Put down that camera! But how?

[AlbertP]

If you're like me, each time you put down your camera, you wonder briefly about how best to position it to minimize stress on the lens and more importantly the lens mount, especially if a large lens is attached to your camera.

So how do you position the camera when resting it on a table or other hard surface? In its normal upright position? On its side? In such a way that the lens is supported by something?

[ohenry]

Not sure that I place too much thought into how I set my camera down but looking at it sitting on the desk now, it is sitting on its base with the lens foward. I have an L plate attached, so it doesn't always sit level and in this case the front of the lens (24-70) is resting on the desk, as well.

[Elitephoto9]

Greetings
To be honest I really don't think about it. I just throw it down on my desk or in my bag. Now that I look at them the Nikon leans forward on to the lens, the Olympus sits flat and the Sigma is flat with the lens tripod ring holding it steady.
Have fun
Roger

[AlbertP]

I read here somewhere that the Nikon lens mount is fragile and can easily be warped by pressure from a large lens.

[Elitephoto9]

I've never heard that Nikon had a weak lens mount, but it could be true. I haven't had any problems or at least not yet and I use my gear very hard. I do know that the Olympus lens barrels seem to scartch quite easily and the paint comes off the bodies really fast. I've had my Olmpus E1 about 3 months now and the paint is coming off the body in spots and the lens barrel on the 50-200 is scartched
Roger

[AlbertP]

I've seen folks put the camera down in the upright position on its base, and then let it drop down on its lens, and each time I see this happen, I think, "ouch, that's gotta be bad."

[BigB]

His lens mount seems fine.

[AlbertP]

Funny.

But seriously, you'll notice that he's holding the camera by the lens and not the camera body (of course). That's my point exactly. If he were to put that camera down and let the lens "drop" with a thud onto some surface, there would most surely be lens mount damage.

[mawz]

Nikon's got a well secured mount.

That said, if the lens weighs more than the camera, carry it by the lens, it's less stress. And cameras with a plastic frame will be less rigid and strong than a camera with a metal frame. So the low-end Nikons (As well as Rebels and some Pentax's and Minolta's) will have weaker mounts than the high-end bodies. In low-end DSLR's, the Pentaxes are probably the strongest (Steel subframes), with the Nikon's in second and the Rebels dead last. But unless you abuse them, or hange massive glass off the front and don't support it, it shouldn't be an issue.

As to putting my bodies down, I tend to rest them on the lens, with the exception of my F90x which is too massive to do so with most of my lenses.

[badpickev]

i am more worried about wearing the bushing in the lens first.