutter Love Tuesday (see button at the bottom) is “Zoom Zoom”. This could be interpreted a couple ways, but since we’re going with photography here, I interpreted it as referring to zoom lenses and zoomed in photos.

So, for this theme, I have both a photo and a small tutorial. Yay for tutorials!

First, the photo:

Now, some explanation. I don’t own a great macro lens. I wouldn’t use it very often if I did. I do, however, own a set of extension tubes. According to the Wiki page,

“An extension tube is an accessory for cameras with interchangeable lenses, used primarily for macro photography. The tube contains no optical elements; its sole purpose is to move the lens farther from the image plane. The farther away the lens is, the closer the focus, the greater the magnification.”

So, in a nutshell, it attaches and takes images that are very zoomed in and can focus very close to the subject.

How to work these? First, you buy a set. My set includes one ring that attaches to the body, another that attaches to the lens and 3 rings, 30mm, 16mm and 9mm that can be placed in between. My set is not electronic, meaning that the camera can’t control the aperture or auto focus. With my 50mm 1.8 lens, I shoot wide open always at 1.8. There are electronic tubes, but they cost more. A non-electronic set is less than $15.

Now, once you’ve assembled tubes and lens, the hardest thing to figure out is focus. Your focus ring with play almost no part in focusing, and your range of focus will no longer be infinite, it’ll be within a couple inches and only at a couple inches away from your subject. The easiest way to get used to focusing with these is to use a stationary object and move your camera closer and further from it.

Finally, the best advice I can give is to practice and play. Try different combination of tube lengths. Try different lenses. See what your zoom lenses do at different focal lengths.

Once you’re feeling comfortable, try moving on to less stationary objects, like cats. Well, actually, they should be a little stationary (like lying down). Try not to yell every time the cat turns his head. Take a lot of shots and you might like one!

Good Luck and enter this photo challenge if you get a chance!

Shasta Betty