I’m back from my trip to Palm Springs, and unfortunately, while I was there I had my first major camera gear accident. Until five days ago I have never dropped a camera, lens, flash…heck, I hadn’t even dropped a CF card, but my luck changed on Tuesday. I was shooting an awesome abandoned warehouse just outside Niland, CA with my brand new Promote Control. I had just set up for a wide shot of this van seat when I spotted a few shotgun shells lying around and thought they’d be a nice addition to the frame. So, I picked up the nearest shell and started walking over to the seat not thinking that my Promote was in my pocket and still attached to my camera. Before I could do anything, my camera was toppling over lens first and the Promote was pulled from my pocket…not a fun moment. Thankfully, my beloved 10-20mm lens was saved by the UV filter you see in the frame below, but the Promote didn’t do so well. I got two more sets of brackets out of it before it froze and then died. First day shooting with my new toy and I break it…brutal. So, what’s the lesson here? ALWAYS stick a UV filter on your lenses! You never know when they’ll save your ass.<\/p>\n

I’ll probably take my Promote to the local camera shop to see if they can do anything to fix it…but I’m doubtful.<\/p>\n