charles_clark1

<p>Thanks for the feedback. <br>

I talked to my insurance company yesterday (USAA). They recorded my statement explaining how I dropped the camera. They verified that my policy covered the loss, and that my policy was for replacement cost and with zero deductible. They put me on hold to research replacement cost. In less than 30 minutes, total, everything was completed and the electronic check was wired to my bank. That was great service.</p>

<p>Thanks for your suggestions. I will call the insurer in the morning and see what they want the next step to be.</p>

<p>BTW, it was a thread (or two) in this forum that made me decide to buy an insurance rider a couple years ago. </p>

<p>The CF card survived. I was surprised. The next-to-the-last picture was from the cliff edge. Apparently, the impact of the camera on the creek bottom tripped the shutter again. The last photo is looking up through the water before the whole camera filled with water. It is an ugly photo that I am sure I will keep.</p>

<p>I was out taking photos yesterday. I had my camera on my tripod, set up on the edge of a small cliff. I turned to say something to my friend. Moments later I heard a terrible splash caused by my camera and tripod diving into the stream about 10 feet below me. It was a sickening sound. I scrambled down to the creek and retrieved my camera. Water poured out of it as I lifted it from the stream. I was surprised at how quickly it had filled. All the lights on the back of the camera were flickering. I turned it off and they still flickered. </p>

<p>I have now assessed the damage a little more carefully. The lens (a 24-105 L) is full of moisture. It no longer has standing water, but it is thoroughly wet. You can't see through it. My camera is similarly drenched. I have not put the battery back in.</p>

<p>So, I assume the camera is fried. I assume it is not repairable. However, since I have no experience with drowned cameras, I ask you if a drowned camera is a dead camera.</p>

<p>The only thing that makes this experience less traumatic is that my camera gear is insured. </p>

Thanks for the info David. I would really like to hear how your trip went once you finish.

I am partial to Moab, UT. I live in Alabama so it's not because of convenience. Moab has Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Fisher Towers. I like the area in the winter. The mountains in the background have snow on

them. The air is clear. There may be light snow in places. It is not crowded.

 

If you consider Moab, let me know and I can give you more specific guidance.

Thanks for the response.

Did you go during the wet or dry season?

Chuck

<p>I know about Clyde Butcher's gallery. I enjoyed his web site where he discussed how he makes his giant prints. Pretty incredible. I have also done some research on the 24-mile long Loop Road. It looks very interesting. </p>

<p>I am starting the plans for a trip to Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. I think I want to go in late August. The wet season will have begun and the near-daily thunderstorms provide interesting skies. I know it will be very hot and humid. (I live in Alabama so heat and humidity are things I am used to.)</p>

<p>I seek advice on interesting photo sites that I can drive to, canoe to, or hike to. I would like to base out of Everglades City. I am fine with primitive tent camping for a day or two, but would like to "recharge" every couple days at a campground with facilities.</p>

<p>I am going for landscape photography. While gators are OK for photography, I am not interested in bird photography. In my mind's eye, I see photos of cypress trees, photos of the grass prairies with storm clouds, etc.</p>

<p>Any information you can provide would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Tony, thanks for the info. </p>

<p>As I understand it, there are canon FD to EF adapters, but you lose infinity focus. I am wondering if I could use the adapter with bellows with lens to do some macro work. The Canon auto bellows is fairly cheap on auction sites. FD lenses are fairly cheap. <br>

What do you think about this approach for a dedicated macro system on my 7D?</p>

 

<p>Isn't that called a bellows? :-)</p>

<p>I just got back from there. I have a 5D (original) and a 7D. I visited Antelope canyon (the 2nd time), The Wave, Bryce, Zion, Arches (5th time) and Canyonlands (5th time). I visited Monument Valley last year in March. I visited Grand Canyon's North Rim 2 years ago.<br>

First, Antelope Canyon. I strongly recommend that you consider Lower Antelope Canyon. It does not have the shafts of light though. I also does not have the great hoards of tourist. What it does have is stunning patterns and swirls. Most importantly, you can tour, on your own, for 3 hours. Ask for the photo tour at the booth. The cost is only $26. As far as lenses go, don't even think about changing lenses in Antelope. There is lots of dust in the air. Given that you have one camera, I recommend the 24-105.<br>

Next, Bryce. Sunset is pretty good. Sunrise is awesome. Most of the work I did there was with the 24-105, either on my 7D or 5D. However, I also used a 100-400 for a few shots. I recommend that you walk down the trail below Sunset Point a little to get a better perspective than you get from the rim. <br>

I went to Monument Valley last year. I recommend that you consider staying at the View Hotel. The views are great, especially at night. I hired a photo guide in the afternoon. That was a good move for two reasons. First, he took us to places we could not have gotten to without him. Second, he gave great advice for sunrise photos the next day. Lenses I used included everything from ultrawide to telephoto.<br>

Grand Canyon. If you can choose, I recommend that you visit the North Rim. Many fewer tourists. Great views. Ina forest.</p>

<p>Email me if you want to talk more about these wonderful sites. I am at TheWanderingCamera@gmail.com</p>

 

<p>All,<br>

Thanks for the info. I have written the park rangers to get their input. I'll let you know what I hear back from them.</p>

<p>I am heading to Zion the first week of May. Unfortunately, the mandatory shuttle buses will be running by then. My question is what others do to shoot early (before the buses run) and shoot late (after dark). I have thought I would park at the visitor's center and hike for the pre-shuttle shots. </p>

<p>Alex, I had a similar good experience with the Jersey Canon Repair center a few weeks ago. For the same $234, they cleaned and serviced by 5D. That included a replacement of the LCD assembly and replacement of the shutter assembly. What a deal!</p>

<p>Alex, I believe you are right about focusing being tuned to a specific focal length. You were one step ahead of me. I hadn't thought about that. I didn't know that the Canon factory tuning would tune the focus for the whole set of focal lengths. </p>

<p>Alex, why not check your lenses yourself? If they front or back focus a little, use the 7D's microadjustment. If they focus outside of what can be addressed with the microadjustment, then send them in. Checking focus is tedious, but not difficult.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info John.</p>

<p>I am going to Honolulu in mid-April for work. I will have 2 days after the conference to go play before flying back to Alabama. I know, 2 days is not nearly enough time to explore all of Oahu. That is why I am asking for the top couple sites to photograph.<br>

I have no problem getting up long before sunrise to go take photos. I have no problem staying out after dark to take photos. I have no problem hiking a few miles to take photos. My cameras and tripod go everywhere together. <br>

So, if I wanted to leave Hawaii with a few nice landscape photos, and I only had 2 days, plus nights after work, where should I go?<br>

Thanks for your advice.</p>

 

<p>I messed up, doubly. I should have deleted all the photos I had taken with my Pentax 10D when I bought my used Canon 5D a couple years back. Maybe I should at least edit the exif data. I should run out and buy a new camera that would make my compositions better and balance better on my tripod. I could then delete the old 5D photos, or at least edit the exif data.</p>

<p>Thanks all.<br>

I am heading out to Southern Utah on May 4 for 9 days. </p>

<p>I sent my beloved 5D to Canon today for a little work. My camera bag misses it. I miss it. I'll pace around the house while it is gone.</p>

<p>I seems to me that whatever the designers have already built into the 5D M3 will be what we see. At this point in the development process, I would be surprised if Canon had much wiggle room to change the M3 without pushing the M3 delivery data to the right by a significant amount.</p>

 

<p>Ken, thanks for the response. What day of the week were you there? I have noticed that the number of entries for the online drawing are greater for the weekends and significantly less in the middle of the week. I am hoping that the number of people there in the middle of the week will be less.</p>