Stress on D80 mount with heavy lenses

[andrew_cale]

I started using my 70-200vr this weekend on my D80. I realized very quickly

that the lens is very heavy and got slightly concerned about the amount of

stress it places on the camera mount when not supported (ie...while

navigating/changing two-button camera menu's). I was not using a pod of any

sort.

 

Should I be concerned with this or is it me just being overly cautious?

 

Cheers,

Andy

[ShunCheung]

The 70-200mm/f2.8 AF-S VR is not THAT heavy. The mount on the D80 should be strong enough to support that. I would get concerned if the lens were like a 300mm/f2.8 or bigger.

 

However, I would mainly support the weight of your combo from the lens, not the body.

[justin_thornton1]

Agreed with Shun Cheung, it should be strong enough.

 

If your really concerned just support the lens with your left hand, using your right to change settings and such So no Wight is on your right or the camera.

 

ENjoy

 

Justin T

[richard_laepple]

When I got my D70 I asked a question like this Nikon. They called me back and explained that the body (D70) is strong enough for such a combo hanging round the neck. But the sevice man also told me that I should avoid fast movements only with my hands at the camera body. He said the inner parts of the body are mostly plastic. D70 & D80 are probably the same in this respect.

[bjørn rørslett]

If any lens has its own carrying strap, that is a sure warning sign of the need for handling lens + camera by the lens and not by the camera.

 

A 70-200 isn't "very heavy". Try a 400/2.8 or bigger.

[ShunCheung]

Yeah, Bjorn has a very good point. I have had two different 80-200mm/2.8 AF (one of them the AF-S) and the 70-200mm/f2.8 AF-S VR. None of them has the hooks on the lens barrel for its own strap; neither does any 300mm/f4.

 

I have a few bigger lenses that have hooks on the barrel and they come with their own straps. The smallest one of those is the 300mm/f2.8 AF-S, while the 400mm/f2.8 Bjorn mentions is a much bigger lens. Again, I would say starting from the 300mm/f2.8 and on, you need to be careful.

 

Of course, if you put the 70-200mm/f2.8 on your D80, and then you grap onto the D80 body and swing it like a baseball bat, you could cause some damage. But most people don't use (actually abuse) the D80 that way.