Kenko Extension Tubes Test (35mm Full Frame Sensor)

Not sure if you guys remember it or not but last year I showed you guys a few test shots of my set of Kenko Extension Tubes on a Canon EOS 7D which uses an APS-C 1.6x crop sensor (blog post here). I happened to have gotten a new Canon EOS 5D Mark III which has a 35mm full frame sensor, so I decided to redo this test to see how much of a difference there was. Sure enough, there was a huge difference! Last year I got myself a set of Kenko Extension Tubes so I can turn my regular lenses into macro lenses. For those of you who don't know what extension tubes are, they are hollow tubes that goes behind a lens to add space between the lens and the camera sensor. This in turn makes the lens focus closer, in other words, give a bigger magnification. I got the Kenko Extension Tubes because it was recommended to me by many photographers. I know this brand is more expensive than other brands, but it is still cheaper than the Canon branded ones. Also this brand also has the electrical contacts on it so all lens controls is maintained, plus the contacts are all covered so the silver wires don't start distorting the light by reflection. It has been great so far (even 1 year later!).

FULL RESOLUTION TEST IMAGES HERE

I tested this on 2 of my lenses, the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens (you normally can't mount an EF-S lens to a full frame camera, but with this you can, and it worked with no issues) and the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens. You should note in the photos you will see the edge is blurrier than the center. This is because there are barrel distortions on both of the lens (usually not noticeable) but the distortions get really blown up when used as a macro lens. You should also take note the photos were taken on a Canon EOS 5D Mark III which uses a 35mm full frame sensor. In most of the photos, it shows almost the closes focusing distance. Since I don't have a macro rail, I can't get it to the closest possible focus that accurately, but they are still pretty accurate. I have used all 3 extension tubes in all of these photos.

Let's first start off with the test done by the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens.

Test shot of a ruler at 55 mm. Each space is in millimeters. Compared to my camera sensor, the magnification was about 2:1. Field of view is about 18.5 mm. 

Photo Info: f/18, 102 seconds, ISO 50, No Flash (Ambient light from a window) 

Almost closet magnification of a US Quarter (25¢). This was done at the 55 mm end for maximum magnification. The lens was about 1-2 inches away from the subject which really cuts out light. At 55 mm, it is not very practical for in field use, but better off for a non-moving subject in a studio.

Photo Info: f/22, 61 seconds, ISO 50, No Flash (Ambient light from a window)

Now for the test shots with the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens. This lens gives you lesser magnification, but cuts out less light so it is better off for field work. Please look at the "Photo Info" under each photo as they all look similar, but the exposure time greatly differs! Also remember I only used ambient light for these photos, generally you will need a flash for these kind of photos especially in the field!

Test shot of a ruler at 70 mm. Each space is in millimeters. Compared to my camera sensor, the magnification was about 1:1. Field of view is about 39.25 mm. 

Photo Info: f/22, 82 seconds, ISO 50, No Flash (Ambient light from a window) 

Almost closet magnification of a US Quarter (25¢). This was done at the 70 mm end for maximum magnification. The lens was about 5-6 inches away from the subject which cuts out light somewhat. At 70 mm, it is kind of practical for in field use, but better off using a longer focal length and loosing some magnification as 5-6 inches might scare off life subjects (like bugs). With extension tubes, the more you zoom the lens, the farther you can focus, but the less magnification you get (kind of the reverse without using extension tubes).

Photo Info: f/22, 30 seconds, ISO 50, No Flash (Ambient light from a window)

As you can see the Kenko Extension Tubes is a great piece of equipment as you can start off macro photography for cheap! If you are interested in macro photography and are on a tight budget, this is definitely the way to go. I will start sharing with you guys photos of in the field work and studio work using this piece of equipment soon, so please check back! Please don't forget to share my blog posts with your friends! If you would like to get notifications next time I post, you can "Like" me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens Review (Video)

A detailed review of the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens. This is a very light weight lens, great for backpacking. I often use this lens for wildlife and flowers (on tall trees). So far no issues. Even though it is constructed out of plastic, this is one rugged lens. I have hit this on walls and other objects when it hangs on my neck, and it has been over a year and still working strong! The zoom is great, and I love the bokeh (make sure you watch the photo slideshow at the end).

If you are a beginner or intermediate photographer on a tight budget and want to start with wildlife photography, this is a definitely a must have for your kit. Remember that EF-S mount lenses are not compatible with full frame DSLRs! If you might upgrade, definitely go for a EF mount lens like this one!

Lens Specifications From Canon's Website:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 70-300mm f/4-5.6
Lens Construction: 15 elements in 10 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 34° - 8° 15' (with full-frame camera)
Focus Adjustment: Front-focusing method with helicoid ring drive
Closest Focusing Distance: 4.9 ft./1.5m
Zoom System: 6-group helical zoom (rotational angle: 84°)
Filter Size: 58mm
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.0 in. x 5.6 in., 22.2 oz. / 76.5mm x 142.8mm, 630g (lens only)

If you enjoy my video reviews, you can follow me on Youtube here.

Kenko Extension Tubes Test (APS-C 1.6x Crop Sensor)

Several month back I got myself a set of Kenko Extension Tubes so I can turn my regular lenses into macro lenses. For those of you who don't know what extension tubes are, they are hollow tubes that goes behind a lens to add space between the lens and the camera sensor. This in turn makes the lens focus closer, in other words, give a bigger magnification. I got the Kenko Extension Tubes because it was recommended to me by many photographers. I know this brand is more expensive than other brands, but it is still cheaper than the Canon branded ones. Also this brand also has the electrical contacts on it so all lens controls is maintained, plus the contacts are all covered so the silver wires don't start distorting the light by reflection. It has been great so far.

FULL RESOLUTION TEST IMAGES HERE

I tested this on 2 of my lenses, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens and the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens. You should note in the photos you will see the edge is blurrier than the center. This is because there are barrel distortions on both of the lens (usually not noticeable) but the distortions get really blown up when used as a macro lens. You should also take note the photos were taken on a Canon EOS 7D which uses an APS-C 1.6x crop sensor. In most of the photos, it shows almost the closes focusing distance. Since I don't have a macro rail, I can't get it to the closest possible focus that accurately, but they are still pretty accurate. I have used all 3 extension tubes in all of these photos.

Let's first start off with the test done by the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens.

Almost closet magnification of a US Quarter (25¢). This was done at the 55 mm end for maximum magnification. The lens was about 1-2 inches away from the subject which really cuts out light. At 55 mm, it is not very practical for in field use, but better off for a non-moving subject in a studio.
Photo Info: f/13, 13 seconds, ISO 100, No Flash (Ambient light from a window)

Test shot of a ruler at 55 mm. Each space is in millimeters. Compared to my camera sensor, the magnification was about 2:1. Field of view is about 18 mm. 

Photo Info: f/13, 30 seconds, ISO 100, No Flash (Ambient light from a window)

Now for the test shots with the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens. This lens gives you lesser magnification, but cuts out less light so it is better off for field work. Please look at the "Photo Info" under each photo as they all look similar, but the exposure time greatly differs! Also remember I only used ambient light for these photos, generally you will need a flash for these kind of photos especially in the field!

Almost closet magnification of a US Quarter (25¢). This was done at the 70 mm end for maximum magnification. The lens was about 5-6 inches away from the subject which cuts out light somewhat. At 70 mm, it is kind of practical for in field use, but better off using a longer focal length and loosing some magnification as 5-6 inches might scare off life subjects (like bugs). With extension tubes, the more you zoom the lens, the farther you can focus, but the less magnification you get (kind of the reverse without using extension tubes).
Photo Info: f/13, 4 seconds, ISO 100, No Flash (Ambient light from a window)

Test shot of a ruler at 70 mm. Each space is in millimeters. Compared to my camera sensor, the magnification was about 1:1. Field of view is about 24.5 mm. 

Photo Info: f/13, 20 seconds, ISO 100, No Flash (Ambient light from a window)

Test shot of a ruler at 180 mm. Each space is in millimeters. Field of view is about 5.85 cm. 

Photo Info: f/13, 2.5 seconds, ISO 100, No Flash (Ambient light from a window)

Test shot of a ruler at 250 mm. The bad focusing was error on my end, not the camera. Each space is in millimeters. Field of view is about 6 cm. 

Photo Info: f/13, 2 seconds, ISO 100, No Flash (Ambient light from a window)

As you can see the Kenko Extension Tubes is a great piece of equipment as you can start off macro photography for cheap! If you are interested in macro photography and are on a tight budget, this is definitely the way to go. I will start sharing with you guys photos of in the field work and studio work using this piece of equipment soon, so please check back! Please don't forget to share my blog posts with your friends! If you would like to get notifications next time I post, you can "Like" me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

What's In My Bag...

I noticed I have only been posting photos recently, and wanted to change things up a bit. For this post, I will be showing you all the photography equipment I have. :) This is most of my equipment and I usually carry all of it with me when I go on vacations to far places. I will usually skip over a few items if I'm only visiting nearby places depending on what I feel like shooting that day. I bring most of them to farther places when I visit because I don't know what to expect! No reviews of the products will be given here, but you can get an idea of what I bring and maybe what you are missing in your photography equipment collection. :) These photos do include the new 600EX-RT flash I purchased recently.

The first photo is of most of my equipment. My camera, tripod, and 1 of my lenses are not in the photo for obvious reasons.

Equipment listed in the above photo (Starting from the left):

• Vanguard Up-rise 43 Zoom Expandable Sling Camera Bag
• Case Logic DCB-204 Camera Bag (The smaller one I use to carry my filters. I attach it to my bigger bag via a stainless steal cable.)
• A red LED flashlight (For finding camera controls at night when doing night photography. Red light won't ruin your night vision.)
• 82mm to 58mm filter adapter ring (Used to adapt my 82mm filters down to 58mm for my smaller lenses. Helps to save some money on my filters.)
• Hoya Neutral Density Filters (9-stop and 5-stop filter).
• B+W 82mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Circular Polarizer
• B+W 58mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer
• B+W 82mm Clear UV Haze with Multi-Resistant Coating (010M) (Was on my camera lens, not in the filter case)
• Fotodiox 6" X 8" Universal Softbox (for my flash)
• Giottos Rocket Air Blaster (Large) (Used to blow dust off my lenses and camera sensor)
• Lexar Professional 64GB Class 10 SDXC Card (backup storage in case my 8GB CF runs out)
• SD to CF Adapter (To adapt my Class 10 SDXC card to the CF slot. It's a really big savings than buying a real CF card. LOL Sadly, it does take the speed down, so if you do get one, take that into consideration, plus the adapter does get pretty warm when in use. Again, I repeat, I only use this as a backup when my real CF card runs out of memory.)
• Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II SLR Lens (I no longer use this one as I have a wide angle L-model to replace it with.)
• Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens (The one I use for bird and animal photography)
• Some lens cleaning cloths including a piece of chicken skin (which I bought in China), some random microfiber cleaning cloths, and a Nikon microfiber cleaning cloth.
• Some AAA and AA battery storage boxes (I read on a forum some guy accidently put some change he got after lunch in the same pocket as his batteries which burned a hole in his pants... Always use storage boxes for the batteries. I bought these at my local Fry's Electronics.)
• RainbowImaging 100 meter 2.4GHz Wireless Remote Shutter Release
• Zeikos Remote Shutter Release (has button locking feature for Bulb exposures)
• Canon 600EX-RT Flash (with carrying bag next to it)
• Flash Filters and Filter holder (came with my flash)
• Studiohut Timer Remote Control Shutter (Remote I use for time-lapse and star trails photography)
• Yongnuo Brand Off Camera Flash Cable (Buying 3rd party really saves money. LOL)
• Some one time use AAA batteries for my different remotes and my flashlight.
• Rechargeable High Capacity 2500 MaH Sanyo XX Batteries (for my flash)
• Extra LP-E6 Battery Pack for my camera.

Surprising how I can fit that much inside such a small camera bag right? LOL So now let's move onto the things that was not in that photo because I had to use my camera for that photo. The last 2 photos was taken using my Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Equipment shown in this photo:

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens (What I use for my landscape shots)
• Vanguard Alta+ 263AP Tripod

Here is a photo of the whole tripod with the camera on top. Photos also taken with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

So there you have it, most of the equipment I use and bring along for a photo shoot. :) It is very heavy. LOL Even though I have so much equipment, I can still quickly remember where I put it and quickly locate it in my bag. Sometimes I do hunt around a bit, but I usually don't. As a photographer, it's good to memorize where you store everything so you don't miss the perfect shot! As of right now, I actually don't have any space in my bag to store the flash. Not sure what changes I'll be making for that, but I bring most of these equipment along when I go on trips to far places. I most likely will probably just strap my flash to the outer part of my camera bag, the same way I'm storing my camera filters... If you read carefully, you'd know I usually cheap out and buy 3rd party equipment for all the parts that DO NOT affect optical quality! I never cheap out on lenses, batteries, or flash equipment... It's a very good money saving tip. :) Please don't forget to share my blog posts with your friends! If you would like to get notifications next time I post, you can "Like" me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Canon's New EOS M Series Cameras

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for any incorrect or unclear information provided in this post. You read this article and follow the information at your own risk. Prices are subject to change over time. 

As you know camera companies, like Nikon, Sony, and Olympus, has started pushing out the new compact DSLR cameras. It has been promised these new compact cameras give near real DSLR quality photos, and is extremely compact and light weight due to the lack of mirror and viewfinder. The rest of the camera is pretty much the same as a big bulky DSLR as it has interchangeable lenses too with different mode switches and flash hot-shoes. Canon has now released their own compact DSLR line beginning the EOS M series cameras which is also compatible with both EF-S and EF mount lenses as long as an adapter is used. The camera is compatible with the new EF-M mount lenses with no adapter. This new camera is an 18 megapixel camera and has most of the functions a real Canon EOS DSLR would have. The new camera features a CMOS (APS-C) sensor, DIGIC 5 Image Processor, and an ISO range of 100 to 25600. Compared to a 35mm full frame sensor camera, this camera has a crop ratio of 1.6x. The new EOS M camera has all the modes a regular DSLR has (Auto, Creative Auto, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, and Bulb) plus lot's of creative "scene modes" including Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Portrait, Hand-held Night Scene Mode, and HDR Backlight Control Mode. The camera also captures crystal clear 1080p video and offers full time auto focus during the take (use STM lens for quieter/smoother focusing during video). Videos and photos can be viewed on a TV via mini-HDMI. These are just some of the features of the new EOS M series cameras. If you have $800 to spare and hate carrying your big bulky DSLR everywhere you go, or you just want to do some amateur photography work, I would recommend you to buy and try one of these cameras! If you do, please use my link! Thank you for reading!

Accessories for the new camera.

Specifications:

• Dimensions: Approx. 4.28 x 2.62 x 1.27 in./ 108.6 x 66.5 x 32.3mm
• Weight: Approx. 9.2 oz. / 262g (body only)
• Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC cards
• LCD: Touchscreen, fingerprint resistant, 3 inch screen
• No viewfinder, LCD is used
• No built in flash. Needs Speedlite 90EX or other flash. (Standard Hotshoe)
• 18 MP CMOS Sensor (3:2 ratio photos)(1.6x crop ratio compared to 35mm full frame)
• Photo Modes: JPEG, RAW, RAW+JPEG
• Ultrasonic Sensor Cleaning and Dust Delete like the real DSLRs
• Full 1080p video (stereo audio and auto focus during take), can be played back on TV via mini-HDMI
• Features all DSLR Modes (Auto, Creative Auto, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, and Bulb)
• Features scene modes like Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Portrait, Hand-held Night Scene Mode, and HDR Backlight Control Mode