First camera drop (with damage)!

[Keith]

In my eight years of photography!

I was getting something out of the cupboard and my beloved OM-1 fell a meter and a half onto the hardwood floor and landed smack on the edge of my best 50mm f1.4 lens and bent the filter thread in about half a centimeter.

In some ways I would rather this than damaging the camera ... but even so, it's not a nice feeling! 😱

 

[back alley]

i dropped a canon p with a 35mm lens on it. fell to the concrete, out of my hands, as i watched and wept!
such a sick feeling in my stomach...

i feel your pain...

 

[redisburning]

sorry to hear Keith.

I hope your camera is as OK as it can be.

 

[t.s.k.]

Sorry about the lens, but it could have been worse.
The OM1 could have broken your toe instead 🙂
Also, you should know better than to start a thread like this without pics (of the lens, not the toe!)

 

[GaryLH]

Ouch.. What a bummer.
Gary

 

[Keith]

Sorry about the lens, but it could have been worse.
The OM1 could have broken your toe instead 🙂
Also, you should know better than to start a thread like this without pics (of the lens, not the toe!)

I've already knocked the bent section out with the point of a chopstick and a meat tenderiser ... I wasn't about to look at it any longer than necessary. 😛

Amazingly the hood still screws in!

 

[clayne]

If it screws in, chalk it up to a learning experience, and you're basically done having to worry about it. The filter ring, which is a detachable part of the lens as it is, took the brunt of the damage, bent, and you've fixed it. With solid equipment of yesteryear, it's similar to dropping a piece of metal on the ground and only having surface marring.

I don't think you have to be worried about it.

 

[Keith]

If it screws in, chalk it up to a learning experience, and you're basically done having to worry about it. The filter ring, which is a detachable part of the lens as it is, took the brunt of the damage, bent, and you've fixed it. With solid equipment of yesteryear, it's similar to dropping a piece of metal on the ground and only having surface marring.

I don't think you have to be worried about it.

I think it's the sound it made that really horrified me!

The way that filter ring bent would have absorbed a lot of the shock ... I think I was lucky and it all appears to be working perfectly. 🙂

 

[Rune]

I once "repaired" an old (and very inexpensive and not very good performing) lens by deliberately dropping it down the stairs... The focusing ring was completely stuck, but alas - a bumpy trip made it work like a champ again 😛

Seriously, the gear from the good old days is so much better made than todays plastic-fantastic.

 

[alistair.o]

I've already knocked the bent section out with the point of a chopstick and a meat tenderiser ... I wasn't about to look at it any longer than necessary. 😛

Amazingly the hood still screws in!

Ah! a FED trained technician.

Dasvidaniya comrade. 🙂

 

[Frontman]

If it's a chrome-nose lens, I have an extra filter ring you can have. Changing the ring out is not difficult.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Happens to us all, alas, but it seems you have had a happy ending to the story. FWIW, one of my standard lenses improved after being dropped and denting the filter ring...

Regards, David

 

[oftheherd]

That's a bummer Keith. Sounds like the damage was minimal and you fixed it easily. Now the only thing needed is to test it with film and make sure nothing has decentered. Hopefully not. I know how much you like your OM gear.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

FWIW, one of my standard lenses improved after being dropped and denting the filter ring...

A colleague had a similar experience umpteen years ago. He'd been complaining that his Rollei T wasn't focussing across the frame. At some event, he was changing film, somehow released one of the strap catches and the camera dropped hood first on the pavement.

Next morning, he was showing everyone how his shots were now sharp edge to edge.

It's an ill wind... 😀

 

[David Hughes]

A colleague had a similar experience umpteen years ago. He'd been complaining that his Rollei T wasn't focussing across the frame. At some event, he was changing film, somehow released one of the strap catches and the camera dropped hood first on the pavement.

Next morning, he was showing everyone how his shots were now sharp edge to edge.

It's an ill wind... 😀

Hi,

I guess someone up there likes us and film of course. I mean, like, where did FP3 come from?

Regards, David

 

[Keith]

One thing that has occured to me is that normally my 50mm f1.2 would have been mounted on the OM-1 but I'd transfered it to the OM-3 for some reason. That 50mm f1.2 is worth a hell of a lot more than that 1.4 and also the extra weight would have made the thing hit the floor a lot harder. Luck comes in many forms! 😀

 

[Keith]

If it's a chrome-nose lens, I have an extra filter ring you can have. Changing the ring out is not difficult.

Thanks for the very generous offer but it's a late model one that I scored with an OM-2 kit I bought some time ago.

 

[Denverdad]

We seem to be on the same schedule, Keith. My first ever damage occured just this past week too, while in the mountains shooting wildflowers with my Pentax 6x7 and prized 55-100mm zoom lens. It happened with the tripod positioned somewhat precariously on a hillside, as I was maneuvering to get a better view in the viewfinder. My foot slipped only slightly, but in catching my balance I managed to knock over the tripod, which then fell several meters landing camera/lens first (naturally) in the brush below. The main damage which occurred to the body was that the shutter release button completely ripped out of the camera (the cable which was attached at the time was also broken). The film door may also be damaged as it is now very difficult to open. The lens was damaged also, although it appears to at least be intact optically (no cracks or scratches). But there was mechanical damage to the zoom mechanism which only turns part of the way now, and to the iris mechanism which is stuck in the open position and no longer responds to adjustment of the aperture ring.

This ended up being the final coup de gras in a destructive photo trip which had already seen one cable release break (I only had two), and a bubble level mysteriously disappear (I no doubt left it somewhere). I guess when it rains it pours! Looking on the bright side however, I think that the half-exposed roll of film which was in the camera at the time is probably OK. I really hope so because those final exposures are likely to have been the best ones from the whole trip.

In any event, my condolances and best of luck on repairs. 🙂

 

[_goodtimez]

So sad !

So sad !

In my eight years of photography!

I was getting something out of the cupboard and my beloved OM-1 fell a meter and a half onto the hardwood floor and landed smack on the edge of my best 50mm f1.4 lens and bent the filter thread in about half a centimeter.

In some ways I would rather this than damaging the camera ... but even so, it's not a nice feeling! 😱

A long time ago I dropped a 35 Summicron on concrete. Luckily it bounced on its plastic hood and landed on the rear cap: the lens itself got no damage at all 🙂

 

[2WK]

Ouch! I feel your pain Keith! Time heals all wounds.

I while ago I fumbled my chrome M6 ttl getting out of my car. It bounced on slick pavement and slid a few feet making the most god awful sound! Oh the humanity!!