This is what NOT to do with your Video Camera

[nickgrillo]

This is what NOT to do with your Video Camera.

This occured on June 14 this year. Numerous storms fired up across Michigan and Macomb County (Roseville) got a SVR. I got my camera and tripoded it right on my porch. Then the storm actually started to rotate!

A rotating wall cloud RAPIDLY forms right outside my house and I go inside the house for about five-ten minuites to call up DTX. I started to hear a howling noise and what was it? 60 mph winds which knocked down my $600 sony mini-dv.

Watch the full video right here, it's sad but true: :lol:

http://www.larrynormansite.com/camerasmashstorm.WMV

LESSON LEARNED: Not to leave your camera unguarded during a severe thunderstorm. :lol:

Circuit City replaced it thou... THANK GOD!

 

[Gayla Drummond]

That had to have hurt! How badly was your camera damaged?

 

[nickgrillo]

Severly - the LCD shattered and it never worked after that.

After getting mad severely also ( :lol: ), I bring it back to Circuit city and tell them happened (not quite that thou... ) and they told me that I can only return it if I bought it less than 14 days ago (it was the 22nd day). I got a little huffy at the clerk, but then calmed down once they replaced it.

This was a good lesson learned. Luckily it didn't happen during a real chase!

The sad part of it is... since 1997 I've gone thru 9 vid cams. Bad clumseyness what the culprut for most of it.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

yay Circuit City - that rocks ... wonder if that was RFD wind ... takes about a minute after the wall cloud passes (looks like directly over your house, by the way - always nice) ... and then the trees in the background get stomped just before the cam gets a friendly introduction to Mr. Patio. lol - - I left my camera for a while this morning too - - I do it more than I should.

 

[Richard Halter]

About returning stuff to Circuit City - it always seems like the return period is always about a week less than the time you have posessed it - you really have to push it with them if you have purchased anything within a couple of months. :argue:

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

I hate to be "that guy", but in my opinion the store shouldn't have to replace the equipment. This is why things like insurance on cell phones has gone up drastically in the last five years. And yes, I have had things happen, I've dropped radios, broken watches, etc, but I figure it's my fault and that the store shouldn't replace it because of my lack of taking care of things. It bothers me to see someone cussing out a clerk or waiter or whoever so they can get a "free meal" when in reality it is the person's fault. I've sucked it up and bought replacement parts for one of my antennas more than once because the wind took it down. Then I got smart, and this could work for video tripods also. Get one of those stakes they use to put pets on a leash in the yard, the corkscrew kind or others, and some bungee straps. Easy to put down and take up, but does wonders to secure a tripod. :wink:

Maybe that doesn't apply to this situation do to some unbelievable warranty or something. Anyway, just my opinion, and nothing more.

Tim

 

[Dan Robinson]

My TRV900 has hit the dirt three times since I bought it last year, all due to unexpected strong winds and just a brief few seconds of inattentiveness.

The first two incidents happened back-to-back in Altus, OK in 2003. After the first spill, I spread the tripod legs wide to increase stability but the 60+ winds still toppled it again. The LCD hinge is bent from those two hits, but otherwise still works. The Portabrace cover helped absorb the impacts.

The third incident was on pavement in northern Kansas on May 22 this year. I was filming lightning and rushed over to my truck to move it close to where I was filming, in that 15 seconds a gust came along and sent it down. Again, the Portabrace padded the impact and saved the camera.

It's a sickening feeling to see your high-dollar camera on the ground like that. Thankfully mine has survived with no problems at all.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

LOL that happened to me on May 22nd too, up on the east side of Hebron, NE. I was the filming the rapid genesis of a large wallcloud, with my camcorder tripoded, when the inflow picked up and tipped over my tripod. The camcorder wasn't damaged, but it did scare me a bit. Of course I did forget to dust off the lens (well, the filter on the lens), so my vid got a little blurry for a few minutes before I realized that there was so much dust on the lens...

 

[David Young]

Can you forgive me for laughing when the camera fell over? I'm not laughing because your camera was smashed; it's just funny when things fall over like that. The poor thing held on through the first gust! The second one was just too much for it, though.

 

[Graham Butler]

This happened to me with my Elan7 while shooting lightning a couple years back. I walked back to the car and while walking back to the camera it hit me mid chest as it was falling. The shutter happened to be open at the time and you see the photo with all the lights making lines down the frame due to the camera falling straight back. Its actually an interesting shot......if I get around to it tonight I will try to scan it and throw it up here.

As for stupidity I am not even going to admit how many cameras I have broken or lost due to me being an idiot. The TRV730 ontop of the car was the icing on the cake......unfor I didnt realize it until 30min later. The camera was gone.

Glad you were able to resolve the problem without much grief......but grief from friends might be unavoidable :lol: .

Graham Butler

 

[Jeff Wear]

When shooting outdoors I always try to keep my tripod as low as possible - not only does it lessen the chance of it being knocked down by the wind, but it also makes for a much more stable picture. Also in the event the camera does fall it greatly reduces the distance the camera has to fall before impacting the ground, which minimizes the chances for damage.

 

[Bob Schafer]

I bought my first vidcam (Canon Vistura...~$700) from Ultimate Electronics/Soundtrack in 1999.

I bought the 5 year warranty, which was about $200 or $250.

I was told that the warranty included totally free cleanings & adjustment. They told me that I should get the cleaning done annually anyway, and that each cleaning would cost about $50 without the warranty.

That made the warranty virtually free.

In May 2003, the Vistura got rained on a little bit one day when I had the passenger side window down to talk to a local about the storms.

The vidcam stopped working, so I took it in to Ultimate Electronics. I told them I had allowed it to get rained on a little bit.

It had been destroyed by the moisture that got into it.

The vidcam was 4 years old, only a year left on the warranty, yet Ultimate Electronics replaced it with a brand new Optura, which is quite a bit better than the Vistura was, though in the same price range.

No charge.

Now, THAT TOTALLY ROCKS!

I do feel bad about the circumstances, but I was totally forthcoming about what happened.

Actually, when you buy a warranty there, you are buying it from an "insurance company", or warranty company. I don't know whether they are affiliated with UE other than to have their policies offered for sale on the products UE sells.

I'll tell ya one thing, that is the kind of customer relations that will keep your customers away from the competition! I am a VERY VERY loyal UE customer!!! I have also bought a TV, DVD player, DVD recorder, VCR, and another vidcam from them.

Bob

 

[Tony Laubach]

Hehehe.. ya know.. my DV Camera took a couple spills on March 27 this past year.. I needed a new tripod. Fortunately, my camera ate dirt on softer ground and survived to chase another day!

 

[Carrie Halliday]

Actually, when you buy a warranty there, you are buying it from an "insurance company", or warranty company. I don't know whether they are affiliated with UE other than to have their policies offered for sale on the products UE sells.

You are right, the warranty is from an outside insurance company. Each retailer chooses who to do biz with. I deal with this, and sell these every day. My company has just changed insurance companies (from Kemper to Great American) because their rating went from A+ to C. We will only do biz with an A+ rated insurance company.
Usually, the insurance company warranty kicks in after the manufacturer warranty is over. But, for some electronics, they run concurrent. Why? Because alot of manufacturers will send the part to you, but not install it. Most often, the first type of warranty is on a piece of equipment under a certain dollar amount. My company cut off is $400. Under, it is product replacement or money back. Over, it is concurrent warranties but you get CUSTOMER SERVICE from a technician (you take it to them) who will fix it for you. Over $1000, the techie comes to you to fix.
The Furniture warranty on chairs rocks. Buy one with your computer chair and if anything from the upholstery cracking/seams ripping to the pneumatics going out on the thing, it is covered. Instead of sending you parts on these chairs, they just send you a check. You keep the broken chair (which most likely is not that bad) and go buy a new one with the check!!
Automotive aftermarket warranties, that is another deal. Husband deals with these and I would never buy one. Too many loopholes they crawl out of on those.
What most folks don't know is that when they buy a PDA or laptop, the screen is not covered in the manufacturer's warranty.