Gear Value Anxiety?

[Out to Lunch]

Do you feel nervous about carrying expensive gear?

Not anymore. Some 25 years ago I lost a beloved 35mm Fuji SLR when I was sitting on the deck of a fishing boat in the Strait of Malacca in the Riau archipelago. We encountered bad weather during the monsoon season with 2 to 3 meter high waves and my camera ended-up on the bottom of the sea.

Since then, I have been in much worse areas of the world, including in some countries at war, and carried more expensive equipment but lost nothing so far. This said, I am also very careful...never leaving my bag unattended.

My weakness is in a different area: many years ago, I bought a new Leica M6 Millennium black paint edition camera and it is such a work of art that I am hesitant to use it. Not because of it's value but because of it's inherent beauty. Stupid of course but there we are.

 

[David Hughes]

It would be great if u could post an image of that!

Anything to oblige;

Regards, David

 

[Richard G]

Anything to oblige;
Regards, David

It is surprising that just the ever-ready case is enough to stop condensation on the camera when coming in from the cold. Interesting.

 

[sreed2006]

What I struggle with is shooting the last rolls of discontinued film.

It has happened over and over. Some really nice films are gone for good. Kodachrome was the most famous. There are many others. Konica VX-100 Super was my favorite C41, and Efke R100 was my favorite black and white (though I still have a few rolls of that left before the final moment of its unexposed existence vanishes).

I mean, standing there holding a camera loaded with what I know is the last roll I will ever have of a particular kind of film - that brings anxiety, and a bit of melancholy. It is not that a thief or accident will take it away - I am the one to determine its fate. That weighs on me.

Just a small drama in the life of a film photographer.

 

[daveleo]

It is surprising that just the ever-ready case is enough to stop condensation on the camera when coming in from the cold. Interesting.

Moisture condenses only on the outer surface. Then evaporates as that surface warms up.

 

[willie_901]

Insurance with a reasonable deductible is one way to minimize the angst.

In the US home-owners or renters insurance can be augmented to include photography equipment. Besides paying the premiums you need proof of purchase and you need to itemize the items and their purchase cost. For unique items (collectables or even lenses very few people own) you should photograph them and, or have them appraised.

 

[Huss]

Anything to oblige;

Regards, David

Ha! That kind of jerk! I was thinking the more common garden variety lager lout!

 

[jaapv]

Moisture condenses only on the outer surface. Then evaporates as that surface warms up.

😕Why should moisture know the difference between inside our outside? The problem is that in certain conditions the air inside the camera gets moist and condenses on the electronic parts, causing severe corrosion and short circuits. Such a camera is total loss.
In one case an M8 was kept inside a rucksack inside a tent in Greenland during a spell of rain. After the temperature dropped the camera was killed by internal condensation.

 

[Nick R.]

The usual problem is that the cold camera brought indoors cools the air around it thereby lowering its dew point and leading to condensation on its cold surface. Fresh, warm air is always available to the uncased camera. When cased, the amount of air available to be cooled is limited, i.e. there is some condensation but not enough to be noticed. The reason you don't see condensation on the case is because it and the air trapped next to the camera form an insulation barrier slowing the transfer of heat to the cold trap (the camera). Now, when an object like a camera is outside at night when the temperature drops, it radiates heat away faster than the surrounding air does causing condensation. That's why you get condensation on cameras and telescopes at night even when they start out at the same temp as the surrounding air.

 

[daveleo]

In the event we are talking about, condensation (moisture from warm air condensing to liquid) occurs only on the cold surfaces that are exposed to the warm moist air.
If the warm moist air gets inside the air spaces of the camera, it will also condense on the cold internal surfaces (electronics?).
If the camera has a moisture shield (cover) on the outside (no air exchange), moisture will not condense inside the camera, because there is no warm moist air inside the camera.
In the literature above, they say that the eveready case will (act like a moisture shield and) prevent condensation on the cold camera surfaces (when the camera enters warm,moist air). That is somewhat reasonable, IF the case is kept fully closed until the internal and external surfaces of the camera rise to the ambient air temperature.

In the event that jaapv describes, the moist air was inside the camera, which is why condensation could occur internally. Not the same situation implied by the eveready case literature above.

EDIT: Removing the lens from a cold camera in a warm room, allows warm air inside the camera, and may cause internal condensation. Best to wait until the camera warms up to room temperature.

 

[uhoh7]

That skier..looks like he's gonna ...mug you...!

LOL

A city perspective 😉 I might be just as paranoid as many who post here if I was exposed to that risk, but here most don't even lock the house or car. When I grew up in California in the 60s it was the same way in our college town, Davis.

But that's not to say there are no risks. My gear takes a serious beating both in the backcountry and since I drag it everywhere. I can forget stuff, drop stuff etc.

But mugging is very unlikely. I laugh at the idea of removing the red dot to protect the camera. Here they all think I'm dragging around some worthless film camera, and it's the last thing they would think of stealing.

Leica? Whats a Leica? Rangerovers and fancy ski gear they know all about 🙂

However I do note there are many fearless street shooters in the big cities who have their technique down and don't seem to loose stuff very often.

The conversation about condensation is interesting to me as I often bring in my camera in and out of cold weather.

 

[daveleo]

😕Why should moisture know the difference between inside our outside? The problem is that in certain conditions the air inside the camera gets moist and condenses on the electronic parts, causing severe corrosion and short circuits. Such a camera is total loss.
In one case an M8 was kept inside a rucksack inside a tent in Greenland during a spell of rain. After the temperature dropped the camera was killed by internal condensation.

I was remarking on the specific event mentioned in the photocopied user manual. The cold camera was brought into warm moist air. In that event, the moisture would only condense on the camera's outer (cold) surface. If the case is left on, moisture condenses on the case. Leave it on until the camera warms up; then moisture will not condense on the camera.
Your situation was not the same event.

 

[noisycheese]

I used exactly this analogy to help a friend in his decision to buy a very expensive watch.

He bought the watch and enjoys the hell out off wearing it every day. This enjoyment overcomes any sense of fear that it could get lost or damaged,
and any self consciousness he may experience.

I say buy it if you can afford it, and for goodness sake, take off the price tag!! 😛

Most of all, just use and enjoy it! Life is too short .....

Cheers

J

That's my approach to it. I have my camera gear insured to the hilt and I use it; I am careful with my gear in terms of not dropping/breaking/losing it. I am cautious about my surroundings and people who are in my vicinity and what they are up to when I am photographing.

In my experience, proper insurance and eternal vigilance are the keys to countering the worries expressed by the OP.

 

[MartinL]

I have boat insurance. But it seems no similar insurance for "recreational" use of camera. Only professional use have insurance programs in Canada, it seems.

A few years ago I was hiking. Had m8 in my "waterproof" pack. Big storm comes up, small seam leak in pack which then fills up with water (doesn't drain, of course, because it's waterproof) I had taken out an insurance "rider" specifically for camera gear on top of my conventional policy - - -cost about US 110/year. M8 no longer in production so the "replacement" camera was M9. Insurance company handled all details with US Leica which sent me new M9 and kept the M8 after verifying that it could not be repaired.

As I recall, there were no restrictions stated for recreational use, but some for professional.

So my recommendation is to explore all insurance options.