Bummed again same week...

kjsphoto · Nov 29, 2004

Well,

Today I decided to head out and take some pictures as I am getting ready for the return of the VC head I am sending out. Well it goes out in a few hours so I am just anticipating the return. Anyway, there I was in the middle of a river just taking in the sites. Took my shots and headed back to the car. Feet frozen or would have stayed longer.

Set my tripod against near the car and was getting ready to pack my camera so I could move on. And what you know the tripod slipped on ICE and went over. I grabbed it but the 4x5 body now has a nice chuck taken out of the side! It hit some tree limbs, which stopped it from hitting the ground. The lens is fine but I am really worried about the bellows. I cannot see any physical damage except for the chunk missing and a few scratches on the body. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? Are the bellows pretty strong?

Well at least the camera is now considered broken in and maybe I look like a real photographer now! LOL!

Kev

rogueish · Nov 29, 2004

OUCH!
You can check the bellows by carefully inserting a lightbulb and turning it on while in a darkened room. Any holes will light up. In fact I would check the whole camera if you can. Also check the alignment, does the film holders slide in and out with the same ease as before?
I had a cat playing with the straps hanging of my 35mm. ended up pulling the camera off the table onto the nice hard cement floor. Don't worry the cat survived (only cause he was faster than me). Broke both the film and battery cover latches. Thankfull (like you) the lens was ok. It's worth more than the camera. Actully it turned out that to fix the latches was worth more than the camera body. So I bought a $2 roll of green painters tape (don't use electrical tape, trust me) and now I have a working conversation starter.

noseoil · Nov 29, 2004

Kevin, I think it may be time to check your horoscope. Sounds like your moons are screwed up. This too shall pass.

I don't walk around with my camera attached to the tripod, too many cactus with spikes everywhere and branches with claws. I will walk around with a 35mm camera attached to the tripod for the sake of convenience, but not usually anything larger. Mostly this is due to weight, the Bogen 3051 tripod and 3047 head weighs in at 17#, add a larger camera with a lens and my shoulder gets too tired for a long walk. Normally I have a backpack for LF and a strap on the tripod for my wanderings. It does take a little longer for setup, but I'm not in a hurry. Fortunately for me, this is recreation and not work.

Oh, almost forgot to ask, what is ice? tim, tucson

Jim Moore · Nov 29, 2004

Man Kev that really sucks.

Take the camera in your darkroom. Put your lensboard/lens on the camera. Take off the back and put a small flashlight inside the camera (Turned on). Replace the back and insert a film holder.

If there are any light leaks you should be able to see them.

dr bob · Nov 29, 2004

Kev: In total darkness. Place a bare bulb flashlight, or equivalent such as the mini-maglight sans the lens, inside the bellows. Any holes in the bellows will project light about the walls and ceiling like a planetarium. Move the lamp about and especially towards the rear area where the film normally resides. Some small holes will not impact film fogging depending on their location. Any holes can be repaired easily with some black tape or, more permanently, with black rtv cement.

Jorge · Nov 29, 2004

Well Kevin, dont be bummed and welcome to the club. Not 3 months after I got my brand new Gandolfi I smacked it against a rock.....like you say it is now broken in...

mark · Nov 29, 2004

I never leave my camera attached to the tripod because of this sort of thing. At least my camera was a Busch Pressman D. When it hit the pavement the asphalt received more damage than the camera. I just had to replace the ground glass. The side has a small nick but that was not bad for a 6 foot fall.

I feel your pain though. I damn near had a heart attack as I watched mine fall in slow motion

lee · Nov 29, 2004

Two years ago in AZ near the border Frank F and I stopped to photograph a little church and the wind was blowing so strong it blew my camera on the tripod over and I lost 2 little bitty screws that are used in holding the lens board on. This was in a rock and gravel parking lot. Took what seemed hours to find the little screws but Frank's eyesight is better than mine and he found them. Fool around with these cameras long enough and something is bound to happen.

lee\c

kjsphoto · Nov 29, 2004

Yeah the slow motion is the worst. It is almost like you are frozen in time. You see it happening but you cant move and your jaw just drops and your stomach get ill.

How do you know if it is out of alignment?

Jorge> Man I feel your pain especially with a rock. Man....

About th efilm holders I am not sure as I havent used the camera in a few months. I did have a mis hap as after wards one holder went in eaisly enough but I couldnt get the slide back in. It only happened that once and I took about 10 frames the other day...

bmac · Nov 29, 2004

rogueish said:
OUCH!
You can check the bellows by carefully inserting a lightbulb and turning it on while in a darkened room. Any holes will light up. In fact I would check the whole camera if you can..

Just be careful that the bulb isnt too close to the bellows. I am not ready to tell the story of the reason I know this.. ha!

roteague · Nov 29, 2004

Jorge said:
Well Kevin, dont be bummed and welcome to the club.

I dumped my Toyo in the surf a few months ago, so I am a member of that club as well. It took me forever to get the sand out of it. Fortunately, the camera won't rust, but, it sure is showing signs of aging.

Adrian Twiss · Nov 30, 2004

Just to add to the catalogue of tragic events. I was photographing in Lancashire (near the Anglezarke resevoir) on Sunday and pointed by spot meter at a specular reflection on the water. The indicator swung off the scale and it hasn't worked since. It was an old Minolta with an internal motor that moves the scale when the trigger is pressed.

To quote Ansel Adams - "Bugger"

kjsphoto · Nov 30, 2004

How do you know if the camera is out of alignment? The camera that took the beating was the shen hao. I still havent been able to ceck to the bellows due to some emergencies that popped up. Thanks,

Kev

Bummed again same week...

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