topic Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently in EF & RF Lenses

RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

jkphoto — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 12:16:15 GMT

I have recently purchased an RF 100-500 lens and am very happy with its performance so far. However, the tripod ring does not seem to tighten sufficiently to prevent the lens/camera from rotating. Any advice/solution would be greatly appreciated.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

gillfoto — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 15:40:59 GMT

Just got my new lens 1st of the month, I'm having the same issue; hate to have to use pliers/vice grip to tighten as that would certainly disfigure the quality finish, suggestions?

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

Waddizzle — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 18:15:59 GMT

This issue is a recurring topic in these forums. It seems that you must close and align it caarfully when you replace it after removing it. Also, it does not take more than a full turn to loosen it sufficiently for it to rotate. It seems that over loosening it is where most people are getting into trouble.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

elmo — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 20:44:30 GMT

The knob is spring loaded. Taking off: Make sure you are pulling on the knob as you loosen it while also pulling up on the clamp side. Reinstalling: Pull on the knob before closing the clamp, then tighten the knob once the clamp is fully aligned. The knob shouldn't take more than your fingers to tighten. Not pulling on the knob while closing and opening the clamp can damage the knob or the clamp area where it contacts. Inspect the knob and clamp and make sure there is no damage to either. If you suspect damage, replace the mount.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

shadowsports — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 22:42:38 GMT

Thanks for posting these images. I've been meaning to do it myself. I'll try and add some of my own this evening.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

jkphoto — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 00:12:29 GMT

Thanks for the response and the pictures. I am familiar with the spring action of knob. There does not appear to be any damage on either side and the ring seams to line up properly on the lens when attached. I have tried several times to remove and reattach however when mounted to the tripod it is fairly easy to rotate the camera/lens unit. This may be advantageous if someone wants to quickly change from landscape to portrait but I do not believe this is the intent. Lens stability is paramount. I will call Canon support and see what they suggest. Right now it would be very inconvenient to be without the lens if it needs to be returned. I Purchased it last November so it is still under warranty.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

quattrocoupe — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 15:27:46 GMT

I've had the lens collar repaired 3 times in the last year for this very issue. There are felt pads under the tripod collar that get compressed over time allowing the collar to turn. Canon has replaced the collar twice and the felt pads once, well technically twice on the same repair. On this last repair a few days ago (Nov 2023) the tech replaced the original felt pads with longer and thicker ones. Hopefully this is the cure. Otherwise, I'll be back in 6 months.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

shadowsports — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 16:18:38 GMT

Greetings,

As mentioned earlier, this has been mentioned on a recurring basis. I check my collar before each use. The felt pads in my 70-200 and 100-500 are slightly compressed too, but I really have to forcefully twist the camera or lens for them to rotate. By forcefully, I mean uncomfortably hard. I would never under normal use put this "torque" on the lens. Its just not needed. I trust my collars. I have 120mm lens plates installed full time and use them as carry handles. I also have a BR wrist strap fastened to the bottom of my body. This is always on my wrist unless I'm using a sports breathe and that has a secondary retention to the body as well. (Broken record here) I don't think its worth holding $7k in one hand without a little security.

The collars on the 70-200 and 100-500 are definitely different. The 70-200's set screw has to be tightened further, and the 100-500, barely makes one full turn to close. I do believe some people over tighten them which eventually leads to cam failure.

There seems to be 2 scenarios. Either the collar was defective from the start, or the collar's knob has been torqued on (too tight). Both of mine are finger tight. Thats it. The new collar on the RF 200-800 is super slick and even has detents so you don't have to look and line up tiny red lines. I'm pretty sure the 24-105Z will have this too.

For others:

Using a loose or floppy collar is not worth it. Canon wants its customers to be happy and for their equipment to be safe. If your collar is not secure, contact support.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

elmo — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:44:09 GMT

My lens recently started turning in the collar. It's still under warranty. Canon wanted me to send in the lens with the collar. I told them I wasn't comfortable doing that and they offered to send me a prepaid FedEx label. But it would take 7-10 days ground shipping with a return shipping of 2nd day once repaired/collar replaced. So I was looking at aproximately 2 weeks with out the lens. I ended up just ordering a new collar. It's $200+ SH/tax, but I won't be out of my lens for 2 weeks. And if something were to happen if I were to ship the lens back, I wouldn't have to jump through red tape making a claim with the shipper. If you ever had to go through that you know it's a nightmare to make a claim. Although if Canon is paying for shipping, it would be on them.
Looks like there is a new part number for the replacement collar:
YG2-4757-010 RING ASS'Y, TRIPOD MOUNT 1 198.32 198.32
I saw in another thread that the original collar number is YG2-4757-000

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

Tintype_18 — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:43:09 GMT

Felt washers or spacers compress? I have used rubber washers from the hardware store to act as a lock washer or spacer. Compresses but retains thickness. I have also made a washer/spacer from a tire inner tube.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

shadowsports — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 15:33:06 GMT

I guess I'm not sure why someone would be hesitant to send their gear to Canon for inspection or repair. Repairs would rarely if ever take weeks... During non-peak season (which is basically any time but summer). repairs typically turn around in 3 days, once approved. Then your lens is on its way back to you. That $200 could have been a good filter, storage media or nice bag for your gear. 😉

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

Gwenniedi — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 19:45:43 GMT

I just received my lens back from Canon repair. (100-500) Same issue with the tripod collar. I was informed that the collar will still rotate a small amount. HUH?? That's ridiculous. I asked if they Canon were working on a fix and the rep wasn't aware of any fix in the works. We really need to hold their feet to the fire on this disaster.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

elmo — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:11:30 GMT

My new collar I received has no movement. I added some thin 3M EPT (foam) tape to parts of my original collar. That too has no movement now either. You can see that the padding on the original collar has compressed, which would cause excessive clearance and movement. The replacement collar pads are not compressed yet. I would assume over time, the pads on a replacement would also compress and cause movement. Unless Canon updated these pads and won't compress over time?

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

quattrocoupe — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 21:20:59 GMT

That sure seems like an unreasonable response. The lens collars do not rotate even a smidge when new and a repair should be nothing less than that. It is like saying, well the repair of your oil pan will still result in oil leaks and it is normal.

I have had mine repaired 3 times now. This last time, they replaced the foam pads with alternative pads. So far, so good. However I do anticipate these will become compressed over time allowing the collar to rotate. It seems to be a weak part of what is a great lens.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

jkphoto — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 03:05:10 GMT

My collar rotated from day 1 and instead of sending the lens and collar back to Canon and being without it for a week or so I added thin 3M foam strips. This completely solved the issue with no movement at all just like my 70-200 and 100-400 lenses.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

Danfaz — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:14:24 GMT

Maybe Canon can supply a complimentary set of pads with lenses that utilize this type of collar. It makes sense they wear out with frequent use.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

shadowsports — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:49:06 GMT

Agree. The parts dept would be a good place to start,

Canon Parts Dept
Canon Parts Order Desk at (866) 481-2569
Weekdays from 9 AM - 7 PM, ET.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

TJM — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 20:18:13 GMT

Me too. I sent mine in for this issue and not only did they not fix it, they made me pay for the service and the shipping! I wasted money sending it to them, had to spend money on the 'repair' and had to pay return shipping! I just bought this lens in August 2023. Super ticked off.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

David-Epperly — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 04:12:01 GMT

I have the same problem. I am certain it is from the felt strips compressing. it has slowly gotten worse since new. At this point I often find my lens of canter which is not such an issue with photos, but it really irritates when shooting video and I level my tripod only to find the collar has spun a couple of degrees. I am going try sourcing some different strips. I have also seen aftermarket tripod collars that are suppose to fit and also have an arca-swiss foot.

Re: RF 100-500 tripod ring won't tighten sufficiently

eirikbern — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 13:15:09 GMT

Hi, the user Migralda shared a tip in this DPReview Thread on how to tighten the lens collar, which solved the problem for me initially. I made a short video guide based on this, available below.

Note: After disassembling the collar and attempting what I'm showing in the guide again, the collar doesn't lock down as tightly anymore as it did after the first time I did this. Therefore this isn't guaranteed to fix the issue, and if it does, I definitely recommend you don't disassemble the collar again!

I see Migralda mentioned his collar worked itself loose again as well. So whether this resolves the problem for anyone else or not, I think we can all agree on this collar being a pretty poorly designed part for an otherwise excellent lens.