Oops, I finally did it...

modchild

modchild

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Stuart or just Stoo!
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I had one of those sinking feelings the other day when I picked my 7D and 70-200 f2.8L MkII out of my bag, turned it over to screw my sling strap into the lens foot and stood helpless as the 7D came off the mount and tumbled to the ground. :thumbsdown:

I was in the car park at the BBMF hanger, so despite me trying to catch it (I almost caught it with my hand but knocked it onto my leg and it bounced off) it hit the tarmac with a crash. I picked it up and had a quick look over it and apart from some minor scratches it looked ok. I re-attached the lens and tried a few shots and all was well (y) (or so I thought).

When I put the photos from the trip onto the computer I noticed that most were very soft despite me using the sharpest lens I've got on it. A few days later it started going dark in the viewfinder and locking up whichever lens I put on it. It's saying ERR on the top screen, but no number with it, and I'm having to take the battery out to turn it off. :thumbsdown:

I took it into the Lincoln branch of LCE today to see if they could get me an estimate for repair and it's got to go away for anything up to a fortnight until I find out what the damage is (it's going to Lehmans Ltd). I guess now's the time I'm going to find out just how good my insurance company is. Such a damn shame cause this 7D was working superbly up to that day so I guess the moral of all this is CHECK your equipment every time you take it out your bag, the 7D had had the lens on it for 3 weeks without a problem before that. :bonk:
 
Unlucky
Ive had a camera that I had in a small pouch with lens attached and layed on it and crawled with it banging on stuff with no problems

Its must be to do with the angle it hits the floor

Hope they sort it soon :)
 
That's bad luck, made all the harder to take as you almost caught it. I suppose it could have been worse though, it could've been the 70-200 that crashed onto the Tarmac.
 
I have made a habit of the first thing I do when picking up a camera is to put the camera strap around my neck before anything else. Dropping a camera must be about the most upsetting thing one can do, dropping a lens is bad enough but usually one carries more than one lens on a trip out so can carry on.

Hope yours gets repaired ok


Realspeed
 
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Beav said:
Digitalrev is a load of rubbish then. They tested a 7D and it survived loads of abuse. Being knocked of a tripod, frozen, set on fire. It was crazy.
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Modchild could have dropped it a 100 times and gotten away with nothing more than a few scratches or scuffs but sometimes fate deals you a curve ball and a sudden jar in the wrong place at the wrong angle at the wrong moment was nothing more than bad luck. DSLRs are tough little sods and I have seen a few dropped over the years at various events onto concrete/hard ground etc with zero ill effects and that included Canon xxxD and Nikon Dxxxx consumer series bodies too.
Just an unlucky break Modchild :thumbsdown:
 
Gazamonk said:
Modchild could have dropped it a 100 times :thumbsdown:
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Blimey, if I was that clumsy I'd give up with photography. No, this was the first time I've had any of my gear hit the deck and what makes it more annoying is that the camera had been attached to the lens for weeks without a problem and I'd been out with it the previous day shooting in a local park.

I'm sure once I get it sorted it'll be as good as new and will last me long enough till the 7D MkII comes out to replace it :LOL: It's took a few knocks and bumps when I've been carrying around on the strap but nothing like this. I can still see it spinning away towards the ground (in slow motion, but I'm slower to catch it) and I'm still gutted by it. It could of been worse though, I've still got a 5D3 that I can use in the mean time, but it already feels weird having one body in the bag.
 
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I had a numpty accident going up Catbells in the Lakes last September with my 5D Mk II (with 24-105 and lens hood attached) attached to tripod. Had it slung over my shoulder, but knew I should've bagged it... clambering up a few rocks, off it slipped...bang, bounce, down it went over a few rocks - that helpless feeling is awful!
The lens hood saved the lens I think, but the LCD was shafted - not a major deal as I could see most settings in viewfinder.
Cost me £200 to fix via Lehmanns (but that did include a full camera sevice, which it probably needed).
 
groovyf said:
I had a numpty accident going up Catbells in the Lakes last September with my 5D Mk II (with 24-105 and lens hood attached) attached to tripod. Had it slung over my shoulder, but knew I should've bagged it... clambering up a few rocks, off it slipped...bang, bounce, down it went over a few rocks - that helpless feeling is awful!
The lens hood saved the lens I think, but the LCD was shafted - not a major deal as I could see most settings in viewfinder.
Cost me £200 to fix via Lehmanns (but that did include a full camera sevice, which it probably needed).
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The important thing is that the camera still functioned despite the broken LCD which bears out my point about the ruggedness of these electronic wonders. (y)

For those who don't use lens hoods take heed of groovyf's tale. I once had a 50d with 17-55 f2.8 attached slip off my shoulder while bending over and down she went and the plastic lens hood not only saved the lens front element but absorbed most of the energy of the fall and both camera and lens came away unscathed. Not just for sunny days. (y)
i have seen other Togs look down there noses when you have a lens hood attached even indoors, as if to say " You wont need that in here mate" , well maybe not in a photographic sense but my hoods stay on permanently for the above mentioned reasons.
 
Had a recent mishap with my Nikon D90 and a q-strap. Sods law camera fell, onto concrete, with a 80-200 lens.

Thankfully, I had a metal lens hood on which took a fair thump, but protected the lens.

Camera giving ERR message and also damage to pop up flash and hotshoe. I'm thinking the lens jarred against the mount thus causing connection damage.

Camera now only works on full manual. So need to decide if it's work repairing.

On a brighter note, just order a Nikon D600 :)
 
realspeed said:
I have made a habit of the first thing I do when picking up a camera is to put the camera strap around my neck before anything else.


Realspeed
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Hi Stuart

Me too. In my youth I once drooped an optical microscope and wrecked it at astronomic cost for me at the time. Since then it's pick up my camera and put the strap around my neck in one motion. Once you get used to it it's second nature.
I'm sure the insurance company will pick up the bill.

Good luck

Jeff
 
Engineer73 said:
Hi Stuart

Me too. In my youth I once drooped an optical microscope and wrecked it at astronomic cost for me at the time. Since then it's pick up my camera and put the strap around my neck in one motion. Once you get used to it it's second nature.
I'm sure the insurance company will pick up the bill.

Good luck

Jeff
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Strap on the neck is so obvious and easy yet so many seem to find excuses or weird alternatives that do not quite do the job...
 
I've just had the estimate back from L.C.E. in Lincoln for the repairs for my 7D and it's going to be £600. It needs a new bottom and main PCB and the AF drive as well, exposure calibration and check and adjust the shutter. Not too good. I've sent all the relevent info off to the insurance company so hopefully it wont be too long before I get it sorted. I might just get it sorted in time to exchange it for a 70D when they come out.
 
Let us know how you get on with your insurance company

By the way who are they?
 
You have been very unfortunate Stuart and the repairs are the cost of a used 7d ! Ouch.
Good luck with the insurance, by rights you should have no issues but you just never know. Unfortunately the modern day phenomenon by unscrupulous rogues of fake claims being rife in recent years means that insurance companies spend more time looking for reasons not to settle claims nowadays. The downside being that genuine claimants suffer as well, so my fingers are crossed for you buddy.
 
I'm covered by Photoguard and so far everything I've read about them is positive. However, you only really get to know how good any insurance company is when you have to make a claim. I've always been so careful with my gear and was gutted when it fell.

I'd been planning to go for a 70D as a replacement to the 7D anyway, but depending on the insurance company and how they decide whether it's worth rebuilding it or whatever. I'd be happy to settle for a voucher to put towards a new body, whether a 7D or 70D. Will keep you posted how I get on. At least this will give others some feedback on insurance companies.
 
Open your wallet, thats the best way to remedy your accident!

I'd say nag on at your insurance company but make sure you're honest with them. That said, I've only claimed through household contents insurance, not camera specific insurance so I'm just throwing in my 2 cents haha
 
Well, it's been a little while but I've had the call today from Photoguard that they have approved the repair cost of the camera and they're contacting L.C.E. in Lincoln to confirm the go ahead. The lady I spoke to apologised for the delay but it was because of the easter break and me not sending all the info needed the first time. Hopefully it wont take too long to be fixed at Lehmans Ltd. and I should have it back soon. Looking at the list of replacement parts on the estimate it'll be like having a new camera again and I'll certainly be more careful in the future to check the body and lens are secure brfore lift off (the bag, lol).
 
On the other hand you could probably sell it on Ebay as spares or repair, i've seen lesser DLSRs (damaged) sell for silly money.
 
Beav said:
Digitalrev is a load of rubbish then. They tested a 7D and it survived loads of abuse. Being knocked of a tripod, frozen, set on fire. It was crazy.
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The OP didn't notice the problems until later.

The destruction "tests" i've seen on their YT channels, all they've done is confirmed whether it works or not.

A little bit like the gadget show, when they trash smartphones and declare they're still working even when the screen is smashed to hell.

Utterly pointless testing to be perfectly honest.
 
Lyonspride said:
A little bit like the gadget show, when they trash smartphones and declare they're still working even when the screen is smashed to hell.

Utterly pointless testing to be perfectly honest.
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The show that tested two underwater cameras and then recommended the one that took the better out-of-water images!
 
digital said:
The show that tested two underwater cameras and then recommended the one that took the better out-of-water images!
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GS

They've done some reasonable (good even) testing, but most of the time I find myself rolling my eyes, I think it's easy to tell when the shows technical consultant has taken a day off. Especially when they're banging on about "new tech" that's actually been on the market for decades.

Audio/Video media streaming for example, they were banging on about this for years, a great idea, but I built one in 1998, using and old Windows PC, some inventive soldering and a 1U chassis. Suddenly it's NEW and on the gadget show because someone did the same thing in a smaller plastic box, minus the ability to browse the web and play video games.....
 
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