So, I try to be very careful with my gear. Every once in a while, I catch myself handling a backpack a bit too casually and remind myself of what is inside and move more slowly. But the gear is still inside a well padded backpack.
I recently hiked Johnston canyon in Banff National park. My gear was nicely stowed in my backpack (GG 22 Kiboko). The trail was very slick with compacted snow and ice. My boots with Vibram's "MegaGrip" soles were actually doing really well (never fell, never close to falling). Granted, icetrekkers would have been nice, but those were in New Hampshire. In addition, while I hiked I was thinking of how to fall, etc, to protect my camera if I ever did fall.
My point being, perhaps I was feeling a bit smug about how well I treat my gear as I saw pretty much everyone else hiking the canyon with their cameras dangling at their sides or from their necks and more than once I thought all they had to do was slip on the ice and their gear was a gonner.
So....karma is real.
I was hiking with a co-worker and her friend. After I finished up my waterfall pics, they asked for some pictures of them with the waterfall in the background. Of course I obliged. They wanted a bit different angle than what I had been shooting, so I moved my tripod, set it up again, briefly checked that it was stable, and started taking pictures of my coworker and her friend. After a couple of pictures, I caught movement out of the side of my eye and see my tripod tipping over. I lunge (which was probably pretty funny to see) and threw myself trying to catch the tripod as it was falling. I manage to touch the shaft, but not enough to stop the fall and I saw my camera land on some rocks.
As for me...the impact on the rocks was enough to puncture my jeans where I landed on the rocks and the bruise is just about gone now that we are almost 4 weeks later.
My gear...actually, I probably got lucky. My 5DIV still works, in fact, most of the pictures I've posted were taken after this incident, the EF 16-35 f/4 IS still works, but the lens hood, ND filter, and CPL (which were stacked) took the brunt of the impact and...…
I wish I could say my 5DIV came through unscathed, but....
There were a couple of things that I did wrong. First, the ground was uneven. So, my tripod could have slowly tipped, but this was long enough for me to check it, move to the side and start to take pictures of my friends. But, in retrospect, I wish I had taken more time to level the tripod as I do when I am shooting it. Also, it was just on dirt, and a bit of that could have given way. Or, maybe I didn't fully lock the legs and those gave way. A second more time making sure my camera was all set and this would not have happened.
What I really wish I had done is either set the camera down on the ground or detached it from the tripod and had it at my side with my strap.
So, move slow, take the extra second to properly protect your gear, have good equipment for yourself (while I wasn't slipping with the MegaGrip soled boots, ice trekkers would have been better), and have your gear insured. Of course, there is also the potential lesson learned of the conditions you subject yourself and your gear to take pictures and maybe slick, hiking over ice covered rocks isn't the best idea (where it tipped wasn’t icy). Or, at least, take your less valuable gear (for me, the M3 set up) when doing something hazardous. But, somehow, I do not think I am going to learn that lesson.
So, I just now have completed my recent travel. The 5DIV is off for repair and the 16-35 is sent along for inspection even though it is working fine.
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Originally Posted by Joel Eade
) one week and the next day discovered a cracked UV filter still attached to my Canon 17-55 2.8. Yikes...the lens and my 7D were unscathed but lesson learned.
