Loyal Site Supporter Registered: January, 2008 Location: Paris, TN Posts: 3,349 | Review Date: July 28, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 7 |
Pros: | AE function works with Q lenses | Cons: | AF function may not be useful with present Q lenses | | Having an inveterate interest in close-focus and strange DIY gear combinations it was only a matter of time before I acquired a set of the Movo auto-focus extension tubes. http://www.movophoto.com/Movo-Extension-Pentax-Mirrorless-Camera/dp/B00R8K5GAO
Yes, they are well made and achieve the AF and AE data flow as advertised, and they DO act as extension tubes are supposed to – but too much so. Before you decide you need these give long thought to how you expect to use them. The 'crop factor' pretty much precludes using them with any of the existing Q lenses except the 06 tele beyond 40mm. Otherwise you simply can't get close enough to the subject to focus – auto or not. The efficiency and efficacy of AF for macro work is also arguable.
This isn't to say these tubes may not be just the thing for some special purpose use. Just don't expect to find the AF feature useful with the AF Q lenses -- although the AE data feature may be helpful in some circumstances.
The tubes themselves may be quite useful however if you combine them with an appropriate adapter and longer FL, non-Q lenses. Initial messing about with the Pentax A110 50 and 70mm lenses has shown promise. I suspect M42 and PK lenses in the 50-135mm range, a 70-200mm zoom and the longer DA*-200 & 300mm lenses may be quite interesting as well.
I wouldn't condemn the AF tubes as useless since the AE function may be just what you need with the 06 lens. But I'd certainly be just as happy with the home built adapter-extension tubes I posted here previously. Just 2 to 5 MM of extension is about all that's useful with the mid-range Q lenses IMO and that leaves too little depth to the barrel to easily include a lens release latch.
I wouldn't hesitate to acquire a $15 set of manual extension rings in the 5-25mm range for the Q as I believe they could be very useful.
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