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How to Protect Your Camera (From Yourself and Others)

I recently returned from a trip to Hawaii where my camera got in a serious workout snapping shots of everyone (including the dozen or so family member who flew in for our reunion) and everything (including my 3-year-old daughter trying to dangle her baby cousin from my dad’s recliner). My camera also took a beating during one of our trips to the beach and I had serious misgivings about how it would work for the remainder of our trip.

Today I took it in to my local camera shop to get it assessed and have the technicians there give it a good cleaning (though I fear even the pros will have a hard time removing every single grain of sugar-like sand that got lodged near the battery compartment). While the store employee jotted down the specific jobs I wanted done we got into a conversation about the most common ways cameras sustain damage (and subsequently need to be fixed by one of the shop’s technicians).

Some of the ways cameras get dropped really surprised me. They might shock you as well. Take a look:

· When passing the camera around so others can look at photos on the LCD.

· When the wrist or neck strap breaks or comes undone.

· When replacing the batteries.

· When the strap gets caught on a car handle, doorknob, plant, etc.

· When using the self-timer.

· When you are trying to retrieve it from a pocket or purse.

· When you are trying to grip it with sweaty hands.

· When it gets knocked off a table.

· When positioning it on a tripod, rock wall or park bench.

The last time my camera sustained damaged was during a trip to the children’s museum. I was trying to help my daughter complete a dinosaur puzzle. She dropped one of the bones and I bent down to grab it. In the process my camera’s strap slid down my arm and my camera smashed on the tile floor. Ouch!

Have you ever dropped your camera? What happened?

Related Articles:

More Ways You Can Protect Your Camera While on Vacation

Protecting Your Camera While on Vacation

What to do if Your Camera Gets Wet

Why Camera Buffs Should Invest in Silica Gel

Camera Care Tips

Your Camera and the Elements

Protecting Your Camera From Mother Nature

Tips to Consider Before Taking Your Camera to the Beach

More Tips to Keep Your Camera Safe at the Beach

More Tips for Winter Photo Shoots

Ready, Set, Shoot–in the Cold

Preparing for a Winter Photo Shoot

This entry was posted in Cameras and tagged , , , , by Michele Cheplic. Bookmark the permalink.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.