Shoot like a pro – Lens collars

Posted on 15. Oct, 2009 by Paul Burwell in Equipment, Everything, Instructional

Many pro photographers use tripods and monopods in their daily work. One accessory for a lens (sometimes included and sometimes not) that makes using a “pod” a lot easier is a lens with a lens collar.

A lens with a lens collar allows a photographer to quickly rotate the lens from a horizontal (or landscape) orientation to a vertical (or portrait) orientation with having to mess with flopping a ballhead onto its side. Many “pro” level lenses come with a lens collar while other lenses have lens collars available as an additionally purchased accessory.

Mountain Lion walking across some rocky ground - CA

Canon 5D Mark II, 1/320th of a second at F6.3
100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS @ 120mm, ISO 400
Evaluative metering
Gitzo 3541XLS Tripod with a BWG-Pro Gimbal Head

Mountain Lion standing on top of a hill in golden light - CA

Canon 5D Mark II, 1/800th of a second at F6.3
100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS @ 320mm, ISO 400
Evaluative metering
Gitzo 3541XLS Tripod with a BWG-Pro Gimbal Head

Another trick that I use while photographing from a tripod or monopod is that I leave the lens collar completely loosened. This allows me to quickly move from one shooting orientation to the next without fumbling with knobs. The faster I can make the transition, the more likely it is that I’ll get the shot. Some folks may worry about making sharp images with the lens collar loosened, but I find that if I use the proper techniques for making sharp images, that it doesn’t present a problem.

Have some more tips for dealing with lens collars? I’d love to hear them.

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Tags: collar, collars, lens, Photography, professional, shoot like a pro

8 Responses to “Shoot like a pro – Lens collars”

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15. Oct, 2009

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Paul Burwell, Peter Witham. Peter Witham said: RT @paul_burwell: Just posted: Shoot like a pro – Lens collars http://tinyurl.com/ygevxfr #photography #photog #twittographers [...]

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Shoot like a pro – Lens collars

15. Oct, 2009

[...] 1 votes vote Shoot like a pro – Lens collars Many pro photographers use tripods and monopods in their daily work. One accessory for a lens [...]

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Phillip S

16. Oct, 2009

How in the world did you find and shoot mountain lions so beautifully??

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- Paul Burwell
  
  17. Oct, 2009
  
  Phillip,
  
  The “-CA” notation at the end of an image of mine denotes that the subject in the photo is a captive animal. In this case, the photographs of the Mountain Lion were made at the Triple “D” Game Farm where I offer photography workshops.
  
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Shoot like a pro – Lens collars – Paul Burwell @ Photo News Today

16. Oct, 2009

[...] and Read More: paulburwell.com Technorati Tags: Lens Collars,Paul Burwell Share and [...]

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Marc Reindell

16. Oct, 2009

Great shots and good tips! I would like to post this article on our blog and link back to you with your permission. We have a blog that is geared toward hunters and wildlife photographers, we like to pass on information that gives our photography readers valuable information, I feel this article would help our readers and may provide you with additional readers as well.

Thank you for your consideration!

Marc Reindell

marc@wildlifecallers.com
http://www.wildlifecallers.com

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- Paul Burwell
  
  17. Oct, 2009
  
  Marc,
  
  You are welcome to post a summary of the article and a link to it, but I don’t want you to post the entire article on your site.
  
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Ilan

17. Oct, 2009

Stunning the photos.
The golden light here is a great bonus!

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