70-200 took one for the team

Out on the job and my backpack zipper gave out and let my 70-200 and my 580ex flash slam into the concrete. Dropped about five feet where I was having to jog to get a picture so it took even more of a hit. When the two items contacted the ground the impacts made an awful sound that will haunt my dreams. Sounded like a light bulb being thrown onto the ground where they pop when the explode. Filters all bent up where it looks to have taken most of the damage but the internals are screwed and it will need to be sent into Canon. Anybody know of a circumstance like this where a lens looses some of its image quality or does Canon test it to see if it still achieves top notch image quality. I am so mad I could piss blood! At least my 5D2 and the 16-35 II lens where on the tripod at the time and not in my now ripped to pieces backpack.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by freelanceshots

When the two items contacted the ground the impacts made an awful sound that will haunt my dreams.

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The situation that you mention is one that I take every precaution to avoid - Especially when my gear is on my back. Zippers triple checked? Tripod plate secured? I'm sorry to hear about your accident, Freelanceshots. I hope everything gets back to working order in the near future.



All the best.

Thanks for the sympathy. Other then the filter folded over the lens body didn't get scratched so I'm still pretty blessed. My stuff slid across the concrete so I'm really surprised it wasn't all scuffed up. Also my trusty 580EX flash still works as this baby took a licking where I'd have to say its got at least 300,000 flashes on it and most of those where 1/1 power output.

Thanks for the sympathy. Other then the filter folded over the lens body didn't get scratched so I'm still pretty blessed. My stuff slid across the concrete so I'm really surprised it wasn't all scuffed up. Also my trusty 580EX flash still works as this baby took a licking where I'd have to say its got at least 300,000 flashes on it and most of those where 1/1 power output.

I am sorry to hear about your accident. I managed to drop my 16 - 35 I onto a ceramic tiled floor and it smashed the UV filter, distorted the mounting ring, broke the focus cam lugs and detroyed some circuitry. The glass was fine and although repairs was almost the cost of a new 17 - 40, the 16-35 was repaired by Canon service and works fine. If it were to happen again I would just replace with a new 16 - 35II but at least now I have it insured against accidental breakage like this! I watched the falling lens as if everything was in slow motion. Lesson? Changes lenses close to a soft surface!





good luck!

Hopefully mine won't need everything replaced like your lens did. I've gone a good 2 years without any equipment breakage where it could be worse. I hope the repair bill is not more then a couple of hundred dollars or I'll be even more sick!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by freelanceshots

I hope the repair bill is not more then a couple of hundred dollars or I'll be even more sick!

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Here's hoping! [Y]


Not that I ever want to go through what you are going through, but can you let us know what Canon charges you to repair the lens?


Thanks!


--John

Hearing your story make my knees weak and I think I could melt on the sight of that happening to me. Hope it goes well soon.


- Angelo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by freelanceshots

Filters all bent up where it looks to have taken most of the damage

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An ounce of prevention goes a long way ...sounds like this littlefilter saved you from even worse damage and a heart attack! I would think Canon would run it thru a battery of tests to make sure you get it back in better shape than even before the crash.

Good luck & keep us posted on what they find.

Denise

Ouch...it probably would have scared the absolute shit out of me [:P] Hope your bill doesn't get too high!


I'm reading in your bio that you are a professional photographer. Isn't your equipment insured against falling like that?


Anyway good luck!


Jan

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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"]<a name="lw_1284758032_8"][/URL]<span style="font-size: medium;"]No
I have not seen the need to get insurance as I am a mother hen when
it comes to my gear. With that said I have to say that I always find
myself trying to cut corners when it comes to spending extra money on
like insurance and membership fees. I've thought about it but
I've never pulled the trigger when it comes to signing up for
insurance. As far as my equipment goes its a small inventory of a
5D2, 40D, battery grips, 70-200, 16-35, 15mm fisheye, 100mm IS macro,
and my 580 EX flash. My strobes usually stay inside and don't travel
with me and my tripods are pretty tough. My 360 pano head was 800
bucks so thats pretty expensive where if that was damaged, lost or
stolen I could not do a large portion of my work. Insurance would
come in handy for sure if my photo bag was stolen, burned in a fire
or I dropped my 5D in the water and destroyed it. I am pretty absent
minded and sometimes leave my gear places but up to this point I've
been lucky to get it back. To look back on my latest incident
I'd have to sayit was an unfortunate mishap where it was just
one of those things that happens from time to time. It was awful to
hear and then see my lens on the concrete along with my flash. A few
days before I had noticed that the zipper on my backpack was acting
up but still worked where I placed an order for a new shoulder bag
with more padding and that would hold more gear. It was due to meet
me at one of the future hotels that I'm staying at while traveling
for work. To bad it did not come sooner. I got the <span style="color: #000000;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"]<span style="font-size: medium;"]<span style="font-weight: normal;"]<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #dceeff;"]Lowepro
Stealth Reporter D650 AW<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"]<span style="font-size: medium;"]<span style="font-weight: normal;"]
Camera Bag and it looks awesome. <span style="font-size: medium;"]Also,
I just rejoined Canon CPS today as my membership had expired. I'll
let everyone know what the outcome is once I find out and report on
the amount it costs to get the 70-200 fixed. I look at this incident
as just something that comes with the territory when you're busy and
that day I was very stressed with my photo assignment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by freelanceshots

No
I have not seen the need to get insurance as I am a mother hen when
it comes to my gear.

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You're just like me. Although I'm not relying on my gear since it's not my job. And since insurance-policies cover pretty much nothing, I didn't go trough with it and decided to be careful.


However if I would pay that much for a shoulderbag and had the equipment you have and have to rely on it... I would seriously consider insurance.


That's one big new shoulder-bag your getting. I hope it works out better for you [;)]

I think the bag will be perfect. I've been needing a do everything type bag like this since I left my last job. I had the backpack because I worked at the paper where it came in handy because I was always running somewhere. The bad thing was to get to your gear it had to be set down on a flat surface which cost a lot of time. Plus it was easy to grab when it was not properly zipped up which I never did but came close once. I will be so glad to have this new bag. 149.00 at amazon. The scary thing with the back pack was that I rode my motorcycle with it all the time. Just think about your gear falling out at 70mph plus on the highway! If photo insurance is anything like my car insurance then they can shove it up their you know what. I will most likely be looking into insurance as it would be a lot more simple if something really goes wrong. One time I thought I left my brand new 5D2, 15mm fisheye and my 360 head setting out at the airport in a bag but after hours of looking for them they showed up in the trunk behind the speaker box. My heart almost did not recover from that one.

I have my own recent "incident" with my 70-200 f4 IS.... Last weekend I was in Honolulu on business, and after a day trip to the north shore with a business associate, the lens dropped from my bag getting out of the car at the hotel valet upon return. I fully accept responsibility and don't expect any sympathy here for my blunder. I just want to share my own expeireince with others...


BTW, the lens still seems to work fine although I suspect the crack in the case will affect the weather sealing. I plan on sending it in to Canon to have it repaired. Does anyone want to enter a guess of how much the repair will cost?





http://www.pbase.com/bryanking/image/128560791.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/bryanking/image/128560792.jpg





Use microstock sales via Shutterstock to support your photography habit!

I've heard that making an insurance claim on a few hundred dollars worth of damage isn't even worth it, am I correct? Insurance premium increases anddeductibleamounts are the major set backs right?

So maybe kicking yourself over a lack of insurance wouldn't even be worth it on something not worth claiming either way :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BryanKing

I plan on sending it in to Canon to have it repaired. Does anyone want to enter a guess of how much the repair will cost?

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Bryan, I had a similar incident with my 24-105L. My repair cost was about $180. The Canon Rep told me they had a fixed cost for repair depending on the lens. So my guess would be about $200.


Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nickds7

I've heard that making an insurance claim on a few hundred dollars worth of damage isn't even worth it, am I correct? Insurance premium increases anddeductibleamounts are the major set backs right?

---

I don't agree. I have State Farm insurance on mine (multi policy deal) and the cost is very reasonable--about $12 per month on $11K worth of gear. I have had one claim for a dropped lens, there was no deductable and I didn't notice any difference in monthly premium payments. Once I got the estimate from Canon, I made my claim by phone, emailed my agent the quote and had a check 48hours later. So for me it is worth every penny.


Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bob williams

Bryan, I had a similar incident with my 24-105L. My repair cost was about $180. The Canon Rep told me they had a fixed cost for repair depending on the lens. So my guess would be about $200.

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Well I can stomach that kind of money for the repair. I feared that it could have been one of those situations where the repair would cost close to the full replacement. I'm in Colorado, does anyone know where I can easily find the closest Canon servicecenter contact info?

Good pictures of the damage but not a pretty sight! Wow, is that section of the lens metal or plastic on the f/4 70-200?

Close up of the damage to the filter from the fall onto the concrete from about 4 ft while I was at jogging speed. If I would not have had the filter on who knows what kind of damage could have been caused to the front element or lens body. Kind of sad that I have to loose the filter in addition to the lens repair as it was a 70.00 dollar Hoya Pro 1 Digital MC protection filter.


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Repair cost for the 70-200mm, 300 bucks minus $40 for CPS membership. About what I figured.

Sounds like you had a rough month. Not too bad though, as it could have been much worse.


Rich

Yea and I still have to buy another nice UV filter to finish of this mishap. I am shocked though that the lens body was not scratched up. Other then the filter there was no damage on the lens anywhere. When it fell it hit the concrete and then slid across the black top. Its truly a blessing that it did not get more damaged as it would suck to spend the repair money and still get back a cosmetically damaged lens. I am anal about the thing I own where damaged area drive me nuts!