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Dropping cameras


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Hi

 

 

I have my heart set on buying a used Ricoh GR. And then saw a utube review, which claimed he broke his GR by simplying dropping it about one foot high. The motorized lens won't extend anymore.

 

So, I am womdering if I should now look for a non-motorized compact instead.

 

Or is dropping your camera like that highly unlikely?

 

Btw, I drop my cellphone many times before...possibly because my hands are small and dont have strong grip strength.

 

Wat is your thought?

 

Thanks!

 

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Edited by William Michael
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In a word, don't drop them.

 

Use a strap; neck strap, wrist strap, neck strap wrapped around your wrist, whatever suits you.

 

But do use a strap.

 

 

Performance relies on the lens and film being aligned to a tenth of a millimetre, or a few hundredths in the case of fast, wide angle lenses.

 

To say nothing of the mechanical complexity required for an extending lens.

 

Digital with on-sensor focussing (most compacts, mirrorless) is a little more tolerant of misalignment.

 

(You don't say if it's a film or digital GR you want)

 

But my initial advice still stands, don't drop it!

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I am also thinking wat about when the camera is inside my backpack?

 

The camera could get banged around, while inside a backpack.

 

And I always use a backpack, because I dont own a car, but ride buses and trains.

 

I guEss I would need to buy a padded camera baggie.

 

In a word, don't drop them.

 

Use a strap; neck strap, wrist strap, neck strap wrapped around your wrist, whatever suits you.

 

But do use a strap.

 

 

Performance relies on the lens and film being aligned to a tenth of a millimetre, or a few hundredths in the case of fast, wide angle lenses.

 

To say nothing of the mechanical complexity required for an extending lens.

 

Digital with on-sensor focussing (most compacts, mirrorless) is a little more tolerant of misalignment.

 

(You don't say if it's a film or digital GR you want)

 

But my initial advice still stands, don't drop it!

Edited by bedfordwebster
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The extending lens is the weakest part of this type of camera. I've seen numerous 'compacts' made useless by the lens being jammed open or shut.

 

I've just looked at the new price being asked for a Ricoh GRIII, and - WHAT!? Worst value for money around IMO.

 

I picked up a little used Sony a6000 with kit 18-55 (non-telescoping) lens a couple of years ago, for about 1/6th the price of that Ricoh new. The a6000 delivers great pictures. OK the kit lens isn't the sharpest around, but there are stacks of lens options available in Sony E mount.

 

The Ricoh is hyped as a 'street' camera, and as such appears to be pretty much a one trick pony. So, personally, I'd strongly rethink the choice of this overpriced and 1980s-designed looking thing.

The GR is abundant here on Facebook Market.

Which should tell you that people are buying it and almost immediately selling it. That says a lot to me.

Edited by rodeo_joe|1
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I've just looked at the new price being asked for a Ricoh GRIII, and - WHAT!? Worst value for money around IMO...

 

The Ricoh is hyped as a 'street' camera, and as such appears to be pretty much a one trick pony. So, personally, I'd strongly rethink the choice of this overpriced and 1980s-designed looking thing..

 

 

here in China, we can buy new GR-2 for just 450 USD.

Edited by bedfordwebster
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The extending lens is the weakest part of this type of camera. I've seen numerous 'compacts' made useless by the lens being jammed open or shut.

 

I've just looked at the new price being asked for a Ricoh GRIII, and - WHAT!? Worst value for money around IMO.

 

I picked up a little used Sony a6000 with kit 18-55 (non-telescoping) lens a couple of years ago, for about 1/6th the price of that Ricoh new. The a6000 delivers great pictures. OK the kit lens isn't the sharpest around, but there are stacks of lens options available in Sony E mount.

 

The Ricoh is hyped as a 'street' camera, and as such appears to be pretty much a one trick pony. So, personally, I'd strongly rethink the choice of this overpriced and 1980s-designed looking thing.

 

Which should tell you that people are buying it and almost immediately selling it. That says a lot to me.

 

I'm not entirely sure I agree, I can see the benefits of a GR style compact, though the prices mean I've never been able to justify one for myself.

 

Large sensor and pocketable tick the boxes for me, but the extending, 28mm (equivalent) lens is a huge turn off, too wide for my taste.

 

But I clearly see the appeal of something I can shove in a pocket when I'm not specifically going out to take photos, or when family touristing, when I might have other priorities and stuff to carry.

 

Just not found anything that's quite to my taste and bank balance so far...

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I'm +1 with [uSER=8475649]@steve_gallimore|1[/uSER]: do whatever you have to do (use straps, avoid leaving your camera lying around on a table, protect your camera in transit) to make sure it doesn't drop. The choice of straps is personal (mine is for a 1-shoulder strap). As you rightly point out, you need to protect your camera when on route. Padded camera cases are fine, but they can be bulky, especially when you're carrying around other stuff. And if you have your camera out (on a strap), you're also lugging an empty padded case around.

 

I have 2 padded camera bags but I hardly ever use them. I prefer to use my 'photography backpack' 90% of the time. Not just for photography equipment - a lot of other stuff can fit in there too. The backpack can hold everything that I might need on a 'photo shoot': camera, lenses, flash, reflector, spare batteries, flash cards, documents/notepad,. etc.But at other times, I also use it to stuff in a waterproof instead of a lens. Or leave out the flash and add a few nutrition bars/drinks. My point is that my camera and any additional lenses I might need are always protected when bicycling or taking public transport. Sometimes (10% of the time) I know I won't need my 'photography backpack'. So I take a smaller, lighter, thinner (unprotected) backpack. With a folded towel on the bottom (to soften the impact of putting backpack on the ground).And with any additional lenses individually wrapped with towels/cloths.

 

So figure out what works best for you.

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I have a second-hand Canon Ixus, which lives inside a small padded case in my pocket when i take it out for walkies. After I use it, I immediately shut it off and return it to its case. Even though it was not a major expense, I enjoy what it does, and some of the pix I have posted in 'No Words' were taken with it - the quality seems to stand up well against my DSLRs.
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But I clearly see the appeal of something I can shove in a pocket when I'm not specifically going out to take photos, or when family touristing, when I might have other priorities and stuff to carry.

My Nikon CP P6000 fits that bill perfectly, it's about the size of a Minox 35 or Leica CL. It's only 13 megapixels, but then it only cost me 80 quid used a few years ago. Canon's G series are a similar size and have quite impressive image quality.

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Cameras don't take drops well, and modern autofocus cameras are worst of all. They have lots more moving parts than cell phones and were never designed to absorb what a cell phone can. A one foot drop to the wrong spot will probably kill most real cameras. Many people today have no concept of the idea of a precision instrument that has to be treated with care. I go to great lengths not to fumble a camera, keeping the strap around my neck at all times or until it's safely attached to a tripod. If I hand a camera to somebody, I put the strap over their head first. In these days of social distancing I don't pass equipment at all.
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I currently use an Olympus TG-320, on the plus side, it's tiny, possibly too small, cigarette packet sized, waterproof and generally pretty tough. I keep it in a small padded case in a pocket of my work jacket. It has a wrist strap. For the beach, I add a floating wrist strap which is larger than the camera!

 

The image quality is nothing much though, I can't help but think that there are just too many pixels on the tiny sensor. Battery life is poor too. It appears to need -0.7 EV compensation in almost all situations, which is easy to set, but a pain to adjust quickly, it's also the only manual control there is.

 

Low light? High ISO? Any control over depth of field? Forget about it...

 

Still, for a camera I can take places I wouldn't even take my phone, it fills a role.

 

Always looking for something better though...

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The GR series has a cult following. People will either love it and sing its praise or stay far away from it. Same with Leica and Lomo. You can certainly find better value but not something that ticks all the same boxes. If you are drawn to the camera, why not just get it and avoid dropping it?
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Niels
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Or is dropping your camera like that highly unlikely?

unfortunately: "no". I dropped a few. sometimes they seem to survive other times they have obvious issues. as far as compacts are concerned: I'm no friend of wriststraps since the odds you might drop the camera out of a jacket pocket, while doing something entirely different than photography, seem just too high. On my late casio just the trigger button plate fell out and could get remounted. On my Leica the rangefinder mechanism got misaligned and on a Pentax DSLR the rear display and the cardslot cover broke.

I backpacked a on 2 AAA batteries depending compact film mamiya U and suspect that vibrations in a bike's side case somehow killed contacts in the battery compartment.

A bunch of co-workers had drop damaged cellphone displays.

Dunno what to suggest.

  • You can insure camera gear against your clumsiness. It costs and either you can handle the related paperwork & hassle with repair companies or you can't and if you bought a used camera, you might just get money to buy another.
     
  • You can shoot something cheap enough to shrug potential losses off laughingly.
  • There are some rough waterproof and according to their manufactturers pretty drop proof compacts, I have a seasoned Pentax of that kind. I didn't break it yet but the tiny sensor inside + no image stabilization take their toll and a GR should punch several leagues above that toy (which the previous owner considered outperformed by his smart phone).

I can see the benefits of a GR style compact, ...Large sensor and pocketable tick the boxes for me,
I've been lugging cameras for 3 decades. "Pocketable" never really worked for me. OK a Minox, a tad shorter than a C, could make it's way into my pants' front pocket permanently, but anything bigger than a lighter or swiss army knife feels too big there. I don't have enough shirts with pockets to wear a 35mm Minox there and my life would shout for secured shirt pockets, that would translate to missed shots.

  • Pocketability means nothing when you have no pockets!

During very late film days I had a folding 35mm rangefinder in a side pocket of my backpack. I took some pictures with it but think it would have been more if that camera (Retina II) had come with strap lugs.

I don't advertise turning yourself into an abused pack animal breaking down under the weight of your enormous kit. I'm just trying to suggest looking at neither overly heavy nor extremely bulky APS C ILCs with their (stabilized!) standard kit zooms. If you break your lens you should get another for 50 €/$ used if you break the elderly camera reasonable replacement (with lens) could be had for 250€/$ anytime.IMHO not much to worry about, drop damaging iphones seems more expensive.

 

Bags & padding: I like slightly padded holster like bags for my cameras and scoop them up used or at the supermarket. Important feature is an ability to sink them in my backpack on the march, attach them to a (backpack) starp "almost ready" and wearing the camera naked while really busy shooting.

 

Pardon my lack of (is that "balistical"?) knowledge about bag paddings. In theory they should help a bit... practically they seem too thin to help much! When you spent your very last cent on a camera & a travel ticket, use some spare clothing like a towel or a sweater wrapped around the camera inside your backpack

 

I am not aware of any kind of event that could be accessed with something like the GR but not with a basic DSLR or such.

I also believe that your camera type doesn't matter when it comes to photographing people. Clarifying: You can be more of a nuissance arranging us for a cellphone snap than another guy with a Speed Graphic. - Whatever speeds up your focus acquisition is of course nice to have though. Otherwise: Cell phone shooters look frequently at least as "shooting" as ILC users, so

  • I think you don't need a compact camera for stealth.
  • If you are backpacking anyhow: A regular APS MILC or entry level DSLR will not weigh much more than a GR, it will mean just a tiny bit of additional bulk.

My personal take on camera damages: I'll take them as part of fate. If I go anywhere to shoot (i.e. "bring shots home" instead of "having my fun there"), I bring more than one camera.

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  • 4 weeks later...
I always wear a strap but I still dropped a Contax IIA rangefinder more than a decade ago. It was pretty much totalled. My local tech tried and put it back in semi-useable shape and I eventually sent it to Henry Scherer and HE managed to fixi it completely. Those all metal cameras really took drops even harder than modern cameras with polycarbonate shells do. So really heavy duty cameras can be a little better protected than those old ones were. Yeah, cameras don't like to be dropped.
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