Extension Tubes : EF(-S) vs M42

[ChromaticAberration]

I will be buying extension tubes for my Canon EOS body. The mount is EF and EF-S compatible but I only have one EF-S lens.

My doubt is wether to buy an M42 extension tube (I already have the adapter) or the EF mount extension tube.
It seems logical to buy the EF mount version since it would allow the MF lenses adapters to be used anyhow but I am afraid there is somekind of an incompatibility that I am not aware of, other than the fact that the M42 adapter on top of the extension tube would somehow look weird and probably cast an extra shadow on the subject (?).


Thanks in advance.

[my_photography]

Unless you plan to use your EF/EF-s lens, I see no reason to get the EF extension tube. It is also more expensive compared to M42 extension tube.

[ylyad]

Well, M42 extension tubes can be found for a couple of bucks. Honestly, it's really the cheapest way to try macro. Anything more expensive will be wasted money, that you'll need to buy real macro lenses

[leo_b]

[dickb]

EF(-s) tubes exist in two versions, with or without electronic contacts. If you want to use your EF lens and be able to stop the lens down, then you need the contacts that allow the camera to communicate with the lens. This version is expensive. The cheap chinese ebay EF extension rings lack contacts and cost about the same as M42 extension rings.

With M42 rings you can only extend M42 lenses. Screwing/unscrewing rings is less convenient than a bayonet mount system. A slight drawback of the cheap EF mount rings may be a bit of rotational play between lens and extension ring.

The only incompatibility I've encountered is sometimes when using an expensive EF ring with contacts combined with a manual (M42) lens. The contacts in the ring tell the camera there is a lens mounted but the camera can't talk with it and refuses to take a picture.

I'd advise a cheap set EF rings.

[calvin83]

The EF tube with electronic contacts is 10x more than a tube with no electronic contacts. Get both cheap EF and M42 tubes if you cannot decide it.

[ChromaticAberration]

I never considered the electronic version of the EF mount tubes that would only make sense for someone who has lots of EF lenses, not my case, probably never will be.

My doubt is that if I buy the M42 version I will be limited to M42 lenses since I won't be buying M42 » X mount converters. If I buy the EF version I should be able to use my converters, both the M42 and the C/Y but I do not know if there is any drawback I am not foreseeing.