An unusual question about Olympus extension tube.

I use Olympus E-510 and E-520 bodies with various lens and am thinking
about an extension tube for use with my 50mm macro lens.

Now my problem. My vision is deminished and focus is difficult for me.
I use auto focus almost exclusively because of this problem. The
Olympus site says "manual focus recommended" for the extension tube.
Has anybody here had experiance with this set up that can tell me how
effective or in-effective the auto focus is with the macro lens?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

It seems nobody with this camera(s)/lens combinations will reply.
I don't expect AF will be very good. With my Nikon D300, AF is quite
usable down to about 1:2 magnification with a macro lens. Closer than
that, and it's practically unusable. The macro lens I use won't AF with
an extension tube, but if I fit the extension tube to a normal lens with
built in motor, then AF will work, but same as above, unusable at higher
magnification.
Since the point of the extension tube is to go even closer, then I don't
think you will have much luck at all with AF. But the focus
confirmation indicator in the viewfinder still works for manual focus,
and if doing slower high magnification work on a tripod, using liveview
is often the better choice, as 10x magnification of the selected area on
the rear screen allows perfect critical focus. In fact it's the only
really useful purpose for liveview that I've yet found so far.

 

Without specific experience you have however given me what I think is
a good view of likely problem I'd have. As you say it is only to get
closer that I want a tube and almost surely it will not work there.

Life has limits.

Thanks.

Charlie

 

Not to me, but no need to try explaining I don't think it matters.

Of course. I'll Try that for now. Cheapest way anyhow.

Thanks,

Charlie