Killjoy

[farlymac]

I was at the Photorama in Fairfax, VA on Saturday, with a list of five things I needed/wanted. I was only able to locate one of them, a Nikon 35mm finder to fit my Nicca III-S.

I was so happy, I decided on my return trip to Roanoke to stop at various locations I used to work at in my last job. From Front Royal to Luray there are a number of railroad trestles I had to drive on while performing my duties as a signal maintainer for Norfolk Southern, and I wanted to capture them in all their grandeur.

US-340 runs parallel to the railroad for most of the way, so access to good views is not a problem. The shutter breaking on the 23rd frame however put a halt to the photography. It was the third stop along the way, and the first trestle. Hopefully the curtain didn't come loose until after I wound on to the next frame.

"It just goes to show you, there's always something."
Roseann Roseannadana

PF

 

[Rayt]

I'll share my tales of woe!

1) Rollei 6008i with 50/2.8 Schneider. I took this camera on a road trip. Flew to Albuquerque, rented a car for a glorious road trip to Santa Fe, Taos and Las Vegas NM. I shot dozens and dozens of 120 film. When I got home and started processing my film I saw the negs were over exposed by at least 5 stops. I then realize the lens had a faulty shutter. None of the shots came out. The lens had no problems prior to the trip. During the same trip I also had a 4x5. In Las Vegas NM I got up at 5am to chase the morning light. Got to my spot, composed my shot and realized the Pentax spotmeter had a dead battery while it worked the day before. I took out my spare meter a Sekonic incident meter and again dead batteries! They both worked fine the day before!!! What are the odds. OK I'll use my iPhone meter but I left it in the hotel. I ended up guessing the exposure and it came out fine. I was shooting at a supposedly "haunted" location the old hotel next to the train station. Nah!

2) Hasselblad 202FA. Another road trip. All negs ruined by a stray light baffle in the camera that got stuck behind the shutter so I couldn't see it. All the shots in Yosemite, Bodie, all along Route 66 to Flagstaff ruined. The camera was fine weeks up to the trip. I don't take untested equipment to trips.

3) Rollei 2.8F. Failed shutter while in Yosemite. I was shooting and realize I no longer hear that "click" and then I see the blades stuck wide open.

Now for my Southwest trips I only take 4x5, two lenses, two meters a back up Leica with built in meter. I flew 6000 miles to get to these places so it hurt.

 

[DownUnder]

Mine have always broken down at weddings. This resulted in unhappy brides, grooms ready to faint from stress, mothers and mothers-in-law in tears, much mental cursing and swearing, grey hairs, life insurance cover for holy murders, and expensive repair bills. Not to overlook the extra cost of two or more camera bodies.

My first such nuptial disaster was with a then new Rolleiflex 3.5E2 in 1966 or 1967. The damn thing jammed up on me after the second roll, just as the marriage ceremony was about to start. Parish priest kindly delayed the proceedings by making a long-winded introductory philosophical speech to the congregation,while I raced to my car (which was parked about half a mile from the church), grabbed my Yashica D, and ran back. All turned out well in the end. Except for the grey hair at age 19 (no longer a a problem, my hairline went south decades ago).

I still have the Rollei and apart from very slight separation in the Planar taking lens (it doesn't affect the images in any way), I've not had any problems with the camera since.

I haven't shot a wedding for $$$ since 1990, but camera disasters occurred no less than six times in the '70s and '80s, with a Nikkormat (also new), a Pentax (demomodel on loan from a camera shop I worked for), a Minolta SRT101 (a friend's and still functioning, so indestructible except for the one time), a Rolleiflex T (fully serviced a month before), and a Hasselblad 500C (borrowed from a local pro, who demanded I get it serviced, for two and a half times the wedding fee, never again) . So my trials were always with gear either new or CLA'd regularly before the events. Same gear never broke down or malfunctioned at any other time.

After the 500C disaster I swore never again! and thereafter told everyone I was photographing only divorces. I did one. Sure enough, my almost new pro AF Nikon jammed (I still have it, of course it hasn't broken down since), but I was able to fix it myself, and anyway I had two Nikkormats in my kit, just in case. All of which saved my neck.

Many believe there is a patron saint of photographers. I reckon there is a special devil dedicated to our profession and it manifests itself when the celebrant is waiting at the altar and the bride and her father are walking down the aisle.

This thread made me feel better, knowing it isn't just me. Let us all read and heed.