Alternative to Canon'$ len$ collar for 70-200/300/400?

I'm frankly sick of paying Canon's crazy costs for simple items. The Tripod Mount Ring A(W) for my 70-200 F/4 sells for $120 at B&H. It can't cost nearly that much to make. Is there an alternative from another brand? Any ideas?

I just read a thread where the cost of the lens hood for the poster's long prime "L" lens (forgot the model) costs $560!!! Now come on, if it was made of gold, it wouldn't cost that.... It still angers me to have paid $150 for the battery pack for my 580EX! ARGH CANON!!!

(ahem)
::steps off soapbox::

Thank you.

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Michael Landry Photography
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Ebay?

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&from=R10&catref=C6&satitle=canon+tripod+ring&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&bs=Search&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=ZIP%2FPostal&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=

Try the A(B) model it's $89.95. The only difference is it's black not white.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=211436&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Disregard the statement that it only works with the 200/2.8L it's the same size as the white version. I have one and it works fine.

kidmike said:

I'm frankly sick of paying Canon's crazy costs for simple items.
The Tripod Mount Ring A(W) for my 70-200 F/4 sells for $120 at B&H.
It can't cost nearly that much to make. Is there an alternative
from another brand? Any ideas?

Click to expand...

(a) as already suggested, black version is identical, but $30 less. e-bay has some deals

(b) DIY. A good-sized hose clamp attached to a base threaded for the 1/4-20 tripod screw should work.

mlpics said:

I just read a thread where the cost of the lens hood for the
poster's long prime "L" lens (forgot the model) costs $560!!! Now
come on, if it was made of gold, it wouldn't cost that.... It still
angers me to have paid $150 for the battery pack for my 580EX! ARGH
CANON!!!

Click to expand...

That hood is very large, is made of carbon fibre, and a very low production specialty item. $560 is not unreasonable, and far less than if it were made of gold (current price of $550/oz). ;-)

Again, the battery pack is a very low volume specialty item. Feel free to use a 3rd party alternative ( http://www.popphoto.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=430 ) or DIY your own.

Where have you been hiding? Sounds to me like you are thinking in 1970's dollars.

If Canon's price is too high, make your own or contract a machine shop to do it for you. Lens colllars are not a mass production item.