I had a lense hood on the 24-105 lense while taking some pictures at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire the other day, as it was bright and sunny. We stopped for a drink and I put the camera on the picnic bench and went to sit down.

Then watched in one of those "slow motion oh my God I can't do anything" moments as my big, clumsy size 12 caught the dangling camera strap,pulled the 50D off the bench and looped it around it's own strap, dropping it onto a small heap of gravel upside down under the bench.

"Drat!" (or something like that) I cried, as 2 grand or so's worth of camera and L series lense hit the deck with a crunch.

It looks like I was lucky, partly because the gravel took the shock of the impact and and because the lense hood and the hot shoe took the load. The hood's a bit scratched, everything needed a good clean, but all is stil working. Phew! I suspect that the hefty build of the 50D helped, too.

The question of whether a clumsy git llike me should be allowed out with an expensive camera is still open to question, but I'll be taking more care in future!

Phil

This is also why the "clear lens cap" (aka UV filter) was invented.

This is also why the "clear lens cap" (aka UV filter) was invented.

Oh, yes, Been there, done that. when I put my camera bag down on a rock in a Spanish car park............ Smashed £7 filter, intact 17-85mm lense.

Phil

The camera gods are trying to give you a hint to swap to a Nikon Phil!

The camera gods are trying to give you a hint to swap to a Nikon Phil!

They better put a few grand in my bank, then!

Phil

I was shooting a Netball game the other year with my 70-200 2.8 IS, and got a ball directly to the front of the lens. Luckily I had the hood on, and got away with just a bruised nose from the back of the camera. Not sure how it would have faired if it wasn't head on. But I definitely always leave the hoods on all my lenses when I'm shooting now! Don't fancy having to replace that.

I was shooting a Netball game the other year with my 70-200 2.8 IS, and got a ball directly to the front of the lens. Luckily I had the hood on, and got away with just a bruised nose from the back of the camera. Not sure how it would have faired if it wasn't head on. But I definitely always leave the hoods on all my lenses when I'm shooting now! Don't fancy having to replace that.

I bet that smarted. "Ooooh, that balls coming really close, I hope it doesn't <CRunch>" :peek:

Phil

I had a lense hood on the 24-105 lense while taking some pictures at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire the other day, as it was bright and sunny. We stopped for a drink and I put the camera on the picnic bench and went to sit down.

Then watched in one of those "slow motion oh my God I can't do anything" moments as my big, clumsy size 12 caught the dangling camera strap,pulled the 50D off the bench and looped it around it's own strap, dropping it onto a small heap of gravel upside down under the bench.

"Drat!" (or something like that) I cried, as 2 grand or so's worth of camera and L series lense hit the deck with a crunch.

It looks like I was lucky, partly because the gravel took the shock of the impact and and because the lense hood and the hot shoe took the load. The hood's a bit scratched, everything needed a good clean, but all is stil working. Phew! I suspect that the hefty build of the 50D helped, too.

The question of whether a clumsy git llike me should be allowed out with an expensive camera is still open to question, but I'll be taking more care in future!

Phil

My wife did something similar with my camera a couple of years back... landed on a tiled floor in the kitchen and ripped the lens clean off the body by shearing the bayonet lugs off it!