Nikon 200-400 with harness/strap

Seba

Seba

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Seba
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Hello TP,

After a little advice on this beast with a harness or strap. When I'm at the horse races I usually use the lens with a monopod, which can be very annoying; constantly extending and collapsing it.

So was thinking if people have tried the lens on a strap? I know it is one heavy mother, and hand holding can be tricky, but I never really have the camera to eye for more then 1 minute at a time of the course of a days shooting.

Was thinking something like this...

http://www.sun-sniper.com/en/the-steel.html

But happy to hear suggestions and thoughts on the matter.

Thanks in advance.

Seba
 
I had a 200-400 and it is big and heavy.

That strap is rated at 2.5kg and the 200-400 alone weights 3.7kg.

Apart from it being too heavy for the strap, thats going to cut you in half!

I used mine with a monopod mainly but also hand held for some fast head on bike stuff. When carrying around, I used the standard big glass approach of putting the monopod "slope arms" style over my shoulder. Works fine and I'm normally out for 2 or 3 long days at a time with the big stuff.
 
I hadn't looked at the weight rates to be honest, just looking at the idea.

Aye, usually go with the monopod over the shoulder approach, as you mention. Just find it annoying at times.
 
I've yet to see anyone come up with a better concept for big glass... other than having a heavy duty tripod type strap and hanging it on your shoulder....
 
Similarly the 400mm f2.8 is a bit much at 4.6Kg, ended up using it with a monopod, but its not ideal, find it restricts movement too much. So I'm left with the only option, get stronger!
 
In terms of shooting rather than carrying, you could try a belt mounted monopod pocket.

That does help overcome the limitations of using a monopod for fast moving subjects... takes a bit of getting used to though.
 
I used to have the 200-400mm. I handheld it all of the time. Shooting aircraft lowlevel. I tried using a monopod, just didn't like it.
It's a heavy beast when bolted onto a D3s, but you soon get used to it.

Kev.
 
Yep - 200-400, hand held.

600mm f/4 - monopod with a Manfrotto large lens support. Trouble is, that makes it very very uncomfortable to put over your shoulder, so I'm always on the lookout for different ways to carry it...
 
Its a set of old Swedish army webbing!

Not sure about hooking the tripod foot into the belt like that, might be ok with the smallish glass illustrated there, but a 200-400 or bigger wouldn't work like that.

I think also looking like that would be frowned upon at the horses :)
 
desantnik said:
Its a set of old Swedish army webbing!

Not sure about hooking the tripod foot into the belt like that, might be ok with the smallish glass illustrated there, but a 200-400 or bigger wouldn't work like that.

I think also looking like that would be frowned upon at the horses :)
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the monopod/belt idea either. I'm trying to lose the monopod altogether I think.

When you guys were hand holding, what straps did you use?
One on the lens?
The one that came with the lens?
Other?

My next step is to get a D3s. Think maybe purchasing a gym pass would help first!
 
Hand holding? Well for shooting, just like you would for a small lens - one hand under the lens, one on the button...

If you mean carrying, I just used the Nikon supplied strap, although really an Optech strap would have been better in the long run.

The belt mounted monopod pocket technique is something as I said you see a lot of in motorsport - my two colleagues use it, but I never seem to be able to get to grips with it....
 
treeman said:
I must confess I've never thought about using the strap on my 400mm, I just carry it holding the big 'L' bracket. I obviously don't have to ever carry it very far :)
Click to expand...

Yep - big 'L' bracket for me too. I don't think I've ever carried it with the strap... If there's a long way to go, it's back in the rucksack!
 
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