How annoying when you scratch or gash your gear?

<p>When I got my first DSLR my wife dropped a picture frame on it and gashed the pop up flash and today I was playing around with my 5d2 and 50 1.4 on my shoulder when I swung it around and scratched the lens on a cement block. Luckily no real damage just a little scuff on the barrel but I am so annoyed. Do cosmetic scratches bother you? Just glad I decided to take the 50 today and not my 24-70 so I guess I should be happy.</p>

<p>I get very annoyed. I'm not anal about it, but I can't afford a lot of "stuff" and can't replace things if they break. I was raised to look after my stuff, and my camera stuff is my collection of favourite toys, so I do treat it well. Little mishaps like you describe drive me right round the bend.</p>

<p>Those are badges of honor. Virginal equipment is a sign of dilletantery.<br /><br />But I do try to keep it from getting roughed up too badly.</p>

<p>I do my best not to cause my gear any unwanted harm.. and it drives me crazy if something does happen.<br>

So I feel your pain...</p>

<p>Its pretty minor but it does annoys me, I will try to look at it as a badge of honor. :-} </p>

<p>It does initially, but usually I feel better the next day. It's a tool to make picture, tools got scratches from use. Don't let it bother you.</p>

<p>I scratched the "2" off of the "250" on my spot meter dial today. That ticked me off. If I had known the paint was that fragile I would have been nicer to it. </p>

<p>People don't like their stuff to be damaged, even superficially. Nothing special to photography. Are you annoyed when your chair gets scratch marks even though you can still sit on it?</p>

<p>so long as it wont affect picture quality... paint being rubbed off, slight dings, etc, show that the stuff isnt kept on a shelf full time...</p>

<p>Nah. I have scars from around 250 stitches and counting. The only scar that really shows has titanium parts inserted underneath.</p>

<p>I climbed out of a very dusty hole in the ground in Israel after exploring a Nabatean room that was falling slowly off a cliff in a tank gunnery range. The Nikon F4s was really into it, like me.</p>

<p>The best time I ever had with an MP and a Summilux was on the back of a motorcycle taxi (Okada) in Lagos.</p>

<p>Entropy happens.</p>

"Do cosmetic scratches bother you?"

 

It bothers me about as much as when I get a first scratch or nick on my new car. At first I panic and say 'I got to get this fixed right away", but then I get used to it.

<p>As long as its just cosmetic, I don't get very upset about it...its just normal wear and tear.</p>

<p>Cosmetic scratches don't bother me. A scratch on a lens element, which happened to me on one lens, don't know how, bothers me a lot.</p>

<p>I've got used to the idea that my gear is in for a hard life, so the odd bit of lost paint or minor gauge to a camera body is not going to cause any lost sleep. I do worry about damage to lenses though.<br>

At a horse show I attended recently, I noticed that some of the agency photographers were using camera bodies that were literally held together with electrical tape. No worries about the odd blemish there.</p>

As long as it doesn't interfere with use, I like a few dings and scratches. Gives the gear a bit of character.

<p>It's all cool...thieves tend to steal spotless, shiny cameras/lenses. But if you intend to sell them... </p>

<p>http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/2009/02/11/random-thoughtsthings-i-find-odd-or-interesting/</p>

<p>Scroll down that page until you get a gander at a D2X used by Joe McNally during a 1000 mile baja race. A thoroughly used camera may end up looking like a wreck. </p>

<p>I dint slept for couple of weeks when I broke my D40 and also sigma 18-200 (on my new bike). More over I was not in a condition to buy a new gear or even to repair it (I was away from my country, place where hardly few people speak English). I have to wait for next three months and when I return home I fixed the problem and sold it. The real surprise was then when I got more money than I invested because of the great demand for D40 (I slept happily for next three days).<br>

This made me to strongly believe what I really believe "whatever happens to you at the moment will be good at the end" </p>

<p>As long as it's cosmetic and doesn't affect the function, it doesn't bother me. This is partly why I like to buy used equipment -- it already has some minor cosmetic marks, so it's never a beautiful, clean slate that will be forever changed if I do something to it.</p>

<p>Congratulations! Like getting the first ding on a new car, once it's done you can now proceed with the business of making images and stop worrying about the cosmetic appearance of your tools. </p>

<p>As long as it is just cosmetic, I couldn't care less. I don't ever plan to sell any of my gear, and as long as it works, I'm good.</p>

<p>Bjorn doesn't care........http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html</p>

<p>Maybe its just a coincidence but I have read a few posts on here the last few days of people dropping and breaking their 70-200 and a tripod being blow over and destroying a 17-40 so today I am a little embarrassed that this even bothered me. </p>

<p>I am almost even proud of the brassing that says "this camera's been USED"</p>

 

<p>I'm along with the "Doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't affect function" folks. I buy mostly used and generally look for stuff that's scratched and scuffed but in good working order - easier to dicker over the price.</p>