So what dings, scratches, etc. have you caused your baby so far? at DVinfo.net

David Nussbaum · July 15th, 2003, 11:25 AM

my view finder has so many little hairline scratches. it looks like someone used their shirt and cleaned it in a circle :\

i know i didnt do it because i always use this microscope lens cleaner cloth my dad gave me which is used on these dental microscopes which need to be 100% spotless. they are like these huge thousand dollar machines.

also, i was cleaning my LCD with it aswell, and i was applying too much pressure with my nail to get rid of some crap, and now theres a slight hairline scratch off to the side :(

the lense is 100% fine luckily. which is strange, because my friend threw a big object in the water and basically every single drop of water splashed into my lense/camera :| i was so angry.

there are some lil paint off scratches on the black aswell where the eye peice is. i wish i was more careful with the camera :(

maybe if the focus ring problem keeps up then i can get a new one.

Josh Bass · July 15th, 2003, 12:10 PM

I took off the mount on the camera body that the viewfinder assembly mounts onto on my Canon XL1s, in order to put a rubber grommet between these two pieces so the viewfinder would slip and slide so easily. Somehow or another, I snapped these two metal pins that hold the mount in place clean in half. It's okay, 'cause there's also four screws that serve the same function, but I still feel like an ass, especially since I don't even know when it happened. I only realized this like a few months ago, and I performed the surgery way before that.

A few abrasions on the plastic cover on the handle, too.

Frank Granovski · July 15th, 2003, 01:46 PM

I never scratched, dinged bumped any of my cams---ever. :)

I always keep them clean by keeping my hands clean.

There was this German Rangefinder camera, though. I had it in a bag and the bag broke. The cam hit the sidewalk and smashed in many pieces. :(

Imran Zaidi · July 15th, 2003, 01:58 PM

Never mussed up one of my dv cams, but once I had this beautiful Yashica 'vintage early-80s' 35mm film SLR camera, which I was transporting in my backpack. I had a pickup truck in those days, and often I used to put my backpack in the truck bed because of lack of room in the cabin. Perfectly safe, usually.

But one other thing I used to do was lower my tailgate, because of wind drag which would make the truck shake at higher speeds. Unfortunately, one day I put the backpack back there but didn't notice that I had earlier lowered the tailgate. Don't ask.

Anyway, a day later I did get a call from someone who had found the backpack. It apparently fell right in front of them as we were getting on the Interstate. Strangely enough, while the backpack was torn up, I did recover everything in it including some film I had, but mysteriously and magically the camera wasn't found.

I guess the guy kept it. Dirtbag. Well, at least I got my homework back (this was in high school).

Man I miss that camera now.

Nigel Moore · July 16th, 2003, 01:54 AM

I've managed to get some crap on the inside of my XL1-s eyepiece. But since it doesn't affect the video I haven't bothered cleaning it.

I also managed to get crap on the focus ring and inside of the viewfinder in my D30. God only knows how I did that. Likewise, although its annoying, it doesn't affect the output. So heh!

Matt Gettemeier · July 16th, 2003, 05:06 AM

Boy David you sure put a cam to the test... you sound like a good candidate for an underwater housing... get one of those and leave it on all the time LOL.

When I first read this post I thought, "this is the guy with sand under the focus ring right?"...

Sand, scratches, and water exposure... get an Ewa-Bag... LOL.

David Nussbaum · July 16th, 2003, 09:30 AM

stop making me more sad :(

not to mention when filmin in the woods as i was directing one of my friends on a big hill, the camera on the tripod fell over on the GROUND.

luckily it was in a big pile of leaves, but boy oh boy was there lots of dirt on the rubber eye peice. that thing attracts lots of dust as is.

Peter Richardson · July 16th, 2003, 03:55 PM

David--I noticed the same scrathes on the eyepiece, though I've tried to be careful with it. Honestly though I rarely use it simply because I find it too small to find focus with. Must be some soft plastic covering it or something. Be careful with the sand, though, it gets EVERYWHERE!

Peter

Imran Zaidi · July 16th, 2003, 03:58 PM

I heard someone saying at some point (maybe on this forum?) that your camera equipment should be coverable under your homeowners insurance.

Anyone know if that's true?

Matt Gettemeier · July 17th, 2003, 09:06 PM

I was shooting a cooking show with my xl1s when the DP wanted a straight down shot into a pot of boiling chili... The camera slid off the head and splashed into the boiling chili and covered us all in spicy third-degree burns... the audience thought it was a gag and was laughing as we fought over a can of Reddy-Whip spray whipped cream to cool the burns...

Now my focus ring is making a weird grinding noise...?

Ok seriously now I want to put in my endorsement for a GOOD tripod. I listened to so many people say the tripod doesn't matter and then I read the above statement about the pod falling over. I got a set of Gitzo sticks with a leveler and it's pretty easy to set that thing up so that a tank couldn't topple it... get a good, sturdy set of sticks.

Jeff Donald · July 17th, 2003, 09:25 PM

Cameras are covered under home owners insurance, subject to the deductible. You can also purchase a Whole Risk Rider which offers first dollar coverage, more money, but worth it because so many people have $500 and $1,000 deductible on their home owners. Check with your insurance agent for your terms of coverage.

Dean Sensui · July 18th, 2003, 04:58 AM

I was at a restaurant with the crew, just having finished a shoot. A waitress walked by with a tray and a glass full of water got dumped directly on my XL1. And this was just after I got it back from routine maintenance.

The restaurant owner offered to pay for any damage. Fortunately nothing bad happend to the camera and it functions perfectly fine.

On another job I had to hand my camera over to a Navy loadmaster for a flight to the USS Abe Lincoln. Didn't realize that there's no such thing as "hand carry" on a Cod flight to a carrier. Got to the ship and the viewfinder was bent, and one of the rubber pads on my Lightwave mic mount was torn. Superglue fixed the rubber pad. And Canon fixed the viewfinder when I sent it in for annual maintenance. Unlike the restaurant, the Navy didn't offer to pay for any damage.

I did find out that the XL1 is nearly impervious to the aircraft carrier's surveillance radar that usually screws up the picture for other video cameras. Everyone else had their gear wrapped in tin foil. I didn't have time to do that -- but the video still came out clean.

By the way, since then I got a Kata bag for the camera. Reliable protection from clumsy waitresses and carrier landings.

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions

David Nussbaum · July 18th, 2003, 11:21 AM

omg and i thought my camera tipping over on the dirt was bad.

Lisa Marie · July 18th, 2003, 11:37 AM

I sent my cam to Japan for some fixing and it came back with scratches on the back of the LCD....what were they doing?

Lisa Marie · July 18th, 2003, 11:38 AM

But they did put in brand new heads and control panel for free....very nice of them since nobody else wanted to help me and my 3 week old already malfunctioning cam. Never buy a cam in Korea, even if you do get a smokin deal...

July 15th, 2003, 11:25 AM	#1
David Nussbaum Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Issaquah, WA Posts: 69	So what dings, scratches, etc. have you caused your baby so far? my view finder has so many little hairline scratches. it looks like someone used their shirt and cleaned it in a circle :\ i know i didnt do it because i always use this microscope lens cleaner cloth my dad gave me which is used on these dental microscopes which need to be 100% spotless. they are like these huge thousand dollar machines. also, i was cleaning my LCD with it aswell, and i was applying too much pressure with my nail to get rid of some crap, and now theres a slight hairline scratch off to the side :( the lense is 100% fine luckily. which is strange, because my friend threw a big object in the water and basically every single drop of water splashed into my lense/camera :\| i was so angry. there are some lil paint off scratches on the black aswell where the eye peice is. i wish i was more careful with the camera :( maybe if the focus ring problem keeps up then i can get a new one. __________________ Proud Owner of the AG-DVX100 :D

July 15th, 2003, 12:10 PM	#2
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	I took off the mount on the camera body that the viewfinder assembly mounts onto on my Canon XL1s, in order to put a rubber grommet between these two pieces so the viewfinder would slip and slide so easily. Somehow or another, I snapped these two metal pins that hold the mount in place clean in half. It's okay, 'cause there's also four screws that serve the same function, but I still feel like an ass, especially since I don't even know when it happened. I only realized this like a few months ago, and I performed the surgery way before that. A few abrasions on the plastic cover on the handle, too. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

July 16th, 2003, 09:30 AM	#7
David Nussbaum Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Issaquah, WA Posts: 69	stop making me more sad :( not to mention when filmin in the woods as i was directing one of my friends on a big hill, the camera on the tripod fell over on the GROUND. luckily it was in a big pile of leaves, but boy oh boy was there lots of dirt on the rubber eye peice. that thing attracts lots of dust as is. __________________ Proud Owner of the AG-DVX100 :D

July 17th, 2003, 09:25 PM	#11
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Cameras are covered under home owners insurance, subject to the deductible. You can also purchase a Whole Risk Rider which offers first dollar coverage, more money, but worth it because so many people have $500 and $1,000 deductible on their home owners. Check with your insurance agent for your terms of coverage. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

July 18th, 2003, 11:21 AM	#13
David Nussbaum Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Issaquah, WA Posts: 69	omg and i thought my camera tipping over on the dirt was bad. __________________ Proud Owner of the AG-DVX100 :D

July 15th, 2003, 01:46 PM	#3
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	I never scratched, dinged bumped any of my cams---ever. :) I always keep them clean by keeping my hands clean. There was this German Rangefinder camera, though. I had it in a bag and the bag broke. The cam hit the sidewalk and smashed in many pieces. :(

July 15th, 2003, 01:58 PM	#4
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	Never mussed up one of my dv cams, but once I had this beautiful Yashica 'vintage early-80s' 35mm film SLR camera, which I was transporting in my backpack. I had a pickup truck in those days, and often I used to put my backpack in the truck bed because of lack of room in the cabin. Perfectly safe, usually. But one other thing I used to do was lower my tailgate, because of wind drag which would make the truck shake at higher speeds. Unfortunately, one day I put the backpack back there but didn't notice that I had earlier lowered the tailgate. Don't ask. Anyway, a day later I did get a call from someone who had found the backpack. It apparently fell right in front of them as we were getting on the Interstate. Strangely enough, while the backpack was torn up, I did recover everything in it including some film I had, but mysteriously and magically the camera wasn't found. I guess the guy kept it. Dirtbag. Well, at least I got my homework back (this was in high school). Man I miss that camera now.

July 16th, 2003, 01:54 AM	#5
Nigel Moore Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Switzerland Posts: 358	I've managed to get some crap on the inside of my XL1-s eyepiece. But since it doesn't affect the video I haven't bothered cleaning it. I also managed to get crap on the focus ring and inside of the viewfinder in my D30. God only knows how I did that. Likewise, although its annoying, it doesn't affect the output. So heh!

July 16th, 2003, 05:06 AM	#6
Matt Gettemeier Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 936	Boy David you sure put a cam to the test... you sound like a good candidate for an underwater housing... get one of those and leave it on all the time LOL. When I first read this post I thought, "this is the guy with sand under the focus ring right?"... Sand, scratches, and water exposure... get an Ewa-Bag... LOL.

July 16th, 2003, 03:55 PM	#8
Peter Richardson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 608	David--I noticed the same scrathes on the eyepiece, though I've tried to be careful with it. Honestly though I rarely use it simply because I find it too small to find focus with. Must be some soft plastic covering it or something. Be careful with the sand, though, it gets EVERYWHERE! Peter

July 16th, 2003, 03:58 PM	#9
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	I heard someone saying at some point (maybe on this forum?) that your camera equipment should be coverable under your homeowners insurance. Anyone know if that's true?

July 17th, 2003, 09:06 PM	#10
Matt Gettemeier Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 936	I was shooting a cooking show with my xl1s when the DP wanted a straight down shot into a pot of boiling chili... The camera slid off the head and splashed into the boiling chili and covered us all in spicy third-degree burns... the audience thought it was a gag and was laughing as we fought over a can of Reddy-Whip spray whipped cream to cool the burns... Now my focus ring is making a weird grinding noise...? Ok seriously now I want to put in my endorsement for a GOOD tripod. I listened to so many people say the tripod doesn't matter and then I read the above statement about the pod falling over. I got a set of Gitzo sticks with a leveler and it's pretty easy to set that thing up so that a tank couldn't topple it... get a good, sturdy set of sticks.

July 18th, 2003, 04:58 AM	#12
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	I was at a restaurant with the crew, just having finished a shoot. A waitress walked by with a tray and a glass full of water got dumped directly on my XL1. And this was just after I got it back from routine maintenance. The restaurant owner offered to pay for any damage. Fortunately nothing bad happend to the camera and it functions perfectly fine. On another job I had to hand my camera over to a Navy loadmaster for a flight to the USS Abe Lincoln. Didn't realize that there's no such thing as "hand carry" on a Cod flight to a carrier. Got to the ship and the viewfinder was bent, and one of the rubber pads on my Lightwave mic mount was torn. Superglue fixed the rubber pad. And Canon fixed the viewfinder when I sent it in for annual maintenance. Unlike the restaurant, the Navy didn't offer to pay for any damage. I did find out that the XL1 is nearly impervious to the aircraft carrier's surveillance radar that usually screws up the picture for other video cameras. Everyone else had their gear wrapped in tin foil. I didn't have time to do that -- but the video still came out clean. By the way, since then I got a Kata bag for the camera. Reliable protection from clumsy waitresses and carrier landings. Dean Sensui Base Two Productions

July 18th, 2003, 11:37 AM	#14
Lisa Marie New Boot Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 21	I sent my cam to Japan for some fixing and it came back with scratches on the back of the LCD....what were they doing?

July 18th, 2003, 11:38 AM	#15
Lisa Marie New Boot Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 21	But they did put in brand new heads and control panel for free....very nice of them since nobody else wanted to help me and my 3 week old already malfunctioning cam. Never buy a cam in Korea, even if you do get a smokin deal...