Tubes + 100mm macro tripod mount ring recommended?

Since it's spring here, and all the lovely bugs have come out and play, I've been in the field with my 100mm macro a lot. Right now I'm trying out a monopod setup, to slightly stabilize the caffeine-blood level.

However, I found that the 100mm with tubes is already getting kinda top heavy. If I add an extender (planning to get a Kenko 1.4 to combine with the tubes), I'm worried that the camera mount would get too much stress on it.

I'm wondering if anyone would like to share some experiences with a tripod mount ring combined with the 100mm macro (and TC / tubes). Preferably a knock off, since I think the Canon version's price is a bit steep for me...

I don't have the Canon lens but a Sigma 150 instead. I've found the tripod collar very helpful, not just for monopod use but also for mounting flash brackets and so on - you can even spin it right around and mount a bracket on it on the top etc.

Using it for a flash bracket also means that if you add tubes or TCs then the flash is kept at the same position relative to the lens itself which is very handy.

not to hijack the thread, but physically, is it possible to have more than one collar on the 100 macro at once?

ceriltheblade wrote in post #10104967
not to hijack the thread, but physically, is it possible to have more than one collar on the 100 macro at once?

nope

I never heard of weight damaging the lens mount. A 100mm macro with a 1.4 and tube (s) is not anything to be concerned about. Common sense would dictate putting a carrying strap on the lens rather then the camera if you were going to carry somethin like a 500 or 600mm lens.

Thanks for the help all
I've been thinking about using the TMR for flash bracket things, but ended up finding a good deal on a manfrotto dual flash bracket, so gonna fiddle with that a bit first. Hope I finally find the ideal flash mounting point in that...

If youre going to be doing macro work on a tripod, one thing I really like about mounting via the tripod ring mount is that you can loosen it and switch from landscape to portrait without moving the camera and messing up your composure and what you have in focus. Which is a great advantage as you all know how difficult it can be to get just that right DOF slice that you want in focus.