What piece of equipment frustrates you the most?

[ornate_wrasse]

My Mamiya 6, as much as I love the images from that camera, frustrates me often. It often won't take a picture when I press the shutter. Argggh!

 

[jim_jm]

That stupid little red viewfinder illumination button on the Nikon F3. Brilliant camera otherwise (OK, a hotshoe would've been nice too), but mine has never lit up anything and I hear it's a common complaint with this camera.

 

[kzphoto]

My lack of creativity. 🙂

 

[randolph45]

Bottom line says it all

Bottom line says it all

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[Frontman]

Tripods. I have a heavy Gitzo that I use for large format, a Benbo for macro shooting, and a Velbon for general use. As useful as tripods are, carrying them and setting them up is troublesome and time consuming. The Benbo is especially interesting to use, Chaplin could have made a good skit using one.

 

[pakeha]

in this order
tripods...Mr Bean
compensation dials..man, i gotta check these daily
my eyesight....slowly going
scanner ... probably just a new learning curve, but you know eventually you get sick of learning curves.

 

[grapejohnson]

My 36 exposure developing reel. It's stainless steel, but it's much less sturdy than the 24 exposure one, there's always an exposure or two hanging out at the end so I have to go back then and trim the leader, and sometimes I get a crimp in the side because it'll slip off the track! I hate 36 rolls enough as is, but this makes them especially annoying.

 

[Rob-F]

Canon S9000 printer. Its six little ink bottles cost $15.00 apiece, and they are always running dry. The driver version for Mac doesn't give much control either.

 

[Pablito]

That stupid little red viewfinder illumination button on the Nikon F3. Brilliant camera otherwise (OK, a hotshoe would've been nice too), but mine has never lit up anything and I hear it's a common complaint with this camera.

Yes, that is really poorly designed and implemented. They solved it with the F4

 

[kdemas]

OK, I've got one more F3 gripe. The ISO setting wheel is IMPOSSIBLE to read in low light, the font must be in .00001 point type 🙂

At least I feel that way when I have my contacts in!

 

[richardhkirkando]

Scanners. I tried them all. 😀

This. And maybe leaky bulk film canisters.

 

[Rayt]

Grafmatic sheet film holders.

 

[Alpsman]

Any part of equipment that needs a battery.

 

[FrozenInTime]

I'm less than thrilled at the frequency I drain my Leica M6 batteries when bagging it without first turning the dial to B.

 

[nikon_sam]

The only thing I can come up with is the top Shutter button on the Mamiya m645...on the last few rolls I've shot most have a wasted frame (or is it Art)...
I have come to use the lock to prevent accidental tripping when carrying these bodies...just did it twice the other day...

35mm SS reels...can't load em...I'm good with the 120's...

 

[majid]

The non-locking exposure compensation dial on my Fuji X100 that I carry in my jacket pocket - it keeps getting knocked to -2.

 

[David Hughes]

And those little (modern) cases that rotate the dials as you take the camera out or else - worst - switch it on as it goes into the bag.

The difference between the aspect ratio of camera (film and digital) and the aspect ratio of photo papers and printers etc. You'd never think that some firms make all three and haven't noticed it.

Regards, David

 

[Ronald_H]

The fragility of my Leica M2, especially the rangefinder getting out of alignment.

Auto focus of all my Nikon SLRs with the feature, regardless of age and sophistication (F90x, D70, D200, D600).

The crooked viewfinder in my Werra 3.

Inconsistencies in BW development (my own fault).

Dust on my negatives (scanning and enlarging).

The pressure plate of my Yashica Mat 124 working itself loose.

The near impossibility to control dumb studio flashes with my Sony NEX-3.

My simple Fuji P&S that has ISO400 as minimum sensitivity in full auto (WTF?!?).

 

[rbiemer]

Right now the only photo gear that's bugging me is my Canon EOS Elan cmaera: The door latch does not latch. :bang:

Other wise, I'm having a tough time finding a moderately priced fountain pen that I can rely on.

Rob

 

[dabick42]

The fella who invented the technology that made digital cameras possible, thus condemning film to a lingering death.
That guy really pi$$ed on my fireworks...