[Des]

A lot of the tips in Alex's excellent article (@Heie) about techniques for steadying apply to using a long lens: Making the Most of Long Exposure Handhelds - Introduction - In-Depth Articles

[Bob from Aus]

now my FA* 250-600mm, that does but I refuse to use either a tripod or a monopod so my pictures with it are basically crap (but that's another story)

I love it

[r0ckstarr]

I hand hold the DA 300* without any problems.



If you're concerned about balancing out the weight of the lens and the body, look into a grip. Not a tripod/monopod.

For supporting a large lens while walking, I got this lens support strap that just "clicks" onto my OpTech strap. Much easier than walking around supporting your lens with your hand. It easily disconnects when not needed, from the main strap.

OP/TECH USA Lens Support Adaptor System Connector

Great idea!

[csa]

Thanks RockStarr; I really like the lens support strap. I use it all the time, much better than the camera/lens bouncing around!

BTW, that photo is absolutely stunning! My goodness, you can count the feathers!!!

[DavidSKAF3]

I guess I wanted advice as far as the lens swinging around and banging into things. This has been a problem even with smaller lenses sometimes. Sometimes I find myself running across a field or a parking lot or whatever in order to get a better angle on a shot. I use hoods a lot for this reason, just to act as a bumper, more or less. So I figured this new 70-200 lens will both strain my neck more and swing around more because of the increased size and weight.

This is what I meant to ask you guys about. Thank you.

[clackers]

So I figured this new 70-200 lens will both strain my neck more and swing around more because of the increased size and weight.

Use a shoulder/sling strap rather than a neck one in this instance, David!

[Kerrowdown]

What else, perhaps?

Hows about a beanbag, they never let me down.

[Lowell Goudge]

For me, there are 3 separate issues,

- how to support the lens when carrying it, from the perspective of the strength of the lens mount
- how to support the lens when carrying it, from the perspective of stress on your neck / shoulder
- how to support the lens when shooting with it.

Considering this argument all began with a 70-200/2.8, I'll start there.

Supporting this lens from the mount when carrying it should be fine, I have a sigma 70-200/2.8 which, along with the 2xTC weighs in at about 1.6 kilos, I have only ever carried this by either holding the body, or with the body straps over my shoulder. I never put it around my neck, because the weight can hurt your neck. The camera(s) I have used with this weight have never had an issue. My opinion is if a leans is meant to be carried by a lens mounted strap it should come with the loops for it, like the older Tamron big glass (300/2.8 and 200-500/5.6 for example)

For shooting, while not perhaps necessary to support with its own mount, the balance on a tripod or monopod is clearly far superior and more stable/less vibration prone. It is always best from a shooting perspective to have the lens supported at its center of mass, or better yet from both ends(body and end of lens) when hand holding. Bean bags also work fine, on this type of lens

For really big glass, monopod if the balance is good, or a gimbal mount, and nothing else