It seems everything I learn yields more questions. I tried hanging my 55-300mm "kit lens" on the end of my extension tubes and a TC. I think I've figured out that placing the TC between the tubes and the lens give the same magnification effect while allowing me to be much further away from the subject than when I place the TC between the tubes and the K-r body. Maybe that was obvious (or maybe I'[m wrong) but to me it was neat. However, the DAL 55-300 has no manual aperture control and I really don't know what it did. For one set of shots it seemed to behave like it was wide open and for another everything was so dark it was like the aperture had closed down. I thought I knew what it was supposed to do but maybe my goofy rig caused random stuff to happen.

Anyway, I got another shot of a Hummingbird Moth with the 55-300 and while it isn't awesome, I think it's pretty good and shows that really, all you need to get started is a few dollars worth of tubes from ebay, garage sale, pawn shop, wherever... go get some and play... it's fun!

[eaglem]

Nice shot and a little more DOF would have been nice but when using extension tubes this is the sacrifice you make.

[HockeyDad]

Agreed... but with the 55-300, there's no manual aperture control and the tubes are manual so I think the lens shoots wide open when the camera isn't controlling it but I don't really know...

Also, I think some of the blur is motion blur as the critter was in flight.

[MSL]

Just keep playing around as you seem to be getting it more right than wrong. Looks like maybe I should invest in a good TC.