Is the tripod ring really necessary for the 70-200 f/4L

Makes a big difference when trying to mount it piggy backed on a telescope. Balance is everything. If your shooting hand held your supporting the lens with your hand and taking some of the strain off the mount. If shooting on a tripod would it not make sense to do the same thing? I would not shoot without it. But thats my personal preference.

rudgej wrote:
So I see! That's a nice prime lens collection.

Yeah I just wish I had more time to use it. I have not had time for photography since october

I use it with and without. When using a tripod or monopod you'll really appreciate having it ... buy the black version and save yourself $30.

In my opinion; it comes down to this:

What head do you have on your tripod?

If you have a cheesy little ball head; and you use the tripod mount on the camera; the lens sags when using the tripod.

If so; you might want to get the ring.

If you either don't stress about this or don't have this problem (GOOD tripod head) then you don't need the collar.

Like others have said; the only reason for it is to make balance better; not out of necessity.

Tdragone,

See my sig for my tripod and head. So far as I can tell, that thing's built like a tank...HEAVY sucker, too.

FlipsidE

At certain shutter speeds you can get vibrations that will blurr your images if the camera and lens is not balanced on the tripod. The tripod mount will normally eliminate any such vibrations. Test the lens with and without the tripod mount at all shutter speeds, but particularly at 1/2 sec through 1/60 sec. You may well see a difference.

I use mine on a tripod without a ring getting great results. But at slow shutterspeeds im sure Peter has a point - just haven't felt the need for one.

That's a fine tripod. I use my 20D+70-200 F4L on both my heavy pan/tilt tripod and on my little "carry everywhere with cheesy little ballhead" tripod and I still think that you will appreciate the collar. If you were local I'd let you borrow mine and then you would see the difference. The 70-200 F4L is not a particularly heavy lens but it still puts the center of gravity far out in front of the camera. If you add a TC it just makes it worse. i wish the $600 lens had come with a collar like its big brothers but in the end I didn't mind paying the extra $90.

Another thing to consider is that with a well balanced system, you can use the tripod (with a ball head) to simply steady the camera. This works great for moving objects like birds (or rockets, see: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=84903). If the camera/lens isn't balanced then you have to hold the lens up rather than just spin the unit around and track your subject.

-- Scott.