a sickening thud...

[back alley]

...was all i heard when my camera hit the concrete.

i still have a sick feeling in my gut.

went out today to test my 2 new lenses, the 50/1.9 and the 100/3.5.
the 50 was on the camera, complete with canon hood, when i pulled it out of my bag. i was walking down a back alley, put the wrist strap around my wrist and was just about to tighten it when i saw the whole rig head south. the damn strap had come free somehow, likely over time and i just never noticed. although if asked i would swear that i check that stuff every time out.

the rangefinder is way out and there a tiny crack inside the glass, the corner has a bit of a bruise by the rewind crank, which, by the way, is a bit hard to free up to turn.
the lens hood is flat on one side and the collapsible lens no longer locks. but it now, amazingly, screws on & off the body with ease. can't seem to get the hood off the lens.

i'm getting a headache.

anyone have the e mail address for gerry at kinderman?

joe

 

[GeneW]

Ouch! Everyone's nightmare. Joe, be assured you have our sympathy.

Here's what the Kindermann website lists: info@kindermann.ca

Gene

 

[Mackinaw]

Not good. What camera were you using?

Jim Bielecki

 

[back alley]

thanks gene, i couldn't even find the website when i just looked.

jim, it was my favourite p. funny how one body feels better than the other.

joe

 

[rover]

Double checking my straps this afternoon and plan on tightening my grip.

God's speed little P.

 

[FrankS]

Ouch! Bummer, Joe. So sorry.

 

[back alley]

thanks guys.

i just e mailed gerry at kindermann canada.
i am hoping he will do the repair on the camera.
not sure what to do about the lens yet.

still sick in edmonton,
joe

 

[Todd.Hanz]

sorry to hear joe, lets hope it can be fixed!

Todd

 

[peter_n]

Just horrible, Joe. I just finished working on customizing a Domke strap for my new Canonet, making it a lot shorter than the strap for my regular cam so they hang around my neck one above the other. Am double-checking the straps/connections on both cams after this.

Good luck with the repair. In England we say "sick as a parrot" and thats how you must feel. 🙁

 

[Solinar]

My condolences. My once pristine Bessa R has a nice scratch near the shutter button from doing the same. I since changed back to a non-adjustable, sewn wrist strap.

 

[back alley]

andrew,

my old homemade wrist straps were double sewn so they could not do this.
i would adjust size from the o ring end of the strap.
i will take this strap in and have the end sewn in place. this will never happen again.

joe

 

[MCTuomey]

I'm very sorry, Joe. May better fortune prevail on the repairs ...

 

[fraley]

Good luck with repairs Joe, I hope the damage can be minimalized.. so sorry to hear this happened to you.

 

[back alley]

thanks guys.
i feel like i'm in the waiting room, waiting for 'word'.

i assume i'll hear from kindermann sometime tomorrow.

joe

 

[taffer]

Joe, sorry to hear that, I can imagine how it is. Hope you hear soon from Kinderman. My advice though, just grab another camera and lens tomorrow and go shooting again.

 

[ray_g]

Geez, sorry to hear that, Joe.

 

[denishr]

Sorry to hear about the accident, joe... Hope it turns out with minimal damage and expense...
Denis

 

[sockeyed]

If you need a second opinion or another repair estimate, Joe, I can highly recommend Horst Wenzel here in Vancouver. He is very skilled (Rollei and Leica certified, I think) and his prices are amazingly low. He just works out of his house now that he's retired. He's great with all the classic RF stuff. He has done great work on my Canon RF, Canon FD and Rolleiflex gear.

Let me know if you want his contact info.

 

[back alley]

thanks again guys.

ben, i'll wait on kindermann for now but keep the info handy, ya never know.

joe

 

[bmattock]

Joe,

So sorry to hear it. Last year before I left NM, I got a Canon FD-mount SLR in the mail from an older fellow that I purchased from on eBoy. We somehow had managed to find common ground and chatted back and forth several times - he told me how much the camera had meant to him and his family when they were all young, but he was old and retiring and didn't need it anymore. I unwrapped it in my kitchen and promptly dropped it on the floor. Formica floor, it bounced - but it still caved in the top plate on one end. I felt sick. I'm very sorry you're feeling that right now. My condolences, really.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks