strange reflections in viewfinder

Gemkutter

New member
Hello and thanks for having me as a member. I am a real photonoob, just starting to learn so please bear with me.
I posted this in the D60 section first, hoping for a bigger audience here. If I am breaking any rules admin, please delete the other post.
I facet gemstones and am having a fit trying to photo them. Hard to sell them with blurry pictures.
I just got a set of 3 extension tubes, no name brand, they fit and seem well made. 9, 16, and 30mm. All aluminum with matte black finish, probably anodized. But when I put any combination of tubes on the camera I get this array thru the viewfinder.
Doesnt matter if its turned on or not, doesnt matter what I aim it at, its always there. It still takes pics fine, but rather hard to focus with this in the way.
There is a center dot, always red, surrounded by 6 white dots, then the rest kind of grey/bluish. All in a perfect honeycomb pattern. It only shows up with the ext. tubes, with either one of my 2 lenses. Looks to me like a multiple reflection of the aperture opening. Doesnt show on any pics.
I took the gem picture below with the pattern in the viewfinder. Not too bad, but the stone is the size of a penny. For small ones I cant tell if its focused because of all the visual interference from this pattern in the viewfinder. Kind of like looking thru a wet screen.
Again, the camera works just fine without the ext. tube or tubes. Mirror clean, nothing loose.
D60 with 18-55 lens. Same thing with 55-200. Using center sensor, control dial on M, autofocus off.

I will stop rambling now and wait for some hopefully professional advice from you guys and girls.

Nick, Stuck in SC


 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
This was asked an answered in another thread. Since you say it only happens with the extension tubes and you see the result within the viewfinder, have you tried Live View? Perhaps it is a reflection that gets bounced around before it appears in the viewfinder. Live View might give you more info on whether or not it still happens.
 

nickt

Senior Member
We are talking about that kaleidoscope effect shown in your viewfinder shot? Wow. Do you see it without the gemstone in focus? Live view like Hark said probably will help. Live view might help you get better manual focus too.
 

J-see

Senior Member
Are you using a light-source pointed at the gems? Gems shine because they break the light; if that reflects into the lens, you get all kinds of patterns. The reason they might not show up in the shots is because during the exposure the mirror is up. The mirror might allow them to reach the viewfinder.

It's easily checked; shoot them without a light-source pointed at them. Maybe simply turning the gem 180° might already reveal if it is the reflection.

The pattern in your viewfinder has the same color combinations as the gem you show so it's probable there's a relation.
 
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Mike150

Senior Member
Live View is not a feature on the D60. I have been using a D60 for many years but I've never used an extension tube with mine.

I was wondering if you've tried this with only one tube or all at once. I would try them one at a time and observe to see if the pattern changes in relation to their extension value. (larger vs smaller pattern).

The second thing that comes to mind is the possibility that the tubes are not sealing properly at the joints and allowing light to enter. Try wrapping the assembly with some black construction paper to help block light.

I would also try finding a friend with a different Nikon DX camera and try the same tube/lens setup on their camera.
 

J-see

Senior Member
Btw, do your tubes allow communication with the lens? If not and you haven't got a lens with manual aperture, what you see in the viewfinder is with the aperture fully closed down.

If the cam says f/0 or f-- or something similar, that might be the problem.
 
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Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
I'll try again.

It's almost impossible to explain what you are seeing since the picture you supplied is too small for us to judge.

From your description: "There is a center dot, always red, surrounded by 6 white dots, then the rest kind of grey/bluish", this is I think the normal view in the viewfinder. It shows the different focus points, the red one being the presently active one. I'm not sure it can be turned off as it is part of the camera's focus acquisition and confirmation system. Since you say it does not appear on a picture, it's probably there on purpose.

What you could do is take the camera to a camera store in your area with the tubes and show them and ask them their opinion.

As far as focusing, you have to remember that the extension tubes reduce the light coming inside the camera quite a bit, and if your tubes don't have the electronic communication switches with the camera, all is done with the aperture closed. This would make it almost impossible to manual focus in normal circumstances.

Hope I've helped a bit...

Good luck.
 
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Gemkutter

New member
That might be it. the tubes do not comm with the camera and the fstop is not adjustable when the tubes are on. Tha apert appears to be a tiny opening and thats what I am seeing
 
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