How Often Have You Needed Your Backup Camera?

[wgerrard]

Taking a backup camera on a trip seems a common thing around here. I'm curious about how often the primary camera fails or goes missing on those trips. Does the old stuff break more often than the new hardware, or vice versa?

Who has a story?

 

[FrankS]

Two weekends ago I went by motorcycle to visit my parents. I packed an F2 and an F3. Well, didn't the F3 batteries die? I bought new ones but installed them upside down and believed at that time that there was an issue with the camera. No problem, I used the F2 (plain prism). I discovered the real problem after I got back home.

 

[gavinlg]

Never. Including 5 years of pro shooting.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Never. In decades of amateur shooting. Still bring one though.

 

[filmfan]

Right now, I only own one camera. (can you believe it?)

 

[FrankS]

2 bodies as about more than just back up. For me it is about not having to switch lenses as often. I usually have 50, 28, and 20mm lenses along. It can also be about having 2 cameras with different abilities/strengths along: like an old school mechanical beast (F2) and a compact AE camera (XA) for when you want to carry less. Works for me, YMMV.

 

[benlees]

Murphy's law- no need to mess with it. If you bring another then you won't have problems. Thank goodness for half decent cell phones cameras!

 

[Roger Hicks]

Once. Once was enough. I was only 10-15 miles from home but when you're photographing a ballet class...

And two half-times from mechanical damage to the camera (reparable on the spot, or didn't stop the camera working)

Cheers,

R.

 

[wgerrard]

I should say it's happened to me once, and that was more operator error than not. But, I only had that camera, and it spoiled a nice day after a 3-hour drive. I'd driven back home before I discovered I could get the camera working in 5 seconds.

 

[tabo]

Several years ago I brought a Canon EOS 5 and three lenses on a month-long cross-country trip, and it failed in the infamous mode-dial-failure way on the third day. I ended up shooting the entire trip on the backup camera, a fixed-lens semi-automatic Olympus 35RC. The results were gorgeous, but I'll never do a trip like that again without a small, reliable backup. I also ditched the EOS 5 shortly thereafter, because even after the repair it still left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Never a problem in 20 years and still only carry one body. Now that I have said it things could change. On trips I am with my wife and she has a camera which we could share if mine went south.

Bob

 

[sevres_babylone]

I've had 2 situations where cameras started to have shutter problems while I was travelling.

In Mexico, my OM4t, about 8 years old began to have intermittent shutter problems, which worsened after my return. I was also using a Mamiya 7 on that trip. Because the problem was intermittent, I did continue to use the Oly.

On a trip to Buenos Aires, I had two Epson R-D1s. The Epsons would have been 4 to 5 years old. One began to have a few blank frames. Again, I was able to continue to use it. The problem seriously worsened about a month after my return when the bad frames outnumbered the good ones. I also had a Ricoh GRD2 with me on that trip. Ironically, a few months later both of my Epsons had shutter problems simultaneously, and the Ricoh was my only working digital.

In neither case was one truly a backup, but it does reinforce the idea of always traveling with more than one camera.

 

[Nigel Meaby]

A few years ago I took a Leica M4 and Minilux with me on a trip to India. within the space of the first few weeks both were not working! Shutter problem with the M4 followed by a shutter problem with the Minilux! Fortunately I was able to buy another M from Ffordes and get it brought out by a friend's father. At that point I still had 5months of the trip to go so needed to get a camera. The M4 had been serviced before I'd set out on the trip so I did everything I could to ensure I had a working body. I was just unlucky! Never travel with less than two bodies now.

 

[Vics]

I've been traveling with both old and new cameras now for 45 years, and have never had a camera or lens fail. Once many years ago (when my Pentax screw mount camera and lenses were new) I did LOSE the camera and all its lenses and exposed film on the way home from our vacation in Taos. Since then, I travel (mostly) with one camera and one lens. Once with one very old Rollei MX, once with Contax IIIa, and lately with M3. Next spring I'll go to France for six weeks with only the Contax and a 35 and a 50. I'm sure it'll be fine.

 

[marcr1230]

in about 25 years, I had 2 circumstances where I needed a backup. once my OM4T had shutter issues - it didn't engage/cock the shutter on winding, used my OM3 that time. years before that , my Canon T90 needed to be reset after each picture, on a trip to Italy, no backup at the time, I just did the best I could.

 

[dave lackey]

Never. But then, when I am shooting film, I have two bodies anyway with different ISO film.

When shooting digital, my only camera at the time being a D2X, I had a situation where I left the flash card in the reader when I arrived at the stadium for a soccer game shoot. At the time, I realized how important it would be to have either extra cards in my bag, or another digital camera. So, that has never happened again.😛 Live and learn.

 

[oftheherd]

I have often carried a backup, and often still do. I don't recall that I ever needed one. I still consider it prudent on trips, or when it is important to me for some reason that I not fail to come back with desired photos.

 

[russelljtdyer]

Type of Film in the Second Camera

Type of Film in the Second Camera

...when I am shooting film, I have two bodies anyway with different ISO film.

I've never done that, had two film cameras with me, each with different ASA film. It sounds like a good idea. What are the two types you carry loaded and why? Do others here do the same? If so, which ones do you carry and have loaded?

 

[skírnir]

Some years ago I went traveling without a back-up. Two days later I was robbed. All gear gone. Since then I've always brought a back-up camera. You never know...

 

[dave lackey]

I've never done that, had two film cameras with me, each with different ASA film. It sounds like a good idea. What are the two types you carry loaded and why? Do others here do the same? If so, which ones do you carry and have loaded?

My current kit is based on 50mm lenses for street and portraits on small town documentaries. I have an M3 + 5cm 1.5 Summarit and an R4 + 50mm Cron. My portraits are generally inside and that is where the M3 with TriX 400 film is used most of the time. The R4 is loaded with a slower speed film, currently Ilford Delta 100 for everything pretty much outside. The R4 will focus down to about 18" whereas the Summarit is nowhere close. Plus, the meter is very useful and I can switch from manual to shutter or aperture priority easily.

Both cameras are closely matched in operation and the useful throw range of each lens is similar and quite short when starting out at infinity.

I also have the XA2 in the bag for...well, I don't know why yet as I haven't gotten along with this camera yet. 🙄

This setup worked very well for the last photographic essay. The current essay I am working on is different as I am switching back and forth between color (using the R4) and B/W (using the M3).