C
Colin North, the one and only
Guest
Does anyone own the whatever it is to 400mm VR lens? If so, maybe you could help me with a problem.
C
Colin North, the one and only
Guest
Hi Graham,
Sue has the lens. The problem I have involves the lens collar with the tripod mount. The screw hole is too small for the larger tripod screw and too big for the small one. Hitherto, Sue has used the lens handheld. However, I recently bought a new Manfrotto Tripod head (the U shaped one for long lenses and telescopes) and she wanted to use it. This is where the problem arose, because when she tried to fit it, it wouldn't fit.
I took the lens collar off and sent it to Nikon, because clearly there was a problem. They first said the problem was that the screw thread was damaged, and offered to sell us a replacement for £40odd which included a 50% discount on the list price of £90 odd. I then spoke to Nikon, and told them there was no damage to the screw thread, and even if there was, because the hole for the screw goes right though the mount, even if there was damage on one side, the screw would still screw in from the opposite side. The next revelation they came up with was that there should be a sleeve in the mount, to reduce the thread size. This is where I lost my temper with them and told them to return the mount, because it clearly is not fit for the purpose for which it was sold, and we'll sort it out in Court. This is where I need help. Can you recall seeing such a sleeve in the tripod mount? What size screw did you use to attach it to a tripod, the larger one or the smaller?
Needlestosay, the stuff hasn't come back from Nikon yet.
If you can help, I would be grateful.
Colin
Sue has the lens. The problem I have involves the lens collar with the tripod mount. The screw hole is too small for the larger tripod screw and too big for the small one. Hitherto, Sue has used the lens handheld. However, I recently bought a new Manfrotto Tripod head (the U shaped one for long lenses and telescopes) and she wanted to use it. This is where the problem arose, because when she tried to fit it, it wouldn't fit.
I took the lens collar off and sent it to Nikon, because clearly there was a problem. They first said the problem was that the screw thread was damaged, and offered to sell us a replacement for £40odd which included a 50% discount on the list price of £90 odd. I then spoke to Nikon, and told them there was no damage to the screw thread, and even if there was, because the hole for the screw goes right though the mount, even if there was damage on one side, the screw would still screw in from the opposite side. The next revelation they came up with was that there should be a sleeve in the mount, to reduce the thread size. This is where I lost my temper with them and told them to return the mount, because it clearly is not fit for the purpose for which it was sold, and we'll sort it out in Court. This is where I need help. Can you recall seeing such a sleeve in the tripod mount? What size screw did you use to attach it to a tripod, the larger one or the smaller?
Needlestosay, the stuff hasn't come back from Nikon yet.
If you can help, I would be grateful.
Colin
GrahamM
Managing Editor
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Sorry Colin, I can't remember any detail about the tripod collar other than I didn't have a problem attaching it to two different tripods. And then I found I was quite happy with the camera mounted on the tripod and took the collar off until I sold it. Here's a quote from a Ken Rockwell review:
"Tripod Collar: The tripod collar comes off. I took mine off the moment I got it! I do the nasty and use the camera's tripod socket. The 80 - 400VR's collar is a pain, so it's left at home."
"Tripod Collar: The tripod collar comes off. I took mine off the moment I got it! I do the nasty and use the camera's tripod socket. The 80 - 400VR's collar is a pain, so it's left at home."
I use a number of manfrotto tripods with sleeves over the screw fitting to use other camera tripod thread types, these are spring loaded affairs, many people thing a camera fitting is a standard 1/4 and 3/8, but other sizes do exist, especially on some of the larger lenses, did you buy the camera from Nikon direct or a shop, because really you should be dealing with the person you bought the camera from, it sound like the lens has a 3/8 fitting?
C
Colin North, the one and only
Guest
Hi Graham,
One last question:-
The two tripods that you connected it to have what size screw? 1/4" or 3/8"?
Thanks everyone else for your input. Does anyone know whether the thread on the standard tripod is BSF, withworth or metric. The actual diameter sizes, above,seem to be imperial rather than metric.
The lens was purchased from Vic Oddens on London Bridge Station who have gone bust.
Regards,
Colin
One last question:-
The two tripods that you connected it to have what size screw? 1/4" or 3/8"?
Thanks everyone else for your input. Does anyone know whether the thread on the standard tripod is BSF, withworth or metric. The actual diameter sizes, above,seem to be imperial rather than metric.
The lens was purchased from Vic Oddens on London Bridge Station who have gone bust.
Regards,
Colin
GrahamM
Managing Editor
- Joined
- Feb 23, 1999
- Messages
- 9,773
- Reaction score
- 1
<blockquote class="quoteheader">Colin North, the one and only wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class="quote">
Hi Graham,
One last question:-
The two tripods that you connected it to have what size screw? 1/4" or 3/8"?
Thanks everyone else for your input. Does anyone know whether the thread on the standard tripod is BSF, withworth or metric. The actual diameter sizes, above,seem to be imperial rather than metric.
The lens was purchased from Vic Oddens on London Bridge Station who have gone bust.
Regards,
Colin</blockquote>They were both 1/4", which is the standard on modern tripods. Not sure if it's BSF, metric or Whitworth, but it is 20 TPI (Threads Per Inch).
Hi Graham,
One last question:-
The two tripods that you connected it to have what size screw? 1/4" or 3/8"?
Thanks everyone else for your input. Does anyone know whether the thread on the standard tripod is BSF, withworth or metric. The actual diameter sizes, above,seem to be imperial rather than metric.
The lens was purchased from Vic Oddens on London Bridge Station who have gone bust.
Regards,
Colin</blockquote>They were both 1/4", which is the standard on modern tripods. Not sure if it's BSF, metric or Whitworth, but it is 20 TPI (Threads Per Inch).