RZ67 Extension Tubes

LMNOP · Sep 1, 2014

I'm looking to invest in some macro gear for my Mamiya RZ67 Pro ii, and with my 150mm 3.5, I figure a couple extension tubes would do the trick. Does anyone have examples of the Mamiya offerings in action? I want to start with a single tube, and I get the feeling the 45mm would give me what I need, but I wonder what that minimum focusing distance would be. Any examples, advice, or general thoughts?

markbarendt · Sep 1, 2014

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/mamiya/mamiya_lenses_accessories/mamiya_lenses_accessories.htm

You can get the tech specs there.

David Allen · Sep 1, 2014

I would strongly recommend not using extension tubes but rather good quality close-up filters.

Much easier to work with (no extension calculations) and, generally, cheaper plus you can use them with other cameras via as step-up or step-down ring

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

LMNOP · Sep 1, 2014

David Allen said:
I would strongly recommend not using extension tubes but rather good quality close-up filters.

Much easier to work with (no extension calculations) and, generally, cheaper plus you can use them with other cameras via as step-up or step-down ring

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

Could you link to this product? Have you used one of these with an RZ?

LMNOP · Sep 1, 2014

David Allen said:
I would strongly recommend not using extension tubes but rather good quality close-up filters.

Much easier to work with (no extension calculations) and, generally, cheaper plus you can use them with other cameras via as step-up or step-down ring

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/822828-REG/Hoya_A77CUS_77mm_Close_Up_Kit_Multi_Coated.html

Like this? Is there any difference in quality between filters and tubes?

markbarendt · Sep 1, 2014

I've used both on 35mm cameras and actually prefer the tubes.

LMNOP · Sep 1, 2014

markbarendt said:
I've used both on 35mm cameras and actually prefer the tubes.

Pros/Cons?

Kyle M. · Sep 1, 2014

I took these using both extension tubes (45mm and 82mm) along with a 90mm C lens on my RB67. This should get you a pretty good idea of what can be done with them.

Dead Link Removed

LMNOP · Sep 1, 2014

Kyle M. said:
I took these using both extension tubes (45mm and 82mm) along with a 90mm C lens on my RB67. This should get you a pretty good idea of what can be done with them.

Dead Link Removed

This is a perfect example! Thank you! I am trying to acquire a 90mm 3.5, so if I started with the 45mm ET, I think I'll get exactly what I need, perhaps add the 82mm later. Did you ever find use for these again?

Kyle M. · Sep 1, 2014

LMNOP said:
This is a perfect example! Thank you! I am trying to acquire a 90mm 3.5, so if I started with the 45mm ET, I think I'll get exactly what I need, perhaps add the 82mm later. Did you ever find use for these again?

I bought them, tested them with a few rolls, and put them in a box. Away they went for six months, and I recently sold them due to a lack of use.

John Koehrer · Sep 1, 2014

Tube should be sharper but it depends on the lens.
The manual for the tubes shows a chart for useful distances with a variety of lenses.
Unless you get very good CU lenses there will be a visible difference I think the B+W and Hasselblad versions may be two element lenses and should be very good.
From a convenience standpoint, the CU lenses are more easily used.

cliveh · Sep 1, 2014

I sometimes use tubes with my Hasselblad, but a lens of the correct focal length is far preferable.

markbarendt · Sep 1, 2014

LMNOP said:
Pros/Cons?

Nothing big.

It's just a preference.

polyglot · Sep 1, 2014

It Depends

If you're using a lens not designed for closeup work like your 150, you may get a higher magnification with less loss of sharpness by using (excellent and expensive - more expensive than tubes) closeup filters. What they do is shorten the focal length of your lens so that at a given extension, you have greater magnification, so you can reach greater magnification than you would otherwise. You do need to keep in mind that you are operating the lens well outside its design envelope though; the incoming rays are less parallel than the designer intended and therefore there are greater aberrations. The filters help a little with this but not much.

If you are using a lens actually designed for closeup/high-magnification use and which has its spherical aberration corrected for high magnifications (i.e. the 140 M-LA), you will get much greater sharpness using the tubes. If you set the floating element properly, you will get as much sharpness as you would expect from your RZ nearer to infinity.

I also find the short tube useful for doing close (head only) portraits with longer (250mm+) lenses.

David Allen · Sep 2, 2014

Something like this is the appropriate filter size:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Mami...LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c883e5401&_uhb=1

I successfuly used close-up filters with a range of Hasselblad lenses.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

David Allen · Sep 2, 2014

LMNOP said:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/822828-REG/Hoya_A77CUS_77mm_Close_Up_Kit_Multi_Coated.html

Like this? Is there any difference in quality between filters and tubes?

Yes, those should be fine.

The difference between filters and tubes is partly preference and partly convenience.

With tubes you have to calculate the exposure compensation.

With filters you just use them as required.

Personally, I found that the filters produced sharper and more pleasing results than the tubes.

Contrary to other posts even very good filters are much cheaper than the complicated and expensive tubes required for the RZ electronics. As already mentioned, if you buy large enough filters you can (with appropriate step-up/down rings) use them across all of your equipment.

David.
www.dsallen.de

LMNOP · Sep 2, 2014

David Allen said:
Something like this is the appropriate filter size:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Mami...LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c883e5401&_uhb=1

I successfuly used close-up filters with a range of Hasselblad lenses.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

Damn those look great, and a great price but it says 58mm. For my RZ I have been looking at 77mm, no?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

John Koehrer · Sep 2, 2014

Let me dig around I think I've got a set of 77mm somewhere. Reasonable too.

LMNOP · Sep 2, 2014

John Koehrer said:
Let me dig around I think I've got a set of 77mm somewhere. Reasonable too.

yeah?

RZ67 Extension Tubes

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