How much weight can a camera mount bear?

[Hermann]

I'm not sure this forum is the right one for my question. Apologies if it isn't.

I started using the Peak Design Capture Clip for carring my camera some time ago. The Capture Clip is attached to e.g. one of the straps of a backpack, and the camera attaches to the clip with a bottom plate screwed into the tripod mount of the camera. The advantage is that one can get at the camera very quickly and easily to shoot if e.g. there's an interesting bird flying past while having both hands free when you're just walking. I also find it far less stressful than using a sling type strap, like e.g. the Blackrapid strap.

However, what I don't know how much heavy the lens may be without damaging the camera mount. After all, the lens is dangling off the camera all the time. Now, I think it's surely a bad idea to carry a 4/500mm that way, but what about lighter lenses in the 700-1500gr range, like the 4/300 PF or the Sigma 100-400?

I could not find any reference in the Nikon manuals, except for a cautionary note for the FTZ adapter. With the FTZ adapter one should always support the lens if it weighs more than 1300 gr. In particular Nikon advises against carrying the camera by the camera strap - which is essentially the same as carrying it in the Capture Clip.

So, how much weight can you put on a camera mount? Does anyone know? And are there differences between different cameras, e.g. a D3xxx, a D5xxx or one of the professional bodies?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hermann

[Birna Rørslett]

A precaution is mounting any lens 1 kg or heavier by attaching the camera to it instead of the usual way, lens onto camera. My guess the same would apply to carrying the outfit. Heavy lenses have their own straps and those should be used at all times.

Considering the register tolerance is +- 0.05mm, it is a miracle the mounts stay in their designated position despite the heavy stuff being attached or removed from them all the time. Never assume that the mount can tolerate any load no matter how massive it is, though.

[MILLIREHM]

My fast superteles have their own strap. The 200-500/5,6 and the 80-400/2,5-5,6 are lacking strap mounts. Especially for the first one it would be badly needed. My workaround is to always support the lens in some way while carrying (by "hooking" it in the bag ore something similar)

[Erik Lund]

It depends on the model of the camera how the mount is connected to the camera body, read a lot more about it here:

https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=3633.0

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Nikon note in the manuals of heavier lenses such as 200/2, 200-500/5.6 etc. that the lens should always be supported (from the lens) and not lifted solely by pulling the attached camera (not verbatim but the general idea).

However, no such notes in the manuals of lighter lenses such as 70-200/2.8 or similar. I suspect the limit of the lens weight where it becomes not safe to lift it from the camera is somewhere between 1.5-2kg.

[Hermann]

Thank you to all of you who replied. So the general "rule" seems to be something like this:

Be very careful with heavy lenses.

Never to pick up a camera with a lens weighing above ~1,5 kg without supporting the lens.

Does that make sense?

Hermann

[Erik Lund]

Big lenses; Pick up the lens and the camera will come along with it,,,


This go for 200mm f/2 300mm f/2.8 same for 400 500 600 etc.

[pluton]

Thank you to all of you who replied. So the general "rule" seems to be something like this:

Be very careful with heavy lenses.

Never to pick up a camera with a lens weighing above ~1,5 kg without supporting the lens.

Does that make sense?

Hermann

This seems like a good distillation of common sense precautions.

[the solitaire]

A precaution is mounting any lens 1 kg or heavier by attaching the camera to it instead of the usual way, lens onto camera. My guess the same would apply to carrying the outfit. Heavy lenses have their own straps and those should be used at all times.

Considering the register tolerance is +- 0.05mm, it is a miracle the mounts stay in their designated position despite the heavy stuff being attached or removed from them all the time. Never assume that the mount can tolerate any load no matter how massive it is, though.

I have a Nikon D800 at Nikon Germany now (Dusseldorf) and they sent me a cost estimate stating that the mount to register distance is out of the tolerance, which they describe at +/- 0,02mm.