[diaseis]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

Hi !


So I recently bought Auto Extension Tubes out of eBay but I can seem to take a picture, nor to get the automation of the aperture. I've tried it with my two only lenses : a 18-55mm and a 55-300mm. In both cases, I can clearly see through the sight of my Camera K5 II that they do exactly what I wanted but I can't even trigger the picture, and in green mod, the aperture setting consists of a blinking " F - -".


So I wonder whether my lenses are not compatible or if they made a mistake and sent me the manual version (I'm 100% they said "Auto Extension Tubes").
I also don't understand why my camera won't trigger the picture : even if they were manual they're useless since I can't even take one picture.

I hope those problems are just because of my ignorance.

Have a good day !

[kypfer]

Hi !


So I recently bought Auto Extension Tubes out of eBay but I can seem to take a picture, nor to get the automation of the aperture. I've tried it with my two only lenses : a 18-55mm and a 55-300mm. In both cases, I can clearly see through the sight of my Camera K5 II that they do exactly what I wanted but I can't even trigger the picture, and in green mod, the aperture setting consists of a blinking " F - -".


So I wonder whether my lenses are not compatible or if they made a mistake and sent me the manual version (I'm 100% they said "Auto Extension Tubes").
I also don't understand why my camera won't trigger the picture : even if they were manual they're useless since I can't even take one picture.

I hope those problems are just because of my ignorance.

Have a good day !

Do these extension tubes have the electrical contacts or just the mechanical aperture linkage?
If the latter, you'll need a lens with an aperture ring (not set to "A") for the aperture to work with the camera in Manual mode, other modes won't operate the aperture (except possibly on the K-3iii … I've not tried yet)
You will also need the "Use Aperture Ring" functionality set in the menus.
If your lenses don't have aperture rings you'll need extension tubes with the electrical contacts to work at anything other than full aperture.
I'm not aware of any extension tubes that give a/f functionality.

[BigMackCam]

Hi !


So I recently bought Auto Extension Tubes out of eBay but I can seem to take a picture, nor to get the automation of the aperture. I've tried it with my two only lenses : a 18-55mm and a 55-300mm. In both cases, I can clearly see through the sight of my Camera K5 II that they do exactly what I wanted but I can't even trigger the picture, and in green mod, the aperture setting consists of a blinking " F - -".


So I wonder whether my lenses are not compatible or if they made a mistake and sent me the manual version (I'm 100% they said "Auto Extension Tubes").
I also don't understand why my camera won't trigger the picture : even if they were manual they're useless since I can't even take one picture.

I hope those problems are just because of my ignorance.

Have a good day !

"Auto" doesn't mean that the tubes will communicate with modern lenses. It just means that they have the mechanism to operate the lens' aperture lever. What you need is extension tubes with electrical contacts so that the camera can communicate with the lens. They're not common... I have one, and it's such poor quality that the seller gave me a full refund and told me to keep it...

[diaseis]

Thank you both for your answer. So does it implies that I cannot use it at all ? I'd like to take macro pictures with my camera but I don't have the budget to buy a new lense.

Here is the extension tubes I bought : ?Exc+++?Pentax Auto Extension Tube Ring K 1 2 3 set #N3113 | eBay

Do you think I can make it work with what I aready have ? I bought those almost 5 times more expensive than "Manulal" ones but I can't see the point if I actually need to operate the aperture

@BigMackCam , if I understand corretly, if I had bought the most common ones I wouldn't be able to operate the aperture at all, is that it ?


I have the feeling I got scammed but maybe I'm wrong.

[BigMackCam]

Thank you both for your answer. So does it implies that I cannot use it at all ? I'd like to take macro pictures with my camera but I don't have the budget to buy a new lense.

Here is the extension tubes I bought

Do you think I can make it work with what I aready have ? I bought those almost 5 times more expensive than "Manulal" ones but I can't see the point if I actually need to operate the aperture

@BigMackCam , if I understand corretly, if I had bought the most common ones I wouldn't be able to operate the aperture at all, is that it ?


I have the feeling I got scammed but maybe I'm wrong.

You haven't been scammed. That listing says they're "Auto" tubes, and looking at the photos, the aperture control mechanism is visible - so the listing is correct. You've simply misunderstood what "Auto" means in this instance (and I fully understand why you might). The price you've paid is, arguably, rather high - but if they're good, solid, nicely finished tubes in excellent condition, I wouldn't worry about that.

What the tubes don't have - and most for Pentax don't - is electrical contacts to communicate with modern lenses. That communication passes all sorts of information back and forth including lens model ID, focal length, aperture setting etc...

[UncleVanya]

What lens are you trying to use with them?

[kypfer]

Thank you both for your answer. So does it implies that I cannot use it at all ? I'd like to take macro pictures with my camera but I don't have the budget to buy a new lense.

Here is the extension tubes I bought : ?Exc+++?Pentax Auto Extension Tube Ring K 1 2 3 set #N3113 | eBay

Do you think I can make it work with what I aready have ? I bought those almost 5 times more expensive than "Manulal" ones but I can't see the point if I actually need to operate the aperture

@BigMackCam , if I understand corretly, if I had bought the most common ones I wouldn't be able to operate the aperture at all, is that it ?
I have the feeling I got scammed but maybe I'm wrong.

As mentioned, not scammed, but a bit of mis-understanding on your part
These tubes are from the "film era", so probably 20-30+ years ago, and were only ever designed for use with lenses with an aperture ring … for which they still work perfectly well (but only in Manual mode). They are "automatic", but only in the context of when they were manufactured. The price you paid is probably a bit of a "collectors' price", as they are Asahi branded.
The "most common ones" are probably the very cheap tubes with no aperture linkage at all. Again, perfectly useable, within the limitations of having to be able to manually stop the lens down before making an exposure, for which you'll need an aperture ring.
More "modern" tubes, with contacts, are relatively scarce and don't appear to have been manufactured for some time, so they too command quite a high price (unless you get lucky!).
As you now have these tubes, for "not a lot more" you should be able to add an old manual-everything (focus and aperture) lens and you'll be "good to go" with just a little bit of practice. From personal experience, I'd suggest something like a Tamron Adaptall-2 28-80mm as a good general-purpose starter. Doubtless there are others of similar quality, but I've not used them. You'll not need a lens with an "A" setting on the aperture ring (or a PKA mount in the case of a Tamron, though both will work fine) for use with these tubes, so options are many and prices are low.
Good luck

[Philoslothical]

So does it implies that I cannot use it at all ? I'd like to take macro pictures with my camera but I don't have the budget to buy a new lense.

Sure you do, perhaps just not a new new lens. If you can afford tubes you can squeak something to use on them until you can get something better. All you need is a little prime lens, like one of the older 50mm. For the first several years I shot macro I was using a set of tubes like you have with a Pentax A 50mm f./2, which was a kit lens on some old film cameras. It cost about $20 for the lens, and you should have no trouble finding one around that price. It's not the sharpest 50mm lens out there, and you'll get better quality if you can spend ~$100 on a Pentax F 50mm f./1.7, but it will allow you to learn to shoot macro in the meantime, and then when you have an opportunity for a better lens sometime in the future, you'll see the quality jump in your work. You'll already know what you're doing so you'll be able to fully leverage the new lens.

Be sure to get a prime that has an aperture ring. Keep the aperture ring set to the aperture you want to use while using the tubes. A lens lacking an aperture ring will only shoot wide open on tubes, which isn't useful.

I understand your disappointment, but you don't want to use extension tubes with zoom lenses, anyway. Some zoom lenses won't work at all with tubes. Due to the design of their optics, when you add extension the focal point can be reduced to being inside the front element of the lens, making focusing on a subject impossible. Zoom lenses with extension will also show more distortion, as a rule, because they're not designed to have the same resolving power as a decent prime. Extension exaggerates any flaws present in the optics of a lens.

This thread helped me get started a decade ago, and it's still entirely relevant. It's a good read. Don't get discouraged. You have so much good stuff ahead of you if you pursue this.

Edit to add: My Pentax A 50mm f./2 is pretty beat up, the coatings are a bit messy, but if it's of use to you and you're willing to cover the shipping I'll send it to you at no additional cost. I'm located in Canada. And edited again to correct a misremembered point.

[vonBaloney]

main points:

-- You paid a little extra for the name but also the quality. There are no better all mechanical tubes you can get. (There are plenty of worse ones)

-- However, those tubes are not suitable for your lenses since your lenses have no aperture ring.

-- But... really, NO tubes are really suitable for those lenses as they are just poor choices for macro work (even if there are tubes out there that would technically work)

-- If you do find tubes with electrical contacts, expect to pay at least $100, and maybe double that. (And some are crap, so might wanna check in with the forum before purchase)

So, if you want to pursue macro, you have choices. The easiest is to buy a cheap old manual K-mount 50mm (almost any brand will do if it is at least as fast as f/2 (f/1.7 or f/1.8 more common and preferable though). You can find many for $30-$50. Then you can use your tubes with that.

Another option, probably better, is to forget about those tubes -- return them if you can -- and buy a real macro lens. If you don't mind using manual lenses (no auto-aperture, no autofocus), then something like the Vivitar 55mm f/2.8 macro (which can be found in K-mount and also m42 screw mount) is by even modern standards one of the sharpest lenses around and can often be found for $100-$150 (I see one on ebay in PK for $100 + shipping right now). Other underrated lenses are old Sigma 50mm and 90mm manual focus macros, which DO have auto-aperture ('A' setting on the aperture ring). (Just make sure the rings and rubber aren't falling apart as the Sigma's from the age can be that way if they haven't been kept well.) Again, I see a Sigma 90mm macro on ebay right now for only $80 -- totally worth it. And if you've got a bigger budget, of course there is a whole world of more modern and expensive lenses to choose from. Please note that many old lenses will throw around the word "macro" quite a bit when they aren't truly macro lenses (especially zooms). Look for a real macro lens that gives you at least a 1:2 macro ratio. (1:2 is half lifesize, 1:1 is "full" lifesize macro.) There are plenty of crappy not-really-macro-lenses-that-say-macro (although a few of these are quite good), but almost any true macro lens will be pretty good quality as they just have to be.

[Lowell Goudge]

The issue here is not that the op was scammed, nor was the description unclear.

He got what was advertised. He got auto aperture ( meaning automatic stop down with open aperture focusing ) K mount extension tubes.

What he needed however was auto aperture KA mount extension tubes. These have the contacts needed for DA lenses

[Philoslothical]

This is not correct.
Without the electrical contacts in the tubes a lens set on "A" will only work at full aperture and won't stop down, just as the OP's existing lenses without an aperture ring (effectively in "A" full-time) won't stop down on these tubes.
An M or K lens or their third-party equivalents will be absolutely fine when the camera is used in Manual mode. Even lenses with the dreaded "Ricoh-pin" will be no problem on these tubes!

I misremembered and corrected my comment above. It's been quite a while. I also remember having to sand the black anodizing off a portion of one of my tubes to short the camera's contacts in order to get it to work properly. I used a fine silica sandpaper for it and had no issues, but the tube needs to be cleaned well after or you could have a black dust invasion.

[UncleVanya]

Bear in mind that good Apochromatic diopter lenses work wonderfully on lenses even those without aperture rings. Longer focal lengths work best but even shorter ones work.

Raynox makes the dcr-150 and 250 with a snap on attachment that makes using them easy.

[Thagomizer]

Another option is to get a reverse adapter for the 18-55. Depending on the reverse adapter, you might need to get a step up or step down ring. Mounted in reverse, this lens can give variable magnification, starting around 1:1 at 55mm and going beyond as you change the zoom to the wider end. It can be a tricky way of doing things, but when it works, the results can be very good, if I do say so myself.

Here are some results I was able to get:

Macro by any means necessary club - Page 37 - PentaxForums.com

Macro by any means necessary club - Page 35 - PentaxForums.com

Macro by any means necessary club - Page 35 - PentaxForums.com

There's even an adapter which, once the optics are removed, will let you open and close the aperture of the reversed lens:

Macro by any means necessary club - Page 36 - PentaxForums.com

---------- Post added 09-09-21 at 05:07 PM ----------

Bear in mind that good Apochromatic diopter lenses work wonderfully on lenses even those without aperture rings. Longer focal lengths work best but even shorter ones work.

Raynox makes the dcr-150 and 250 with a snap on attachment that makes using them easy.

I can recommend the Raynox too. I've got the 250, and it works well on macro and non-macro lenses.

[mlag]

the fact that you are not able to fire the camera, indicates that the extension ring does not have electrical contacts and the camera is not aware that the lens is present. There is a way to allow firing which is explained in the tips for manual lenses How to use/meter Manual & M42 Lenses on all Pentax DSLRs (K-1, K-3, K-5, K-30, etc) - PentaxForums.com , look for the "set Using Aperture Ring" custom function is set to "2 (allowed)" in your menu .


Like above stated, there is probably a lever (pin extending , if you move it on the lens you see the aperture opening/closing...) allowing to control the aperture, hence the automatic.

An example of a (new, still sold) extender with contacts is here : Caruba Extension Tube Pentax Chrome : ET PC reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database . This extender works best with new lenses... (with old lenses there is the issue that the electric contacts indicate it as a modern lens...). The only thing that you need to watch for is the position of the lever when mounting.

[BigMackCam]

An example of a (new, still sold) extender with contacts is here : Caruba Extension Tube Pentax Chrome : ET PC reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database . This extender works best with new lenses... (with old lenses there is the issue that the electric contacts indicate it as a modern lens...). The only thing that you need to watch for is the position of the lever when mounting.

I have a differently-named version of that same extension tube, with the same loose aperture lever. It's very poor quality - plastic tube, poorly chromed body mount and lens mount (with inaccurate tolerance which result in an alarmingly tight fit), aperture lever feels like it's made of tin. I attached it to my old K-5 a couple of times, attached an old lens - without heeding the aperture lever warning - and nearly ended up with it stuck on the extension tube for good. After that, I put it back in the box and initiated a return with the seller, who refunded my money and told me I could keep it (I suspect I wasn't the first to be dissatisfied with the item). I've not bothered with it since...