Is it safe to carry a heavy telephoto vertically by the camera body instead of the lens foot?
Asked 5/22/2020
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I’m using a chest carrier with a Nikon D500 and a Nikon 200-500mm lens, which has its own tripod foot. For tripod use I mount the lens by the foot, but on the carrier the setup would sit closer to my body if I attached the carrier clip to the camera body instead of the lens foot.
If the camera is hanging vertically with the lens pointing straight down, is that an acceptable way to carry it, or should a body+lens combo this heavy always be supported from the lens foot?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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The D500 has a CFRP (plastic) front panel; only the top and back are metal (magnesium). Generally speaking, if a lens has a foot it is because it is better to support the combination by the foot... hanging and banging a 5+lb lens off of the lens mount of a 1.9lb camera probably isn't the best idea.
Better or worse than horizontal? Probably worse as the weight will be pulling on the lens mount screw threads (vertical weight)... the screws probably have a much greater shear strength (horizontal weight).
That said, I abuse my cameras... if carrying by the body with the lens hanging is the difference of carrying/using it or not, then I would. But I've also bent lens mounts/locking pins before; and that is something best avoided if possible.
Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user70370
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Best practice: support a heavy lens by its tripod foot, not by the camera body.
If a lens has a foot, that’s usually the manufacturer’s clue that the lens/body combination is heavy enough that the foot is the better support point. Hanging a long, heavy lens from the body puts sustained load on the camera’s lens mount and screws. Several photographers do get away with carrying body-supported setups, but others have seen lens mounts develop play or damage after repeated use with heavier combinations.
A vertical hang with the lens pointing down may reduce leverage compared with the lens sticking straight out, but it still places significant force on the mount. With a D500 and 200-500mm, using the lens foot is the safer choice.
If you want the rig to sit closer to your body, use the carrier on the lens foot and add an adjustable safety strap that loops under or around the foot to share some of the load and stabilize the setup. In short: occasional body carry may not instantly cause harm, but for regular use with this kind of lens, the foot is the recommended attachment point.
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