Have you ever just left gear behind?

[480sparky40 39]

Ever have that sinking feeling when you get home, and realize you left some of your stuff back where you were shooting?

I have...... once. Shooting in New Mexico, realized the next day (in Colorado) I had set my polarizer on a rock. Of course, it wasn't worth the drive back to possibly recover it.

 

[Overread16 4]

I've lost the eye cup off my 400D twice, sadly the little plastic clips give out fast if you swap it over a few times (eg using an angle finder). No idea where they are now, lost somewhere and honestly I've not even bothered to replace it now and the camera works just fine.

Other than that I can't recall losing or leaving anything behind at a shoot site; I'm normally fairly careful at keeping track of things and where they are. Now sometimes I will leave things at home which I then find that I need when I get to the site to shoot.

 

[MLeeK]

I left my Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 in a hotel room. Discovered it a day later. They shipped it to me!

 

[Sw1tchFX]

nothing but caps and hoods. Left a sandbag once.

 

[manaheim]

I have left a bag with several thousand dollars worth of lenses behind... twice. Always realized it within 30 minutes and went back to grab it, but felt like a staggering moron... and the "sinking feeling" was more of a staggering level of panic.

 

[tirediron]

I have left a bag with several thousand dollars worth of lenses behind... twice. Always realized it within 30 minutes and went back to grab it, but felt like a staggering moron... and the "sinking feeling" was more of a staggering level of panic.

*Makes mental note to follow the bunny and look for "droppings"*

 

[CowgirlMama]

I left my extra memory card once because it fell out while I was getting something else from the bag. Found it the next day when I went back to the same place.

 

[manaheim]

I have left a bag with several thousand dollars worth of lenses behind... twice. Always realized it within 30 minutes and went back to grab it, but felt like a staggering moron... and the "sinking feeling" was more of a staggering level of panic.

*Makes mental note to follow the bunny and look for "droppings"*

Very good plan. I'm basically a huge idiot running around with expensive gear.

 

[Buckster]

About 10 years ago, I left a remote trigger worth about a hundred bucks on a picnic table seat at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park. I was shooting long exposures of the ferris wheels and other rides in the dark, and just didn't notice it on the seat when I packed up to go.

 

[Ysarex85 80]

Sparky! Bringin' back bad memories.

Once: Did a twilight architectural shoot of a new bank building. Packed up and managed to not see a wide angle 58mm f/5.6 Grandagon on the ground. Realized the next afternoon after about 10 hours of constant rain that it was missing. Drove back to the site and it was still there --very waterlogged.

Twice: On vacation in Glacier National Park; traveling by motorcycle. Stopped at the park campground very earlier for a clean-up and change of clothes. Drove away leaving the entire camera bag on the picnic table. Inside: Arca Swiss view camera, 5 lenses, two backs, 20 rolls of Fujichrome and accessories. Got about 10 miles down the road and realized something was missing. It was still there when I got back.

Joe

 

[480sparky40 39]

I've taken a tip from my day job..... pack everything the same and stop to look at my tool pouch before heading out. I can take one look at my tool pouch and see what, if anything, is missing. Then I'm off hunting and backtacking if there is.

I do the same with my backpack..... everything goes into the same spot. One glance is all I need to 'take inventory'. As a back-up, I pick the pack up, walk 10 feet, then turn around and look back.

 

[manaheim]

Oh another good trick is put your car keys in your bag so you can't leave without going "oh duh, my bag"

 

[kathyt]

Yep. I left my 85mm at a public park, on a bench, for over 24 hours, and did not figure it out until I went to shoot the next day. When I realized what I did I about had a heart attack, then I called the city park department and the person who mowed the lawn the evening before turned it in. The employee who turned it in was a 16 year old boy who was working during his summer vacation. The other employees told me he was the hardest working kid they have seen in a long time. I wanted to give him a $50 dollar bill as a thank you for his honesty, but he could not take cash (it was their policy) so I gave him a $50 gift card to Best Buy. That would have been a $2500 mistake for me. Oops. I learned my lesson.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

I left a tiny TT1 Pocketwizard trigger at my last wedding. $180 mistake.

 

[imagemaker46]

I left a Canon 1D with a 300 2.8 sitting on a counter at the airport, it wasn't until I got to security a few minutes later that I realized it. I went back and it was still sitting there, my guess is that people think that no one could be that stupid to just leave a camera like that and walk away, which is why it was still there.