EX-25mm Macro Tube

[craig]

Olympus US site

The Extension tube incresses the magnification of a object.
some complain about not being able to focus it, and others about it being to much magnification, another option is to use close up filters.

Support this site by ordering below:

[craig]

Some day maybe.

[craig]

other reviews on the web.
Ozray's short review

[craig]

manmachine wrote:

Pros: very vell built, high maximum magnification with Zuiko Digital lenses

Cons: not compatible with other extension tube or teleconverter

Price: new: 40000HUF --> 200USD

Other: EX-25 works only Zuiko Digital 50/2 Macro in AF mode officially (any other lenses in MF mode), but with my 50-200 and 14-54 the EX-25 works successfully in AF mode!

[laingjd]

Here is my review of the EX 25.

Pros:

It is a VERY well made accessory.
It gives the ability to focus VERY close.
It adds negligible weight to the camera/lens when attached.
Nice storage case.

Cons:

Cannot be used on certain lenses.
It gives the ability to focus VERY close. I put this here as well as the Pros column for a reason. If you are not careful when you focus close, you can run the front lens element right onto the object you are focusing on. Trust me on this. One more reason for a clear UV/Protection filter kept on the lens.

Price paid: $95.00 (but I caught them with their pants down) Retail: approx $125.00

Other Info: This adapter is the poor mans way out of a Macro lens and works fine for that as well as decreasing the focus distance on.......lets say.........the 14-45 or 14 to 54 lens.

Well worth the investment.

[AnnF]

Which lenses can this be used with? And which not?

Thank you,

Ann

[laingjd]

I gotta make sure I get this right so as not to confuse.....

You cannot use it with the 7-14 mm lens or the 11-22 lens as focusing is impossible.

It can be used with the 14-54, but only at 54mm.

It can be used with the 14-45, but not at 14mm.

It will not focus at those focal lengths.

All the others so far are okay.

I do not have information on the 35-100 or 90 to 250.

[llpoolej]

I think this is best with the 50-200. I love this combo for insect macros. Like bees that I don\'t want to be near.

I like it well with the 50mm macro,but you must be very close

[AnnF]

I never thought about using it for bees because I\'ve always gotten up close. But I will try that next time.
I just put it on my 50-200. The closest I could get was about 30\" at 200mm, whereas without it I couldn\'t get closer than about 45\".

Wish I had them both together when I was shooting the baby hummingbird in it\'s nest earlier this year! Maybe we can compile some good samples to display in another section.

[iansk]

You may find using a tripod when using this with the 50mm is beneficial especially with a wide open aperture, I haven\'t used mine much yet but on some of the photos the focus has not been where i wanted it to be.

[arteacher]

Wouldn't focus on my Lumix L1

[JoannaK]

I got Ex-25 rectly and have been using it with E-300 and two lens kit.

Pros:

Solid build.
Connects lense communication trough, allowing AF and aperture control.
Works with 14-15 and 40-150 (old model).
Gives good close up coverage even with kit lenses.

Cons:

Working needs some thought from user.
Price, for essentially empty tube.

Price paid: Scalped by european pricing. (allmost 150 Euros )

Other Info: AF works even with those basic kit lenses, but one has to remember that with Ex-25 normal lenses af capability is real short (may be millimeters) so it needs to be helped either by zoom or positioning the camera to almost right distance.

Images are higher quality than with close-up lenses, but all normal macro problems (short working distance, difficulty of lightning, shallow DOF) persists.

Samples: Some in camera Jpegs uploaded with picasa software (scales pictures, no crop or other PP). Shot with handheld E300, 14-150 and EX25:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jokurki/20070622 and http://picasaweb.google.com/jokurki/20070626

[wsearfoss]

I would like to see some comparison pictures with and with out the extention. Is that possible?

[cosmonaut]

[AnnF]

I would like to see some comparison pictures with and with out the extention. Is that possible?

With which lens(es)?

Ann

[cosmonaut]

With which lens(es)?

Ann

I used the 14-54mm. It's quite the task getting focus. You can forget AF. I basically had to move the camera into the shot until I reached focus. I will keep at it. I am sure it's a learning curve with it. It seems to have a real shallow DOF even at high F stops. Also I had the lens at 54mm with this shot.

[AnnF]

I do have some really great shots with the EX-25 & 14-54. But I did also find that I had to move in and out to get it into focus. I'll have to pull it out and play around with it some more on the 50-200 with my butterflies.

wsearfoss: Were you looking for samples taken at the same distance? Or did you want to see how much closer one could get in the same shot?

Ann

[ghenton]

EX25 Olympus 4/3 extention tube. I bought to try and make use of my kit lenses. and not have to buy a macro lens. As it turns out it does work but with some handycaps.


Pros;
Well made,
keeps the eletrics working. auto exposure and focusing ok
No loss of detail,
No added distortion
No added Chromatic Aboration.
lots of magnification


Cons;
high price for a tube.
very short working focus range
have to focus using the zoom, then let the camera do the finail focus.


the 14-45 works well, would not focus under 30mm,
1-4 inches total working range




the 40-150 works very good. focuses at all focal lenghts
1 to 5 feet total working range.


All in all I found the 40-150 & ex25 workable when going around and shooting flowers and bugs etc. The working distance of the 14.45 was too short and too narrow for field work. The high magnification of the 14-45 did capture lots of close-up detail if you are into shooting small objects.



The attached photos are of a glass trinket approximately 6 inches tall. These are my control images. The one is of the whole piece the second a shot taken with a Sigma 18-50. No ex25 attached
GerryH

[ghenton]

Here two shots with the Kit Oly 14-45mm and the EX25
the one is the Kit Oly 14-45 at 45mm and f8 no EX25
and then the Kit Oly 14-45 and EX25 at 45mm and f8.
These were taken at a point that was the closest to the object that I could focus.

GerryH

[ghenton]

Here are a couple of pic's from the Kit Oly 40-150.

There is one with just the 40-150+EX25 at 40mm f8
Next there is the 40-150 at 150mm at f8
then there is the 40-150+EX25 at 150 f8

working distance is about 1-5 feet has the same problem focusing. You need to "focus" with the zoom and then let the camera do the fine tuning. A little funky but workable.

GerryH

[ghenton]

Here is a walk around picture I took with the Oly 40-150mm + ex25

[MrEd]

will this work with the sigam 105mm macro? i was wondering because i want to get closer than 1:1 scale, will this give me 2:1?

many thanks

Ed

[ghenton]

My Sigma 105 has not arrived yet, so I can not say for sure. I have tried it with a Sigma 18-50ex dc macro and it would not focus. (the focal point seamed to be behind the front of the lens). It did work with the Bigma Sigma 50-500.

GerryH

[flipmack]

Pros:
- Compact
- Works very well with the old 40-150
- Works OK with the 14-45
- AF works with both kit lenses, but much easier to use MF and use the "zoom-to-focus" technique
- Would really hurt someone if you threw it at them

Cons:
- well-built case has negligible utility
- wish my E-500 was built the same way

Price Paid:
$76 new from Dell (used AMEX $50 certificate to drop price down)

Comments:
I haven't had a chance to really use the EX-25 outside for its intended purpose yet (flowers, bugs, details of 'nature'), but for the time I've had it and for the test shots indoors, it has worked magnificently. Definitely a keeper considering this poor man can't afford either macro lens (50F2 or 35F3.5).

Test shots here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flipmac...7604911259787/

[crussell]

Pros, cons, and price have already been pretty well covered, just thought I'd add it works with my LensBaby.