The image posted here was shot yesterday during early evening, just before I did considerable (accidental) damage to the camera. Taking a break from shooting, I placed the camera horizontally across my open backpack. While my attention was elsewhere the camera tilted, presumably under its own weight, exposing the front element of a 300mm lens towards the sun. It was ten - maybe fifteen minutes before I discovered this.
Once I tried to resume shooting I immediately noticed the image in the viewfinder was fogged. Removing the telephoto revealed that the lens had focused the sun's rays, creating sufficient heat to melt several internal parts of the mirrorbox, and smoke from this had left a deposit on the mirror. Disaster! Oddly enough, the camera still functioned as it should, albeit with a somewhat dimmed viewfinder.
As I write the body is packaged and awaiting to be returned to Nikon UK, once the post office opens. I don't doubt for one minute that this will be an inexpensive repair, but all is not lost as I will just continue shooting using my back-up body.
The moral of this story? Watch where your lens is pointing, folks (and always have a spare camera).
300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/2500 second at f/4.5. -0.33 EV. ISO 200.
© 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment