Safe to leave lens on camera?

[RGF]

a bit extreme extreme, but useful to think what can happen.

In Africa on the very bumpy and rough roads, I always store the lens and camera separate when traveling. The vibration has been know to work the lens mount loose from the body. Doesn't happen quickly or often but still, why add stress to the system. So when I travel or store equipment for a long time, I do not attach camera to the lens.

I do this with an abdunance of caution.

 

[eml58]

a bit extreme extreme, but useful to think what can happen.

In Africa on the very bumpy and rough roads, I always store the lens and camera separate when traveling. The vibration has been know to work the lens mount loose from the body. Doesn't happen quickly or often but still, why add stress to the system. So when I travel or store equipment for a long time, I do not attach camera to the lens.

I do this with an abdunance of caution.

I'm with RGF on this, a lot depends on the lens, but I have some definite rules for myself based on advise from others & my own experience.

Never transport Body & Lens (Any Lens) attached.
Never store Body & Lens (Any Lens) attached.
Always use a Blower on the Transition Face prior to Changing Lens (Reduces Dust incursion)

Some riders on the above.
When I'm shooting, I carry my Bodies/Lenses with Black Rapid Straps, all Bodies have 'L' plates, anything that has a Lens up to the 135f/2 attached, the Strap is attached via a RRS Clamp to the 'L' Plate on the Body.

Anything with a lens that is from say the 70-300, 70-200 or the Big Whites (200/300/400/600) I carry them with the Strap attached via the RRS Clamp direct to the RRS Replacement Foot (except the 70-300/70-200 which have Wimberley Plates attached).

All of the above is designed to keep as much stress as possible of off the Body/Lens transition, I have seen a number of situations where people have dropped their Bags, Lens/Body attached, and the Body has peeled away or fractured at the transition face, same when someone attaches a Large Lens then carries or fixes it By the Body, rather than the Lens, can result in the transition face deforming under pressure, once that happens you may as well spray paint the Body & hang it up as a lesson learned.

 

[Rienzphotoz]

What about lenses with plastic mounts?

The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II is a fairly big lens with a plastic mount. Over time would the plastic bend, warp, and lose a tight connection? Especially if the lens and body get very hot in the sun or trunk of a car, I could see this being even more problematic.

I'm pretty sure, lenses with plastic mount wouldn't bend, warp or lose tight connection in normal weather conditions ... I say this coz I live in a place where the summer temperature goes to 55 degrees Celcius (131 Ferenhight) and I make images/video at our rig locations out in the open desert with all my lenses in the car roasting in the heat of the mid day sun ... one of those lenses was 50 f/1.8 (which has a plastic lens mount) ... never had a problem.

 

[wookiee2cu]

I don't leave my lens on the camera body just becuase I've read a few stories where someone had their lens on their camera in their bag and they tripped and fell. They didn't think much of it and when they went to grab their camera out of the bag the lens mount was broken. Now I doubt that this is a wide spread problem and the lens mount seems very strong but it's just one of those freak things that I'd like to avoid.

 

[jrista]

I have my 70-200 f4L USM on my 7D and it got me wondering, with the weight of this lens (and other lenses), is it safe to leave the lens on the body at all times? If so, should the body be facing up with the weight of the lens pushing on the body? Or maybe should the camera be hanging down so the lens is pulling on the body?

Or should the lens be removed and a body cap used?

It kind of depends. If you are speaking in the context of storage, it is fine to leave the lens on the body. Whenever you are transporting your gear, especially if anyone else is going to be handling your gear (such as an airline or bus), make sure everything is separated. I have recently read of bird a photographer's Canon 300mm f/2.8 L II (attached to a 1D IV) that was broken in half by an airline because of the stresses induced when the airline did not heed the fragility warning and was tossing his luggage around. Brand new lens, destroyed because it was attached to a body. Art Morris has on many occasions stressed the need to keep lens and body separate whenever traveling.

Best to keep the lens and body detached if you even remotely suspect there might be stresses applied that could break the lens or screw up the mount.

 

[RGF]

What about lenses with plastic mounts?

The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II is a fairly big lens with a plastic mount. Over time would the plastic bend, warp, and lose a tight connection? Especially if the lens and body get very hot in the sun or trunk of a car, I could see this being even more problematic.

I'm pretty sure, lenses with plastic mount wouldn't bend, warp or lose tight connection in normal weather conditions ... I say this coz I live in a place where the summer temperature goes to 55 degrees Celcius (131 Ferenhight) and I make images/video at our rig locations out in the open desert with all my lenses in the car roasting in the heat of the mid day sun ... one of those lenses was 50 f/1.8 (which has a plastic lens mount) ... never had a problem.

One think may not hurt the mount. But repeated exposure to stress, vibration, etc can eventually damage it. why risk it?