800mm f/11 Carry Options

Apr 19, 2021
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I have finally given in and bought an R5 & 800mm f/11 lens :cool: My big dilemma now is how to carry it around. Most of my photography is of birds, done walking around, travelling light, previously with a 7D MkII with 100-400mm attached and another lens (100mm Macro or wide-angle depending what I expect to see), carried in a small waist bag. The bag is large enough to hold the 100-400mm (just) but will not fit the 800mm. I'm looking for creative suggestions for how to take both lenses with me, very easily accessible for rapid changing (i.e. probably not a backpack). My thoughts so far are:
  • A bigger waist bag
  • Some sort of clip system and hang the unused lens from my belt
  • Some sort of strap system and hang the unused lens from my shoulder
  • Have the 800mm on the R5 and 100-400mm on the 7DMkII and work out how to carry two setups
Any other ideas, products available I'm not aware of or specific recommendations for any of the options above?

Thanks.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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I have finally given in and bought an R5 & 800mm f/11 lens :cool: My big dilemma now is how to carry it around. Most of my photography is of birds, done walking around, travelling light, previously with a 7D MkII with 100-400mm attached and another lens (100mm Macro or wide-angle depending what I expect to see), carried in a small waist bag. The bag is large enough to hold the 100-400mm (just) but will not fit the 800mm. I'm looking for creative suggestions for how to take both lenses with me, very easily accessible for rapid changing (i.e. probably not a backpack). My thoughts so far are:
  • A bigger waist bag
  • Some sort of clip system and hang the unused lens from my belt
  • Some sort of strap system and hang the unused lens from my shoulder
  • Have the 800mm on the R5 and 100-400mm on the 7DMkII and work out how to carry two setups
Any other ideas, products available I'm not aware of or specific recommendations for any of the options above?

Thanks.
Do you need to take the 800mm and the zoom with you on walkabout? I take the 100-500mm on the R5 and one of the TCs and before that the 100-400mm II and a TC, and leave the 800 at home when out on a hike - I do bird photography in the same way as you.
 
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Apr 19, 2021
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Do you need to take the 800mm and the zoom with you on walkabout? I take the 100-500mm on the R5 and one of the TCs and before that the 100-400mm II and a TC, and leave the 800 at home when out on a hike - I do bird photography in the same way as you.
Well, I guess I don't have to, but it would be disappointing to leave it at home. It is probably my technique (at photography and staling birds), but even with the cropped 7D MkII I felt I needed more reach. I thought about a 600mm f/4 (I even hired one to try out) and although it was very nice it was too heavy and cumbersome, not to mention expensive! That is why I was tempted by the R5 & 800mm. The 45MPx more or less compensates for not being a crop sensor and the 800mm (optionally x1.4) gives extra reach.

So far, I am just getting the feel of things, taking it out with either the 100-400mm or 800mm on short walks. (Only had it a few days so far.) My plans for a trip to somewhere more exciting this weekend are now looking in doubt (unless I can get some petrol), but hopefully I will get a change for some real experience soon.

[My hope is to upgrade to the RF 100-500mm once I have saved some more money :-]

Happy with it so far...
RedKite.jpg
... flying over the back garden!
 
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I suspect the RF 800 would fit in a Lowepro Lens Case 13x32, which you could hang on a Lowepro Utility Belt. I’ve done that with smaller lenses. But that's not what I'd do, personally.

For walking, I typically carry my camera on a BlackRapid strap (regular for most lenses, the Sport-L left side strap for my 600/4). The BR strap lug is connected (with Loctite, so it won't come loose as the lugs sometimes do) to a Kirk 1” clamp (Arca-Swiss), and I have RRS plates on my camera and lens feet. Here's the business end of the strap with the Kirk clamp connected to a lens plate:

Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 11.32.25 AM.png

So if I was trying to carry the RF 800 and another lens, I'd attach an RRS B-26 plate to the lens (it's a 'camcorder plate' but it's the right size and has the anti-twist pin to match the hole on the tripod mount of the RF 800):

Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 11.25.13 AM.png Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 11.25.55 AM.png

Then I'd connect the Kirk clamp to that while in use for carrying and shooting, with the second lens in a smaller pouch on a belt. When I wanted to use the other lens, I'd leave the RF 800 hanging on the strap and handhold the camera with the second lens mounted.

Hope that helps...
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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Well, I guess I don't have to, but it would be disappointing to leave it at home. It is probably my technique (at photography and staling birds), but even with the cropped 7D MkII I felt I needed more reach. I thought about a 600mm f/4 (I even hired one to try out) and although it was very nice it was too heavy and cumbersome, not to mention expensive! That is why I was tempted by the R5 & 800mm. The 45MPx more or less compensates for not being a crop sensor and the 800mm (optionally x1.4) gives extra reach.

So far, I am just getting the feel of things, taking it out with either the 100-400mm or 800mm on short walks. (Only had it a few days so far.) My plans for a trip to somewhere more exciting this weekend are now looking in doubt (unless I can get some petrol), but hopefully I will get a change for some real experience soon.

[My hope is to upgrade to the RF 100-500mm once I have saved some more money :-]

Happy with it so far...
View attachment 200486
... flying over the back garden!
Nice Red Kite. It's a bad time of year for us UK birders, but fortunately there are Red Kites around. I got one locally on Friday with the RF 2x on the 100-500mm. It was much further away than yours judging by the number of pixels https://www.canonrumors.com/forum/threads/show-your-bird-portraits.1280/page-1216#post-911906 Best of luck with the petrol - I fortunately filled up just before the queueing started but there's not much exciting within driving distance.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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I suspect the RF 800 would fit in a Lowepro Lens Case 13x32, which you could hang on a Lowepro Utility Belt. I’ve done that with smaller lenses. But that's not what I'd do, personally.

For walking, I typically carry my camera on a BlackRapid strap (regular for most lenses, the Sport-L left side strap for my 600/4). The BR strap lug is connected to a Kirk 1” clamp (Arca-Swiss), and I have RRS plates on my camera and lens feet. Here's the business end of the strap with the Kirk clamp connected to a lens plate:

View attachment 200489

So if I was trying to carry the RF 800 and another lens, I'd attach an RRS B-26 plate to the lens (it's a 'camcorder plate' but it's the right size and has the anti-twist pin to match the hole on the tripod mount of the RF 800):

View attachment 200487 View attachment 200488

Then I'd connect the Kirk clamp to that while in use for carrying and shooting, with the second lens in a smaller pouch on a belt. When I wanted to use the other lens, I'd leave the RF 800 hanging on the strap and handhold the camera with the second lens mounted.

Hope that helps...
On the occasions I've used the 800mm R5 on the R5 for hiking, it's been on a simple Black Rapid with two carabiners, one through a standard BR screw into the lens base and the other through a cheap plate under the camera.
 
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unfocused

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Thanks for all the suggestions so far. Long term I will investigate the BlackRapid options (as it had two votes). It looks a bit complex and expensive, so will need some thought about the best approach. Previously I have been hesitant about trusting my kit to a [heavy duty] lanyard, held on by a single bolt, but this helps with some of these fears :)
The BR strap lug is connected (with Loctite, so it won't come loose as the lugs sometimes do) to ...

In the short term I will probably get the JJC pouch and try hanging it by the belt loop from my waste bag. (It is fairly cheap and will get me out in the field to see how well it works and indeed whether I need to carry both lenses.)
 
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Apr 19, 2021
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FWIW, I hang my 600/4 II and 1D X from a BR strap – that’s close to $20K in gear.
Yes, I am reassured, especially with the Loctite suggestion. (Also the 800/11 is much lighter.) My greatest concern is my competence, worrying about the bolt coming undone may cause me to overtighten it and strip the thread :oops:
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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Yes, I am reassured, especially with the Loctite suggestion. (Also the 800/11 is much lighter.) My greatest concern is my competence, worrying about the bolt coming undone may cause me to overtighten it and strip the thread :oops:
If you use 2 caribiners, it's insurance against 1 coming loose.
 
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Jul 21, 2010
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Yes, I am reassured, especially with the Loctite suggestion. (Also the 800/11 is much lighter.) My greatest concern is my competence, worrying about the bolt coming undone may cause me to overtighten it and strip the thread :oops:
That's why I use the Kirk clamp to an Arca-Swiss plate. Apply Loctite to the bolt, attach it to the clamp, and forget about it. FYI, I use Loctite Blue 242, so with tools (bench vice and channel locks) and some force they can be separated if needed, but that's not going to happen in normal use.
 
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