C100: How to mount a 70-200 2.8?

[Nicholas de Kock]

How do you mount the Canon 70-200 2.8 IS to your C100? Do you attach the lens to the tripod or the C100 and let the lens hang? What kind of stress force can either mount handle?

The C100 is rated around 1895g as a full kit & the 70-200 comes in at 1450g. Its a heavy lens & the proper way would probably be to get a rail system is place to support the lens but as a run & gun setup I want simplicity. What do you do?

[Ben Giles]

I let mine hang off the front. Doesn't feels stressful or overly heavy on the C100 or it's carrying handle.

Have used it this way on several run and gun shoots now, with no problems at all.

Ben.

[Jim Snow]

Either way is fine. A consideration on which way to mount it is which is best for balencing on your tripod.

[Matt Davis]

A word to the wise:

I often put in 20-25k steps a day wandering around exhibition halls with a camera mounted on a tripod mounted on a simple spider dolly.

You REALLY DON'T want to be exposing a heavy 2.8 lens on a small EF mount to such prolonged vibration. I did, and the lens mount broke (on the lens, not the camera, thankfully). I've gone for lighter lenses and have a baseplate, rods and lens support for the more exotic glass out there.

I used to use an FS100 with the Metabones adaptor - that too needed rails and a lens support. The Canon 70-200 IS is much easier to deal with. With cheap adaptors and heavy lenses, you can SEE the buggers bend under their own weight without support.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I use the 70-200 f2.8 L IS II lens as well as EF 100-400 f3.5-5.6 L IS USM lens mounted directly on the camera. However, after the shot is over, I remove the lens from the camera. It is better to use rods and lens support to ensure that there is no pressure on the lens mount. However, carrying more weight is always a bit of pain during treks. :(

[Nathan Moody]

I don't own the 70-200 2.8, but I do shoot with the 300mm f4 with a 1.4x extender, which also is pretty heavy (and long). Just got my C100 (yay!), and I use a Redrock Micro lens support, a lowBase baseplate, two rails, and a railmounted cheeseplate to mount the whole shebang to a fluid head. When I roll with DSLR's, I've always mounted the lens to the head and let the body hang, but with the C100's weight, I just opt to not take chances. That cheeseplate especially adds some weight to the setup, sadly.