And maybe you don't have $700 just lying around to drop on a quality macro lens, but surely you've got a few bucks to put toward building your own extension tube. This tutorial by Makify shows you how to build your own out of ABS (or PVC) pipe, a camera body cap, and a rear lens cap, which will end up costing you somewhere in the ballpark of $5 to $10 ($3 if you've got caps to spare).

Here's the link to the Macro Extension Tube Calculator mentioned in the video.

Of course, if you're not really handy with saws and drills, you don't have to go the DIY route. You can buy an extension tube for roughly $75 to $150. Remember that a well-made extension tube won't degrade your image quality remotely as much as a poorly-made one, since it's less likely to cause light leakage. That's a good thing to keep in mind, too, if you do decide to build your own.

Here's Todd Wolfe of FroKnowsPhotos to give you a primer on (non-DIY) extension tubes.

Do you use extension tubes? If you've ever made your own, what materials did you use? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Makify

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Cinematography & Cameras