I'm not one to wrap my photographic gear up in cotton wool. A camera, lens, filter or whatever is just a tool to be used in the pursuit of making a photograph. I've read about people obsessing on forums over how best to look after their gear. You'd not believe the elaborate storage solutions some employ (even a glass display cabinet for prized lenses would you believe), and there's a whole culture out there who consider just one dust spot on their camera's digital sensor a major catastrophe. Not me. I love making photographs, not my gear.
Mind you if I were talking about my beloved Hi-Fi system at home then that would be a very different matter. Just ask my kids who grew up in fear of touching Dad's Hi-Fi - not that it bothers them now they are teenagers! So do I understand people's obsession.
However as much as I like my camera, I want to use it, not protect it. I wouldn't leave say 3 grands worth of DSLR and lens on a tripod while I walk off and explore my surroundings for example. No wait, I have. What I mean is I do look after my gear, but the odd scratch or nick here and there doesn't worry me.
I've had my fair share of accidents; I've burst the zip of an over filled ruck sack, sent prime lenses off for a swim in rock pools, dropped a polariser into the Thames (and gone in to retrieve it) broken a tripod 3 times before I realised I needed something stronger and used a weather sealed DSLR in the rain until it started firing the shutter on it's own accord (even when it was turned off). I've lost count too of the number of freak waves that have caught me out drenching both me and camera. I received a round of applause once at West Bay, Dorset for one particularly fine and evidently very funny drenching - the picture below was exposed just moments before the wave hit.
Mind you if I were talking about my beloved Hi-Fi system at home then that would be a very different matter. Just ask my kids who grew up in fear of touching Dad's Hi-Fi - not that it bothers them now they are teenagers! So do I understand people's obsession.
However as much as I like my camera, I want to use it, not protect it. I wouldn't leave say 3 grands worth of DSLR and lens on a tripod while I walk off and explore my surroundings for example. No wait, I have. What I mean is I do look after my gear, but the odd scratch or nick here and there doesn't worry me.
I've had my fair share of accidents; I've burst the zip of an over filled ruck sack, sent prime lenses off for a swim in rock pools, dropped a polariser into the Thames (and gone in to retrieve it) broken a tripod 3 times before I realised I needed something stronger and used a weather sealed DSLR in the rain until it started firing the shutter on it's own accord (even when it was turned off). I've lost count too of the number of freak waves that have caught me out drenching both me and camera. I received a round of applause once at West Bay, Dorset for one particularly fine and evidently very funny drenching - the picture below was exposed just moments before the wave hit.
I'd be hard pushed to name a particular piece of equipment that was most precious to me, but given I only have one of these I suppose it would have to be my Pentax Digital Spotmeter. I use it for all my film work, and I often carry it around with me when scouting locations - it's a useful device to see what a scene might look like through the lens and is a great for a sanity check of a high contrast scene before hauling my kit bag out of the car. I bought it used off eBay a few years ago for a very reasonable price and it's something I could not be without.
So there I was at Kilve beach in Somerset watching the summer solstice sunset on Monday when I turned round to open my camera bag and plop! I'd left my spot meter on the top of my bag and it slipped off into a rock pool. I made a quick grab for it, but I was too late and whatever I pointed it at, the meter gave only a zero reading.
I knew they were expensive, but I had no idea how expensive. Nothing used on eBay, but I found a new one going for £657 + vat, reduced from £793 + vat. Och! This is going to have to be an insurance job - glad I have a new for old policy.
So there I was at Kilve beach in Somerset watching the summer solstice sunset on Monday when I turned round to open my camera bag and plop! I'd left my spot meter on the top of my bag and it slipped off into a rock pool. I made a quick grab for it, but I was too late and whatever I pointed it at, the meter gave only a zero reading.
I knew they were expensive, but I had no idea how expensive. Nothing used on eBay, but I found a new one going for £657 + vat, reduced from £793 + vat. Och! This is going to have to be an insurance job - glad I have a new for old policy.
PENTAX SPOTMETER POST REPAIR
Still, that night I couldn't help feel guilty about my trusty meter. So, armed with a jeweller's screwdriver set and my friend Google, I set about dismantling my meter. I soon worked out I needed to unscrew the eyepiece with some careful assistance from a small screwdriver. Then, once I discovered there was a hidden screw behind the serial number panel, I was in. It was surprisingly dry inside but the water had headed straight for the light sensor. After carefully running some distilled water over the wet circuit board holding the sensor to wash away the corrosive salt water, I removed the 3 screws holding circuit board in place. Having then washed and dried off the sensor I re-assembled it and refitted the battery.
To my surprise it worked! I need to verify the readings, but a quick comparison with my DSLR confirms it looks good. I thought I'd lost her there and so I'll be taking a little more care with my trusty spot meter from now on. My one regret, apart from being so careless in the first place, was I somehow managed to loose the serial number panel in the excitement of success. Stupid, but annoying.
To my surprise it worked! I need to verify the readings, but a quick comparison with my DSLR confirms it looks good. I thought I'd lost her there and so I'll be taking a little more care with my trusty spot meter from now on. My one regret, apart from being so careless in the first place, was I somehow managed to loose the serial number panel in the excitement of success. Stupid, but annoying.
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