My life sucks

Learn to change lenses close to the floor or while everything is on the table, dont do it in midair, you just have to learn it, like not puttin any fluids on the same level or higher than your laptop, get used to keeping it lower so its not possible to spill anything.Some things you just have to learn.Its better to look goofy for a couple of seconds than pay 500$ later for own mistake.
 
I agree that insurance is mandatory but with a standard deductible of $500, it still hurts and can raise the question of whether or not it is even worth reporting. Policies with lower deductibles can be quite expensive.

Insurance really comes to the rescue in cases of theft.
 
In a few monthes it will have passed and then become an important lesson. It was costly, but could have been even worse. Be glad you don't have to replace the entire lens. Your young and will make lots of mistakes over the course of your career. Just remember this "**** HAPPENS" It seems to lessen the blow when you say it, and think it:)
 
I had a Canon FD 135mm on my T2i during a Live Art Show I was filming.

Because it is the old FD lens, it has a locking mechanism to latch onto the EF-Adapter. And the lock-unlock latch is a ring that is BESIDE the manual aperture ring.

So when I go to turn the "aperture ring" I accidentally turned the latch and the lens UNLOCKED and came crashing down onto the floor. BUT LUCKILY it fell between my legs and I caught it in time! PHEW! Broken lens aborted.

The lens itself is cheap, so replacing it wasn't going to be the issue, the issue would have been filming this live event and sticking out like a sore thumb if a lens this large would have crashed to the floor with everyone at the event looking at me. :)

Aside from learning where the unlocking latch is positioned on the lens, I also learned that when a lens falls, it falls straight down. So most likely your legs are going to be the last line of defense!
 
UPDATE: That guy stop calling me for works. Oh well, he was kinda shady and I was learning nothing from him. Because of this incident, I have learned to try not to use other people's gear cause if you break it...you might loose relationships.
 
Camera slung on shoulder, nice new jacket, feelin good, shooting and being cool, walkin through the door, someone calls my name, swing around with a twirl, and 'BANG' slammed the thing swingin on the wall.

It bricked. Everyone laughed. I never got cocky again.

It was a D90.
 
I put a $400 Nikon lens on the roof of my car while I strapped my kid in, then I drove off... never saw that lens again.

I dropped a $500 Leica-r and cracked an element, still works!

I was mounting a 5D MK2 to a dolly and over torqued the thread and just about ripped the base off the camera, had to go at it with a rubber mallet. It looks ok but it rattles from a couple of loose screws floating around inside.

I knocked my powerbook off a stand and smashed the screen, $2000 repair. Luckily it was insured but I had to pay a $500 excess.

I could go on and on but that will do for now.
 
Yep, that's what insurance is for. Never a fun experience though.

Most "production" insurance policies have high deductibles. Mine is like $3500….anything less
and the insurance is almost unaffordable. Plus if you do file then the insurance company is likely
to drop you or jack up the rates. I had a camera stolen in Hawaii back in the 80's….
It was in the trunk of a crappy rental car. I ran into the hotel to get something and 5 min later
I came out and they had ripped the lock out of the trunk and stole my $8000 Hitachi camera.
I think I had a $1500 deductible. I did get paid but the insurance company jacked the rates so high
it was not worth it anymore….
 
Funny story-- it's different in some states, but most states have labor laws which say employees-- that's you-- aren't responsible for damages incurred with equipment being used on a job-- that's your broken camera/lens. The reasoning behind it is, the employer, who takes the profits, also takes the risk. You, who do not take the profits but merely your hourly wage, share NO PART in the risk of running the business. Also applies to waiters getting stiffed on checks or cashiers coming up short at their drawer count. Most employers don't mention that when they start deducting from your paycheck, but it's totally illegal.

He's your friend, you don't want to pull the law into it-- fine. But, you shouldn't have to pay for it... and him asking you to isn't very friendly.

For future options, most schools offer incredibly cheap insurance for gear (I once got one that covered ANY gear I used, right down to my laptop or TV if I wanted to claim it... and now I think I just have one that covers film gear on shoots). Probably you have to have the gear damaged during school work, but... whatever.

When I had employees, they broke plenty….some felt bad and would work extra hours. I never required employees to do that, actually you cannot make employees do that….But I did remember if they did.
 
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