Kirk collar for the Nikon 300 F4

[FiestaRed]

Having read a lot about the 300mm F4 lens before I bought it, I also noted the "problems" with the supposed weak collar on this lens.

I'm just wondering if anyone had tried the Kirk replacement collar that is available and, more importantly, has it made a difference. I'm trying not to splash out almost £200 and then find it's not any improvement on the original Nikon collar.

 

[Martyn...]

Having read a lot about the 300mm F4 lens before I bought it, I also noted the "problems" with the supposed weak collar on this lens.

I'm just wondering if anyone had tried the Kirk replacement collar that is available and, more importantly, has it made a difference. I'm trying not to splash out almost £200 and then find it's not any improvement on the original Nikon collar.

The collar you have should be fine, they improved the material they used some years ago, which improved the stiffness.

You only need the Kirk one if you intend taking photo's of brick walls then blowing up the image to silly amounts on your screen.

If there is a problem you can always wedge a wine bottle cork between the foot and the lens, cheaper and you get to enjoy a fine wine.

 

[FiestaRed]

If there is a problem you can always wedge a wine bottle cork between the foot and the lens, cheaper and you get to enjoy a fine wine.

Thanks Martyn, do you get corks on Guiness at all?

 

[HoppyUK]

Not used a Kirk collar, but they do look very good, sound design.

However, I can't think there is much wrong with the Nikon collar. I find that the key to stability with long lenses is balance, and the way to get that is with a lens plate that ensures you can slide the lens fore/aft so it's spot on with your particular camera. Basically, if you can't do that, get a longer lens plate.

Having said that, I've got a cheap copy of a Canon collar with doesn't have the steel bush insert, and is just threaded into the alloy. I wasn't happy with that but have solved the problem by drilling it out and bolting the lens plate straight through with a self-locking nut.

Manfrotto make a rather crude but adjustable version of the Kirk design. They also do another stability devise which supports the camera with a strut to the tripod leg, £60 here http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-manfrotto-359-long-lens-support/p11045

 

[FiestaRed]

Thanks for the link Richard.

Can't say I've had "genuine" problems with the standard Nikon collar. It's just that in the back of the mind you know others are using them and start wondering if you can further improve an already sharp lens by changing to the Kirk collar.

Over on the Nikon Cafe forum everyone says the Kirk or the RRS collars are a "must have" for a couple of the longer Nikon lenses.

It's something I can't do anything about at the minute anyway as there seems to be no stocks on the Kirk collars available in the UK.

 

[HoppyUK]

I think they are barking up the wrong tree. I doesn't matter how robust the lens collar is, the whole thing is still pivoting around one small point, with big leverages going on at either end. It's still a see-saw.

The Manfrotto strut addresses the fundamental problem (if there is one with a 300mm lens).