GF Lens Drop in Jordon!

I was shooting on a hike in Petra yesterday and was wearing the Peak Design Everyday Backpack. My GFX 100s was around my neck with the 20-35 mounted and in the pack was my prized 45-100.

Now everyone knows that the PD Everyday Backpack is the best photography backpack ever devised by humans. I know because I have tried every backpack ever made (it seems). Anyway, everyone who uses a PD Everyday Backpack knows the risk.... The pack loads sideways (on either side), and the zipped side panels open up like a door on both sides, which is great for slinging the bag around on lens changes, and also for loading and unloading, as well as protecting and separating lenses. But, if you pick that bag up and forget to zip shut either side panel, out comes your lenses.

So, I was shooting the Monastery at Petra in Jordon. Teresa and I had entered the area high up on that mountain from another far less used approach from outside the park and had already hiked a long way from Little Petra and had climbed a lot. I was tired and I forgot the Golden Rule. I left the side panel open and didn't immediately zip it shut after a lens change. I got distracted and didn't zip it shut. I put the bag down and 5 minutes later picked it up, took two steps and heard a loud crash. My Zeiss binoculars and 45-100 spilled right out and crashed to the ground. It was hard packed dirt and a 3-foot fall. The binos were fine. The 45-100?

I can't find fault. There is no way that lens survived that drop, but it did. I shot all day yesterday afternoon with it and have been really peeping the results. The lens seems fine. When I get back to Texas, I will ship the lens to New Jersey so the guys can check it out. But it seems fine.

Jim, remember 5 years ago when I was in Colorado, and I dropped the 100-200 and 250 at the same time? Those big lenses rolled off my case and right out the door of my SUV - a 4-foot fall. The 100-200 blew apart into 3 pieces but the 250 was fine.

The only other lens drop I had was on a hike 7 years ago in Big Bend National park. That was a fumble when Teresa pulled a lens out of my pack and handed it to me. Her fault. I trained her to not release the lens until I have two hands on it. She was careless and did not follow my instructions. So now I usually make her carry my lenses and I reach into her pack.... That way if it drops it is clearly my fault and I can't blame her.

The penalty? She had to let me buy three lenses as punishment.

Feels like a lot of "lens dropping" going on in your world...

I had a Kata backpack with the same system and gave it up because it was dangerous and ultimately impractical.
I switched to the ThinkTank StreetWalker Pro v.2 and it simply works. Very good quality from the zips to everything else. I prefer backpacks like mine, which open up and reveal all the contents at once and do so lying flat; so nothing falls out. I also prefer to do gear changes with the backpack on the ground rather than on my shoulder. And of course; close everything at the end. But anyone can forget it... ,-(
I'm really sorry about your accident. I really hope your lens is OK, but going for a check-up is a good idea.

True. But I have a lot of lenses and really in many decades of shooting have probably only destroyed maybe 3? I change them a lot more than most people, and I do it while walking. I don't like dropping lenses. I'm afraid to jinx myself by saying this, but I have never dropped a camera!

No, that is not true. I just remembered.... I dropped a Leica Q2 once in Iceland 3 years ago and it almost made me cry. But believe it or not, that camera was fine. Just a little scratch and dent.

But yes, I try to be careful and every time I change a lens on the move, I'm thinking about it the safest and most secure way to do it, and if there is a bench handy or something to set the lens on, I'll take it.

I hear you and agree that the side-loaders are dangerous (but they are great for lenses in my opinion.

I love that pack and I'm going to give myself another chance with it. You just have to zip that side shut or everything flies out when you pick up the bag.

Think Tank? I've had lots of Think Tank top-loaders as bags and one top-loading TT backpack. I just don't like top-loading bags where everything is in a pile and digging deep for lenses.... But I have plenty of them. I'm a camera bag buyer and hoarder. I have yet to find the perfect bag. LOL.

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Sorry to hear that, Greg, but there is a decent chance your 45-100 is fine.

I've only been to Petra once, in 1978, on a September business trip to Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iran (prerevolution), and found it very impressive and incredibly hot.

Jim, you were lucky to see it back when you did. It was a remote and mysterious place back then. Petra is like Disneyland now. You still have to walk a long way in from the gate though and to get up to the Monastery and back to the car it is 12 K and a lot of climbing.

In the 90s an entire town sprung up around it (Wadi Musa). This week it is 60 degrees and no wind. The Bedouins say it is really remarkable weather here right now. But bald skies....

Yes. It seemed like we were the only folks there.

Agree but not when his trained Teresa is properly packing. It seems like Greg broke his own rule. Do hope she scolded her Greg.

Wow wish you two an amazing journey.

Maybe that drop fixed something you didn't know was wrong. Like hitting something to get it started again.

I would count my blessings and be glad it survived.
I hope the rest of your trip goes with out any problems.

I have dropped a filter (Baader venus u) , cracking it on one side. Its still usable and I haven't replaced it yet as the cost has more than doubled since I originally bought it.

I have also dropped the Panasonic 12-32mm pancake lens. That didn't go well the whole thing was destroyed, from a 3 foot drop onto wood. But it would only cost $150 to replace. Mine was just excellent. So sorry to see it go, but I used the 14-42mm pz lens more.

I was an early adopter of the PD Photo Back Pack, but discarded because of the risk of a lens drop that happened to you. I even wrote to Peak Design about the problem, but they never changed the design. Since then I have gone from a Temba pack to my current Lowepro Whistler BP450. It holds everything that I can comfortably carry and I shoot a Fuji GFX 100S and usually carry 3 or 4 lens, filters, etc. I shoot landscapes and rarely have to change lens in a hurry. This system keeps my expensive lenses very safe. I should note that Fuji lenses are very tough. I once had a GF 250 fall off a tripod destroying the lens hood, but the lens was fine. The new hood was $45.00, no big deal.

The fuck am I reading.

Hey Exben, you are reading a camera board and watch your language. That would have been an instant perma-ban on DPR. This thread you are reading is a bunch of very experienced, very good photographers talking about carrying the some of the most expensive camera gear in the world.

If you don't like it then move on to another thread.

I'm sorry I've intruded on your carrying the most expensive camera gear in the world. I'm also sorry for your wife.

Exben, welcome to this group. We have been together for few years and I suspect some have been friends for decades. We are a motley group of friends. Some of us are more motley than others. We lost one in our group about a year ago and another is recovering post accident. The person you are bugging is a real stand up person. He and his wife get to travel the world and he shares his experiences with the world through photography. They have a pretty good gig. Please enjoy the friendly banter. Maybe you can learn here. Maybe you can not learn here but we are here. So please find enjoyment in being decent. May your photography provide you with some personal insight.

The worst that I did was about ten years ago with a Nikon D4, 1.7 TC and 300 f4. Somehow that little lot ended up between me and the ground as I tripped over the dangling camera strap.

D4 ... Ok, just a war scratch. 300 OK, dent on lens hood.
TC - stuffed. Lens-mounting ring distorted. D4 coupled perfectly to all lenses and focus is spot on.

Maybe an argument for always having a TC!

Ed