DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

So, I'd be interested in hearing from the members about the worst photographic POS you ever bought. Long ago, or last week? And what lessons learned?

Bob Werre

Back in high school, I bought a Vivitar preset 35mm, 2.8 lens. It was fine for the money I had and I was still learning. I was shooting with a Nikkorex F--I think it was a Nikon branded generic camera. I soon up-graded to the new Nikkormat FT. The Nikkormat had a larger mirror, so when I shot with the WA Vivitar the mirror would flip up and then stay up, catching on the rear element! I had to refocus to bring the mirror back. Okay we go on vacation and I stop in at a camera store in Salt Lake City. The store had a brand of lens I had never heard of, but it looked solid and now featured a auto-diaphram, so I put my pennies down to purchase it. When I got back, it really didn't seem as sharp as the Vivitar, but I kept shooting. That fall I'm in college and starting working for the college PR department, so that lens now is becoming useful. I started shooting with it (my only other choice was a 4 x 5 Crown Graphic press camera) but the results sucked! My boss examined the negatives and discovered some areas were somewhat sharp but other areas were considerably out of focus (all in relatively the same plain). So I finally dumped that lens for a used Nikor 35mm f/2 from the Olden Camera company in New York. It showed signs of being used often and probably hard. While the lens in Salt Lake was new. The lesson would be that a well worn lens deserves a chance to prove itself, because somebody else made it work for them for a long time. I kept it till auto focus came around.

marty wild Loc: England

Third party flash gun recharge was as fast as slow bus 🚌 it was a battery eater at full power was about as much light as four candles. Buy buget buy twice. I friend mine said too me I want to make a million pounds in phography! I said you better start with two million then 😂😂😂😂

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

Well, that would have to be a cheap tripod and head. I have since spent more money and bought a big fat Gitzo and a RRS55. I should have bought the better stuff first and I would not have had to fight with the cheap stuff. Lesson learned.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

A NIKON !!!
SS

CO

I purchased a Hildozine Caddy recently that attaches a PocketWizard radio transceiver to a light stand. I'm looking for something else now that's better.

Geegee Loc: Peterborough, Ont.

Which Nikon and what was wrong with it?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

A Canon. As they say, C.A.N.O.N! stands for Can't Afford Nikon, Oh, NO!

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

A little plastic key-chain digital camera. Not that I paid much for it, or had high expectations from the 1-megapixel camera. But I suppose it has its uses as a miniature spy camera.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Kaavie magnesium bodied battery grip, replacement for MB-D12. Solid build with even more magnesium than the Nikon, good reviews, and $120 instead of $300 for the Nikon.

The only problem I had with it was that within seconds of mounting to the D800 that arrived the same day it literally went up in smoke, the case melted, 8 Eneloop batteries destroyed and my fingers burned while hastily removing it from the camera. Never again!

Edit: No longer available through Amazon.com.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

The first quality lens i purchased because it began a never ending quest.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

My WiFi adapter for my D7100. More trouble than it was worth from day one. I could take half a dozen shots with my phone and email or text them in the time it took me to sync my camera to my phone, let alone trying to sync it to my wife's phone.
Finally lost it. Haven't missed it a bit.

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

Thrift store Kodak Z5010. Purple fringing all around, nothing was sharp. Tossed it in the bin at another thrift store.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

Nothing, except it isn't spelled C-A-N-O-N.

Yackers Loc: Norfolk, UK

I tend to research every bit of photography equipment I buy, and I read about it, check out the reviews and research it to death. As such I have been fortunate that I haven't bought anything too bad. The worst bit of kit I bought was a light tent, which I was told would really improve my product photography. The light tent was too big, I struggled to collapse it once it was up and it was a total waste of time.