$250, will be money well spent. Hope it goes on preorder soon!
kirkphoto.com
Replacement collar for Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
Kirk replacement collar for the Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR lens.
kirkphoto.com
Kirk Photo 180-600 Replacement Collar
- Thread starter StevieJSmall
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Midway
Well-known member
$250, will be money well spent. Hope it goes on preorder soon!
Replacement collar for Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
Kirk replacement collar for the Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR lens.
I am a fan of products made in the USA. I typically buy Really Right Stuff but know Kirk is of equal quality. I hear good reviews of Hejnar as well. I assume there are other quality options from other countries but prefer not to consider options from companies like Leophoto even at a fraction of the cost.
More from the "Five Eyes" intelligence chiefs' warning to 60 Minutes
Intelligence directors from the "Five Eyes" tell 60 Minutes how China steals intellectual property through professional networking sites, and how the Russian espionage threat has evolved since the invasion of Ukraine.
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I buy Leofoto tripods. Great quality and great price. Understand others feelings given the IP infringements and whatnot and that’s not for me to debate or challenge. To each their own on whatever they want to support.I am a fan of products made in the USA. I typically buy Really Right Stuff but know Kirk is of equal quality. I hear good reviews of Hejnar as well. I assume there are other quality options from other countries but prefer not to consider options from companies like Leophoto even at a fraction of the cost.
More from the "Five Eyes" intelligence chiefs' warning to 60 Minutes
Intelligence directors from the "Five Eyes" tell 60 Minutes how China steals intellectual property through professional networking sites, and how the Russian espionage threat has evolved since the invasion of Ukraine.
Do agree though, Kirk are great and I’ve heard great things about RRS and Hejnar too.
Unfortunately, Henjar doesn't design collars. It would be nice if there was more competition in this space, but I suspect that the demand for expensive accessories like this is pretty limited. We should consider ourselves fortunate that both Kirk and RRS designs collars, as that creates a bit of price pressure on each company.
When considering the collars I've purchased in the past, I've liked some Kirk-designed collars more (like the 300mm f4 AFS v1), and RRS designed collars morel (specifically the 200-500 and 80-400 AFS VRii).
cheers,
bruce
When considering the collars I've purchased in the past, I've liked some Kirk-designed collars more (like the 300mm f4 AFS v1), and RRS designed collars morel (specifically the 200-500 and 80-400 AFS VRii).
cheers,
bruce
I received my 180-600 last week and was pleasantly surprised by quality and feel of the collar. At this point I don't feel the need to replace it (especially at a cost of $250). Just my opinion.
ajrmd
Well-known member
Yes, I find all of this quite interesting. Does anyone know whether the Kirk/RRS will have a locking safety design? My real concern with the OEM, beyond the lack of a AS foot is that of the knob loosening the the collar coming apart when carrying either on a strap or by hand.
I placed a Hejnar on my stock foot and am happy with it. I set the plate flush with the back of the stock foot and it balances perfect on my Wimberly head. 
John Navitsky
Well-known member
yah, similar. it looks, totally based on that photo, is the replacement collar is just "nicer" and i agree that if i were to shell out for a new collar, i'd like to see some sort of locking feature added
The issue with the existing collar has little to do with its security or even lack of Arco-Swiss plate, the key flaw is the friction during rotation. While I plan to handhold the lens 50% of the time, for the balance I will use a tripod. With my other lenses, I use the tripod collar to level the horizon and to maintain fluid movement with a gimbal head. Because the OEM collar is rough to rotate, it prevents me from fixing horizons quickly and leveling the camera when using a gimbal. The Kirk and RRS collars tend to use a high-grade silicon based inner ring that facilitates a smooth rotation.
bruce
bruce
ajrmd
Well-known member
I think it has a tremendous amount to do with security as it will be an attachment point for a sling or used as a grip for carrying. Having the knob loosen and the lens crash to the ground while hiking is not a good look or experience. While I can't say this is a frequent experience, there are enough reports of removable collar lenses suffering this fate reported.
I'm not sure if you own this lens or not....but it is my observation that the scenario you describe would be highly unlikely. The knob requires quite a few turns (i.e. 8-10 full revolutions) before the collar can be detached. I personally think most people would notice the looseness of the collar well before it was in danger of falling off. I'm sure that what you describe is possible, but it's not something I'm really worried about. I also try to make a habit of frequently checking the tension on knobs and screws like this one.
Other than arca and QD mounting, I don't think I need a replacement collar, especially one that costs $325 (Replacement Collar For Nikon Z 180-600 F5.6-6.3 VR With LS-2 Lens Support Part # : NC-180-600COMBO) $325.00.
Nikon's own fine-thread, collar locking screw negates accidental detachment. Smoothness of rotation seems to be hampered by the course finish on the lens since the inner collar is lined with a Teflon-like material. The arca swiss, QD issue can be solved with a plate.
Nikon's own fine-thread, collar locking screw negates accidental detachment. Smoothness of rotation seems to be hampered by the course finish on the lens since the inner collar is lined with a Teflon-like material. The arca swiss, QD issue can be solved with a plate.
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@Wade Abadie beat me to it. Someone would have to be sleepwalking not to notice something amiss by the time the threads back out enough to release. As a matter of fact that's one complaint I have about the collar. On mine at least the knob/screw has to be backed out several turns before the collar loosens up enough to rotate freely.
That link is with the lens support piece as well.
Just so.
Without that front support it's not much better than Nikon's.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
i voted i can live with it, and i don't have any serious problems with it, but i still might replace it... IF... something looks interesting enough.
while i respect Dan's comment about backing out not being a problem, i might upgrade if someone had something that had some sort of secondary locking mechanism.
while i respect Dan's comment about backing out not being a problem, i might upgrade if someone had something that had some sort of secondary locking mechanism.
Valid! The Nikon collar isn’t bad, I just like integrated Arca Swiss in my long lens and not needing a plate personally.
While I wish the collar price was cheaper, I’m willing to pay that price and Kirk has always been great so I don’t mind, personally.
True, and that’s my stopgap but I prefer it to be integrated, one less piece and fits my personal preference. It’s great that we all have options
I’ll be interested to see what other manufacturers produce over the next six months or so. I’ve been a happy customer of RRS and friends have been equally pleased with Kirk, etc.
I added one of these:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1062508-REG
It feels solid and provides a nice handle as well. The collar isn’t the smoothest, but not worth upgrading for me.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1062508-REG
It feels solid and provides a nice handle as well. The collar isn’t the smoothest, but not worth upgrading for me.
ajrmd
Well-known member
Still waiting on the lens and it is good to know that the ring doesn't come off easily. As I mentioned, there have been quite a few reports of lenses inadvertently becoming detached from removable rings and crashing to the ground. It isn't all that complicated from an engineering perspective to create a safety latch to prevent that type of thing from occurring and like the AS issue, I am at a loss to understand why manufacturers don't embrace these features. FWIW, call me cheap, but $250+ for a replacement ring on a $1700 lens is an extravagance I am unable to embrace.
Impossible to make everything idiot-proof.
Same here. I attached a Wimberley plate to the foot and good to go. However, I am shooting mostly handheld so far with the 180–600.
ProperFrame
Active member
Found the high number of thumb turns needed to make the foot detach eliminates the likelihood of it happening barring my own negligence/lack of attention. Possible, just not likely and not worth $250 to try to mitigate. The lack of smoothness bothers me more - but I will live with it. Added a 100mm arca swiss foot.