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Peter Zack · 07-17-2008, 11:16 AM

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I'd been looking for a tripod ring for the 300 and did some searching around Canon and Nikon gear to see what they had. Canon produces a ring that fits the lens well. Just enough room for the window and the aperture ring although you won't be able to move the ring easily once the lens is mounted on the camera. It will fit further forward over the window but then the barrel diameter changes. So the clamp is not as tight. But the screw is long enough to do this. Solid all metal ring. Fairly decent deal even if the shipping was too much. Lock on the lens perfectly and the colour match is very close.

Bonus is that the Canon logo is on the back and hidden by the grip (but I'll cover it anyway).

Second is a data base that we should expand for lens hoods.
Nikon Brand metal and I have one for my FA50mm Macro. Locks on great, easy to remove and reverse. Lens cap works on the back when reversed. Looks good as well. Best hood I've found so far. Here are some common models and hopefully some here knows of a 49mm size version (but you could use a step down ring just fine).

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Tripod Mount Ring 4 Canon EF 70-200mm 300mm 400mm lens - eBay (item 180255729010 end time Jun-26-08 05:08:58 PDT)

Last edited by Peter Zack; 06-09-2010 at 05:30 AM.

**Lowell Goudge** · 07-17-2008, 11:59 AM

peter

would this also work on the SMC-P300mm F4?

Peter Zack · 07-17-2008, 12:19 PM

Lowell. The barrel of the FA* is 67mm and this ring is 66mm (inner) I'm fairly sure that the K300 f4 is larger. I had one but it's now sold. from memory it has a larger barrel. Get some calipers and check. In doing the research, It seems Canon has a number of sizes for these rings and you could find one that fits I'm sure. A little black spray paint and you have a custom mount.

Tom S. · 07-17-2008, 12:35 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

peter

would this also work on the SMC-P300mm F4?

There is a black support ring on ebay, but I don't know if it will fit or not:

Support Collar for SMC Pentax 300 mm 1:4 ,FA 300 1:4.5 - eBay (item 230271730665 end time Jul-25-08 03:15:28 PDT)

Peter Zack · 07-17-2008, 01:05 PM

I owned one of the K 300's and bought that ring for it. It does work but it's not the greatest. It's a bit loose as he makes them almost as one size fits all. It should have 2 screws to be firmer. Second the bottom plate needs to be glued in place as it's only held in place by one screw and moves around. I took it off and mounted the QR directly to the ring. Good but not great.

I'm sure that you can get a Canon version if you can measure the lens barrel on the K.

**Lowell Goudge** · 07-17-2008, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by Peter Zack

I owned one of the K 300's and bought that ring for it. It does work but it's not the greatest. It's a bit loose as he makes them almost as one size fits all. It should have 2 screws to be firmer. Second the bottom plate needs to be glued in place as it's only held in place by one screw and moves around. I took it off and mounted the QR directly to the ring. Good but not great.

I'm sure that you can get a Canon version if you can measure the lens barrel on the K.

the barrel around the lens where you can mount is 75mm (74.96 to be exact, as determined by measuring the circumference.)

Peter Zack · 07-17-2008, 02:31 PM

I'm going through some of the links I saved in the earlier research.

This one is 72mm Might work but it's a bit small possibly depending on how long the screw is.
Tripod Mount Ring for Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 f2.8 Macro - eBay (item 320274905691 end time Jul-22-08 04:40:28 PDT)

Peter Zack · 07-19-2008, 03:48 AM

I'm surprised that no FA*300mm owners have commented. Maybe I used a poor title. But this tripod ring works well and is solid. The lens is fairly light and not a huge issue on a tripod without a ring but works much better this way particularly with a TC added.

roentarre · 07-19-2008, 05:03 AM

It seems you got the lens you wanted. It is a great performer and sure you will settle on this lens for some time

Peter Zack · 07-23-2008, 09:59 AM

Yes I did James but LBA is always lurking around the corner....

Peter Zack · 10-17-2008, 10:36 AM

Seems a few owners have recently been hunting for tripod collars on these FA*300's so I'm giving this thread a bump.

**barondla** · 10-18-2008, 06:34 PM

Peter Zack, I am confused about the macro lens hood. Are you saying the Nikon hood fits the bayonet mount on the front of the Pentax macro? If so I am amazed! Most bayonet hoods from different companies never seem to "lock" in.
thanks
barondla

Check out POINT & SHOOT CONTEST #11 WINNERS in P&S forum. Enter #12. Any brand camera. Enter now!

Peter Zack · 10-18-2008, 07:04 PM

Sorry for the confusion. No the hood has a sping loaded grip with a button that pushes the grip ring inward. You then slip it over the front filter threads and release the button. It firmly grips the threads. This action is reversable to store the hood on the lens and you can mount th lens cap on the reversed hood.

Slick and it's metal but lighter than the old Takumar hoods I have. In a nut shell it mounts like a lens cap. Fast and solid. Very nice design.

**Kerrowdown** · 10-19-2008, 03:50 AM

Hi Peter, do you have any knowledge of fitting this type of clamp fitting when used with SMC Pentax-A * 1:4 300mm (that's the A series manual focus beast).

The reason I ask, is that there is not much on the barrel of the lens to clamp on to. Just the thin ish DOF indicator ring (5mm wide approx).

The aperture ring behind it (the one right next to the camera body) whilst not moved much, i.e. left in the A position almost all the time on the K10D. It is however raised up by a couple of mm (bigger OD) than the DOF indicator ring mentioned earlier and again is just a little over 5mm wide.

It also has on it the button to depress for aperture A lock position. So I believe that constant depression due to the clamp ring would in IMHO not be a good thing.

The rest of the lens barrel moves for focussing, so is not clampable (if there's such a word).

Any thoughts or clever solutions for me, many thanks.

Peter Zack · 10-19-2008, 05:01 AM

I wouldn't put undue pressure on the aperture ring. You could easily wear out or damage the locking ball bearing in the ring. I've owned the lens and know it's very small. For that reason I don't really see the need for a tripod collar, whose main function is to take the pressure off the lens to camera mount and restore the weight balance on the tripod to reduce vibration. This lens is so physically short, that a collar might not make much difference.

To make one if you think it's needed, the only thing I can think of is having a machine shop make one for you.

07-19-2008, 03:48 AM	#8
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643 Original Poster	I'm surprised that no FA300mm owners have commented. Maybe I used a poor title. But this tripod ring works well and is solid. The lens is fairly light and not a huge issue on a tripod without a ring but works much better this way particularly with a TC added. Last edited by Peter Zack; 07-19-2008 at 05:10 AM.*

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07-17-2008, 11:16 AM	#1
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	*FA300mm f4.5 Tripod collar finally. Lens hoods as well** Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. I'd been looking for a tripod ring for the 300 and did some searching around Canon and Nikon gear to see what they had. Canon produces a ring that fits the lens well. Just enough room for the window and the aperture ring although you won't be able to move the ring easily once the lens is mounted on the camera. It will fit further forward over the window but then the barrel diameter changes. So the clamp is not as tight. But the screw is long enough to do this. Solid all metal ring. Fairly decent deal even if the shipping was too much. Lock on the lens perfectly and the colour match is very close. Bonus is that the Canon logo is on the back and hidden by the grip (but I'll cover it anyway). Second is a data base that we should expand for lens hoods. Nikon Brand metal and I have one for my FA50mm Macro. Locks on great, easy to remove and reverse. Lens cap works on the back when reversed. Looks good as well. Best hood I've found so far. Here are some common models and hopefully some here knows of a 49mm size version (but you could use a step down ring just fine). Tripod Mount Ring 4 Canon EF 70-200mm 300mm 400mm lens - eBay (item 180255729010 end time Jun-26-08 05:08:58 PDT) Last edited by Peter Zack; 06-09-2010 at 05:30 AM.

07-17-2008, 11:59 AM	#2
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	peter would this also work on the SMC-P300mm F4?

07-17-2008, 12:19 PM	#3
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643 Original Poster	Lowell. The barrel of the FA* is 67mm and this ring is 66mm (inner) I'm fairly sure that the K300 f4 is larger. I had one but it's now sold. from memory it has a larger barrel. Get some calipers and check. In doing the research, It seems Canon has a number of sizes for these rings and you could find one that fits I'm sure. A little black spray paint and you have a custom mount.

07-17-2008, 12:35 PM	#4
Tom S. Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Michigan Photos: Albums Posts: 4,317	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge peter would this also work on the SMC-P300mm F4? There is a black support ring on ebay, but I don't know if it will fit or not: Support Collar for SMC Pentax 300 mm 1:4 ,FA 300 1:4.5 - eBay (item 230271730665 end time Jul-25-08 03:15:28 PDT)

07-17-2008, 01:05 PM	#5
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643 Original Poster	I owned one of the K 300's and bought that ring for it. It does work but it's not the greatest. It's a bit loose as he makes them almost as one size fits all. It should have 2 screws to be firmer. Second the bottom plate needs to be glued in place as it's only held in place by one screw and moves around. I took it off and mounted the QR directly to the ring. Good but not great. I'm sure that you can get a Canon version if you can measure the lens barrel on the K.

07-17-2008, 02:00 PM	#6
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	Originally posted by Peter Zack I owned one of the K 300's and bought that ring for it. It does work but it's not the greatest. It's a bit loose as he makes them almost as one size fits all. It should have 2 screws to be firmer. Second the bottom plate needs to be glued in place as it's only held in place by one screw and moves around. I took it off and mounted the QR directly to the ring. Good but not great. I'm sure that you can get a Canon version if you can measure the lens barrel on the K. the barrel around the lens where you can mount is 75mm (74.96 to be exact, as determined by measuring the circumference.)

07-17-2008, 02:31 PM	#7
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643 Original Poster	I'm going through some of the links I saved in the earlier research. This one is 72mm Might work but it's a bit small possibly depending on how long the screw is. Tripod Mount Ring for Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 f2.8 Macro - eBay (item 320274905691 end time Jul-22-08 04:40:28 PDT)

07-19-2008, 05:03 AM	#9
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	It seems you got the lens you wanted. It is a great performer and sure you will settle on this lens for some time

07-23-2008, 09:59 AM	#10
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643 Original Poster	Yes I did James but LBA is always lurking around the corner....

10-17-2008, 10:36 AM	#11
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643 Original Poster	Seems a few owners have recently been hunting for tripod collars on these FA*300's so I'm giving this thread a bump.

10-18-2008, 06:34 PM	#12
barondla Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: midwest, United States Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,717	Peter Zack, I am confused about the macro lens hood. Are you saying the Nikon hood fits the bayonet mount on the front of the Pentax macro? If so I am amazed! Most bayonet hoods from different companies never seem to "lock" in. thanks barondla Check out POINT & SHOOT CONTEST #11 WINNERS in P&S forum. Enter #12. Any brand camera. Enter now!

10-18-2008, 07:04 PM	#13
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643 Original Poster	Sorry for the confusion. No the hood has a sping loaded grip with a button that pushes the grip ring inward. You then slip it over the front filter threads and release the button. It firmly grips the threads. This action is reversable to store the hood on the lens and you can mount th lens cap on the reversed hood. Slick and it's metal but lighter than the old Takumar hoods I have. In a nut shell it mounts like a lens cap. Fast and solid. Very nice design.

10-19-2008, 03:50 AM	#14
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,864	Hi Peter, do you have any knowledge of fitting this type of clamp fitting when used with SMC Pentax-A * 1:4 300mm (that's the A series manual focus beast). The reason I ask, is that there is not much on the barrel of the lens to clamp on to. Just the thin ish DOF indicator ring (5mm wide approx). The aperture ring behind it (the one right next to the camera body) whilst not moved much, i.e. left in the A position almost all the time on the K10D. It is however raised up by a couple of mm (bigger OD) than the DOF indicator ring mentioned earlier and again is just a little over 5mm wide. It also has on it the button to depress for aperture A lock position. So I believe that constant depression due to the clamp ring would in IMHO not be a good thing. The rest of the lens barrel moves for focussing, so is not clampable (if there's such a word). Any thoughts or clever solutions for me, many thanks.

10-19-2008, 05:01 AM	#15
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643 Original Poster	I wouldn't put undue pressure on the aperture ring. You could easily wear out or damage the locking ball bearing in the ring. I've owned the lens and know it's very small. For that reason I don't really see the need for a tripod collar, whose main function is to take the pressure off the lens to camera mount and restore the weight balance on the tripod to reduce vibration. This lens is so physically short, that a collar might not make much difference. To make one if you think it's needed, the only thing I can think of is having a machine shop make one for you.

FA*300mm f4.5 Tripod collar finally. Lens hoods as well

Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!