Can you combine extension tubes and a close-up lens for more magnification on a Canon 100mm macro?
Asked 6/27/2012
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I use a Canon 100mm L Macro and already have Kenko extension tubes. Can I add a close-up lens such as a Raynox DCR-250 to increase magnification even further? If so, is combining both practical, and which typically gives more magnification: extension tubes or a close-up lens?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
7
You can use this calculator to play around...
http://www.eosdoc.com/manuals/?q=jlcalc
I got close enough on a 1.3x crop just adding all three kenko extension tubes behind my Canon 100L macro. According to the calculator, that gave me a magnification of 1.45 (and then multiply by 1.25 to give 1.8).
That's at .25m. Keep in mind the lens plus body thickness to sensor is about .165m. So you really only have .085m working distance, or about 3.3". With the 500D (the 250D won't be able to focus), you'll have about 1.7" working distance with a magnification of 2.2. At f/16, you'll have DOF of 1/10th of a millimeter.
I captured the monarch egg with the extension tubes. But, I had a relaxing working distance of 3.3" and an enormous DOF of about 3/10ths of mm. :)
http://canid.com/monarch/thumbs.html
Monarch eggs are about 1.2mm tall, for reference, and these have been cropped slighty.
If you're going to do more than 1x life size, the Canon MP-E 65mm is what you want. A friend has that lens and creates remarkable macros.
Originally by user7777. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7777
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — extension tubes and a close-up lens/diopter can be used together, and both increase magnification.
For a 100mm macro, extension tubes alone can already push magnification beyond 1:1, but they reduce working distance a lot. One shared example estimated about 1.45x with a full Kenko tube set on a 100mm macro, leaving only a few inches of working distance. Adding a close-up lens can increase magnification further, but working distance and depth of field become extremely small.
The trade-offs matter:
- extension tubes: increase magnification without adding glass, but shorten working distance significantly
- close-up lens/diopter: also increases magnification, but adds optics that may reduce image quality or add distortion/CA depending on quality
- combined use: possible, but not every lens/tube/close-up combination performs well
A close-up lens is not inherently “better” than extension tubes, and there isn’t a single answer for which gives “greater” magnification without calculating the exact setup. In practice, if you need the highest magnification, combining them can work, but expect very tight working distances and extremely thin depth of field.
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