carrying 200-500

[chuck]

<p>I got the 200-500f/5.6E lens. This lens is too large to carry dangling off of the camera's lens mount. While using the tripod foot as a carrying handle works, it is not convenient. There are no strap lugs on the lens. Anyone know of any accessories or any improvisations that would let me attach a strap to the lens?</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>A Black Rapid or Sun Sniper strap could attach to the tripod socket in the foot. You need to remove it in order to use a tripod, but it's not hard to do.</p>

<p>The lens and camera would be roughly balanced at the attachment point, and a strap of this sort distributes the load well on your shoulder.</p>

[Sandy Vongries]

<p>Try cross body by holding the bottom of the camera cupped in your left hand in front of your solar plexus, front of the lens cradled in the angle of your left bicep and forearm. I use a Black Rapid strap on my left wrist just in case. Easy to raise your left elbow, grab the right side of the camera with right hand and pivot your left hand onto the barrel of the lens. Some of the big old lenses, Nikon 50-300 AI or 600 F5.6 ED IF, as examples, had strap mounts on the lens. Haven't seen a practical way to mount a strap on the big new lenses except the foot which is out of balance. There is probably something out there. Good luck with it!</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>See this recent thread: <a href="/nikon-camera-forum/00e48X">Best way to carry the 80-400</a><br>

<br /> I use that Kirk SS-1 strap for the 200-500mm/f5.6 AF-S VR as well as the 80-400mm AF-S VR. I like to have the lens, with the camera body mounted on, hanging off one shoulder. You need an Arca-Swiss-style QR plate on the collar.</p>

<p><img src="http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00e/00e48k-564532484.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>RRS offers this: <a href="http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/QD-Strap-Plate">http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/QD-Strap-Plate</a><br>

or with a QR plate as a combo: <a href="http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/QD-Strap-Plate">http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/QD-Strap-Plate</a><br>

I have no experience with the above, seems to be quite similar to the Kirk SS-1. I carry the 200-500 in a ThinkTank Glass Taxi when hiking and by the tripod foot when on location (with a wrist strap on the camera, more imagined than actual protection). I do have some CarrySpeed straps (like Black Rapid) that I can connect to the the tripod foot and the camera tripod mount at the same time. When shooting, the strap tends to get in the way though.</p>

 

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>I don't seem to have damaged the camera by letting the lens hang from the body for a few seconds on the rare occasions my hands are busy - but I wouldn't want to let it hit something like that, or try to raise it so the mount is cantilevering the lens (the least force is probably hanging straight down). I'm with Shun's "cradle the lens" option, along with ensuring the strap is long enough that the lens sits on my lap while driving. For carting it around, the tripod mount isn't that bad (and prominent enough that it's usable with the lens in its bag). I admit I'd feel safer if the lens had a separate strap, like the 200mm f/2's. Short of putting it in a properly padded camera bag (it fits fine in my Think Tank Airport Accelerator 2), I'd be wary of trying to hold something this weight on a thin strap like the camera's anyway - it cranks my neck, and something that weight twisting can cut off blood flow quickly (though I've only actually had dizzy moments with two or more cameras). I'd hold it or put it away properly, rather than finding something in between. Even on a between-the-shoulder-straps connection I'd worry about it waving around enough to castrate me or whack my chin (possibly my new beard is padding, however).</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I definitely recommend the Black Rapid single straps. I found the two-camera version less useful.<br>

I have no idea whether the cheaper clones are as good or not. </p>