Step by step Take a load off

All of the lenses on test come with a tripod collar – and you’ll be glad of it!

01 Quick release

Fit the quick-release plate from your tripod or monopod to the mounting foot of the lens’s tripod collar. Some quick release plates offer different orientations for cameras and lenses, as is the case with the one shown here.

02 On the level

Tripod collars are essential to keep the weight of a big lens centralised, so the tripod stays stable. To maintain balance and stability when shooting upwards or downwards at steep angles, a gimbal head is a useful addition.

03 Portrait orientation

Another bonus of using a tripod collar is that it enables quick and easy swapping between landscape (horizontal) and portrait (upright) orientation, while still keeping the camera and lens properly balanced on the tripod.