[Leica] Dropping Ms

[dnygr at cshore.com (dnygr)]

I have dropped my M on two occasions and had mixed results. The first time I 
dropped it from about a height of 5 feet. Fortunetly, I got my footout and 
managed to break the force of the all with my boot. Result: No damage.

The second time I dropped it from a height of six feet. I had hit the camera 
in a closet while I had gone to supper in Germany with friends. When I came 
back, I forgot that I had placed the camera in closet. When i pulled 
something off the top shelt, I heard this heavy thud. It sounded like a rock 
had hit the floor. It was my M with a 28mm on it. It seemed okay. 

The next morning, as I took some photos, however, I first discovered I had 
difficulty focusing. The ring was more difficult to move than it had been 
before. The barrel was bent.

More difficulties arose when I tried to take the film cannister out of 
camera, but had a great deal of difficulty. The body was bent. Camera and 
lens were now dead weight for the rest of the trip. 

The camera was out of warranty and I had to pay for the repairs. The lens 
was still under Passport warranty and was fixed to perfection. 

The trip nevertheless remained a photographic success because I had backup 
cameras with. As I've noted before, I travel with a dedicated lens to each 
camera. If the lens or camera breaks, I have only one camera and one lens as 
dead weight. 

I am also partial to certain lenses, feel more comfortable with them, have 
better results with them, etc. On this particular trip to Germany I broke 
that rule. I have planned to take a 35mm Summilux with rather than the 28, 
but in the rush to leave, I forgot to chnage lenses. That turned out to be a 
lucky break. The 35 was no longer under warranty, whereas the 28 was.

Happy New Year--Doug Nygren

 

 
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