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Why am I having problems focusing with extension tubes?

14

I am adding Kenko tubes to my Nikon 50mm 1.8 D lens. I need some advice. This is my first time using extension tubes. I can't focus. I'm just getting a blurred image. Any advice would be welcome.

2 Answers

4

When you add extension tubes, your camera become myopic, it will no longer focus to infinity (the ring shifts the focus range towards you). The thicker the ring or the shorter the lens, the more pronounced the effect. With the same 21mm ring on my 17-70 lens, at 70mm infinity focus is brought to 15cm while at 17mm it must be somewhere inside the lens.

3

What everyone else said... Try looking at something relatively close (flowers on a table, etc.) and focus by moving closer or further away. You'll find that the focusing ring may have little effect, especially with longer extensions. Another odd effect is that when used with a zoom lens the zoom will change focus as well.


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Why am I having problems focusing with extension tubes?

14

I am adding Kenko tubes to my Nikon 50mm 1.8 D lens. I need some advice. This is my first time using extension tubes. I can't focus. I'm just getting a blurred image. Any advice would be welcome.


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9

When you add extension tubes, your camera become myopic, it will no longer focus to infinity (the ring shifts the focus range towards you). The thicker the ring or the shorter the lens, the more pronounced the effect. With the same 21mm ring on my 17-70 lens, at 70mm infinity focus is brought to 15cm while at 17mm it must be somewhere inside the lens.

edit

Thank you very much for this explanation. I now understand why my camera lens is behaving as you described. - Laura Jun 14, 2023 at 8:48

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