Learn from my expensive mistake « Nikon Rumors Forum

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Learn from my expensive mistake

(24 posts) (17 voices)

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bigeater

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Joined: Apr '11
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I hope this post can help others avoid what I did.....read on and weep.

I was out shooting at a state fair and needed to change lenses; but even though there was a table not 2 feet away, I decided to make the switch using only the camera bag on my shoulder as the platform. Big mistake.

Midway through the switch, the bag unexpectedly flipped over, dumping my 24-70 onto a concrete floor. Though the drop was less than 3 feet the zoom and focus rings were jammed. I sent it to Nikon El Segundo and just received the estimate: to fix the jammed rings, a chipped front element, and dented barrel: $704.

I realize now I would have been better off financially to own a second body so I wouldn't have to change lenses. Or if I had been smarter and put my camera bag on the ground before I started fiddling around.

Thanks for listening guys...I feel much better now that I've shared my story with the one group that can really feel my pain.

Posted 8 months ago #
warprints

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Joined: Mar '09
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Ouuuuch. Sorry to hear about that. Yup, a second body can be quite useful (but you will still occasionally want to change lenses). Hey, let's be careful out there (quoting Michael Conrad, Hill Street Blues).

Posted 8 months ago #
golf007sd

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@bigeater We all feel your pain mate....

Posted 8 months ago #
R8R

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Joined: Aug '11
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YIKES.

Well big picture, $700 is WAY less than the cost of an all new 24-70mm, and they will make it good as new. (maybe even better)

My lens change procedure when out and about:

Timbuk2 bag with a Mountainsmith padded insert. Bag is worn all the way diagonal across my body (over my head) and not just off one shoulder where it can slip off. Bag flap goes all the way open folded back against me. This gives me plenty of room to work. Lens comes off the body and goes into an open slot in the insert. New lens comes out, I pop the back cap off and attach the lens, and that cap goes right onto the lens that just came off. This works in crowds, even at rock concerts. Never came close to a drop.

Posted 8 months ago #
adamz

The Predator
Joined: Mar '09
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that's a lot of cash. I had similar situation once, was shooting a wedding and not knowing how the lens felt down on the floor - it was attached before the accident, I must have somehow pushed the locking button and twist it. the aperture got stocked at 2.8, fortunately it costed me only $100 to fix it.

Posted 8 months ago #
SkintBrit

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Joined: Jul '10
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Thanks for the warning bigeater, I can only imagine what went through your mind as you heard it hit the ground! Always sobering to hear things like this, makes us all be a bit more carful, and not think "I won't ever happen to me". No insurance I presume?

Posted 8 months ago #
msmoto

big gun cougar
Joined: Mar '10
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Oh, Ouch! And I have done this, although not during a lens change. One of the issues of getting a bit more miles on the body is we sometimes drop stuff. So, I attempt to do any changing of lenses in a highly controlled environment where when I drop it, it goes only into a bag, usually on a soft surface. And the idea of a second body is IMO the only way to go if one wants to have a versatile shooting capability. I actually cannot remember changing lenses during a shoot, only changing cameras.

I suppose the good news is the lens will be in perfect condition when returned.

I am certain everyone on the forum feels your pain.

Posted 8 months ago #
shawnino

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Joined: Jan '12
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Condolences, bigeater. Thanks very much for taking the time to share your bad experience.

Posted 8 months ago #
Geoff_K

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Joined: Dec '09
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And here all I did was toast an 8gig sandisk sd card when i put it into my D800E while it was turned on.

It still works in my computer, however neither my D90 or D800E will recognize it. No problem really as the card is a couple years old and too small (for me).

Posted 8 months ago #
tcole1983

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Joined: Feb '10
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My buddy forgot to zip his bag up and picked it up dropping his 50 F1.4 onto the pavement. It survived with some scratches, but always a horrible feeling when you see it falling.

I know I was lucky when I dropped my D5000 with 18-200 attached...pulled the release for the tripod mount and decided I didn't need to hold onto my camera at all...survived with snow all over it (I think this softened the blow) and some scratches on the barrel of the 18-200.

I almost lost my lens hood off a 100+ ft cliff when I dropped it. It stopped inches from rolling all the way off. Lol I think for a second I contemplated trying to grab for it...until realizing falling off the cliff wasn't worth a $30 lens hood ;)

Posted 8 months ago #
ericbowles

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Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 56
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<My buddy forgot to zip his bag up and picked it up dropping his 50 F1.4 onto the pavement. It survived with some scratches, but always a horrible feeling when you see it falling.>

The 50 f/1.4 floats for about 5-8 seconds. :) Long story - one that can only be researched through testing.

Hoods do not float.

Sing Ray filters have been tested to drops of 20 feet into rocks.

Always use a camera strap.

Murphy was a photographer.

Posted 8 months ago #
Juergen

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Joined: Sep '11
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ericbowles said:
<My buddy forgot to zip his bag up and picked it up dropping his 50 F1.4 onto the pavement. It survived with some scratches, but always a horrible feeling when you see it falling.>

The 50 f/1.4 floats for about 5-8 seconds. :) Long story - one that can only be researched through testing.

Hoods do not float.

Sing Ray filters have been tested to drops of 20 feet into rocks.

Always use a camera strap.

Murphy was a photographer.

Your comment makes me smile.

I try hard to follow all the rules, but i always catch myself being too excited, especially when i see something and a lense change is required.

I drop things. I am a messy eater to. I think , that all goes together. I am just one of these guys... :-)
Jürgen

Posted 8 months ago #
tcole1983

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Changing lenses is part of having a dSLR though. Most probably aren't as careful as we should be and there isn't always a good location to change lenses. I know I have put my bag and stuff on unstable surfaces numerous times. I am terrified with my 300 f4 as there is no rear element and the aperture blades are wide open. I have been extremely careful with that one. I will say my carefulness increases with the cost of the lens...I don't throw my 35 F1.8 around, but it wouldn't be a huge disaster if it died...on the other hand I might cry if it was any of my other lenses ;)

Oh yeah and as for my friends 50 F1.4, he also had his 70-200 in the bag, but because it was bigger it stayed in. Could have been worse.

Posted 8 months ago #
rschnaible

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Joined: Feb '12
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Ouch.... I stepped on my shoulder strap and rocketed my camera and lens to the floor. Cost me $235 to fix the lens and the camera body was done under warranty. Now the strap is always around my neck even if I look un-cool. We have all done it, sorry to hear that you had such an expensive mishap :(

Posted 8 months ago #
puglet

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Joined: May '11
Posts: 2
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You're not alone. I made the camera-bag-as-changing-platform mistake once too. Dropped my beloved 105DC (from standing height) onto the sidewalk and then watched (in horror) as it rolled off the curb to its final resting place in the gutter. When I picked it up, all I heard was broken glass. Was in the middle of a shoot so I just stuffed it in my bag and tried not to swear (or cry) in front of the client. Repeated the 'it's insured' mantra and kept shooting.

Luckily the goofy old 105DC is built like a tank. The broken glass I heard was the filter - the lens itself was completely unharmed. Still tack sharp. AF is still dead on. The lens I was swapping out was the 24-70 -- looks like I dropped the right one :)

PS: shooting with 2 bodies is not an idiot proof solution. I'm big time ADD and the first time I tried using two bodies I left one on a park bench and wandered off. Like, across the park. A good 15 minutes later I needed a wide shot. Uhm, where's the D3s?!? On the park bench with the 35/1.4, where else?!? Talk about expensive mistakes. Luckily another photographer picked it up and waited for someone to come along in a panic.

Posted 7 months ago #
bossa

senior member
Joined: Jun '12
Posts: 63
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Hearing these horror stories has only made my commitment to buying a 2nd body stronger.

I'm perfectly at ease changing lenses on my Pentax K-5 (probably because that's the 1st system I had many years ago) but I still haven't gotten used to the Nikon mount. I've tried a few ways of holding the camera and it just doesn't feel as secure, even holding the camera with it's right edge pressed against my body using my left hand to both hold and press the release button. If I were left handed it wouldn't be an issue I suppose. (Holding the grip on the K-5 with the left hand and pressing the release button with the left thumb is a piece of cake)

Any suggestions as to the best 'method' for a right-hander are welcome.

The thought of dropping a 70-200 VRII or a Zeiss 21 makes me feel ill frankly.

Cheers.

Posted 7 months ago #
iris chrome

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Joined: Feb '11
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bossa said:
Any suggestions as to the best 'method' for a right-hander are welcome.

Take a look at this guy:

[+] Embed the video | Video Download Get the Video Plugins

Text-Link:

HTML-Link:

BB-Code:

Embed:

Posted 7 months ago #
msmoto

big gun cougar
Joined: Mar '10
Posts: 2,736
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OK, I looked....and I wish him all the success in the world... My guess is that at some point he will drop one....sweaty hands, cold weather, yup....

And for old people, we cannot hold all those things in one hand to begin with. But, those card sharks in Vegas can do fancy tricks with their cards as well...

Posted 7 months ago #
iris chrome

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^ Cautionary statement to be included with video: Do not attempt without prior finger training XD

PS: how do I embed the video properly so it shows in the forum?

Posted 7 months ago #
bossa

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Joined: Jun '12
Posts: 63
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Thanks, that scares the hell out of me as I am getting more clumsy the older I get.

A few points:
1. I don't use a neck strap so this method counts me out.
2. I wouldn't recommend these methods with a hood attached in any way. The fact that there's also no hoods attached in the video means that you have to go looking for them as well. That's and extra step in the process he's not showing.
3. The advice of trying it over a bed is a good one for anyone considering these methods.

Posted 7 months ago #
jonnyapple

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Joined: May '09
Posts: 3,400
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iris chrome said:
^ Cautionary statement to be included with video: Do not attempt without prior finger training XD

PS: how do I embed the video properly so it shows in the forum?

All the forum software wants is the url and it will embed the video automatically.

Posted 7 months ago #
iris chrome

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I see, thanks. Edited the post to just the link now but still no embedding. I guess I should give it sometime for the forum software to pick it up.

Posted 7 months ago #
iris chrome

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msmoto said:
(I used the "long link")

Aha! And that has been embedding youtube on NRF 101. Thanks msmoto!

Posted 7 months ago #
msmoto

big gun cougar
Joined: Mar '10
Posts: 2,736
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Actually, the cautionary statement might read "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME" LOL

Posted 7 months ago #