what risks do you take with your camera?

vonnagy · Mar 10, 2004

I remember seeing ksmattfish's self portrait with his camera in the snow. Do you drag your camera with you rain or shine? I was just wondering for those in more extreme climates (ie arctic regions or desert) what kind of risks do you take with your camera?

myself, i will avoid downpours, but if its raining slightly, snowing or cyclone winds I have been known to drag my camera with me. I love Billy Connoly's quote "There's no such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong clothes" :mrgreen:

What risks do you take with your camera? (It doesn't nessarily have to be related to weather)

Face · Mar 10, 2004

my main risk is walking around the city with it hanging around my neck... i get some questions and stuff like that... but i try to stick to places where a lot of people are.

ksmattfish · Mar 10, 2004

The majority of my cameras are old tanks, built back when everything was made of wood, metal, and leather, and no electronics. I'll take them anywhere. A week after the pic of me and the P67II in the snow was taken, I crossed a wide stream on a very unstable beaver dam with my Anniversary Speed Graphic still mounted on the tripod. I'm surprised we all didn't fall in, but if we had I'd of just disassembled everything at home and let it dry out. You gotta do what you gotta do to get the shot.

When it's really pouring I just break out the Nikonos II (underwater Nikon rangefinder).

LaFoto · Mar 10, 2004

You could have even seen me inline skate with my uncovered camera in my hand - but after I had fallen over, bruising most of myself in my only attempt to save THE CAMERA, I decided this would be a big no-no in the future for me.

And I'm quite afraid of sand.
So I might take the camera to the beach, but I am very reluctant to actually get it out. Sand and wind is even more frightening - I've had a camera (not the one I use now) where the lense got permanently jammed because of sand. That was a warning.

Other than that, I treat my camera in a pretty nasty way. My sister's furious: she's always "coddled" hers and has had problems with the lenses or the mirrors over and again, while I carry mine about in the open, have it let fall to the ground even (on more than one occasion :shock

and it's still working fine.

terri · Mar 10, 2004

My husband packed his '53 Rolleiflex in a wet pack for our hike down The Narrows in the Virgin River....I thought he was flat crazy - the water gets high and fast and there are a few places you can't escape on either side, (if anyone is familiar with The Narrows). But he captured a couple of images that would not have happened if he'd listened to the squawker (me - although I prefered to think of myself as "the cool hand of reason"). :wink:

If you don't take a few risks you ain't ever gonna know what was possible. He taught me that one. It's not negotiable!

doxx · Mar 10, 2004

I carry at least one camera almost everywhere I go, no matter if
it rains or snows - I just cover it with my coat and make sure the
stuff doesn't get too wet.
The past couple of days I was actually waiting for some heavy snow
so I can go downtown to take a few street pics.

Skyeg · Mar 10, 2004

i always have a camera with me, usualy a digital if im not planing on any photos. but i take it everywhere, rain, snow, sand, what ever. the only place i wouldnt bring my good cameras is school because i live in a rather "ghetto" city near boston...i dont mind a risk of damage, but theft and getting beat up isnt cool with me.

ksmattfish · Mar 10, 2004

LaFoto said:
And I'm quite afraid of sand.
So I might take the camera to the beach, but I am very reluctant to actually get it out. Sand and wind is even more frightening - I've had a camera (not the one I use now) where the lense got permanently jammed because of sand. That was a warning.

I agree. Blowing sand freaks me out. This pic
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3204
(Full moon and low tide at Holden Beach Pier) was taken during a week of camping on the beach in blowing sand. I was sure my Pentax ZX-5 was a gonner, but it survived.

Ironically, I'd probably be less concerned with my 4x5 gear. It's a simpler design than most small cameras, and it could actually be vacuumed out, and the lenses have less nooks and crannies.

nukie · Mar 10, 2004

Does stretching your arm and camera out the side of a fast moving vehicle count? Oh, and I took the camera strap off cause it was flapping about in the breeze.

It does yield some good results tho.

tr0gd0o0r · Mar 10, 2004

Does stretching your arm and camera out the side of a fast moving vehicle count? Oh, and I took the camera strap off cause it was flapping about in the breeze.

Just for future reference, i've round that if you wrap the strap around your hand once, then around your thumb, and then keep wrapping until you're out of strap, or as far as you want to go then #1 if you do drop your camera then it won't fall to the ground #2 it won't flap in the breeze. Just thought i may mention this just in case it may help in the future

vonnagy · Mar 10, 2004

Does stretching your arm and camera out the side of a fast moving vehicle count? Oh, and I took the camera strap off cause it was flapping about in the breeze

thats crazy!! I like it :twisted:

TheProf · Mar 11, 2004

I take my cams everywhere This summer I packed my Digi and Fuji 6x7 into the rainforests in Costa Rica during the rainy season. Cameras are replaceable that perfect shot isnt. :wink: