Extension Tubes - Which One To Get: EF 12mm II or EF 25mm II

[AndyMilnePhotog]

Hi guys,

I love macro photography, but I would like to get closer to my subject without spending too much money. I researched that extension tubes are the best option to get started in terms of image quality. I can't decide whether to get the EF 12mm II or the EF 25mm II extension tube. The camera that I have is a Canon Rebel T6i. Also, I have 3 lenses which are the 18-55 IS STM, 50mm f/1.8 STM & 55-250 IS STM. Feel free to share your suggestions on which one to get along with the pros, cons & alternatives. Thank you.

Andrew 

[RobertTheFat]

---

@AndyMilnePhotog wrote:

---

@ebiggs1 wrote:

 It is likely going to be a tripod situation, you know that? The DOF will be tiny.

---

I agree with you on that because the slighest movement of the camera, forwards and backwards can throw your subject out of focus. Also, any camera shake is exaggerated when shooting at macro distances which can result in blurry pictures. I will definitely aquaint myself to use the base macro lens first and of course a tripod until I get more experienced. As always, practice makes perfect. 😉

Andrew   

---

A tripod may not be enough. Remember that this is not a zoom lens. You may need to equip the tripod with one of those platforms with rails that allows you make fine adjustments to the distance of the camera from the subject.

[kvbarkley]

"macro rail"

[AndyMilnePhotog]

@ebiggs: That sounds like a gerat solution. When I tried taking a picture of a dead insect months ago, I noticed that when I used a high f-stop number like f/32 to increase the DOF, diffraction softens the image and the detail/texture is reduced significantly. I will give it a go once I get into college to further my study in photography.

@RobertTheFat & kvbarkley: I wish I can afford a macro rail which   

is more precise for focus stacking than a focusing ring. However, I am an amateur/beginner photographer trying to save up for college and contributing to the food bill. I will absolutely keep it in my wish list and stick with the focusing ring for the time being until photography becomes my profession someday. Thanks though. 🙂

[Waddizzle]

---

@AndyMilnePhotog wrote:

@ebiggs: That sounds like a gerat solution. When I tried taking a picture of a dead insect months ago, I noticed that when I used a high f-stop number like f/32 to increase the DOF, diffraction softens the image and the detail/texture is reduced significantly. I will give it a go once I get into college to further my study in photography.

@RobertTheFat & kvbarkley: I wish I can afford a macro rail which   

is more precise for focus stacking than a focusing ring. However, I am an amateur/beginner photographer trying to save up for college and contributing to the food bill. I will absolutely keep it in my wish list and stick with the focusing ring for the time being until photography becomes my profession someday. Thanks though. 🙂

---

If you do not have a high quality, professional grade tripod, then I suggest you make the investment.  Figure on spending upwards of $200.  The “load ratings” of tripods are pretty meaningless, because there is no standard that I am aware of.

Some manufacturers seem to have load ratings that are overly optimistic, while others seem rather conservative.  I have found that Benro falls into the latter category.  Benro makes fairly robust tripods and tripod heads, but the best part is the high quality carry cases that come with the tripods.

Choose a tripod and head that can handle 5-10 times the amount of weight of you camera and largest lens.  Ball heads are the most popular type of head.  If you buy a ball head, then make sure that it has a friction adjustment.  A ball head is useless without it.

[AndyMilnePhotog]

@Waddizzle: Since I'm a hiking kind of guy for my photography style, is a lightweight tripod good for me such as the Benro Slim CF tripod? A good number of reviews on Amazon say it is lightweight to carry around for travel/hiking, but the legs are sturdy. The ball on this tripod does not have drag knob, only the ratchet style single adjustment knob to lock and unlock the ball head. The price is $140 I think.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the Mefoto Roadtrip is $150 & the ball head has 3 adjustment knobs including the drag knob like you suggested. It weighs 3.6 LBS & the load capacity is 17.6 LBS vs. the Benro Silm weighing 2.2 LBS and has a 8.8 LBS load capacity.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@AndyMilnePhotog wrote:

@Waddizzle: Since I'm a hiking kind of guy for my photography style, is a lightweight tripod good for me such as the Benro Slim CF tripod? A good number of reviews on Amazon say it is lightweight to carry around for travel/hiking, but the legs are sturdy. The ball on this tripod does not have drag knob, only the ratchet style single adjustment knob to lock and unlock the ball head. The price is $140 I think.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the Mefoto Roadtrip is $150 & the ball head has 3 adjustment knobs including the drag knob like you suggested. It weighs 3.6 LBS & the load capacity is 17.6 LBS vs. the Benro Silm weighing 2.2 LBS and has a 8.8 LBS load capacity.

---

Everyone wants a tripod that is light, sturdy, and cheap. The Fundamental Rule of Tripods is that you can have any two of those qualities, but not all three. If you think you've found one that does have all three, you're probably mistaken and should investigate carefully before laying out any money.

When judging load capacity, remember that one of the main reasons for owning a tripod is to accommodate camera/lens combinations that are too heavy to hand-hold.

[ebiggs1]

"When judging load capacity, remember that one of the main reasons for owning a tripod is to accommodate camera/lens combinations that are too heavy to hand-hold."

Good advice but a tripod that is the best in the world isn't any good at all if you can't carry it.  I is too darn expensive and you can't afford it.  Bottom line, therefore you don't use it.  Find one that fits your needs or most of them any way.

[ebiggs1]

"...good number of reviews on Amazon ..."

Off subject a bit, if you are looking at any photo gear that is in a package deal from Amazon, don't buy it. You will be sorry.  Go to a real camera store.

[AndyMilnePhotog]

---

@ebiggs1  

...if you are looking at any photo gear that is in a package deal from Amazon, don't buy it. You will be sorry.  Go to a real camera store.

...Good advice but a tripod that is the best in the world isn't any good at all if you can't carry it.  It is too darn expensive and you can't afford it.  Bottom line, therefore you don't use it.  Find one that fits your needs or most of them any way.

---

Thanks for letting me know about that. It is probably a better idea for me to try out a tripod at a brick-&-mortar authorized retailer and get a hands-on demonstration. I like to hike several miles so a travel tripod is more suitable for my shooting style and getting the composition that I want. 

[ebiggs1]

Ditto that!