70-200 without collar ring on A7s

[yiomo]

In a few days I am going to do some filming (the first shoot of a year long documentary) with my A7s and I just got my hands on a Canon 70-200 F/4 IS lens that came without a collar. I am tempted to use it without a collar on a tripod because I think spending 150 euro for a collar is ridiculous and because there is not enough time to purchase the fotodiox (or other) alternative from amazon.

Has anyone tried this? As I am looking at the bottom of the A7s which feels like plastic, at least half of it, I once more curse myself for having fallen for the hype and having purchased such a camera with horrible built quality (I doubt that the great image quality balances that for me).

For now the question is, will it hold the lens or will it break the camera's mount?

Any ideas much appreciated.

[Eric Calabros]

Even a DSLR body like D810 can't handle it alone sometimes. Definitely a lot of stress for A7 kind of body. But if you can keep your left hand under the lens all the time, and I mean literally all the time, then its ok. 

[yiomo]

Thanks Eric, I am afraid that holding the lens could cause vibrations for video and also I will be handling a two camera setup which makes it quite difficult.

[Davey]

I won't use my FE 70-200 f4 on my a7sii or a7s without the tripod collar - just ridiculously out of balance. I can shoot handheld with IBIS on the a7sii no problem at all, even at 200mm, but I wouldn't fancy doing that on the other camera.

If you value your equipment and your project, get the collar!

This, for a tenner, has to be a compromise worth making - you don't pay for the Canon branding:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00IPJVP5W/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477258429&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=canon+70-200+tripod+mount&dpPl=1&dpID=31w6lQhfa7L&ref=plSrch

[yiomo]

Thanks  Davey, I plan on getting the fotodiox alternative which is aluminium but it won't arrive on time for this specific shoot. To be honest I already put the combo on a small magnesit copter tripod and is relatively steady. Nevertheless, in the back of my mind I can hear the thread of the A7 slowly cracking the plastic..

[noone]

I think the A7s is a lot tougher than you think.

I find its build quality to be as good if not better than most cameras I have used and have had no issue using lenses like a 300 2.8 on my A7s (and previously on an A7).

I doubt I would do it for video unsupported though and if you own the lens or are going to use it much, I guess I would buy or borrow a collar.

Of course, as usual it is at your own risk.

[Nikkor]

The problem is that you will never notice if the mount has bent a little bit, but from then on all of your lenses will be missaligned.

[Trek of Joy]

19 hours ago, yiomo said:

In a few days I am going to do some filming (the first shoot of a year long documentary) with my A7s and I just got my hands on a Canon 70-200 F/4 IS lens that came without a collar. I am tempted to use it without a collar on a tripod because I think spending 150 euro for a collar is ridiculous and because there is not enough time to purchase the fotodiox (or other) alternative from amazon.

Has anyone tried this? As I am looking at the bottom of the A7s which feels like plastic, at least half of it, I once more curse myself for having fallen for the hype and having purchased such a camera with horrible built quality (I doubt that the great image quality balances that for me).

For now the question is, will it hold the lens or will it break the camera's mount?

Any ideas much appreciated.

You can get generic tripod collars off ebay cheap. The one below is less than $6, search there are tons of them, you can probably get one off Amazon if you need it quick. The A7s chassis isn't a one piece design, I wouldn't hang a zoom off it without a collar attached to the tripod plate.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/70-200mm-f-4L-IS-USM-Lens-Tripod-Collar-Mount-Ring-A-W-for-Canon-EF-/381809716585?hash=item58e5a1ed69:g:TeoAAOSw8w1X~PEY

If you don't want to go that route, get a rod/baseplate/lens support from any rig maker.

If you search there are plenty of DIY solutions that use easy to source hardware, all you need is a clamp, something to protect the lens body from being scratched and a couple of bolts. You can do it for less than the $6 collar linked above.

I'd err of the side of caution and fabricate something or wait to use the lens until you have decent support.