I Just Dropped My Camera!
- Thread starter Redshift
- Start date
Mfrankfort
Senior Member
Camera's are pretty rugged these days. Just take some pictures, make sure the focus motor is good and sharp... should be good to go.
Depending on how it fell and what it landed on, there could be damage that is not apparent. The camera might still takes pictures, but what it the lens mount got bumped a little too much and has bended… You could have a mis-aligned focus plane. It might be wise for you to do a few focus checks with the lens to check a few of these things.
I hope it's OK but you might want to check before you get to an important picture of job and then find out about the problem. If there seems to be a problem, do you have a risk insurance floater with your home insurance for the camera? This could cover part of the repair if needed.
I hope it's OK but you might want to check before you get to an important picture of job and then find out about the problem. If there seems to be a problem, do you have a risk insurance floater with your home insurance for the camera? This could cover part of the repair if needed.
Nathan Lanni
Senior Member
I dropped my d7100 from a short distance. The immediate affect was no notable damage. I likely would have never noticed it because my Nikon "G" style lens worked fine but when I installed a Nikon "D" lens, the damage became apparent as the display showed the infamous eFF error code.
Nikon So CA Service Center diagnosed the camera with a cracked circuit board and cracked top case cover, none of which was apparent to the naked eye (at least to my naked eye - their naked eyes must be better than mine
).
I could have decided not to repair it and had to make an economic choice. I could have decided to forgo use of my "D" lens, which I didn't want to do, and/or if the repair cost made the camera no longer economically viable. In my case the cost was about 1/3 original purchase price so I had it repaired. Had it been closer to 1/2 or 2/3 I would opt to replace it rather than repair. Some people might decide to have it repaired anyway since it still less than the cost of another camera. Warranty considerations come in to play and mine was still on warranty, which is still intact.
Moral to the story - have Nikon look at it. They were extremely polite and professional. It was diagnosed within 24hrs and the repairs were complete within 3 business days from the day I dropped it off. So, if it's not broken, good news! If it is and too expensive they send it back, and the only thing you're out is the shipping. I think they would have charged me $13 shipping but I picked it up.
Hope this helps - FWIW
Nikon So CA Service Center diagnosed the camera with a cracked circuit board and cracked top case cover, none of which was apparent to the naked eye (at least to my naked eye - their naked eyes must be better than mine
).I could have decided not to repair it and had to make an economic choice. I could have decided to forgo use of my "D" lens, which I didn't want to do, and/or if the repair cost made the camera no longer economically viable. In my case the cost was about 1/3 original purchase price so I had it repaired. Had it been closer to 1/2 or 2/3 I would opt to replace it rather than repair. Some people might decide to have it repaired anyway since it still less than the cost of another camera. Warranty considerations come in to play and mine was still on warranty, which is still intact.
Moral to the story - have Nikon look at it. They were extremely polite and professional. It was diagnosed within 24hrs and the repairs were complete within 3 business days from the day I dropped it off. So, if it's not broken, good news! If it is and too expensive they send it back, and the only thing you're out is the shipping. I think they would have charged me $13 shipping but I picked it up.
Hope this helps - FWIW
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Browncoat
Senior Member
Deductible would still apply. Considering that most homeowner's deductibles are $500 or even $1000...it wouldn't be worth it to have a claim on your record.
Which reminds me, I need to write up a guide on that too.
Camera Fun
Senior Member
I dropped my D7000 once this year and then started a thread in a panic. It dropped about 2-3 feet onto our living room floor (carpet with wood subfloor). It hit lens first and only visible issue was the lens cap was shoved in at an angle. No other signs of any damage at all and it still took pictures. I did take it to the camera store about 2 weeks later just to get an opinion. The salesperson (it's an actual camera store so the sales people are experienced) checked it over; he examined the body & lens for any damage; he took a few pictures to make sure the autofocus was working correctly; he noted no error messages. No problems at all then or since then.
Whiskeyman
Senior Member
Another moral to the story is to store your equipment where is it secure, and when you're using it, use a camera strap!
Unless you have a no-deductible rider on your insurance for valuable items. I had the choice when I purchased my rider, and getting no deductible increased the cost of coverage from about $55/year to about $80/year. To me, it is worth it.
WM
I have replacement riders (no deductible) on my homeowners policy for camera gear, firearms and jewelry. Everything must be listed by serial number/appraisal but the cost is negligible for the peace of mind. Same with vehicles, lose one and standard policies pay wholesale, not replacement value.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
I have the same type rider on my policy. Cheep way to protect yourself. I figured it out after my wife lost her diamond engagement ring and I had to buy her a replacement at the cost of $7,000 and I dropped my Nikon and shattered the case.
It's better if you don't replicate that incident again. Impact doesn't work well with electronic equipment. If you do, make sure you get some type of insurance to replace it in the future.
Browncoat
Senior Member
Need to be very careful of having $0 deductible.
Keep in mind that insurance is there in the event of catastrophic loss: fire, theft, flood, etc. It's not a fallback plan for carelessness. I work in insurance, and studies have proven time and time again that the lower the deductible, the more likely people are to turn in a claim.
"But that's what insurance is for!" you say. No, it isn't.
Keep in mind that a claim stays with you for 3 years. Not just with your current company either, it's industry-wide. If you keep turning in small claims, your rates are going to inevitably increase, and then you'll start shopping around. But those other companies will see your claims and charge you accordingly. Not to mention, too many claims can result in policy cancellation. You could wind up being un-insurable by any company, and then you're up shit creek without a paddle.
In other words, those low deductibles are not worth it. At the very least, take out a separate Inland Marine policy. Those offer more protection while travelling and if you get claim-happy, at least they can't cancel your homeowner's insurance.
Keep in mind that insurance is there in the event of catastrophic loss: fire, theft, flood, etc. It's not a fallback plan for carelessness. I work in insurance, and studies have proven time and time again that the lower the deductible, the more likely people are to turn in a claim.
"But that's what insurance is for!" you say. No, it isn't.
Keep in mind that a claim stays with you for 3 years. Not just with your current company either, it's industry-wide. If you keep turning in small claims, your rates are going to inevitably increase, and then you'll start shopping around. But those other companies will see your claims and charge you accordingly. Not to mention, too many claims can result in policy cancellation. You could wind up being un-insurable by any company, and then you're up shit creek without a paddle.
In other words, those low deductibles are not worth it. At the very least, take out a separate Inland Marine policy. Those offer more protection while travelling and if you get claim-happy, at least they can't cancel your homeowner's insurance.
I wouldn't worry much about insurance companies keeping a "file" on you. You pay good money for your insurance for a reason and that includes accidents and things that end up damaging your gear, regardless of the ultimate cause. These insurance companies are falling over themselves to get your patronage so I wouldn't worry about them bumping you anytime soon since there's plenty more fish in the ocean. Besides, there's no reason to pay for insurance if you don't plan on using it.