Backup Advice (Page 6): "This is why I prefered to use a backup camera that takes the same batteries. Nikon gets points for using the same battery in several generations of cameras." I...

Harry13

"This is why I prefered to use a backup camera that takes the same batteries. Nikon gets points for using the same battery in several generations of cameras."

I prefer a backup camera that is the same as my primary camera. Never had a problem with batteries, lens etc and never will. Harry

Heather Iles Loc: UK, Somerset

rmorrison1116 wrote:

I didn't say I didn't understand it, and I understand why professional photographers would want a backup camera. I'm not a professional photographer and in the 20+ years I've been doing digital photography, I've never once had a camera fail, never.

You better keep your fingers/woods crossed as the saying goes.

There is always a first time.

eardoc

I have had one charger "die" while traveling or at least I thought that it was dead.

Electrical contacts on both the battery and/or charger can oxidize. Apply a very small amount of isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip, just enough to wet the contacts, and gently rub the Q-tip against the battery contacts and the charger contacts even if the contacts "look ok".

Alternatively, use a pencil eraser to gently rub the contacts. You only want to remove the oxidized layer to permit metal-on-metal contact. The pencil method resuscitated my "dead" charger.

Harry13

Quote:

in the 20+ years I've been doing digital photography, I've never once had a camera fail, never.

I've been doing photography for 50 years or more and I've never had a camera or lens fail, 35mm or digital. BTW, I don't use 'em for batting practise either. <g> Just be careful with 'em and you'll be OK. At least that's been my experience.

Harry

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Harry13 wrote:

I've been doing photography for 50 years or more and I've never had a camera or lens fail, 35mm or digital. BTW, I don't use 'em for batting practise either. <g> Just be careful with 'em and you'll be OK. At least that's been my experience.

Harry

Ditto.

niteman3d Loc: South Central Pennsylvania, USA

Longshadow wrote:

Ditto.

I agree... but, at some point in the aging process you, (not the camera) will face the fact that you are no longer a leaping gnome and falling really is in fact, an increased risk. I did it while walking with my Nikon 1 V3 a couple of years ago. We both lived but had minor injuries. I mention this as an additional consideration for the list.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

niteman3d wrote:

I agree... but, at some point in the aging process you, (not the camera) will face the fact that you are no longer a leaping gnome and falling really is in fact, an increased risk. I did it while walking with my Nikon 1 V3 a couple of years ago. We both lived but had minor injuries. I mention this as an additional consideration for the list.

Or, if one has neuropathy in the feet as a result of chemo. Tactile feedback from the feet is reduced. Climbing on rocks may no longer be a safe option to get a shot....

Burkley Loc: Park City

Battery drain is still a mirrorless issue. Many newer cameras charge directly from a USB cord. The camera can become your second charger. I have never dared hook my camera up directly to a USB charger. But I now take a charged USB battery wherever I go. When my 4/3 Panasonic G9 camera approaches 1/2 charged, I plug in the USB cord between shots and rejuvenate my in camera battery with the larger USB battery. Slick. Researching the Z7II, one small USB battery, 0.5”X2.5”X4”, will charge at least 2 Nikon EL15c batteries, if not more. If my phone is low, it works there too. My IPad/phone USB charger charges the battery quite quickly. It becomes my backup camera battery charger. As a side note, I travel with an Anker USB charger (Amazon) for my phone and IPad that doubles as a battery which charges itself while they charge. This gives me two USB batteries for my camera.

11bravo

Harry13 wrote:

I've been doing photography for 50 years or more and I've never had a camera or lens fail, 35mm or digital. BTW, I don't use 'em for batting practise either. <g> Just be careful with 'em and you'll be OK. At least that's been my experience.

Harry

Cameras do fail: Canon G12 shutter release button failed due to a PLASTIC spring in the mechanism, eventually it lost its elasticity.

People do fail: Trying to adjust my parka at the Harbin Ice Festival, mental lapse that I'd moved the camera strap from around my neck to over my shoulder. Off my shoulder, camera lens hit first on the frozen ground. Lost the 300-400 zoom range, but short of that, lens worked. Bridge camera, FZ1000.

And even when I was in my youth, backpacking through Turkey, managed to trip and fall, caught myself but Canon SLR camera banged against concrete steps on its strap. Have never forgotten the helpfulness of the family hotel owner who took me to buy a roll of film (I shot slides), and after I shot the roll, went with me to the processer and instructed them to process "as is" so I could verify no damage (all OK). But s*it does happen; the wise man prepares for it.

Harry13

11bravo wrote:

>But s*it does happen; the wise man prepares for it.

How on earth do you prepare for "sh1t"? Not very specific, it could be anything. How does one prepare for "anything" which, of course means "everything"? Kind of hard to do. The way I prepare is by having two identical cameras. If one goes down, I still have one and everything works. But god forbid that they should both go down at the same time. Oh well, sh1t happens! :-) Harry

Harry13

I didn't put an "ymmv" on my original post because I think that's overkill. Obviously, I was speaking from my experience and my exp is that I've never had an equipment failure in over 50 years of fooling around with photography. And for those of you who have - *Y*G*D*M*M*V*. :-) Harry PS Now y'all are spared from listing your niggling little problems! "O my god, I had a switch fail 28 years ago and I missed a shot. Changed my whole life as a photographer as I'm sure that photograph would have won some prize or other (Nobel, Pulitzer or something even better) and today I would be famous and you would envy me! And thus I could avoid posting in this pathetic little forum and you would all come to my website to read my words of wisdom!"

Harry13

Oh and don't worry, I won't let the screendoor hit me in the a$$ on my way out.