Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> Twice I've had the slow motion experience of watching $1500 monoblock > lights at the top of 13 foot stands get snagged by someone and crash > onto concrete floors. First shoot I used my dynalite Jackrabbit unit the dern thing fell over with softbox and dented in the entire back of the unit. It still works perfectly, but has a nice big dent in it. I think all of my white lightning ultras have tipped over at least once with damage to only one reflector. Once when covering a track event at Emory University in Atlanta I was running across the track and tripped over a guide fence that was about 2 inches tall and painted white...just like the lines on the track. I thought it was a line and caught my toe on it...I had a 300 2.8 Nikkor + 2x converter, F3T/MD4 on a mono-pod over shoulder. I went face first into the track and elements went skittering across the track. The motor was wrenched from the F3T and I was PISSED. I got up saying things that would have made a sailor blush and really made a total fool of myself as I ran around the track picking up the insides of my 300. Got back to the office and was showing my damaged gear to my work associates when one of our stringers walked in the office. He took a look at all my gear and said he would fix it for parts costs. His day job was working as the Nikon Professional Services repair technician. Bill fixed my 300, 2x (totally rebuilt it), F3T and motor (he said Nikon would have refused to fix the F3T) for $80.00 plus beer...Quite a deal. Sometimes it truly does pay to have friends in low places. :) Best regards, Harrison McClary http://people.delphi.com/hmphoto preview my book: http://www.volmania.com