Don't try this at home

[etienne_werner]

I just dropped my new M8 with a nokton to the ground while changing lenses. After inspection the shutter was open, exposing the sensor. I turned the camera off and on.... and it seems that all is working well. There isn't even a dent on the body. Funny thing is before the lens was giving me back focus though I might be premature in this, but it seems that focus is just right.
All this to say that I believe that the M8 is build like a tank...
rgds,

Etienne

[marknorton]

Ouch, did it fall onto soft ground or concrete? There must be some signs of the impact, surely?

[etienne_werner]

Originally Posted by marknorton

Ouch, did it fall onto soft ground or concrete? There must be some signs of the impact, surely?

It fell on to a hard wooden floor from about 1.5 meters in height. I don't think the results would have been as good if it had fallen on to concrete.
My hart rate is still racing....
rgds,
Etienne

[marknorton]

Definitely not going to try the test myself to see whether my mileage may vary...

[cnguyen]

Etienne - Get a strap and remember to hook that M8 around your neck everytime you're using it. I have neck strap on my M8 but will switch to a wrist strap. Neck strap tends to get snagged if you leave camera on a table, chair, etc..

[etienne_werner]

Originally Posted by cnguyen

Etienne - Get a strap and remember to hook that M8 around your neck everytime you're using it. I have neck strap on my M8 but will switch to a wrist strap. Neck strap tends to get snagged if you leave camera on a table, chair, etc..

I agree but this was one of those situations where I was showing the M8 to someone and while talking and at the same time taking of the lens. Since the camera was going from his hands to mine the neck strap was not around my neck.
rgds,

Etienne

[cnguyen]

Ah I see. Oh well nothing got damage - you're lucky !

[robbegibson]

Originally Posted by etienne_werner

.......Funny thing is before the lens was giving me back focus though I might be premature in this, but it seems that focus is just right.
..........
rgds,

Etienne

Hi Etienne,
Could you pinpoint exactly where on the camera the impact was?

I need to adjust the focus on mine.

Robbe Gibson

[bradreiman]

i hate to admit this but.......i dropped my m8 from the roof of my car onto a hard road surface (asphalt). i was shocked to find it was completely fine! (i had hoped it would fix the backfocus but it didnt). mine did take a little dent on the top near the round led display. looks like nice "brassing" of an old black paint m....b

[Hans Roggen]

Hi Etienne,

The same happened to me once with a Canon 1D. I dropped it on the second day I had it in my posession. I know exactly how you felt when you saw it plummiting to what must have seemed a certain death. Glad it's ok. My heart almost stopped when i hit my M8 with a pair of scissors while i was trying to cut some rough edges from my camerabag. Luckily no scratches.

Hans

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by Hans Roggen

Hi Etienne,

The same happened to me once with a Canon 1D. I dropped it on the second day I had it in my posession. I know exactly how you felt when you saw it plummiting to what must have seemed a certain death. Glad it's ok. My heart almost stopped when i hit my M8 with a pair of scissors while i was trying to cut some rough edges from my camerabag. Luckily no scratches.

Hans

It is like a new car - it needs its first scratch to be used freely....

[Rolo]

Originally Posted by Hans Roggen

Hi Etienne,

The same happened to me once with a Canon 1D. I dropped it on the second day I had it in my posession.
Hans

Dropped my Canon 1D MkII N on its first wedding outing at 3 weeks old. It slipped off the flash bracket that I was holding and fell from knee height onto the tarmac. Impact split the top plate and scuffed outer lens ring. £500 to repair.

You've all been very lucky. Use a neck or wrist strap at all times for safety.

[etienne_werner]

It is like this old advertisment for whiskey: a broke bottle lays on the ground and the text says "Have you ever seen a grown man cry?"

Rgds,
Etienne

[mitchell]

I was walking down the trail from Chimney Rock at Anderson Ranch, NM, when my back pack containing R9, and brand new DMR suddenly felt lighter! I knew before $10,000 hit the ground behind me. That sinking feeling in the stomach, KLUNK! What an idiot!

The back pack was new, and had two zippers. I had closed only one. The R9/DMR, was scratched, but never missed a beat.

Best,

Mitchell

[earleygallery]

Originally Posted by jaapv

It is like a new car - it needs its first scratch to be used freely....

When I have a new car I purposely scratch it for exactly this reason Then when you return from your first trip to the supermarket the fact that some dimwit has pranged you with their trolley isn't so hard to take.

[robsteve]

This post reminded me of somthing I wanted to do. I was at Costco last night and they had anti-fatigue rubbber mats which were about 4x4 feet. I bought two and put them in front of my camera cabinet. It is in a room with a concrete floor and I always worried about dropping a camera while putting it away or knocking something off the shelf onto the concrete floor. The mats were $15 a piece, so $30 is very little compared to the damage it might prevent.

[mitchell]

I once was buying some Swarovski (sp?) binoculars and the sales person intentionally dropped them on the floor to demo their toughness. OK, so sell me a different pair.

And, then there was the high octane Miele vacuum cleaner salesman who actually stood on top of the vc. No kidding.

Best,

Mitchell

[cnguyen]

Now I know who dropped what and where the damages are.... I won't be buying cameras from you guys LOL !

[xrogers]

Back when I worked at a camera store during high school, the Canon rep would put a 50 f1.4 on a Canon F-1 (the old F-1), put it on the floor on its back, and stand on it, full weight on one foot on the front of the lens. And he wasn't a small guy.

I haven't dropped any Leica recently, but just watched my daughter trip on a curb and fall headlong on concrete, and her unpadded bag with just my M6/35 Summicron hit right along with her. After checking her out (I can't believe how durable a 13-year-old can be), we looked at the camera, and it was just fine.

Clyde Rogers

[marknorton]

Are you sure you've got your priorities right, Clyde?