Tripod collar mount for EF 70-300 IS DO USM

I have had this lens for quite some time. However, I want to use it for long exposure work and wonder if a tripod collar mount would be better.

https://www.dpreview.c​om …s/5822837105/ca​non70300do

However, while I can find various options for similar lens online, none of them specifically state this particular lens.

Any ideas as to whether this one would fit?

https://www.amazon.com …_3190374011_t1_​B0048EKCOI

Thanks,
Charlie

You've cited the "DO" lens in the title and the collar in the link lists the non-DO lens. They have different dimensions, so I assume "no, it wouldn't fit".

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens 22.2 oz (630g) 3.0 x 5.6" (76.5 x 142.8mm) 58mm 2005
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM 25.4 oz (720g) 3.2 x 3.9" (82 x 100mm) 58mm 2004

The DO is 3.2" in diameter and the non-DO is 3.0". Separately, there isn't much room on the lens body to have a collar around it. Where (along the lens body) would you wrap a ring around it? Perhaps the zoom ring? But then you wouldn't be able to change the zoom without resetting the collar? I've never thought about trying to fit a collar to a lens like this but curious if you've done this with other lenses (that weren't designed for a collar originally).

I don't have the DO lens, but I do have the other...

Alright, I’ll not bother with a tripod collar then, seeing as it was not designed for one. I simply want to use that lens with my 6d for astrophotography without my telescope.

I want to mount dslr and lens plus guidescope/ccd to my telescope mount (without telescope) so I can track for long exposures.

Thanks for your reply.

Charlie

Still, I was curious what the approach might be...

I'm assuming that the reason to use a collar would be for better balance and reducing vibration (and getting sharper images). Is that right?

I have a mild curiosity about astro-photography and curious about your experiences. (Although, I've read some of the posts in this forum that warn that astro becomes expensive quickly. But then again, what branch of photography *doesn't* become expensive?)

If you already have a telescope and tracking mount, have you looked into the mounts for the camera body directly to the telescope? I don't know how the quality of the telescope optics compare to the quality of the camera lens optics. But if you've already got some investment in the telescope, you may have already passed that hurdle.

The collars are more useful for longer lenses, since the center of gravity then shifts forward, from the camera body, quite substantially. There are different opinions about the EF 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM, but nobody argues about that it's a very short lens, when comparing to other 70-300 mm zoom lenses. So the center of gravity doesn't shift forward that much as it will when using lenses like the EF 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS II USM, for example.

Astrophotography can get expensive quickly, but there are some caveats:

Wide-field using say a 20mm lens can capture wide views with only a sturdy tripod and remote shutter release. However, due to Earth’s rotation, exposure times are limited to 25-30 seconds based on the focal length of the lens.

After that, you can buy astrophotography mounts for a dslr that will follow Earth’s rotation. These are less than $500. iOptron makes a popular one, but I have never tried it.

If you have a good telescope mount which can be a couple thousand $’s then you can mount your dslr. Add to that a ccd guide cam and extremely precise tracking is achievable with software, allowing exposures of minutes without any start trailing.

For astrophotography, I use:

William Optics ZenithStar 103 refractor to which I attach my 6d body
iOptron iEq 45pro mount that I purchased used for $700
Zwo guidecam
Raspberry pi controller

However, for some astrophotography objects such as Rho Ophiucus - an amazing nebula system, I need a wider field such as that of my 70-300 at 200mm, BUT I need really long exposures, so need to track using the ccd guide cam. To do this, I want to mount the guide cam and dslr onto my telescope mount and not use the actual telescope. Mounting the guide cam is easy and I just got an Arca-Swiss clamp. I’ll mount both of these onto an aluminum plate that can be attached to the telescope mount. Hence my question about attachment via camera body or lens, especially for a long exposure.

Regards,
Charlie

Interesting...

And thank you for sharing that Charlie.