Carrying the 500mm f/5.6 PF

MrFotoFool

I know 500 f4 and 600 f4 lenses have their own strap lugs. But (and this is an honest question, not a dig) is it logical to have them on a lens this small? It is almost the same size as a 70-200 f2.8 and as far as I know none of those (from any manufacturer) have strap lugs.

photobunny

@MrFotoFool it would have been easier to carry it about with lugs so I could have had a lens strap. The 500 PF is just a past the limit supposed to be on the FTZ and Z mount.

MrFotoFool

I use mine on a DSLR (D500). I suppose the smaller body size of the Z series combined with the added length of the FtoZ adapter makes it harder to carry.

photobunny

It wasn't such a fuss, it was way lighter than my 300 f/2.8. The only gripe I still have is that it is a F lens, if it was a Z native lens I think they could have shaved of maybe 5cm to get to to fit in my shoulder bag.

spraynpray

MrFotoFool said:

I know 500 f4 and 600 f4 lenses have their own strap lugs. But (and this is an honest question, not a dig) is it logical to have them on a lens this small? It is almost the same size as a 70-200 f2.8 and as far as I know none of those (from any manufacturer) have strap lugs.

It isn't just the weight to consider, if you put a long lens on a body then mount on a tripod, any vibration caused blur is doubly amplified in comparison to a central mounting point.

mhedges

MrFotoFool said:

I know 500 f4 and 600 f4 lenses have their own strap lugs. But (and this is an honest question, not a dig) is it logical to have them on a lens this small? It is almost the same size as a 70-200 f2.8 and as far as I know none of those (from any manufacturer) have strap lugs.

Maybe because the market expects them on telephoto primes? Just a guess.

MrFotoFool

@spraynpray You do realize the 500PF has a tripod collar, right?

spraynpray

MrFotoFool said:

@spraynpray You do realize the 500PF has a tripod collar, right?

Of course. My answer was to the questioning of why a collar is necessary on such a light lens.

photobunny

spraynpray said:

MrFotoFool said:

@spraynpray You do realize the 500PF has a tripod collar, right?

Of course. My answer was to the questioning of why a collar is necessary on such a light lens.

You need the collar to balance it on a gimbal head. Though a detachable collar would have been nice for people handholding the thing all day. You can't tripod mount it without the collar, it is a light lens compared to a f/4 prime but it is still quite heavy and will knacker your FTZ or camera mount if left to its own vices. Its weight is one of the reason that the omission of strap lungs on it is a oddity, it would have been much easier to carry than having to hold it like a wee rifle on some parts of my hike.

spraynpray

Bad case of wires crossed this end!

MrFotoFool

I said earlier (or I think I said) I use a regular neck strap mounted to the camera body itself. I found out the hard way two days ago this is not a good way to carry a big lens. The strap came undone at the lugs near the start of a hike and the camera and lens fell to the ground. Thankfully it was on dirt and since the camera was hanging at my side it only fell about two feet, so there was no damage. Guess I won't be carrying it like that any more. (I just hand carried it by the tripod foot for the rest of the hike).

PB_PM

Yup, they don’t put the strap lugs on the big supertelephoto glass because it looks pretty. Careful with the tripod foot on the 500PF, it’s known to fall off when used that way (unless you are already using an aftermarket foot).

MrFotoFool

@PB_PM I am using a Really Right Stuff replacement foot. (Why Nikon and Canon don't make their feet Arca-Swiss compatible like Tamron and Sigma is an endless source of frustration for many users).