dont use the "filter" macro lenses they are junk. its like looking thru the end of a beer bottle

i dont like macro tubes either because you have to be super super SUPER close to the object depending on what size tube you use.
sometimes you darn near have to touch the object.

but if you decide to go with tubes, and that ok. spend the extra money and get the Kenko auto focus enabled tubes.
otherwise you loose total aperture control and you are stuck using the widest aperture of the lens and for macro work that isnt good, especially on a tube.

using a tube with say an F 1.8 lens or even an F2.8 lens your DOF is maybe a couple of millimeters or less.
if you have the kenko tubes you can still control fstop and thus get a better DOF to get more in focus.

plus tubes will turn any lens into a macro...