Any fully compatible extension tubes of HQ?

I recently --as in last week-- purchased the Kenko "Automatic Extension Tube Set

DG" and they are not of high quality. With all three rings and my Sigma 150/2.8

they began to flex. I could begin to see separation of the mounting flanges and

bayonets in the rings. I even heard a little tick/crack noise. I took apart the

12mm tube and one of the screws for the mounting flange had cracked the plastic

inside the tube. The plastic the screw went in to was thin and did not have any

reinforcement. This is not good.

 

So, other than buying and modifying a PN-1/PN-11 are there any metal or well

built extension tube sets that will work with AF-S lenses?

No other tubes available.

There are none to my knowledge, but putting a 900 gram lens on the end of three extension tubes is begging for trouble.

I suggest you stick with the Nikon tubes if your camera will meter with them. So you lose AF. That is OK with me compared to the other problems already noted. If you want to add the electronic contacts to the Nikon tubes, see info at this link: http://damien.douxchamps.net/photo/pn11/index.php

 

Joe Smith

And I bought a PN-11 to do exactly that.

 

And, yes, putting a heavy lens that is not supported on the end of three extension tubes is not wise. However, even with the tripod mount on the lens my D50 still caused the tubes to flex. I've just never seen that in an extension tube set. The ones that I have always had were metal, including the cheap ones.

You can buy a TC20E and dismount the optical element. This would leave you with a full compatible extension tube in your hands. With the sigma 150 the lens stop readout should be fine and there would probably be HSM and Matrix. Alternatively the original 2X from sigma could cost less, but it will likely convert the 2.8 stop readout to 5.6, with HSM still active but Matrix probably less reliable. Foolish? bye, Marco