Plastic vs metal lens mounts

More reading material -  www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/12/assumpt...s-and-plastic-mounts  

He has some good points, but can you imagine how bad that would be to have a 70-200 f/2.8 size lens with a plastic mount?  I don't think that would last too long.  

Might be foolish to have a heavy lens without a steel lens mount. If you use the tripod mount on a tripod, the camera still hangs off the lens mount. I have a Sigma 170-500 and it's a heavy lens, steel mount. I have other light weight lens's with plastic mounts, no problems. I suspect if you changed lens a lot the plastic would wear much faster. I don't understand why any lens has a plastic mount in the first place. I'd pay a bit extra to cover the cost of steel over plastic. Oh yes, the plastic mounts can break, I'm careful changing them but they also work well on my light lens's.

Silver Fox wrote: More reading material -  www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/12/assumpt...s-and-plastic-mounts  

He has some good points, but can you imagine how bad that would be to have a 70-200 f/2.8 size lens with a plastic mount?  I don't think that would last too long.  

A 70-200mm wouldn't last a week before having the mount all messed up

Well you also have to remember that the plastic they are using is a very strong mix. If I remember right it is only like two steps below automotive engine parts durability. It is all in how, and what you mix the plastics with that gives them strength. Most likely the timing gear in your cars engine is plastic, as are some of gears in transmissions, in some light cars. As the article said the plastic mounts have been around for a long time. For example, the Nikon E-Series lenses all have plastic mounts. 

My Nikon E-series all  have metal mounts. When first introduced, the E- series had plastic mounts but the hue & cry from consumers forced Nikon to change back to a metal mount.... I see way too many consumer grade lenses on eBay with broken plastic mounts. None of my lenses have them. I bought one off of eBay once but returned it when I discovered one of the plastic flanges was broken off...

Joves wrote: Well you also have to remember that the plastic they are using is a very strong mix. If I remember right it is only like two steps below automotive engine parts durability. It is all in how, and what you mix the plastics with that gives them strength. Most likely the timing gear in your cars engine is plastic, as are some of gears in transmissions, in some light cars. As the article said the plastic mounts have been around for a long time. For example, the Nikon E-Series lenses all have plastic mounts. 

Joves wrote: Well you also have to remember that the plastic they are using is a very strong mix. If I remember right it is only like two steps below automotive engine parts durability. It is all in how, and what you mix the plastics with that gives them strength. Most likely the timing gear in your cars engine is plastic, as are some of gears in transmissions, in some light cars. As the article said the plastic mounts have been around for a long time. For example, the Nikon E-Series lenses all have plastic mounts. 

I agree. There are some high tensile plastics that are unbelievably strong. 

Joves wrote: Well you also have to remember that the plastic they are using is a very strong mix. If I remember right it is only like two steps below automotive engine parts durability. It is all in how, and what you mix the plastics with that gives them strength. Most likely the timing gear in your cars engine is plastic, as are some of gears in transmissions, in some light cars. As the article said the plastic mounts have been around for a long time. For example, the Nikon E-Series lenses all have plastic mounts. 

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