Posted by Kent Staubus on October 13, 2006 at 7:15 PM
Fridays are officially my "paperwork" day on my job, which means I can goof around all day and do my work anytime before Monday morning. I have a commission to photo a local railroad for their marketing material and had it set up to ride on the train to take inside photos at 11 AM. I got there a little early but the train had just left. Rather than chasing it down, I figured I'd just catch it next Friday and maybe the leaves will be right at peak anyway. I drove to a bluff overlooking a river valley and set up both my Nikon F100 with 80-400mm and my Shen Hao with 300mm. In my hurry, I simply used the QR plate on the camera instead of the one one the lens. While fussing with my 4x5, a huge gust of wind (45 mph?) caught the Nikon and blew it down the side of the hill about 15 feet. I saw the lens lying a couple of feet from the camera. I knew this would not be good. I adjusted everything on the Shen Hao until it was perfect, and then went to look over my wounded camera & lens. The mount was ripped off the lens and all sorts of stuff was dangling out. I saw a number of tiny bolts hanging on, quite bent. My thought was, "I bet Nikon is going to charge twenty bucks a bolt for those stupid things." And there was more, of course. Yes, there was a filter on the lens when it face-planted. It was broken. Now I'm down a lens and a $125 Hoya coated polarizer. The lens element was scratched by the broken glass. And, it appears that the bottom plate of my camera is bent out from the QR. ARGGGH! I decide I have time to go get another lens from my car, so off I go down the big long hill. As I am returning I see the train out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't hear it because of the wind. No way I'm getting back to my Shen Hao in time. Second shot missed.
I drive to the next photo location, an hour north. I drag both cameras up an observation tower that overlooks a big waterfall that has the rail line going over, and set up both cameras again. I wait. I wait. I wait. I wait. Train finally comes and I shoot a few with my Nikon F100 & 80-200mm f2.8. Looks excellent through the viewfinder, but who knows if the camera is still working. I then snap the shot on my Shen Hao. Train rolls by, and I realize the dark slide was still in place. ARRGH!!! I was still very distracted by the busted lens. I missed all three shots I had planned, wasted a day, and my most expensive lens was in pieces. I stood on top of the tower thinking potty words.
I reset the Shen Hao and waited for a second train. It wasn't the one I needed for the RR company, but at least I wouldn't go away empty handed. I waited inside the tower and left my cameras set up out on the deck. A young man in a suit came up on the elevator and instead of going out on the deck to see the view like everyone always does, he slipped behind me and started looking out the window at the parking lot below. He said nothing to me, which is unusual here in the Midwest. I'm staring out the other window, waiting for the train. I'm wondering what the heck the guy is up to. Is he a detective on some case? Is he a well dressed robber? Is he a crazy serial killer about to stab me in the back with a butcher knife? He clearly wasn't up there for the view.
I broke the ice by telling him I was waiting for a train. He said he was waiting for a girl. I told him we all were, in one way or another. He laughed. He said, "I'm going to ask her to receive this." He opened a little velvet box and showed a ring with a diamond about as big as a pistachio. I replied, "Good luck! We'll see which shows up first, the train or the girl. I'm betting on the girl." He laughed nervously. Then, we were quiet again, anxiously waiting. I said out loud, "Damn nice ring. If she won't marry you, I will." He laughed again and said he thought she was a sure thing.
The little bell on the elevator below went "ting". That meant someone was on and coming up. He looked at me anxiously, and I said, "Be bold. You're going to do great." He went outside on the deck, and a few seconds later a truly drop-dead gorgeous woman stepped out of the elevator. I almost blurted out, "Marry ME!" but quickly recovered my wits and said, "I'm waiting on a train. There's a guy outside waiting for a woman." She gave a coy smile and went outside.
They were out there for some time. When they came back in, she was wearing the ring. I said, "Well, looks like I get to be the very first one to congratulate you both!" They smiled and said thanks. I looked at the guy and said, "Great choice--she's gorgeous!" He laughed and she blushed. He asked me to get a few shots of them with his camera out on the deck with the waterfall in the background, which I of course did. They got back on the elevator and I wished them well. They asked if I did weddings, and I told them only if they were being held on a train.
Shortly after they left, the other train finally showed up. It slowly came to a complete stop at the perfect place. I checked the darkslide on the Shen Hao and snapped the shot. I packed up and headed towards my car. As I walked past the waterfall I thought to myself that maybe I had had a pretty crummy day, but seeing the happiness of the two on the deck sort of made me feel good anyway. I was even happier he didn't turn out to be a well dressed serial killer.
Kent in SD
PS--
Where should I send the lens to get repaired? It is a US model.
"Now it's for certain, the one I love;
I'm through with flirting just you I'm thinking of.
Ain't misbehaving, I'm saving my love for you."
---Fats Waller, 1929
Posted by Jim Erhardt on October 13, 2006 at 7:23 PM
Kent, what a great story (though I'm sorry to hear about the lens)!
Every day is an adventure, isn't it? And every day is what we make of it.
Posted by Nathan Buck on October 13, 2006 at 10:24 PM
Well told Kent! Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I wish I could suggest where to send the lens, I am still waiting to get the crack on the bottom of mine fixed.
Nathan
Posted by Roger Rouch on October 13, 2006 at 11:16 PM
Don't know much about the lens, but loved the story! Think it even cheered up my crumby day.
Kent -- that is a great story . . . I read it twice and I could read it again. And you know, without the broken lens, it wouldn't have been much of a story.. Your broken lens at one end of the spectrum and the guileless couple at the other. I am sorry for your loss . . . and would that be the girl or the lens?
Hey Kent! Ooh, yes indeed a very crummy day. Sucks about your lens for sure. Your story was much enjoyed though. Thanks for sharing! Good luck!!!!!
Posted by Ed Cordes on October 14, 2006 at 10:36 AM
Wonderful story. Yes, all crummy days for some are good days for others. This time it was both for you! Sorry about your lens, but I am glad you ran into some nice people who still believe in romance. With that start they should have a great future together.
Ouch! Breakdowns always seem to occur at the worst moments. Even though I never thought of a 4x5 as "backup" for a 35mm, your mishap once again demonstrates their value. Nice to top it all of with meeting great folks and a cool experience.
I'd get the body checked while you're at it. That base doesn't sound good, and I'd be suspicious of the lens mount. Even if you still can mount a lens, there's a chance that it's torqued and the film plane is no longer exactly perpendicular to the film plane. Does that sound like the voice of experience?
Posted by Kent Staubus on October 14, 2006 at 12:08 PM
This is my first major mishap, which is kind of surprisingly, really. I called Authorized Photo Service in Chicago and they guessed about $500--600. Oh well. Hank, I will check the focus on the body today by photo'ing a flat brick wall from a tripod and see if there's any soft spots. Fortunately, I think the $1,500 lens absorbed most of the blow, largely sparing my $250 camera. I have an important photo shoot for an article I'm writing lined up on Monday at an ethanol plant that I really don't want to screw up. It's nearly impossible to get permission to photo inside those and I want to do it before they change their mind.
Jim got my point about not letting bad things ruin your day. Notice how I kept missing shots one after the other when bad stuff started happening to me. Once I changed my focus from my problems/myself to instead thinking about the romantic couple and the drama unfolding right under my nose, I began to not only feel good again but also finally got a nice photo.
There were a few details I left out for sake of the flow of the story. The observation tower is a nice brick structure about five stories high in my city park. It's a very popular local attraction. The guy left roses for the woman at the help desk by the elevator entrance, and had her picked up from work in a white limo. They both showed a lot of class, and romance is not dead around here! I was of course joking around about asking the woman to marry me. I doubt I could ever improve over my own choice made 21 years ago.
Thanks for telling us your story. It's a great comedy; granted you'll probably not be laughing for awhile. The lens mishap was certainly ugly and something I can relate to, as apparently Hank and many others of us can, too. I agree with Hank about getting your camera body checked. Probably some repair work needed there also. What a crazy, mixed up, horrible-wonderful day you had.
Posted by Becky Wolfe on October 14, 2006 at 12:28 PM
Aw Kent - a crummy day with a happy ending indeed! I hope they can fix you up good as new without TOO much damage to the wallet. How frustrating! I hope the final shot you got was fantastic! Enjoyed the romantic story!
Posted by Richard Wong on October 14, 2006 at 3:01 PM
For a story like that, it's worth the broken lens. That's the fun part of getting out there. Too bad she didn't marry you instead, for all that effort you went through to be there.
Posted by David Trow on October 15, 2006 at 8:56 AM
Ken,
What a great story, and sad, but I can share in your pain, I knocked my brand new D2x with the 80 to 400 attached off the seat of the quad, and got to look at the internal workings of the lens, the day before the Golden Phycosis bike race, the D2x did some moaning but shot 1200 pics of the race,with a sigma 120 to 300 2.8..the nikon lens was saved by NPNer Dusty Viedeman and Revelstoke camera, but it still was about 800 bucks to fix it, and 2 months, despite Dusty's expiditing skills. but is's one of my fav lenses, along with the sigma,
so I feel your pain and hope for a speedy recovery for the lens,
Here goes a cheap plug for a great camera store, I have never been treated better
Dave
Discussion
13 repliesI drive to the next photo location, an hour north. I drag both cameras up an observation tower that overlooks a big waterfall that has the rail line going over, and set up both cameras again. I wait. I wait. I wait. I wait. Train finally comes and I shoot a few with my Nikon F100 & 80-200mm f2.8. Looks excellent through the viewfinder, but who knows if the camera is still working. I then snap the shot on my Shen Hao. Train rolls by, and I realize the dark slide was still in place. ARRGH!!! I was still very distracted by the busted lens. I missed all three shots I had planned, wasted a day, and my most expensive lens was in pieces. I stood on top of the tower thinking potty words.
I reset the Shen Hao and waited for a second train. It wasn't the one I needed for the RR company, but at least I wouldn't go away empty handed. I waited inside the tower and left my cameras set up out on the deck. A young man in a suit came up on the elevator and instead of going out on the deck to see the view like everyone always does, he slipped behind me and started looking out the window at the parking lot below. He said nothing to me, which is unusual here in the Midwest. I'm staring out the other window, waiting for the train. I'm wondering what the heck the guy is up to. Is he a detective on some case? Is he a well dressed robber? Is he a crazy serial killer about to stab me in the back with a butcher knife? He clearly wasn't up there for the view.
I broke the ice by telling him I was waiting for a train. He said he was waiting for a girl. I told him we all were, in one way or another. He laughed. He said, "I'm going to ask her to receive this." He opened a little velvet box and showed a ring with a diamond about as big as a pistachio. I replied, "Good luck! We'll see which shows up first, the train or the girl. I'm betting on the girl." He laughed nervously. Then, we were quiet again, anxiously waiting. I said out loud, "Damn nice ring. If she won't marry you, I will." He laughed again and said he thought she was a sure thing.
The little bell on the elevator below went "ting". That meant someone was on and coming up. He looked at me anxiously, and I said, "Be bold. You're going to do great." He went outside on the deck, and a few seconds later a truly drop-dead gorgeous woman stepped out of the elevator. I almost blurted out, "Marry ME!" but quickly recovered my wits and said, "I'm waiting on a train. There's a guy outside waiting for a woman." She gave a coy smile and went outside.
They were out there for some time. When they came back in, she was wearing the ring. I said, "Well, looks like I get to be the very first one to congratulate you both!" They smiled and said thanks. I looked at the guy and said, "Great choice--she's gorgeous!" He laughed and she blushed. He asked me to get a few shots of them with his camera out on the deck with the waterfall in the background, which I of course did. They got back on the elevator and I wished them well. They asked if I did weddings, and I told them only if they were being held on a train.
Shortly after they left, the other train finally showed up. It slowly came to a complete stop at the perfect place. I checked the darkslide on the Shen Hao and snapped the shot. I packed up and headed towards my car. As I walked past the waterfall I thought to myself that maybe I had had a pretty crummy day, but seeing the happiness of the two on the deck sort of made me feel good anyway. I was even happier he didn't turn out to be a well dressed serial killer.
Kent in SD
PS--
Where should I send the lens to get repaired? It is a US model.
"Now it's for certain, the one I love;
I'm through with flirting just you I'm thinking of.
Ain't misbehaving, I'm saving my love for you."
---Fats Waller, 1929
Every day is an adventure, isn't it? And every day is what we make of it.
Nathan
Laurel (Catherine)
I'd get the body checked while you're at it. That base doesn't sound good, and I'd be suspicious of the lens mount. Even if you still can mount a lens, there's a chance that it's torqued and the film plane is no longer exactly perpendicular to the film plane. Does that sound like the voice of experience?
Jim got my point about not letting bad things ruin your day. Notice how I kept missing shots one after the other when bad stuff started happening to me. Once I changed my focus from my problems/myself to instead thinking about the romantic couple and the drama unfolding right under my nose, I began to not only feel good again but also finally got a nice photo.
There were a few details I left out for sake of the flow of the story. The observation tower is a nice brick structure about five stories high in my city park. It's a very popular local attraction. The guy left roses for the woman at the help desk by the elevator entrance, and had her picked up from work in a white limo. They both showed a lot of class, and romance is not dead around here! I was of course joking around about asking the woman to marry me. I doubt I could ever improve over my own choice made 21 years ago.
Kent in SD
What a great story, and sad, but I can share in your pain, I knocked my brand new D2x with the 80 to 400 attached off the seat of the quad, and got to look at the internal workings of the lens, the day before the Golden Phycosis bike race, the D2x did some moaning but shot 1200 pics of the race,with a sigma 120 to 300 2.8..the nikon lens was saved by NPNer Dusty Viedeman and Revelstoke camera, but it still was about 800 bucks to fix it, and 2 months, despite Dusty's expiditing skills. but is's one of my fav lenses, along with the sigma,
so I feel your pain and hope for a speedy recovery for the lens,
Here goes a cheap plug for a great camera store, I have never been treated better
Dave