Tripod/Monopod mounted on Camera or lens???

[micloi]

I hope that someone can help me with the following:

Some lenses that weigh around 1kg have a tripod ring so that they are attached to tripods and monopods rather than the camera to alleviate stress from the camera mount.

This makes sense with some combinations i.e.
1. 1D + 300mm f2.8 (camera weighs at 1.25kg and lens at 2.6kg)
2. 500D + Canon 180mm (camera around 0.6kg and lens 1.08kg)

What do you do though in this case:
1D + Canon 180mm (camera 1.25kg, lens 1.08kg)
or a similar scenario where the camera body is heavier than the lens?

 

[dinners]

I guess some are just borderline and you can choose whether to mount the body or the lens.

1 Mounting the body means you can chop and change lenses more easily.

2 On a monopod without a head - mounting the lens gives you rotation to portrait.

3 If you've only got one QR plate then it's less hassle having it attached to the body.

4 Having the mount directly under the camera (nearer the sensor) makes aligning images easier.

 

[Flats]

The Canon 180mm comes with a tripod mount, and I would suggest you use it, it will make the whole thing feel much more balanced. Makes Macro photograpy much much easier as well, and it is a macro lens....

 

[micloi]

The Canon 180mm comes with a tripod mount, and I would suggest you use it, it will make the whole thing feel much more balanced. Makes Macro photograpy much much easier as well, and it is a macro lens....

Why do you think it will be more balanced than using the camera tripod mount when the camera is 20% heavier than the lens?

 

[B3R]

^because its nearer to the centre of gravity of the combined lens and camera.

 

[micloi]

^because its nearer to the centre of gravity of the combined lens and camera.

I wish it was that simple. Before I posted this thread I checked and the centre of gravity is behind the tripod when using the lens mount and in front of the tripod when using the camera mount. And because of the higher weight of the camera it is approximately the same each way (do not have the equipment to measure it exactly obviously so I go by feel :shrug.

That led me to creating this thread to find the best compromise that would stress the camera mount the least.

 

[jamesb84]

I wish it was that simple. Before I posted this thread I checked and the centre of gravity is behind the tripod when using the lens mount and in front of the tripod when using the camera mount. And because of the higher weight of the camera it is approximately the same each way (do not have the equipment to measure it exactly obviously so I go by feel :shrug.

That led me to creating this thread to find the best compromise that would stress the camera mount the least.

It's an expensive solution, but some of the Arca plates will move the CofG back a little, or forward a little to make it more balanced. Both Canon and Nikon have in the past got it wrong with their CofG's on the bigger lenses - something I've always been baffled by!

The Arca plates do help slightly, but they do cost!