In a previous post, I explained how you can use an extension tube to focus closer with your lens. Using one of these hollow tubes can help you fill the frame when doing close-up photography of things like flowers or butterflies.
Well, when you’re also using a teleconverter on your lens, it’s important to attach the extension tube in between the teleconverter and the lens (so, the teleconverter should be closest to the camera body). This is a little trick that I just learned from an article by Arthur Morris in the latest issue of Nature Photographer Magazine.
I was interested to find out just how much the order matters, so I did a few tests with my Canon 300mm f/4L (a lens that I love to use for close-up photos) and a 25mm extension tube. Here’s a table that summarizes my results:
| Configuration | Minimum Focus Distance |
| No extension tube, no teleconverter | 58 inches |
| Extension tube only | 46 inches |
| Teleconverter attached to lens first, extension second | 52 inches |
| Extension attached to lens first, teleconverter second | 46 inches |
So, attaching the teleconverter and extension tube in the wrong order can cost you six inches! That may not seem like a lot, but it can certainly be the difference that allows you to fill the frame with your subject.
Filling the frame is important for a couple of reasons: it helps you get a sharper shot, and it’ll help you get a more out of focus background because it forces you to get close to your subject (remember the three things that affect depth of field).
In summary, here’s some photos that show the right and wrong way of attaching your teleconverter and extension tubes:
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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.
Thanks for the tip. I’ve been thinking about getting a tube and would certainly have put it next to the camera body had you not told me differently. This is especially valid as I use the same 300mm lens and 1.4x as you. I’ve recently been having lots of fun photographing dragonflies, butterflies and other cool bugs. There have been a few times where I just couldn’t get close enough and be able to focus.
Hi Steve
I Haven’t got to the stage of extension tubes and teleconvertors yet. Sorry to digress; I have shed aside my kit zoom lens for a while, and am experimenting with my prime 50mm. By the way, is it possible, with the use of the extension tube, to add two long focal lens lenses, so as to produce a short focal lens?
Tiberman – Mauritius
Teleconverter first, extension second 52 inches
Extension first, teleconverter second 46 inches
Isn’t this backwards?
@Bill – Cheers to the 300mm! The extra 12 inches that the 25mm extension tube gives you can really help sometimes for smaller flowers or butterflies. btw, you can save about $50 if you get the Kenko tubes over the canon (I use Kenko and they seem to work fine for me).
@Tiberman – I’m not sure if it’s possible to connect two lenses together, but I know you can’t do it with the standard extension tubes.. they’re really just meant to extend the distance of the lens from the focal plane to allow you to focus closer.
@Don – Hmmm, I should have been more clear in that table, sorry! By “teleconverter first” I meant “the teleconverter is attached to the lens first”.. so, with the teleconverter against the lens and the extension tube against the body, you lose 6 inches of distance.
Interesting
Man I hate posts like this. Now the to-buy list just got longer:
1 – EF 300 f/4 IS
2 – extension tubes
3 – 1.4x extender
Thanks for the informative post, Steve!
What do you think about the NEW TCs? Are they a good upgrade?
Thank!
@Fain – I haven’t seen a good review of the new TCs yet, so I don’t really know what to think of them yet. But, the better lens coatings will theoretically help them produce better images (the coatings help reduce reflections), and Canon says they’ll autofocus faster, but who knows actually how much faster 😉 Here’s a helpful website I found that lists the new aspects of the teleconverters (scroll towards the bottom):
http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=3508
From that page, it seems like they’re really just a big upgrade if you also use one of those super telephoto lenses 🙂