Meike MK-S-AF3A Review: Affordable Macro Extension Tubes for Your Sony

If you're dabbling in macro photography with a Sony mirrorless camera, you might have come across the Meike MK-S-AF3A Auto Focus Macro Extension Tube Adapter. These tubes are designed to let you get up close and personal with your subjects without breaking the bank.

At first glance, the Meike extension tubes seem like a solid pick for anyone looking to explore macro photography without investing in a dedicated macro lens. But how do they perform in real-world scenarios?

In this review, I aim to give you a straight-up opinion about the product, based on my experience using it for a couple of weeks. We'll get into specifics about build quality, usability, and overall performance.

By the end, you'll have a clear idea if these tubes are a fit for you or if you should keep looking.

When considering the price, the Meike MK-S-AF3A extension tubes offer good value for money. They're among the more affordable options available for Sony E-mount users, making them a cost-effective way to explore macro photography.

Compared to other brands like Kenko, which tend to be pricier, these Meike tubes offer a similar experience for a fraction of the cost. Of course, you don't get the same build quality or precision engineering, but for beginners or occasional macro shooters, the compromises might be worth it.

One thing potential buyers should consider is what their actual needs are. If you find yourself frequently needing to shoot macro images for professional purposes, investing in a higher-end solution might be wise. But if you're just dabbling, these tubes are a low-risk investment to get started.

Overall, they're not perfect, but they offer a practical entry point into the world of macro photography.

The Meike MK-S-AF3A extension tubes come with a metal bayonet and a plastic body. At first touch, they feel pretty solid for something in this price range. The metal bayonet reassures you that it can withstand regular use without worrying about wear and tear at the connection points.

One thing I noticed was the lightness of the tubes, weighing around 48g and 70g for the 10mm and 16mm tubes respectively. While this makes them easy to carry, it also gives a slight sense of fragility to the plastic parts. It's not flimsy, but you wouldn't want to toss them around carelessly.

Using them is straightforward. You can stack the tubes or use them individually depending on how close you want to get to your subject. The connections fit snugly on my Sony A6000, and I didn't encounter any hiccups during attachment or detachment.

Overall, in terms of design, it gets the job done with a few understandable compromises given the cost.

Performance-wise, the Meike MK-S-AF3A does a decent job for amateur macro photography. The tubes allow you to achieve a higher magnification by decreasing the minimum focusing distance. I used them primarily for photographing flowers and small objects, and the results were satisfactory.

They support autofocus, but I found that manual focus gave more control, especially under challenging lighting conditions. The autofocus can sometimes hunt a bit, which isn't unusual for extension tubes, but it's something to keep in mind.

There's an element of trial and error in terms of exposure. Since the tubes don't have any elements themselves, they rely on the camera's lens, which can lead to over or underexposure if you're not careful. I recommend experimenting with different settings to find what works best for your particular setup.

In practice, these tubes won't replace a dedicated macro lens, but for getting your feet wet, they give a taste of macro photography without a big investment.