More Dropped Or Almost Dropped Camera And Lens Stories
Sep 12, 2019 18:17:16 #
[quote=lamiaceae]Thanks for the replies so far. Anyone else have an interesting story about an accident or near accident with a camera and lens? 
Yes, here is another one: As I was traveling in Mexico a few weeks ago and hiking along a small stream in the wilderness, I slipped on a rock and fell into a rather deep pool while holding my Olympus OMD MII camera with the 300 mm f/4 lens on it. This combo is advertised as being water-sealed, but I never had the intention to put this idea to the test... But down it went and ended up completely underwater for a couple of seconds. I was fearing the worse, but guess what: dried the outside with a cloth, let it sit in the sun for a while to remove remaining moisture, and it was (and still is) as good as new and in perfect working condition! I may have been particularly lucky, but you've got to give these Olympus guys some credit!!
Yes, here is another one: As I was traveling in Mexico a few weeks ago and hiking along a small stream in the wilderness, I slipped on a rock and fell into a rather deep pool while holding my Olympus OMD MII camera with the 300 mm f/4 lens on it. This combo is advertised as being water-sealed, but I never had the intention to put this idea to the test... But down it went and ended up completely underwater for a couple of seconds. I was fearing the worse, but guess what: dried the outside with a cloth, let it sit in the sun for a while to remove remaining moisture, and it was (and still is) as good as new and in perfect working condition! I may have been particularly lucky, but you've got to give these Olympus guys some credit!!
Sep 12, 2019 19:31:35 #
My wife has relatives on the island of Ischia, off the coast of Naples, Italy. We traveled there in 1991; my first trip overseas. After taking a photo on the stone stairway of an old castle, Castello Aragoanese, I thought the strap was secured around my neck; it wasn't. When I let go, my Nikon N4 hit the ground with an ugly thud. The viewfinder was broken. Luckily I had done my travel homework, and brought an extra body; a N90. It saved the trip. Repair cost in USA for the N4 was $250; 1991 money. BTW took 30 rolls of film.
Sep 12, 2019 19:46:00 #
A few years back we visited the Olympic National Park in Washington. One afternoon, I hiked to the top of a peak with a great overview of the Juan de Fuca straits. (That makes it sound a lot more adventurous and strenuous than it actually was.) I was moving around, trying to get the best composition, when my foot slipped out from under me. Sand on bare stone makes for uncertain footing.
To cut it short, my concern was for my camera. I fell hard, but held the camera in the air above me so it wouldn't get hurt. I ripped a ten-inch slash in my jeans and scraped the bejesus out of my thigh. I had a bruise from just above the knee all the way to my butt. Fortunately, the camera came through unharmed.
Worst of all? The photos were lousy.
To cut it short, my concern was for my camera. I fell hard, but held the camera in the air above me so it wouldn't get hurt. I ripped a ten-inch slash in my jeans and scraped the bejesus out of my thigh. I had a bruise from just above the knee all the way to my butt. Fortunately, the camera came through unharmed.
Worst of all? The photos were lousy.
Sep 12, 2019 21:08:37 #
aberthet
Loc: San Clemente, CA
I don’t have a crash story to tell, and I will never have one after reading all these mishaps. From now on my Nikon D850 and its expensive lenses will be grounded......well maybe :-)
Sep 12, 2019 21:32:48 #
This is my first attempt to add some info to the UHH forum, but have been reading it for about 3 years now.
I carried and used Nikon film cameras exclusively (the original Nikon F, 3 of them around my neck and shoulders) throughout Vietnam while covering the war as a military combat photographer. Many times when firefights would break out in a city area, I would have to drop quickly to the ground or pavement, causing the cameras to hit the ground at all kings of angles and speeds, many times with my body slamming them into the ground underneath me.
Other times, I would be in the jungle with extreme heat and humidity or going down a river with water splashing all over the cameras and lenses. My Nikons took extreme punishment for more than a year of shooting in country. Never once, did any of the bodies or lenses stop working or malfunction in any way!
Later, when I returned to the U. S., I was covering an NFL game at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. (49ers vs. Dallas) I was shooting (still film, of course) with a Nikon F and Nikkor 500mm, f5 mirror lens. (not made any more) It was very large and very heavy and the camera was around my shoulder on a strap. Unknown to me, one of the eyelets on the camera had worn completely through (they used to be made out of brass) and camera & lens dropped to the ground. In those days Kezar Stadium had natural grass, not artificial turf. Even so, the weight of the lens hitting the ground caused it pull out the entire bayonet mount on the camera. Nikon F cameras bodies were cheap (about $110 from Japan) in those days, so I just replaced the camera body. The lens was damaged as well and would never focus correctly after that. I used it for a paper weight for years after that.
Anyway, the point is that I went through combat in a war zone for more than a year with no damage to my Nikons and then I'm covering an NFL football game and sustain the first and only damage I ever had to my equipment in over 40 years as a working photojournalist.
I still shoot Nikon exclusively to this day (D4 & D5) but now I'm retired and relegated to shooting photos of my little dog!
I carried and used Nikon film cameras exclusively (the original Nikon F, 3 of them around my neck and shoulders) throughout Vietnam while covering the war as a military combat photographer. Many times when firefights would break out in a city area, I would have to drop quickly to the ground or pavement, causing the cameras to hit the ground at all kings of angles and speeds, many times with my body slamming them into the ground underneath me.
Other times, I would be in the jungle with extreme heat and humidity or going down a river with water splashing all over the cameras and lenses. My Nikons took extreme punishment for more than a year of shooting in country. Never once, did any of the bodies or lenses stop working or malfunction in any way!
Later, when I returned to the U. S., I was covering an NFL game at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. (49ers vs. Dallas) I was shooting (still film, of course) with a Nikon F and Nikkor 500mm, f5 mirror lens. (not made any more) It was very large and very heavy and the camera was around my shoulder on a strap. Unknown to me, one of the eyelets on the camera had worn completely through (they used to be made out of brass) and camera & lens dropped to the ground. In those days Kezar Stadium had natural grass, not artificial turf. Even so, the weight of the lens hitting the ground caused it pull out the entire bayonet mount on the camera. Nikon F cameras bodies were cheap (about $110 from Japan) in those days, so I just replaced the camera body. The lens was damaged as well and would never focus correctly after that. I used it for a paper weight for years after that.
Anyway, the point is that I went through combat in a war zone for more than a year with no damage to my Nikons and then I'm covering an NFL football game and sustain the first and only damage I ever had to my equipment in over 40 years as a working photojournalist.
I still shoot Nikon exclusively to this day (D4 & D5) but now I'm retired and relegated to shooting photos of my little dog!
Sep 12, 2019 21:53:45 #
You were so lucky to meet a great guy to help you!
Sep 12, 2019 23:25:25 #
Not exactly a "damaged camera" story, but close ...
One day last year we were visiting our daughter, and she suggested that we go even further into the boonies to a drive-in remote pond to have a picnic, sun ourselves, and for me to take photos. The mushrooms were FANTASTIC! Got a few good shots, started wandering, and spied some more on a little bit of a rock ledge. Sure enough, I climbed up the rocks, got the shots I wanted, and started to go down.
You got it, I slipped and started to fall. (Just finishing a round of chemo didn't help my balance, at all!) Holding the camera up in my right hand, I managed to slide down the rocks, using my butt and left arm as brakes. Butt bruised but OK, camera OK, arm not. I made the short distance to where the rest of the family was, and said "uhhh, we gotta go ... "
No first aid kit nearby or in the car, my RN, part-time EMT daughter wrapped a beach towel around my arm, and since I had to hold the arm above my head, said that she would drive. Not gonna argue that! I get to ride shotgun, and soon we're out of the woods and on a numbered two-lane.
As I'm holding my arm in the air, I'm also looking around as we pass occasional driveways to a house so deep in the woods we can't see it. On one, I see a man laying on the ground, and he doesn't look too good. I mentioned this to my daughter. "Does he look like he's in distress?" "Yup!" U-turn time.
Turns out this 50-something guy is having a heart attack. His girlfriend couldn't get a cell phone signal and ran up to the house to use a landline, and no-one is around. My daughter and wife are comforting him, trying to do what they can to ease his pain. Son-in-law is dispatched up the road to try to find a cell signal, and I'm doin' nothing. Ah! I've got a camera.
Cutting the story short, in a few minutes it just happened that my daughter's EMT/Volunteer Fire Deprtment boss drove by and I'll take credit for flagging him down (but, really, I think he saw a ruckus and stopped anyways). He DID have a good response kit in his truck, and his VFD radio. Nearest ambulance - took twenty minutes to arrive. (NOT volunteers, but paid EMTs)
At the end, with a small crowd of EMTs, VFDs, and local police, the fire chief comes over to me and says: "Excuse me sir, did you know you have blood running down your arm?" Only twenty minutes to my daughter's home and clean up my mess, but 45 minutes (and nine shocks to restart his heart) code 3 to nearest cardiac unit for driveway guy.
I got out easy. After a little dressing up of my arm - and a later trip to urgent care that made it look nicer - I shared (and gave rights to) my photos with the FD as I promised I would, and now they're using them in a training program. Got some good mushroom pics - and an odd-looking scar that has a story to go with it!
One day last year we were visiting our daughter, and she suggested that we go even further into the boonies to a drive-in remote pond to have a picnic, sun ourselves, and for me to take photos. The mushrooms were FANTASTIC! Got a few good shots, started wandering, and spied some more on a little bit of a rock ledge. Sure enough, I climbed up the rocks, got the shots I wanted, and started to go down.
You got it, I slipped and started to fall. (Just finishing a round of chemo didn't help my balance, at all!) Holding the camera up in my right hand, I managed to slide down the rocks, using my butt and left arm as brakes. Butt bruised but OK, camera OK, arm not. I made the short distance to where the rest of the family was, and said "uhhh, we gotta go ... "
No first aid kit nearby or in the car, my RN, part-time EMT daughter wrapped a beach towel around my arm, and since I had to hold the arm above my head, said that she would drive. Not gonna argue that! I get to ride shotgun, and soon we're out of the woods and on a numbered two-lane.
As I'm holding my arm in the air, I'm also looking around as we pass occasional driveways to a house so deep in the woods we can't see it. On one, I see a man laying on the ground, and he doesn't look too good. I mentioned this to my daughter. "Does he look like he's in distress?" "Yup!" U-turn time.
Turns out this 50-something guy is having a heart attack. His girlfriend couldn't get a cell phone signal and ran up to the house to use a landline, and no-one is around. My daughter and wife are comforting him, trying to do what they can to ease his pain. Son-in-law is dispatched up the road to try to find a cell signal, and I'm doin' nothing. Ah! I've got a camera.
Cutting the story short, in a few minutes it just happened that my daughter's EMT/Volunteer Fire Deprtment boss drove by and I'll take credit for flagging him down (but, really, I think he saw a ruckus and stopped anyways). He DID have a good response kit in his truck, and his VFD radio. Nearest ambulance - took twenty minutes to arrive. (NOT volunteers, but paid EMTs)
At the end, with a small crowd of EMTs, VFDs, and local police, the fire chief comes over to me and says: "Excuse me sir, did you know you have blood running down your arm?" Only twenty minutes to my daughter's home and clean up my mess, but 45 minutes (and nine shocks to restart his heart) code 3 to nearest cardiac unit for driveway guy.
I got out easy. After a little dressing up of my arm - and a later trip to urgent care that made it look nicer - I shared (and gave rights to) my photos with the FD as I promised I would, and now they're using them in a training program. Got some good mushroom pics - and an odd-looking scar that has a story to go with it!
Sep 13, 2019 00:09:18 #
Happened only once in 37 years. I was photographing a couple in a rose garden and my 70-200 f2.8 fell off my camera body and landed in grass. No harm done but I was embarrassed. Apparently I didn’t turn it all the way until it clicked. I was very lucky it wasn’t concrete that the lens fell on.
Sep 13, 2019 07:11:23 #
The scene was super bowl weekend in Dallas, Texas around ten years ago. There was a small ice storm followed by snow so I took my wife to work on Friday since I was off. Found an old turquoise painted Conestoga wagon by a blacksmith shop in Grapevine, Texas. Took a few shots and as I turned to walk away I slipped on the ice and realizing I was going to land on my camera I twisted to the side. Didn't realize until later that I had ruptured a disc in my lower back resulting in surgery, short hospital stay, and weeks of rehab. I've tripped and fallen a couple of times after that but never tried to "save" the camera after that one. I was out several thousand dollars in co-pays and deductibles, enough to buy a top of the line camera.
Sep 13, 2019 08:50:56 #
lamiaceae wrote:
I tripped and fell a couple yeas ago while carrying .....
Anyone else have an interesting story about an (dropping or not) accident or near accident with a camera and lens? Please reply away!
Anyone else have an interesting story about an (dropping or not) accident or near accident with a camera and lens? Please reply away!
I have a beloved Canon EOS Rebel 2000. It is light as a feather and a hard worker. I had placed it on a chair next to me as I was enjoying a piece of carrot cake and coffee. A person walking past the chair, kicked and tripped over the chair. As I saw the camera fall but my reflexes were slowed. The camera crashed to the floor. The flash snapped off the hot shoe and the film door broke off. The film inside was now useless.
My wife bought me a replacement EOS Rebel 2000 with a Date Back for my birthday.
Happy Shooting!
Sep 13, 2019 21:08:18 #
pdsilen
Loc: Roswell, New Mexico
Last February I was in the Sacramento Mountains in New mexico doing a gig. I was on a steep grade with a lot of snow on the ground. My foot got caught in a branch buried underneath the snow. I took a spill. I tucked my camera close to my body and made sure I landed on my knees. I had a few scrapes but nothing happened to my camera.
Sep 14, 2019 10:46:10 #
Sep 14, 2019 10:52:13 #
cwstratn wrote:
This is my first attempt to add some info to the U... (show quote)
I'm glad I helped you contribute your very interesting story!
Sep 16, 2019 14:05:53 #
tkeegan
Loc: North Texas
I was at the Alamo in San Antonio about dusk. I had my Sony A7II on a strap around my neck, and my 3 year old daughter asleep on my left shoulder. I tripped over the wheel of a suddenly moved stroller. I caught myself with my right, but my camera smashed into the granite tiled sidewalk when the strap broke at the point where it attaches to the camera. Got an "oh shit" from the photographer behind me, but the most precious cargo never touched the ground, just woke up and crying. And thanks to the L bracket mounted to the camera, it took and absorbed most of the impact, and was still functioning fine.
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