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Archive 2013 · large lens - How do you carry it?

  
 
skibum5
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · large lens - How do you carry it?


PCKit wrote:
I just acquired a 300 2.8 IS lens. This is the largest and heaviest lens that I have have owned. I'm accustomed to using a padded neck strap. I've had no problems carrying my 100 400, or 400 prime, or 70 200 in this way, but I am finding the 300 alot of weight to hang from my neck. Are their other methods for holding this and/or larger lenses?

Help and suggestions, would be appreciated.

Kathy


It rolls well, and yeah it's heavy, so usually I just place it on the ground and kick it rolling along, saves a LOT of energy. It's an L. It can take it.And when you come to a decline it basically carries itself, no need to even kick, away it goes! Where it ends up nobody knows. But somewhere down there and then you find it and just keep kicking it along.





Sep 04, 2013 at 03:26 PM
skibum5
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · large lens - How do you carry it?


Or for the times I don't feel like doing that, then I find that the ThinkTank Slong-O-Matic-10 is absolutely perfect! It can even handle it with TC and/or camera body mounted, nice wide strap. It really was a mega-pain, literally so, before I picked that up.



Sep 04, 2013 at 03:28 PM
skibum5
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · large lens - How do you carry it?


Although if you are talking about during active usage, yeah it hurts my neck if I let it dangle full weight for a long time so I just give it a touch of support with my arms or more often shoulder strap it (I've just been dealing with strap it comes with although a wider, padded one might be nicer).

And during super active usage, simply hold it (with strap around neck or shoulder for safety just in case) dangling in my arms and only raise it up for shots and then right back down again. For sports I'd have it on a monopod whenever I was tired or out of shape, otherwise I liked to hand hold it as in manner just stated prior. And when I'd need to change field positions, just rest monopod against my shoulder with lens hanging off the back.



Edited on Sep 04, 2013 at 03:37 PM · View previous versions



Sep 04, 2013 at 03:30 PM
skibum5
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · large lens - How do you carry it?


PCKit wrote:
Thanks Vivisha.

I was also noticing slots on each side of the lens for a strap. It is used and didn't come with any straps but, I was also wondering if anyone used one attached to it and how they used it.


Oh wow, yeah get some straps for it right away, I don't like the idea of constantly having it pull on the mount if you use the body straps.



Sep 04, 2013 at 03:33 PM
acoll123
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · large lens - How do you carry it?


Monopod or Black Rapid strap attached to the lens foot (not the camera!)


Sep 04, 2013 at 03:46 PM
Kathy White
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · large lens - How do you carry it?


Thanks again to all for your help. I have everything set, I think, to endure more than 15 minutes at least. Straps on lens itself, temporarily using ones that I found in all my hoard of photography "stuff". with one of my padded straps. I had enough extension straps to adjust it to the right length. I bought a heavier duty monopod the other day from a fellow FMer friend close by. I am just now looking for a heavier ball head. ( I won't have one by Saturday though.) Then I think I will be ready for football season. I'll fine tune, (new strap, bag to carry it mounted, etc. as I go. It will actually fit into one of my bags with the 5DIII on it but not with the 1DIII.

Skibum5, If I get too tired of packing it at a game, I'll just let one of the players give it a kick across the field and hope someone mistakes it for the Football and tackles it. On second thought, maybe not, given it's weight, it could be fatal.



Sep 04, 2013 at 04:04 PM
skibum5
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · large lens - How do you carry it?


PCKit wrote:
Thanks again to all for your help. I have everything set, I think, to endure more than 15 minutes at least. Straps on lens itself, temporarily using ones that I found in all my hoard of photography "stuff". with one of my padded straps. I had enough extension straps to adjust it to the right length. I bought a heavier duty monopod the other day from a fellow FMer friend close by. I am just now looking for a heavier ball head. ( I won't have one by Saturday though.) Then I think I will be ready for football season.
...Show more

Do you need a ballhead? I've never seen anyone use one for sports, certainly not any of AP,Getty,SI, team photographer, etc guys. (If you do birds it can be hard to get enough updward tilt so I guess it could be useful in other scenarios such as that.)

As for monopods, not that I have this type although had I continued to shoot sports non-stop I would've gotten one, but the very best type for sports are the new ones with instant retraction and extension that can instantly go from adjusted height for you to use while standing to adjusted height for while kneeling and then back right up again with no need to twist and turn knobs and waste time. So long as it isn't buckling or wiggling or anything I prefer light monopod to crazy heavy sturdy.



Sep 04, 2013 at 04:24 PM
Kathy White
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · large lens - How do you carry it?


I probably don't need the ball, but I do need a quick release, so I thought I would just buy once. Nothing I have already is heavy duty enough for it. I can't see investing in anything too expensive,as I am not really a monopod or a tripod type shooter. I will just try to find something basic that works well enough for my needs.


Sep 04, 2013 at 11:20 PM
StillFingerz
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · large lens - How do you carry it?


PCKit wrote:
I probably don't need the ball, but I do need a quick release, so I thought I would just buy once. Nothing I have already is heavy duty enough for it. I can't see investing in anything too expensive,as I am not really a monopod or a tripod type shooter. I will just try to find something basic that works well enough for my needs.


Here's something that might work for you, I'm not the strongest gent so this helps greatly when using a heavy setup on a monopod...I've used this with a T90 and nFD 400 F4.5 w/2x T/C, also a gripped 40D and 300 f4L with 2x T/C and RRS L-Plate.

This head supports up to 25 lbs, it's usually used with superteles... The company is local here in SoCal, the owner/designer is a photographer, I've their GP ballhead as well, but it doesn't have the vertical range this long lens head does! Their quick release clamps are Arca-Swiss compatible...

Acratech Long Lens Head
http://acratech.net/product.php?productid=10

Good luck with that beast at the game
Jerry



Sep 05, 2013 at 12:30 AM
Roland W
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · large lens - How do you carry it?


I do not think you should get a ball head to use on the monopod. If you loosen the ball at all to adjust, the lens will tend to flop over to one side, and you will be worse off than hand holding. You need to learn more about if you are going to use the monopod a lot, or if you might be able to manage hand holding the lens. If your monopod has the option of changing to a 1/4 inch threaded stud on top, you can try out the monopod by screwing it in directly to the foot of the lens collar. You might choose to work and shoot that way some until you know you want to use the monopod a lot.

You can then invest in either a quick release clamp for the top of the monopod, or even consider a tilt head. The really nice way to go is with the Really Right Stuff tilt head, shown here:

http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=MH-01-Pro&type=4&eq=MH-01-Pro-001&desc=MH-01-Pro%3a-Monopod-Head-with-B2-Pro-II&key=ait

I realize it is expensive, but it works well, and will hold large telephotos securely. You will also still need an Arca Swiss lens plate to attach to the lens, and RRS makes great ones. Here is a plate that is longer than some, and will work fairly well for a handle and a place to support the lens by hand:

http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=MPR-113&type=0&eq=&desc=MPR-113%3a-113mm-Multi-purpose-rail&key=it

They also make an even longer plate, and I usually use it on my 300 f2.8, but for most situations you can get by with the 4.4 inch one linked above.

If you want to skip the tilt head for now, you can instead get just a A/S clamp that will go on the top of the monopod, and this RRS clamp would screw on to a 3/8 inch stud of the monopod.

http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=B2-Pro&type=0&eq=&desc=B2-Pro%3a-60mm-clamp-with-dual-mounting&key=it

If you get this RRS clamp now, it is a dual mount one, and is compatible with the RRS tilt head, so you could later buy the tilt head with no clamp, and install this clamp at that time.

To save money you can get lower cost versions of the clamp and plate from other sources, including eBay, but the RRS items are proven to be excellent.

I would suggest you avoid the tilt head that Manfrotto sells that has a proprietary quick release system. It is on the small side for your lens, and the quick release is harder to use. In addition, you will not end up with the nice smooth A/S plate on the lens collar foot that allows for easy hand support.

Not sure how much you want to shoot in portrait orientation with the 300 f2.8, but with the rotation feature available when using the collar, and with the lens mounted on a monopod, you can quickly rotate between portrait and landscape.

If your main use is action, and if in the future you want better support than what a monopod can give you, consider a gimbal mount like a Wimberley mounted on a tripod. You are much less portable with that kind of rig, but you can track and shoot action all day with no effort at all.

The Canon 300 f2.8 L IS is a fantastic lens, and I am so glad I stretched and got my copy many years ago. As a hint to how long I have had it, the new price was about $3700. I expect you will enjoy the image quality from it very much, and the IS can help in a lot of action situations. You just need to work through the support issues, and get something that works well for you.



Sep 05, 2013 at 02:50 AM
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