Does anyone know how to remove the tripod collar from the EF300/2.8 L II lens?
Canon service can do it, but I'd like to remove/install it myself when I need to.
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Exactly.
This lens is meant for the action shots and moving it up is not the best solution not to mention unnecessary extra weight. What a terrible design decision on such a wonderful lens!
They could at least have adopted a removable foot (like some Nikkors) and kept the collar on the lens. I suppose that the foot could be removed by the screws if the lens is mainly used handheld, but that still leaves extra weight on the lens and could only be done a limited number of times.
I thought it strange when I first used it. Yet, over time I've gotten used to it and use it in various ways to brace and shift the lens while carrying it over distances. I also use it sometimes when I focus (handheld), even though it's not an ideal hand postion on the lens. It's kind of grown on me.
Makes me wonder if RRS or somebody couldn't take advantage, and produce a line of accessories to optimize the use of the foot for handholding, maybe apply that thinking to several lenses. I use the foot to handhold my 70-200 II, but it creates hand stress and pressure points after a while—something to screw on like a dovetail plate, but for handholding, would be welcome.
There're ways to get add-on solutions, but they're always less then optimal.
After my experience with RRS, I'd not to deal with them again.
Canon designed the foot for stability, so there is little space between the foot (and attached plate if one uses it as a handle) and the lens barrel. Carrying the lens by holding the plate becomes quickly very stressful and uncomfortable.
For my version 1 of the Canon 300 f 2.8 L IS lens, I have for many years used a long multipurpose plate on the foot. My preference and what I have used is the Really Right Stuff MPR-1, which is a 6-inch multi-purpose rail. Wimberley also makes similar long rails. The rounded bottom edges and rounded ends of this rail make it fairly comfortable on your hands when hand holding. Of course I also use the rail to mount on to my Wimberley full gimbal mount, any my style of shooting has me often going between hand held and gimbal support.
As additional information, I have been dealing with Really Right Stuff for over 9 years, with many many purchases of L brackets, plates, rails, ball heads, tripods, a panorama rotator, and a macro rail, and have had nothing but great service from them. On the few occasions where there was an issue with their product or service, they made it right promptly, exactly like you would expect from a well run company.
RolandW wrote: "I have been dealing with Really Right Stuff for over 9 years,…"
So what? What does it prove?
Any deal can go rotten and it is the response to the customer issue that separates an excellent from a lousy company. The RRS prices are surreal. I finally got a better Gitzo tripod, for $350 less, than their product with failing clips. The RRS behaviour would be perfectly be understandable if they cheated on taxes.
There are band-aids, including long plates from many sources, less expensive then RRS or Wimberley, but they are not the solution. I want to remove the tripod collar if I don't need it.
