extension tubes in Hasselblads

I am thinking about taking close up pictures as my next venture and need some help with extension tube selection. I have no formal training in photography, read the information on the Hasselblad Historical site regarding magnification factor and such but can't easily comprehend what it means.

Is there a website that can explain macro theory, extension tubes in simple layman's terms.

Presently I have several Hasselblad lenses including: 50 CFE Distagon, 80 CFE Planar, 110 FE Planar and 60-120 FE.

How would I choose an E series extension tube (Dead Link Removed)for any of the above lenses? Is there a rule of thumb on which length tube for a particular focal length and can an extension tube be used with a zoom?

This Dead Link Removed might help.

ymc226 said:

I am thinking about taking close up pictures as my next venture and need some help with extension tube selection. I have no formal training in photography, read the information on the Hasselblad Historical site regarding magnification factor and such but can't easily comprehend what it means.

Is there a website that can explain macro theory, extension tubes in simple layman's terms.

Presently I have several Hasselblad lenses including: 50 CFE Distagon, 80 CFE Planar, 110 FE Planar and 60-120 FE.

How would I choose an E series extension tube (Dead Link Removed)for any of the above lenses? Is there a rule of thumb on which length tube for a particular focal length and can an extension tube be used with a zoom?

Click to expand...

Personally I would not use the zoom with the extension tube just for handling sake but it would probably work. The lenses that you have that would work well are the 80 and 110. You pick the extension tube that will allow you to focus a selected lens as close as you need to to get the image size you want - If you can give me an idea what you want to take a picture of I can give you the appropriate tube size.

Personally I find the 16 and 32 to be the tubes I use the most for what I shoot - people/head shots. I use the 16 far more than the 32 but I also use a longer lens than you have. I would think the same set would be worth while for your current lenses and even more useful if you opted for a 150/160/180 lens.

RB

Ps. If you want to take really big pictures of really small things that is a different story. One more thing the E tubes are really expensive (I bought mine new) the only thing they really do is let the E lenses talk to the E bodies (do you have one of those?)

Thanks for the replies.

RB,

I don't have anything particular in mind but would like to take close up portraits so I assume the 16 and 32 tubes with my 110 would be appropriate.

Just for fun, what kind of equipment would I need for close up photo's of small objects like fruit?

ymc226 said:

Thanks for the replies.

RB,

I don't have anything particular in mind but would like to take close up portraits so I assume the 16 and 32 tubes with my 110 would be appropriate.

Just for fun, what kind of equipment would I need for close up photo's of small objects like fruit?

Click to expand...

With your 110 you will definitely need the 32. Depending on how you like your perspective the 110 with 16 or 32 will get you tight portrait shots - one tighter than the other with some overlap but you may find that you prefer a longer lens with the 16 vs a shorter lens with the 32. 99% of the tight headshots I do are with my 150 and the 16E. I just like the perspective not too close - not to much compression. Every once in a while I run into someone that look "better" because of facial features with the 180 and the 16E.

RB

ymc226 said:

I am thinking about taking close up pictures as my next venture and need some help with extension tube selection. I have no formal training in photography, read the information on the Hasselblad Historical site regarding magnification factor and such but can't easily comprehend what it means.

Is there a website that can explain macro theory, extension tubes in simple layman's terms.

Presently I have several Hasselblad lenses including: 50 CFE Distagon, 80 CFE Planar, 110 FE Planar and 60-120 FE.

How would I choose an E series extension tube (Dead Link Removed)for any of the above lenses? Is there a rule of thumb on which length tube for a particular focal length and can an extension tube be used with a zoom?

Click to expand...

Look here for a step by step guide. Perhaps not exactly in lay men's terms, but not difficult, i think.

And play around with this calculator to see how things chance with changing amounts of extension.
(First select a lens. After that the perhaps most helpfull thing to play around with is the amount of exension. Hasselblad tubes come in lengths of 8, 10, 16, 21, 32, 55 and 56 mm.)

You can indeed put an extension tube between zoom and camera, but then focus will not hold when changing focal length.
Fixed focal length lenses perform better.

The Distagon is also not the best to be used with tubes. The Planars are much better (and of the two, the 80 mm is the best).