Kirk LS-2: Tele support module

Kirk LS-2 tele support module for long tele zooms

Sometimes everything just shakes. Especially when you’re working with a heavy tele zoom and the focal length is at its limit, the standard lens foot simply isn’t enough anymore. This is exactly where the Kirk LS-2 tele support module comes in: it adds extra stability to the system, relieves the tripod collar, and ensures that your setup doesn’t twitch nervously at every gust of wind.

The LS-2 is specifically designed to provide additional front support for long telephoto lenses and thus minimize vibrations. Especially with burst shooting, wildlife, sports, or detail-focused landscape photography, you’ll very quickly notice: the image is steadier, the viewfinder shakes less, and you can work longer with low ISO and longer exposure times without constantly worrying about camera shake.

Optimized for Nikon 200–500 mm and Sony 70–200 mm F4 G OSS

So that you don’t need any DIY solutions, the Kirk LS-2 tele support module fits selected tele zooms exactly. It was specifically developed for the following lenses:

• Nikon F lens: Nikon 200–500mm f/5.6E ED VR AF-S NIKKOR
• Sony lenses: Sony 70–200mm f/4 G OSS FE [SEL70200G] (2014)
• Sony lenses: Sony 70–200mm f/4 G OSS FE [SEL70200G]

The LS-2 works particularly well with these lenses because the distances, diameters, and contact points are matched precisely to these designs. The result: a clean, reproducible support of the front lens section, without squeezing, without improvising with foam or tape.

Mounting with dedicated Kirk lens collars

For mounting the Kirk LS-2 tele support module, a suitable Kirk lens collar is required depending on the lens used. This is deliberately not included with the LS-2 so that you only buy the accessories you really need.

For the Nikon 200–500mm f/5.6E ED VR AF-S NIKKOR, the specially adapted lens collar Kirk NC-200-500 is used. For the Sony tele zooms Sony 70–200mm f/4 G OSS FE [SEL70200G] (2014) and Sony 70–200mm f/4 G OSS FE [SEL70200G], the dedicated collar SRC-70-200-4 is required. Both collars are designed to work precisely with the LS-2 and form a stable, torsion-resistant unit.

We’d put it this way: if you use the LS-2 without the matching Kirk collar, you’re simply wasting potential. Only together do they create this coherent system in which lens collar, tele support, and tripod head feel like they’re cast from a single mold.

Robust construction from 6061-T6 aluminum

When it comes to materials, Kirk doesn’t do things by halves. The LS-2 tele support module is made from 6061 T6 aluminum, a high-strength aluminum alloy that is highly regarded in professional mechanical engineering and aerospace. This material offers an excellent ratio of strength, weight, and corrosion resistance.

The surface is cleanly finished, the edges are deburred, and the entire module feels like a precise tool rather than a wobbly accessory. You can easily use the LS-2 regularly outdoors, even with changing temperatures or high humidity, without having to worry about durability.

Stainless steel screws and aluminum knurled nuts for precise adjustment

The screws of the Kirk LS-2 are made of stainless steel. That may not sound spectacular, but in everyday use it’s worth its weight in gold: stainless steel is resistant to rust, remains dimensionally stable, and can still be tightened and loosened cleanly even after many uses without wearing out.

The knurled nuts are made of aluminum and provide a grippy, finely controllable adjustment. You can quickly adapt the tele support to different lens positions—without tools, without fiddling. Especially when you’re working out in the field, perhaps with cold fingers or gloves, you’ll appreciate this well-thought-out feel.

Precise roller guidance for gentle support

The heart of the tele support is the rollers on which the front section of the lens rests. The diameter of the rollers is chosen so that the contact area is stable yet gentle. The rollers are not too small, so they distribute the weight well, and not too large, so the design remains compact.

Equally important is the axle spacing of the rollers. This spacing is dimensioned so that the lens is securely guided and cannot slip sideways. At the same time, there is enough flexibility for you to easily balance the lens in the support without anything binding or scratching.

The weight of the LS-2 is deliberately set so that it doesn’t unnecessarily burden your setup, yet is still substantial enough to noticeably calm the system. It’s not a lightweight showpiece, but a working tool that you’re glad to have with you when reliable stability matters.

Additional stabilization for telephoto lenses in practical use

In practical use, all this means: your NIKKOR 200–500 mm AF-S 1:5.6E ED VR or your Sony 70–200 mm F4 G OSS FE rests not only on the lens collar, but is also additionally supported at the front by the LS-2 tele support module. This distributes the forces more evenly across tripod and head, and the entire system is less prone to vibrations.

Especially at longer focal lengths, when you might also be using a converter or working at dusk, every bit of extra stability is noticeable. You can continue to use the lens’s image stabilization, but it no longer has to fight all movements on its own. The LS-2 acts like an additional anchor of calm in the setup.

Made in the USA, precision from small-batch production

The Kirk LS-2 tele support module is made in the USA. For many photographers, this is not just a nice detail, but a promise of quality: Kirk has been known for years for solid, practical solutions in the field of tripod accessories that look more like tools than toys.

Small-batch production allows for careful control of fit and finish. We’d say: it’s that typical feeling when you pick up a part and immediately notice that someone has really thought it through—from the choice of materials to the shape and everyday usability.

Ideal for wildlife, sports, and detailed landscapes

Where does the LS-2 play to its strengths? Everywhere you work with long focal lengths and need a clean, steady image. In wildlife photography, when you wait for hours for that one moment and the telephoto stays on the tripod. In sports, when fast bursts and precise framing are required. Or in landscape photography, when you want to bring out distant details with a long focal length.

By adding extra support at the front of the lens, you reduce micro-movements that you might only notice on the display when zooming in, but which determine image sharpness. And it’s precisely these small differences that later decide whether an image is “okay” or really tack sharp.

Well-thought-out accessory for a coherent tripod system

The Kirk LS-2 tele support module is not a lone wolf, but part of a modular system. In combination with the matching lens collars NC-200-500 for the Nikon 200–500mm f/5.6E ED VR AF-S NIKKOR and SRC-70-200-4 for the Sony 70–200mm f/4 G OSS FE [SEL70200G] (2014) and Sony 70–200mm f/4 G OSS FE [SEL70200G], you get a consistently well-matched setup.

This way you can make optimal use of your tripod, your head, and your quick-release clamp without constantly resorting to makeshift solutions. The LS-2 sensibly complements your existing equipment instead of replacing it, turning a good telephoto–tripod setup into a very good one.