Dropped camera bag - with a full load

This is one of those "Why the hell did I do that?" moments. We took our kids to the zoo yesterday so the camera came along too. I took son#1 to the toilet and hung my camera bag on the door handle so that I wasn't on the floor. He was just about done and I heard another child on the other side of the door, followed by a *thunk as my bag slid off the door handle that he tried.

Not wanting to be melodramatic, but there is a feeling of dread that you have after hearing something hit the floor.

It was all in my Thinktank Retrospective 30. Apparently the padding on the bottom is not quite thick enough to cushion a 60cm drop.

The damage?

One smashed B&W Kaesemann CPL, one B&W UV filter popped apart (screwed back together again now), two mashed lens caps and a scratched 70-200 f2.8L IS MkII.

The damage is all caused from the lens caps grips being pushed into the elements of the filters. Whether the lenses would have been damaged without filters is anybodies guess, but I've convinced myself that smashed filters is the lesser of two evils.

Everybody loves carnage so... :

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That Suxxors!!!!
Good luck with the Ins. Co., hope all is restored to previous condition.

ahh, terribly sorry to hear. like tanker, hope the insurance comes through for you on such sweet glass

I'm told this is the problem with filters as a 'protection' - it probably makes things worse.

Sorry to hear of the drop though - I guess there are two types of photographers: those who've dropped their gear and those who have yet to drop their gear.

paulkaye wrote in post #14234022
I'm told this is the problem with filters as a 'protection' - it probably makes things worse.

Sorry to hear of the drop though - I guess there are two types of photographers: those who've dropped their gear and those who have yet to drop their gear.

This post has finally convinced me to remove the UV filter from my 70-200 .
Sorry to hear about the damage mate , I would be gutted

Accidents happen. Glad to hear that the damage was not worse.

This is why I never put thin glass in front of expensive glass.

The weight of your bag matters as much as the height of the drop. Do you need more than one lens st a zoo ?

yep, really sorry to see that.
thinktank owners...
10-20-30 they are great bags, but that bottom really really needs an extra cushion. foam... anything to protect the lens, hope you get it fixed quickly, and a great post for thinktank owners BEWARE

i don't think there is any "repair" for the coating scratch on the front element other than a new front element. i could be wrong, though. if the insurance doesn't cover it you'll learn to live with it. as far as re-sale goes, do you see yourself selling that lens any time soon? i'm betting not.

Sorry to hear about your lens.

I once left the house with my Minolta 201 and 50mm 1.4 lens attached. Placed the camera on top of the car to unlock it, my mom came out of the house and started talking to me, and you guessed it, I forgot the camera. Needless to say it cost me almost as much as a new one to fix it. I was young had very little money and no insurance. I was devestated. I learned early on that my camera equipment needed to be protected from my clumbsy and forgetful self.

I always place at least 1 inch of extra padding on the bottom of my bag for my lenses, and 1/2 inch all the way around. I usually just use the extra separaters they give you with the bag. I also suspend my camera with lens attached at least 2 inches above the bottom of the bag. I leave things like camera caps and flashes on the bottom of the bag. I never grab the camera without first wrapping the strap around my neck or once around my hand. Am I anal? Yes, but I know me.

I'm like you, I enjoy my equipment as much as the pictures I take, and everytime I thought about the mark on my lens it would bother me bad. Good luck with your insurance.

Andy_Cam wrote in post #14233791
Unfortunately, when I removed it to check the 70-200 for damage, a bit of glass stuck between the filter and the lens front element has scratched the lens.

Ouch, sorry to hear that. I hate having to take all my gear into such toilets, there is so little space (especially with the portaloo types) and I also don't want to put my bag on the (often damp) floor as I am never too sure what the "damp" is . My bag has taken a tumble a few times too, fortunately I have been lucky so far.

I think that is the biggest argument against filters, they break way more easily than a lens, and in situations where the lens would have been fine on it's own, the filter breaks and actually causes the damage.

My gear gets bashed about a bit, so I go filterless at all times (except when I need a CPL or ND for the shot). I would have broken loads of filters over the years, if I had them fitted for "protection".

Hopefully the insurance will cough up for a repair and you will soon have your baby back to pristine condition.

I also hope that you got some great shots at the zoo.

Amamba wrote in post #14234430
Do you need more than one lens st a zoo ?

Well, I do. I always have a bagful with me and generally use most of them in a day at a zoo.

You know, I was thinking about this for other reasons just last week.

I am pretty sure that lens caps have done more damage than good to my lenses so far. And my CPL has a scratch that I am sure is from the cap, too.

I am seriously considering not using them anymore in the bag. I just put soft cloth on the bottom of the bag.

Look at this way, it could have been worse.

Andy_Cam wrote in post #14233791
It was all in my Thinktank Retrospective 30. Apparently the padding on the bottom is not quite thick enough to cushion a 60cm drop.

ThinkTank Retro is quite underpadded. Contact TT customer support, they will send you thicker bottom pad, I got one and it's so much better than stock, plus keeps bag from sagging in the middle.
So sorry about the damage.

paulkaye wrote in post #14234022
I guess there are two types of photographers: those who've dropped their gear and those who have yet to drop their gear.

i somehow joined the dropped group yesterday as well...although i don't even know when how it dropped...but i've got a broken 35f2 i have to send in...as well as the OS going crazy on my sigma 150-500OS...it's been a bad 24hrs...off to the post office for me...