Ya I dropped it. . .

[jimim]

Soooo here's my story. . .

We got back from a week trip 2 weeks ago now and things are just starting to settle down. I wanted to share my story.

Four days before this trip I finally got my equipment insured. I'm not a pro so it's a itemized residential plan through a insurance company. I was in a rush to get it covered before this trip cause I was all freaked out about having the 2 kids now vs just Kate. I was so worried that something might happen but everyone kept saying I was worrying too much. So I insured what I was taking and told them I would add the rest when I got home.

Wednesday night after a great dinner, as usual, at Narcoossee's (sp) we headed to the MK for the night parade so the kids could see it for the first time. Well Kate has seen it 5 times but this was all before she was 3 and to her it was the first! LOL

We go through security. I go to put my bag on the stroller handle cause it was so darn hot out and. . . you know where this is going. . .

I missed the stroller handle. Boom. bag drops. What was in it you ask. Oh just my 7D and my 3 mth old 24-70mm 2.8 II. You ask. . . "was the lens hood on?" "of course. . .backwards. . . "

My heart dropped. I opened my bag and saw a pile of glass. Ya I shed a few tears. I'm not ashamed to say it. I took out the camera and my Hoya filter was smashed to nothing. I hurried to check the front of the lens. Scratches all over it from the filter. I turned the camera on. Ya marks in the viewfinder from the scratches but it worked.

We got a seat for the parade and I went off on my own to chill and call the insurance company. The plan wasn't in the computer so I called who I bought it through and he said don't worry it is dated correct but just not filed yet but it won't be a problem.

So now I feel like a complete a^& cause they prob think I insured this darn thing to just get it replaced. I said right off the bat I think it's repairable and I will call canon. I called canon and they set it up for me to send it in when I got home.

Finished trip with scratches on lens. Photoshop is going to be my new friend with this editing job to clean these pics up I think. I was too freaked to use any other lens that week so I just used the scratched one.

So fast forward last Monday. I sent in the lens and camera for repair. I sent the camera to have it checked for impact damage cause they said they would pay for that too.

So my estimate from Canon for my mistake:

7D body $380.00 for impact damage and recalibration
Lens was $980.00 for replacement of from element housing and glass and some other motor stuff. Ya I did alot more damage than I thought.

SO as of tonight the camera is ready and they are waiting for parts for my lens cause the place said mine was their first to come in for repair. Go friggin' figure.

I just wanted to share this cause first at least everything worked out. Second cause everyone laughed at me for getting insurance on my gear before this trip and the one time over countless trips I get insurance and I actually break something! I don't know if that's some weird Karma or what. I'm just glad I got it cause I would have been out over a grand for this mistake.

So what did I learn. Insure insure insure! Lens hoods all stay turned out in bag forever and ever!!! My bag is getting some added padding!!!! Oh and I will never ever ever take my camera bag off my shoulder again at security! I don't care what they say. All weak I then kept it close to me when they checked it. if Ihad to take it right off I didn't leave the table till it was back on my body nothing else and it will be like this forever! And no more packing and walking. I sit down now on the ground and pack up. I don't care what anyone says!

This really shook me up cause I didn't want the insurance to think I was shady but it's not like I asked for anything to be replaced. Everything is getting repaired. I think I told the adjusted 50 times today in 10 minutes I was sorry.

Thanks for anyone who actually read this far!

jimi

 

[mom2rtk]

Wow. So glad this had a happy ending for you. I'm sick just reading it!

 

[R o y]

So pleased things worked out and there was a happy ending. A poignant reminder for me, I added some kit but have yet to add it to my policy, after reading your post I am calling my broker in the morning. Thanks for sharing.

 

[nvtsallo]

Glad everything worked out. I had that happen one time when I sold a canon 17-55 2.8 on ebay and if I had just started insuring my shipments so fortunately it was covered. How did the pics turn out?

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I am glad everything worked out and you heeded the advice to have your equipment insured. I had an incident a couple weeks back. I was at the drag strip shooting the NHRA Junior Dragster League. I had my two K5's hanging on my two rig strap system with one attached to the tripod mount of my 70-200 and the other to the camera body w/attached 28-70. I was standing on a three step ladder to get a better angle to shoot both lanes when the camera with the 70-200 stopped displaying f-stop. Without time to diagnose the problem, I just dropped it to my side, grabbed the second camera and got the start. I had a few minutes so I decided to try to diagnose the problem. I stepped down from the ladder and grabbed for the camera and came up with just the attached lens! I instantly panicked and then I saw the body w/attached battery grip laying on the ground! I immediately inspected it and there wasn't a scratch on it. I reattached to the lens and it worked perfectly and has continued to work flawlessly! I don't have a clue why it wasn't damaged. The only thing I can think of that would cause the f-stop to stop displaying, was that in switching back and forth between cameras, I hit the lens release button and loosened the lens so the contacts did not align. When I dropped it to my side the body and vertical grip fell off. I got very lucky! All I can say is thank you to Pentax for making such a rugged camera!!

 

[jimim]

Hi everyone. Thanks for the kind words. Ya I'm glad it all worked out. Well so far. I need that check to pay off everything still! lol The paperwork is in the mail for me to fill out but from the conversation it seems pretty straight forward. I got the ok that it will be paid for so that's all that matters. I'm glad I sent in the body cause I figured it was ok cause it was working but they said I did have internal damage on the body too.

 

[jimim]

Glad everything worked out. I had that happen one time when I sold a canon 17-55 2.8 on ebay and if I had just started insuring my shipments so fortunately it was covered. How did the pics turn out?

I'm trying to work through the days before the incident first so those are done cause I'm figuring I'll need more time on those. I know I'm going to have marks so the ones with the scratches over faces I'll just have to loose them if they are not easily removable. 2 scratches are on the edges of the glass so I should be ok there. I just haven't been able to bring myself to looking yet with everything going on at home and getting the others done first.

I just want my camera back too. All my coneflowers are blooming at the house and I wanted to get pics of all the new ones that I bought this year and late last year. I can use my wife's rebel but I figured this would be a good workout for the lens and body to make sure it is focusing right with all the layers of flowers and chances to do some nice compositions of them.

 

[jimim]

I am glad everything worked out and you heeded the advice to have your equipment insured. I had an incident a couple weeks back. I was at the drag strip shooting the NHRA Junior Dragster League. I had my two K5's hanging on my two rig strap system with one attached to the tripod mount of my 70-200 and the other to the camera body w/attached 28-70. I was standing on a three step ladder to get a better angle to shoot both lanes when the camera with the 70-200 stopped displaying f-stop. Without time to diagnose the problem, I just dropped it to my side, grabbed the second camera and got the start. I had a few minutes so I decided to try to diagnose the problem. I stepped down from the ladder and grabbed for the camera and came up with just the attached lens! I instantly panicked and then I saw the body w/attached battery grip laying on the ground! I immediately inspected it and there wasn't a scratch on it. I reattached to the lens and it worked perfectly and has continued to work flawlessly! I don't have a clue why it wasn't damaged. The only thing I can think of that would cause the f-stop to stop displaying, was that in switching back and forth between cameras, I hit the lens release button and loosened the lens so the contacts did not align. When I dropped it to my side the body and vertical grip fell off. I got very lucky! All I can say is thank you to Pentax for making such a rugged camera!!

That just sounds like a hairy situation to begin with I would have prob flipped off the ladder at some point. lol

If it was me he camera would have been in 2 pieces prob. I swear the past few months. . . no luck. I burnt out my grill cause I forgot to turn it off. Thankfully I did no damage to the porch cause it's all brick and the ceiling is real high. I scraped my truck on the brick pulling into my stall in the garage. The brick returns around my garage doors so it's a bit tighter and the truck is bigger. so that needed to be be fixed along with a new grill and now the camera. seriously! things in 3 I guess.

jimi

 

[NWDAD]

My wife and I feel your pain. Was it hard to add the camera and lenses to your insurance?

Kevin

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Wow. We feel your pain! Glad it worked out. DH wants to know what kind of bag you were using, if you will. (Sorry if I missed it.)

 

[jimim]

My wife and I feel your pain. Was it hard to add the camera and lenses to your insurance?

Kevin

Actually yes and no. All my stuff is with Allstate. They wouldn't give me a residential plan cause I'm not a pro. Only a commercial one which was crazy cause of yearly cost due to liability I was told. So I went to Erie. I have them a list of cost and what replacement cost would be. I insured everything for the replacement cost. I have no deductible also cause the yearly fee isn't that much. I have only 7 grand insured so. When I reported the drop it was very simple. Talked with the adjuster and he is sending the paperwork in the mail to fill out and they will issue me the check to pay for the repairs. They were great.

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[jimim]

Wow. We feel your pain! Glad it worked out. DH wants to know what kind of bag you were using, if you will. (Sorry if I missed it.)

It was a domke saddle bag. Like Indiana Jones wears in the movies. Enough to hold my flash and body with one lens. It's my park bag. The bottom is padded but obviously not enough. Even if it was in a heavier bag it would have broke cause it was pointing down. I like that bag cause it doesn't scream camera. It's one of those brown wax ones they sell. Looks kinda like leather but isn't. I'm going to pad up the bottom a bit and the lens cover will always be turned out at all times anymore! Lol

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[havoc315]

I dropped my Tamron 17-50 on a hard floor last night. Aperture and focus aren't working right now.
Back to the kit lens until I figure out whether to fix, replace, or upgrade.

 

[jimim]

I dropped my Tamron 17-50 on a hard floor last night. Aperture and focus aren't working right now.
Back to the kit lens until I figure out whether to fix, replace, or upgrade.

Oh that sucks. I'm so sorry I deff feel ur pain. My camera came back today. Seems ok. I got to take it out and shoot a bit when the sun goes in. Hey pm me if u want to talk tamron 17-50 mm 2.8. I got one sitting around not being used that literally is mint.

I can't get over how expensive my lens was to fix. Just crazy.

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[havoc315]

Oh that sucks. I'm so sorry I deff feel ur pain. My camera came back today. Seems ok. I got to take it out and shoot a bit when the sun goes in. Hey pm me if u want to talk tamron 17-50 mm 2.8. I got one sitting around not being used that literally is mint.

I can't get over how expensive my lens was to fix. Just crazy.

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Thanks but I shoot Sony. And wasn't in love with the Tamron. Been shooting more with primes. I might save up for the Sony 16-50ssm.

 

[jimim]

Thanks but I shoot Sony. And wasn't in love with the Tamron. Been shooting more with primes. I might save up for the Sony 16-50ssm.

Sorry my bad. I swore you shot Canon! lol

jimi

 

[jimim]

SO I got my body back today. Seems alright. I didn't get a chance to shoot with it tonight. I went out with every intention and then started to spray my roses and some other stuff along with some watering cause it has been hot the past few days and then it was dark. Oh well.

I also just got done going through my shots from when I dropped the camera. I swear my autofocus got messed up. I was off all over the place with focus. Nothing hard either character shots outside with a flash for fill at like f8 with plenty of speed. I had my focus point on my kids eye and tried to keep the character's face in her plane as much as possible and I got alot of miss focused shots compared to before the drop. Could I hve thought I was focused and really wasn't. I know they said the viewfinder suffered impact damage and the sensor needed recalibration?

The lens is still waiting for parts. From what Canon told me on the phone was there was motor damage which didn't need replacing and the front element set had to be replaced.

Oh well I went from 900 shots to 301 as of now with just the typical quick, "ya his eyes were closed, oh wait she wasn't looking" and so on kinda shots.

This was also the first trip I shot all manual when my flash was on. When outside I shot AV cause I'm not used to getting proper exposure with manual and no flash yet.

I can't decide if I did better in manual or when I used to just shoot AV mode. Time will tell as I edit cause I deff embraced the noise this trip and made sure when inside I was at least at ISO or 1000 ISO to get my f stop to at least 7.1 or 8 for character shots.

Last thing. . . the belle meet and great gets the rewards for the funkiest colored disney room ever for lights. the ariel meet and great is the pits for lighting also! the pete's circus tent is awesome for shooting cool character pics with pretty decent lighting. the backgrounds are actually in good shape a interesting in the pics. the main street princess meet and great is lit well but the backgrounds suck. they are marked to heck! it seems as theming gets better the lighting gets worse! and when u have good lighting the backgrounds suck. i guess you can't have it all! lol

jimi

 

[jimim]

Just wanted to update u guys. Getting my money from the insurance company has been easy.

Getting my stuff fixed from canon has been a challenge. My body is back and fine but my lens needs new front elements, housing, and motor attachments. Well they won't be in till August 13th. So they have been telling me for 1 week now "any day". Yesterday I asked for a sup. they said the same so I asked for customer advocacy. They told me the August date. I was kinda ticked cause they were telling me a few days and its actually 1 month plus. I still can't get over they don't have parts. Guess they had to call Japan for them. So I will have paid canon and the parts won't even be in yet.

Jim

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[jimim]

Just wanted to update everyone on my 24-70 II repair saga.

The parts were not suppose to be in till Aug 18th of this month, but I got and email tonight that it will be delivered tomorrow!

Thank goodness this will all be over soon! I got my check from Erie today to. They were so easy to work with!

Canon, well I guess it went ok. I just still don't get how they didn't have parts in the USA for such a popular lens in their lineup.

So now hopefully I won't drop it again in October! I know for one thing all my hood will be in the right position in my bag this time! And there is no way that bag is coming off my shoulder through security!

jimi

 

[Beep]

Hi,

What a nightmare but at least you have light at the end of the tunnel.

I took my new camera to the parks for the first time last October and I was paranoid about it. I didn't move the camera or lenses out of my bag unless it was resting on something and I had a Black Rapid equivalent strap that became a permanent fixture on me.

I've also got 5 years fix or replace insurance which I think is invaluable when you consider how much it would cost you to replace or fix.

I'm taking it again this October (see you there ) and your experience has reminded me to be really careful.