I just invested into a set of macro extension tubes. Yesterday they arrived and in the evening I had my first trial shots to determin the additional magnification and reached a total magnification of 2.3 : 1. Maximum magnification I could reach until now with my macro lense was true macro (=1:1 magnification, means 1" on object results in 1" picture on the camera sensor). Now every inch on my plants is magnified by factor 2.3 on my sensor and I'm able to do super macro photography. (My sensor is 17.31 x 12.98 mm, means any plant with a diameter of at least 5.6 mm will fill the entire height of the sensor, 7.5 mm are enough to fill the entire sensor.)
Disadvantage is that I have to be about 1.5" away from my plant object to get it in focus. The focal plane is even shallower than in 1:1 magnification and its impossible to get a good picture without a tripod. Fortunately I bought a cheap tripod and a macro rail slider for 20 EUR on ebay right after getting the camera, but never used them until now.
The picture on the left is 1:1 at daylight, the picture on the right is 2.3: 1 magnification of my variegatum seedling using the electrical light in our living room and an LED torch to get a "colder" and more intense light. Worst light ever, but tripod, slider, camera and extension tubes work fine.
Still have to get used to taking pictures at this high magnification and will do lots of training shots of my new seedlings at daylight on the weekend. Hopefully it does not rain.
