Canon EF 12 II Extension Tube For EOS Digital Cameras

After reading the positive reviews, and the recommendation of a professional photographer I decided to purchase this product. The extension tube is easy to install and remove as long as you put it on the lens first, you align with the white marks (for EF-S lens)and then mount the lens using it's white marks to mount to the body. My camera is a Canon Rebel XSI or 450D. In use without a tripod I had a difficult time seeing any difference with or without the extension tube, at first.So I reread the reviews and tried some photos using a tripod, shooting a penny. With my 55- 250 mm EF-S lens, I can get closer with the tube. According to Canon the closest you can focus the 55-250mm zoom without the tube is 1.1 meters, with the extension tube .351 meters. I used the tube again today and I now understand that this is the benefit of the tube. The focus range with the extension tube and the lens at 55 mm is only 351-451 mm, so you are limited to macro. I got some decent photos using auto focus, although Canon recommends using manual to get the best focus. The focus range at 250 mm with the tube is 1075 mm to 5274 mm, so you do have a decent range at this end of the lens, shooting insects and flowers. Magnification according to Canon is .28x to .22x (near to far end) at 55 mm on the zoom lens, and .60x to 0.05x (near to far end of the focus range) at 250 mm. I've found it easier to get close and focus on a single leaf, especially at 55mm.When I tried the extension tube with the standard kit lens 18-55 mm originally I didn't see much benefit. I tried it again today and you can get close at 55 mm.(About 10 cm) Really close at 24 mm, and at 18 mm I had to take the lens hood off to get close enough to focus on a penny. I had to use manual focus at 18 mm. I don't recommend getting that close to a solid object. It will be useful I think doing leaves. So now I'm going to raise my rating to 5 stars, from the original 3 stars. Both EF-S lenses retained all auto functions with tube installed.

My grandfather once told me that all cheeses were made in the same factory so it doesn't matter which cheddar, for example, you purchase. This isn't literally true, of course, but the point he was trying to make is that something that costs more isn't always better than a cheaper version of the same thing. With his voice in mind I purchased both the Polaroid Canon EOS Macro Extension Tube Set For Extreme Close Up Photography AND the Canon EF 12 II Extension Tube For EOS Digital Cameras and put them to the test to see which was the greater value. Here are my findings:1. I'm happy that I bought both.2. They decidedly do not represent different price points of the same thing. The fact that I originally thought they did only reflects my growing, yet still weak, expertise in the paraphernalia of macro photography.3. The Polaroid tube is made up of 7mm, 14mm, and 28mm lengths that can be used individually or in any combination.4. The Polaroid tube is just that...a tube, and supports no electronic connection between camera body and lens. In my book this is absolutely fine as long as what you are photographing is not moving and you have the time to make the necessary positional, exposure, and lighting corrections. Photographing jewelry in a static and controlled environment would be a good example.5. The Canon tube, more like a thick ring actually (The Canon EF 25 II Extension Tube for EOS Digital Cameras is a bit more tube-like.) is of a single fixed 12mm length and supports complete connectivity between camera and lens so that exposure and focusing are done as seamlessly with the EF 12 as without. This is a huge benefit if what you are trying to photograph is in a changing environment or moving. Macro photos of insects comes to mind. Yes, I actually did this while building lesson plans for my Biology class.So, while my experiment to determine relative value was a bit misguided, I did end up with two devices I use frequently and would be unhappy to part with. As I said, they are not 'of a kind' and have separate yet strong appeal. If the Canon tube is a cheese it would be a fine Brillat-Savarin while the Polaroid isn't a cheese at all, but a really nice set of pliers.

This product did not meet my needs. It attaches between the camera and whatever lens you want to use. I tried it on my T5i with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS STM lens. The product description on Amazon says "Canon EF 12 II Extension Tube For EOS Digital Cameras". My T5i qualifies completely as an "EOS Digital Camera". Subsequently, the product info on Amazon says "Retains all metering and AF functions with most CANON EF lenses". Silly me, I assumed that all of my camera/lens functionality would still be available. GUESS AGAIN! Autofocus does NOT work when using the product, and the zoom ability is also toasted! The product description on Amazon does not mention this gamebuster for cameras/lenses of my type. They must have meant somebody else’s EOS Digital Camera.I returned the product.I do not recommend trying it.