Good idea. Thanks
500 PF and the Dastardly Dangerous Quick Release Foot
- Thread starter PAUL50
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OohMatron
New member
Am I alone in thinking that major lens manufacturers really should be producing better feet from the off, especially on the big glass? They are SO badly designed it is almost as though they have an under the counter agreement with RRS etc. to generate reciprocal business. Even the smaller lenses like 500 PF and 70-200/2.8 are just dreadful.
D
Deleted member 115
Guest
Tamron G2 lenses do have nice feet.
Agree 100%. Why not just have a quality foot with a standard dovetail? Tamron does it with their 150-600. In the past, I think Nikon stated adding a dovetail would show favoritism or something to a certain type of manufacturer, but at this point it's pretty much standard.
D
Deleted member 115
Guest
Tamron 70-200 G2 also. It’s a little on the small side but it’s ok for that length
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Agreed. I remember that party line response from Nikon and maybe there was a time where Manfrotto or other mounts might be left out but that ship has long since sailed...
Clive57
New member
I have the 500pf with the original lens foot. I use it on a black rapid strap,so no problems at all.
Calson
Well-known member
I tighten the locking knob when I put the foot on the lens and I have never had a problem with it coming loose. If I relied 100% on the quick release latch without the knob tightened as well then I would expect to have a problem. I did add a Wimberley plate to the Nikon foot to provide a longer mount to better balance the lens and camera when mounted on a gimbal head.
99% of the time the foot is not attached to the lens as I prefer to use it hand held. If I am going to use a tripod and gimbal head then with the additional 10 lbs to haul around I am going to use my 600mm f/4 lens.
99% of the time the foot is not attached to the lens as I prefer to use it hand held. If I am going to use a tripod and gimbal head then with the additional 10 lbs to haul around I am going to use my 600mm f/4 lens.
I second or third the Hejnar foot Steve recommended. My 500pf will probably never be on a tripod. I am an old target rifle shooter and shotgunner so I actually use the foot, on all of my lenses with a foot (Nkkor 500 PF, Tamron 150-600, 70-200 G2's), to rest not gripped in the palm of my hand when hand holding which is 98% of the time. The foot helps keep my hand away from the manual focus ring and any accidental focus changes. The Hejnar foot is longer and beautifully machined and Arca-swiss ready.
By the way if anyone is still looking for a 500PF Steve recommended some time ago buying stuff from the smaller brick and mortar stores instead of on line and he is correct. I live in Idaho and we have 2 pro line (Nikon, Canon, Sony) stores one in Idaho Falls (Perfect Light Camera) and one in West Yellowstone (Yellowstone Camera) both owned by Christopher Balmer. They sell over the phone and in person but not on line. They frequently get the new hard to get stuff months before B&H, Adorama etc.. I got my 850 months before friends who had ordered on line and I had the 500PF 7 days from calling up and ordering it from Balmer. I picked the 500 PF up in West Yellowstone and shot wolves, grizzly, elk in velvet etc. that afternoon in the park. They ship for free in the continental US and are the same price as the online stores. Of course with the 500PF who knows how long it might take to get one anywere 
IainD
Well-known member
Clive, I recommend care still with the original foot. I understand it is fine currently, but I believe the foot is not secure. A tiny amount of pressure on the release is all it takes and the whole rig could fall. Too many people have had this happen. Just $60 for a new foot and the problem goes away. YMMV but I am much happier with my Hejnar foot
Michael Audette
New member
Wimberly offers a very good foot for the 500 pf at $59.
DallasP
New member
So folks, the 500mm pf is not the only Nikon lens with a foot like that. My fantastic new Z 70-200mm lens has one. Hejnar will have a foot for this lens in 4-6 weeks; meantime I'm just cranking down on that securing knob.
For everyone needing a quick and immediate solution - maybe until the replacement arrives - here is a quick and dirty one. Pulling a zip tie with suitable width through the foot and tighten it will prevent the lever to be pressed down. Just make sure you put the lock on the opposite side of the handle to keep the sharp edges from cutting the tie away from your fingers while carrying the lens. However, in the meamtime I have replaced my foot with a Wimberley despite that workaround because I wanted an Arca connection without having a separate part bolted to the Nikon foot. I can't understand why Nikon still isn't able to put the same engineering intelligence in the foot as they do for the lenses tehmselves but may be they are just all podophobic. This would also explain, why they do such strange things like FTZ adapters getting in the way of tripotd users .
P.S. I officially apologize for spoiling this forum with a lowsy smartphone photo
- here is a quick and dirty one. Pulling a zip tie with suitable width through the foot and tighten it will prevent the lever to be pressed down. Just make sure you put the lock on the opposite side of the handle to keep the sharp edges from cutting the tie away from your fingers while carrying the lens. However, in the meamtime I have replaced my foot with a Wimberley despite that workaround because I wanted an Arca connection without having a separate part bolted to the Nikon foot. I can't understand why Nikon still isn't able to put the same engineering intelligence in the foot as they do for the lenses tehmselves but may be they are just all podophobic. This would also explain, why they do such strange things like FTZ adapters getting in the way of tripotd users .
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
P.S. I officially apologize for spoiling this forum with a lowsy smartphone photo
KP Birder
Active member
I found my 500mm PF getting loose after only a few months use, so I carefully tightened the foot every time I used it, but still a bit of a wobbly feel. So... I ordered the Wimberley foot and while installing it, I discovered that the 4 small screws that hold the foot onto the lens itself were all loose! Guess this one skipped through quality control. In any case, I tightened them all down and installed the Wimberley foot and it has been rock solid ever since.
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