There are a lot of subjective questions on this subject all over the place, so I thought I'd take a poll and see what the responses are. What do you consider safe to hang off the lens mount, specifically when you're having a hand-holding session and dangling the camera around your neck?
This is a common question with the lenses before you hit the "exotic" range: 70-200 f/2.8, 300mm f/4, 80-400mm, etc. This range all has removable tripod collars, and no lens strap hooks, but is getting into that weight class where people start worrying about their lens mount, especially with the plastic bodies (even more so now that bodies like the D7x00/D600 are offering a high class of features with a partly plastic body).
With no strap hooks and removable collars, one would think it'd be okay to dangle the setup off your shoulder/neck/hand just by the camera body... but it's certainly entering into the gray area.
binary visions wrote:
With no strap hooks and removable collars, one would think it'd be okay to dangle the setup off your shoulder/neck/hand just by the camera body...
That is pretty much my criteria.
I used to hang a 300/2.8 off the camera and strap, but after a while the lens mount needed to be replaced. The Nikon F bayonet mount is almost as old as I am and not the strongest.
In 2010, I had a mid-'90's Tokina 80-200mm f/2.8 mounted on a D80 inside of a LowePro Slingbag. The bag fell off my shoulder (my fault, not the bags) onto hard concrete.
The lens survived. But the D80 mount was pushed in ever so slightly- enough that you could put a lens on it, but it gave some error message.
Would a D700, D800, D3s or D4 have survived? No clue... and hopefully I'll never find out.
the mounts are of a breech type assy. they are spring loaded to stay on/in full face contact of the lens and camera assemblies. if there is sag or flex it over its limit. if its designed to accept a collar there might be a reason for it.
I know the rules of thumb... But like many things, a suggested rule isn't always the whole reality. And a majority of responses go like what the poll indicates - "I've never tried it."
Just always interested to see what experiences are like. Until Nikon publishes numbers, that is!
As a data point, I carried the 300mm f/4 + TC on my D300 for years hanging by the stock camera strap. Was it a good idea? Who knows? Just a little piece of the puzzle.
I'm now trying out my Cinch 2 with the new RRS clamp that has strap mounting points, which makes it easy to carry by the lens when I have a telephoto mounted, and the camera body the rest of the time.
+1 to Will. Carry by the heaviest part, both to protect all your gear (even if it's a D4 or D800) and also for balance and comfort. If it's got a tripod collar, it goes on a shoulder sling like the BlackRapid products and hangs by my side.
I worry less about the lensmount than I do about my neck.
Do not play with fate, she loves deadly jokes. I had few collisions with heavy camera+lens combo with no damage to either, but on the other hand I have also damaged 105VR on my shelf due to tarmac impact. Just one awkward movement and expensive lens is dropping away. That's why I hate change lenses.
FWIW, and I don't condone this. There is a local shooter that uses a Canon 1d2n and 500L for birding. He stands the rig on the pier on the lens shade when not in use. When a shot comes along he hoists the rig off the ground by the camera grip only. I asked him about it once, said he's been doing it for years. Not for me but just saying.
