How beat up is your camera???

schumionbike · Mar 5, 2009

I just want to hear all the intersting stories out their about camera abuse!!! lol. Things like shutter actuation, drop test, water resistant test, age would be extremely relevant. Just a fun thread. I'll start

Kodak Z710
5000 actuation
drop a couple times, nothing major (from like a couple feet)
was in a storm once, I kept the camera under a jacket though, so didn't get drenched, just a couple drop.

Nikon D40
2000 actuation
nothing other than that.

Yeah, mine is pretty boring, anyone went to war with their cameras?

dxqcanada · Mar 5, 2009

Hmm, my old Canon new F-1 ...

Dropped numerous times ... many dents in the metal casing ... I even dropped it right upside down on the prism head ... there is a nice dent there.
I did actually use the camera to bang in a nail once (it was an emergency fix).

Left out in a rain storm overnight sitting on my tripod (too much beer).
I towel dried it ... electronic shutter would not fire ... so I took out the battery and continued shooting with the mechanical shutter. Later on I then took the bottom plate off and found some contacts had corroded. A little cleaning and I was back in action.

Josh66 · Mar 5, 2009

None of my SLRs have obvious wear/damage on them, but I have an A520 that you wouldn't believe still works if you saw it.

On second thought - the LCD on my 350D doesn't work (the camera has around 6500 actuations, LCD quit working around 3500). It's not cracked, it just stopped working one day. I'm too cheap to get it fixed. Who needs an LCD anyway?

Josh66 · Mar 5, 2009

dxqcanada said:
I did actually use the camera to bang in a nail once (it was an emergency fix).

Damn, I thought I was hard on my gear...

Overread · Mar 5, 2009

I find that anger management classes/sessions really help - beating up my camera just lead me to getting even softer shots

Honestly though I treat most of the things I have with as much care as I can so most manages to avoid any serious damage.
Dropped my kit lens once though, right onto concrete - tested it right after and it still worked well (well as well as its ever worked

)

dxqcanada · Mar 5, 2009

O|||||||O said:
Damn, I thought I was hard on my gear...

I miss the days when they made the body entirely out of metal.

The Canon EF makes a nice hammer also.

Overread · Mar 5, 2009

see I don't - onehanded macro is hard enough without having a lump of metal in your hand as well

there are bonuses for a lighter body - when are we getting carbonfibre cameras?

Garbz · Mar 5, 2009

Nikon D200:

- Dropped onto carpet off the tripod.
- Dropped onto cement out of a SUV
- Been swung and smacked full force into a cliff face during rock climbing.
- Been dripped in the ocean
- Been heated enough that the grips came lose and still are (probably ~60-70C)
- Been frozen to lower than -40C, the point of complete mechanical failure.
- Intermittent fault with the flash hotshoe when cooled below 0C
- Intermittent battery fault when below 0C
- Has sand in the CF card bay
- Had it's LCD protector replaced 3 times.
- Has a big scratch on the focusing screen.
- Has plenty of dust in the viewfinder.
- Has tiny woolen hairs in the mirror compartment due to a very rough emergency cleaning session on the sensor.
- Still has a small smudge on the sensor visible at f/16
- Lens mount is misaligned to the point where you can grab a lens and rotate it just enough that the electrical contacts short.

Other than that the camera is in perfect condition

Still works as well as it did the day I bought it and I think it had something like 60000 actuations on it. Thank god it's a full metal body.

Phranquey · Mar 5, 2009

Garbz said:
Nikon D200:

- Dropped onto carpet off the tripod.
- Dropped onto cement out of a SUV
- Been swung and smacked full force into a cliff face during rock climbing.
- Been dripped in the ocean
- Been heated enough that the grips came lose and still are (probably ~60-70C)
- Been frozen to lower than -40C, the point of complete mechanical failure.
- Intermittent fault with the flash hotshoe when cooled below 0C
- Intermittent battery fault when below 0C
- Has sand in the CF card bay
- Had it's LCD protector replaced 3 times.
- Has a big scratch on the focusing screen.
- Has plenty of dust in the viewfinder.
- Has tiny woolen hairs in the mirror compartment due to a very rough emergency cleaning session on the sensor.
- Still has a small smudge on the sensor visible at f/16
- Lens mount is misaligned to the point where you can grab a lens and rotate it just enough that the electrical contacts short.

Other than that the camera is in perfect condition Still works as well as it did the day I bought it and I think it had something like 60000 actuations on it. Thank god it's a full metal body.

I've managed a few dings here & there, but...um....yeah....

I saw your thread about the bad luck day....now I'm beginning to wonder.

AlexColeman · Mar 5, 2009

I had CF tripod legs run over by a Ford F150 in the parking lot, luckily I was able to save the camera!

Josh66 · Mar 5, 2009

AlexColeman said:
I had CF tripod legs run over by a Ford F150 in the parking lot, luckily I was able to save the camera!

How did the tripod fare?

dcclark · Mar 5, 2009

I'm generally very nice to my equipment, except for one thing... I bushwhack a lot, which means branches, pine needles, brambles, and everything else you can imagine thwapping me and my gear directly in the front and sides. I've destroyed more than one UV filter this way -- but that's exactly what I use them for! -- generally the very cheap kind. The front faces of my camera are scratched up, but there are no problems otherwise. Kids, UV filters are worth it!

jlykins · Mar 5, 2009

My Minolta MCII got knocked over while on a tripod. Big dent in the metal case. Still works like a charm. I was reading Joe McNally's blog a few days ago and saw a photo of one of his cameras after photographing the baja 1000. Here's a link to a photo of the camera afterwards. The best part was that it was a loaner from Nikon...

http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/firstshow_-243-copy.jpg

AlexColeman · Mar 5, 2009

O|||||||O said:
How did the tripod fare?

Absolutely destroyed. Ruined the 222 head, snapped a leg, crinkled the others like tinfoil, and broke 6 leg hasps. THe funny part is I had reflective tape down the top legs, I was standing there, using a flash, and he still hit it.

schumionbike · Mar 6, 2009

Garbz said:
Nikon D200:

- Dropped onto carpet off the tripod.
- Dropped onto cement out of a SUV
- Been swung and smacked full force into a cliff face during rock climbing.
- Been dripped in the ocean
- Been heated enough that the grips came lose and still are (probably ~60-70C)
- Been frozen to lower than -40C, the point of complete mechanical failure.
- Intermittent fault with the flash hotshoe when cooled below 0C
- Intermittent battery fault when below 0C
- Has sand in the CF card bay
- Had it's LCD protector replaced 3 times.
- Has a big scratch on the focusing screen.
- Has plenty of dust in the viewfinder.
- Has tiny woolen hairs in the mirror compartment due to a very rough emergency cleaning session on the sensor.
- Still has a small smudge on the sensor visible at f/16
- Lens mount is misaligned to the point where you can grab a lens and rotate it just enough that the electrical contacts short.

Other than that the camera is in perfect condition Still works as well as it did the day I bought it and I think it had something like 60000 actuations on it. Thank god it's a full metal body.

I think you just took the prize for the most beat up camera of the year award. I guess you no longer worry about bang up here and there with that camera anymore. I'm still trying to baby my equipment for for now.