Olympus 35 LC – Ilford HP5 – Rodinal 1:50
To the best of my knowledge I have never, no correct that, had never dropped a camera. Last Friday, that all changed. I decided that I would take my little used Olympus 35 LC out for a walk through downtown. It’s small enough as to be inconspicuous and looks so old school that people really don’t pay it any mind. It is the only camera that I have that does NOT have a strap on it. A mistake that I intend to correct.
When I got out of my car on Friday morning, I opened the truck, took the camera out of the bag, checked to see if it had film in it, held the camera in my left hand, closed the trunk with my right had. Immediately, I saw a shot that I wanted to take. I was standing perpendicular to the shot. The shot was to the right, the car to the left. I started rotating my body to the right, bringing the camera up with my left hand. Unfortunately, I did not completely clear my laptop bag which was slung over my left shoulder. The camera caught on part of the bag; I felt that but my arm was already in motion, my grip was not tight enough, and away it went, tumbling through the air to my left. Slow motion movie scene or dream sequence. Tumbling. Tumbling. Tumbling. Splat! It landed solidly on the pavement of the parking lot. Ouch!
I had no idea if it was damaged. I picked it up, examined it. There was a small scratch on it, but no dents or dings. I put it to my eye, took a couple of pictures. Everything still seemed to work correctly, except that the light meter seemed to be a little weird, but it is always a little weird. I rarely use it at all. I’d rather guess or take a quick reading with another camera and go with that for the entire shoot, changing the exposure by a stop or two if I end up in deep shadow.
So, I took an entire roll of film using that camera. What you see here is an exposure taken after ‘the fall’. All appears to be in working order, no loose parts, no rattling around inside, nothing. Built like a tank. I’d hate to think what would have been the result if that had been my D300. *Shudder*
Related Posts :
Who knows where it's going? When I started with this whole film thing, I had no idea where it ...
Motion snapshot Finally! The clouds broke and I could get the camera out into some natural li ...
Where to begin. On Tuesday I left work, grabbed the camera, and headed downtown. It was very ...
10 Responses to “My first ever camera drop”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
I’ve dropped a few cameras over the years, including the D300. They’re surprisingly non-fragile. Lens filter threads on the other hand are an issue on drops, I’ve got two lenses right now (one rather rare and valuable) with badly dented filter threads due to drops.
Aside from the Mamiya tumble off the tripod, the only other time I’ve dropped a camera was while I was walking around a mall right after I got to Phoenix. The strap on my Ftb gave way somehow, and it just fell from hanging around my shoulder to the floor of the mall. The body of the Ftb is brass, and it landed on a corner. That corner is forever dented, but the camera continued (and continues) to work just fine.
At least you now know your heart is in good shape.
I have at least one Minolta film body that leaks light, the leak I got at the same time has healed so I guess that counts as a drop, it was dropped the same time I was about 12ft. Funny how ya think of getting under the camera to keep it from getting hurt. My understanding is that is the rational for steel toed boots as well, folks would try to catch things from hitting the ground and end up with crushed toes.
Glad to hear that none the worse for the fall.
I haven’t dropped one yet but I did juggle a D200, finally catching it less then a foot off the ground. It really makes your stomach sink doesn’t it. I’m glad the Olympus made out like a Timex.
Earl, it must be those cat-like reflexes! I certainly tried to catch it, but it had too much of a lead on me!
Ouch! I darned near broke a wrist to protect my (then new) Canon 350D from a run-in with a sidewalk in Cleveland Park in Greenville, SC one time. I’ve yet to drop one though…and am paranoid about having a strap. I’ve broken a couple of tripods, though!
I hope all is well, Paul! We miss you on the 4th deck!!
Your story made me cringe and my stomach rumbled a bit. That’s not something a photographer wants to experience or hear about. A few years ago I picked up my tripod and slung it over my shoulder only to hear this horrible sound as my Nikon D100 and Nikon 80-400mm VR lens crashed to the ground. The lens hit first, took the impact and was destroyed. The camera came out unscathed. They say we learn from out experiences but why to they have to cost so much?
Good use of shadows and lines in this image. As I’ve heard said, the photographers eye!
I dropped a Nikon years ago bent the lens but mostly when I have had drops the filters got beat and not the lens.
I dropped the first camera I ever had. It was a plastic job that used 120 film I think. I got it for my 6th birthday. Totally wiped it out. Good thing I didn’t let that trauma ruin me for photography.
I had a drop experience with our corporate Canon Digital Rebel. I was carrying it by the body, strap hanging below the camera (not around my neck where it should have been). As I walked through a doorway, the strap caught on the doorknob and ripped the camera from my hold. I watched in horror as the strap swung the camera up into the air, above my head, and then it crashed down hard on a concrete floor. Quite surprisingly, the only damage was the the latch on the battery door broke, but a piece of tape corrects that. Lucky it didn’t land on the lens though, as I doubt the results would have been so inconsequential.