I have dropped two cameras with lens attached this year. One was a Z6 wth the 24-70 f2.8 Z mount lens attached. It was dropped about 12 inches on to the deck of a boat along the Antarctic Peninsula. The camera body had a RRS L plate on it and the camera and body landed flat horizontally. There is a nick in the lens hood of the 24-70 and on the RRS plate -- no other visible damage. It was my fault and I was horrified. The camera and lens seemed to work just fine after I dropped it (including looking at images on my computer), so I continued to use it during the trip. Most of my images were handheld, so perhaps I might not see fine differences. (Also, most of my shots on the trip were with other bodies and lenses -- Z7 with 70-200 mm lens and D850 with 500mm PF lens.) I am still working on processing shots from that trip, but the shots from the Z6 and 24-70 look fine to me.
A couple of weeks ago, I dropped my Z7 with 500 mm PF, FTZ and 1.4x TCIII attached. I had been using it in my kayak and it was in a dry bag with no padding. It fell maybe 18 inches onto a wooden deck. I was again horrified. The Z7 also had an RRS L plate on it. No visible damage, although the RRS plate shifted a bit. I have continued to use the Z7 body, adapter, TC and 500 mm PF lens. Again, my photos seem fine, although they are generally handheld from a kayak or canoe, so might not show any fine effects of the drop.
Should I send the bodies and lenses into Nikon to be looked at? I wonder if the camera mount or other components could be weakened or maybe a lens element misaligned, although I have not seen any indication that something is wrong so far.
All of my photo trips for the rest of the year have been cancelled, so I am not immediately going to be in the position of using gear where I can't get a replacement or service.
Any thoughts?
A couple of weeks ago, I dropped my Z7 with 500 mm PF, FTZ and 1.4x TCIII attached. I had been using it in my kayak and it was in a dry bag with no padding. It fell maybe 18 inches onto a wooden deck. I was again horrified. The Z7 also had an RRS L plate on it. No visible damage, although the RRS plate shifted a bit. I have continued to use the Z7 body, adapter, TC and 500 mm PF lens. Again, my photos seem fine, although they are generally handheld from a kayak or canoe, so might not show any fine effects of the drop.
Should I send the bodies and lenses into Nikon to be looked at? I wonder if the camera mount or other components could be weakened or maybe a lens element misaligned, although I have not seen any indication that something is wrong so far.
All of my photo trips for the rest of the year have been cancelled, so I am not immediately going to be in the position of using gear where I can't get a replacement or service.
Any thoughts?
