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How strong or weak might the lens’ mount of the a7ii be for.........?


Alejandro
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I would like to be given an opinion about if the lens’ mount of the Sony a7 ii is strong enough to handle (without being affected or damaged in the long term) a heavy and long lens as I’ll describe below:

I’m thinking of resurrecting an old Tamron Adaptall-2 80-210mm f/3.8-4 Model 104A that I have. I tried it on the a7 ii with results that satisfy me, but it seems a bit bulky for the size of the a7 camera.

The lens is 14.65 cm long plus about 3.2 cm from the LA-Ea5 adapter, resulting in a total length of 17.85 cm. The lens weight is 610 grams plus 88 grams from the adapter, resulting in 698 grams.

The lens has no supporting handle. I guess there would be no problem to shoot hand-holding the camera and lens (one hand for the camera and the other holding the lens). But, would the camera’s mount and/or the adapter not suffer on the long term if for example mounting the camera on a tripod, with the lever from the lens directly acting on the mount?

My instinct would advise me not to use that lens with the camera mounted on a tripod, but maybe the camera and its mount are strong enough to put up with the weight of the lens combined with its length. Any opinions?

Edited by Alejandro
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I'm a little surprised the L- EA5 does not have a screw socket to take a tripod mount as I know the L-EA1 (for APS-C lenses) and the L- EA 4  do. (this is probably due to the lack of room on the 'streamlined' adapter.)

The instructions for the L-EA4 suggest using the tripod mount on the adapter rather than the camera to prevent strain on the camera's lens mount.

There are lens support brackets on the market (Neewer do one for around £30) but they look bulky. You could try using a long ARCA plate that can project out under the lens, and making a cradle (maybe out of wood) and screwing it to the end supporting the lens.

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Thank you Thebeardedgroundsman for your reply.

I think that what you mentioned, “....that the instructions for the LA-EA4 suggest using the tripod mount on the adapter rather than the camera to prevent strain on the camera’s lens mount”, answers my question.

The LA- EA5 does not have a screw socket to take a tripod mount.

I don’t think I would be able to find an already made lens support bracket here in my country as not many photography and camera accessories are being imported nowadays if not being kind of essential stuff or more related to filming video. But I might find and buy a long “ARCA plate” (I googled what that meant) and somehow make a cradle for its end that would support the lens. I’ll see what can I invent and assemble. Nevertheless, I’m not sure if this would be comfortable and work smoothly as this lens has a single barrel/ring that is simultaneously used to focus and zoom and the front of the lens rotates when focusing. Anyway, whatever I manage to assemble would be to use if mounting the camera with this lens on a tripod (or maybe I just won't be able to).

Thanks.

Edited by Alejandro
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There is already something like this available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Bracket-Multifunctional-Telephoto-Support-Conversion/dp/B099JX3179/ref=sr_1_66?dchild=1&keywords=lens+support+bracket&qid=1630877963&sr=8-66 no need to try to build one yourself.  If you know the lens barrel diameter of your Adaptall-2 103A (not 104A), you can go to eBay and look for a tripod bracket with similar diameter.  You may need to remove and replace the padding on the tripod bracket for a better fit but this is the most economical way of gaining a tripod mount on a lens which doesn't have one.

Having said that your 103A is not a heavy lens, most Adaptall-2 zoom lenses are as heavy as or heavier than 103A.  I handhold my Adaptall-2 SP 63B 180/f2.5 which is only slightly heavier at 800g for the lens.  I don't carry this lens and A7II combo on a neck strap bouncing willy-nilly as I walk, I use a wrist grip and let the camera dangle lens down on even terrain and use both hands on rougher trails.

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Thanks Tadwil for the datum and recommendation.

The problem nowadays with buying abroad seems to be the shipping of products to be sent overseas (probably due to the pandemic). Last year (in November), I bought through Amazon a flash shoe adapter. I could follow where it was through the USPS tracking system. The package never left New York (where it was originally delivered to the post office), and last week (more than ten months after I made my order) it was returned to the shop from where I bought it. They refunded me this week what I paid for the adapter, but not the money I paid for shipping. In the past, I bought lots of things through Amazon or now and again through e-bay, but I am afraid things have become more complicated now, for the time being.

Regarding carrying the camera with that lens hand-holding it, I’ll copy your system.

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Hi,

I am new here, but Manfrotto also makes a "Manfrotto 293 Telephoto Lens Support with Quick Release", see here (just for reference):

https://www.manfrotto.com/us-en/telephoto-lens-support-293/

Manfrotto is a big company, so perhaps there is some store that is local to you that might carry this?

Jim

 

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Yes, Manfrotto is a big company and there is a photographic shop downtown, where I bought some years ago a Manfrotto tripod, so they might keep selling Manfrotto products. They probably (I would say surely) don’t have every Manfrotto product in existence (just a few), but although it is not near to where I live, I can go sometime (they are not publishing what they have on the internet), and take a look to see if they might have this one (or the like).

For what I have seen in the web page to which you gave me the link, the Manfrotto “telephoto lens support” is quite expensive (111 US dollars I would say seems to be a lot of money for what this product is). On Amazon I have seen other product (non Manfrotto) which serve the same purpose, half the price (but I know Manfrotto’s stuff is of good quality).

Anyway, I’ll go and visit this shop as soon as I can, and see if by any chance they happen to have this telephoto lens support.

Thank you.

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