It started with this little toad...

NicoleC · 07-31-2014, 07:16 AM - **1 Like**

(Hubbie wants you to know he was NOT standing there at the time.)

"Not my fault, lady."

Does this look like a lens that took that much punishment including a final 12' drop into a creek? I'd test it out, but it's full of mud. Well, it's mostly dry on the inside now but the silt and sand remains.

**blackcloudbrew** · 07-31-2014, 07:30 AM

The horror...the horror.

**jbondo** · 07-31-2014, 07:41 AM

Now your lens is an amphibian too.

coboren3 · 07-31-2014, 08:13 AM

This really is an interesting story. Has potential as a type of photographic comic strip. Hope you send the lens back to sigma with the photo-narrative, they might feel sorry for you enought to repair it for free. Or turn it into a commercial for their lenses.

Last edited by coboren3; 07-31-2014 at 04:24 PM.

NicoleC · 07-31-2014, 02:42 PM

I filed an insurance claim today. We'll see what they tell me to do, repair or replace. And yes, dropping it into Falls Creek (I kid you not) in the Sipsey Wilderness is covered, although the phone rep had a little trouble with the "address of accident" field.

Repair... I kinda doubt the optics will ever be quite the same no matter how awesome the repair tech is. If, however, it gets cleaned out and works fine, I will never, ever again complain how heavy this lens is!

Parallax · 07-31-2014, 02:49 PM - **1 Like**

When it happened did you say something like "oh darn" or "My, that was unfortunate"?

NicoleC · 08-01-2014, 09:03 AM

Originally posted by Parallax

When it happened did you say something like "oh darn" or "My, that was unfortunate"?

Pretty much just speechless horror.

Insurance Co says send for repair estimate.

MD Optofonik · 08-01-2014, 10:10 AM

Wow. Shall we all stay tuned???

NicoleC · 08-01-2014, 05:06 PM

I'll update when I hear something. I wonder how long Sigma's backlog is?

NicoleC · 08-07-2014, 11:21 AM

Shipment arrived at Sigma today and I got a quote today... wow.

Sez: "Water Damage, Beyond Economical Repair" and offered me a 50mm EX DG HSM 1.4 for $249. That's a great price, but since it's not a macro...

Edgar_in_Indy · 08-14-2014, 06:34 AM

First of all, sorry to hear about your loss. A photographer should never have to bury their lens.

Would you mind going into more detail about the insurance and how it applied in this case? Did you have some kind of special insurance for your photo equipment? Or did you have a special rider on your home insurance policy? Does it also cover theft? What about a deductible?

I'm out and about with expensive gear a lot, and I've just been hoping that tragedy keeps avoiding me.

NicoleC · 08-14-2014, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by Edgar_in_Indy

First of all, sorry to hear about your loss. A photographer should never have to bury their lens.

Would you mind going into more detail about the insurance and how it applied in this case? Did you have some kind of special insurance for your photo equipment? Or did you have a special rider on your home insurance policy? Does it also cover theft? What about a deductible?

I'm out and about with expensive gear a lot, and I've just been hoping that tragedy keeps avoiding me.

I used to have a rider on my house insurance policy, but that doesn't allow business property or activities, and really only covers theft.

Since I am selling prints and services (although not as much as I'd like yet), and I added the home studio, I took out a business policy. $500 is about the cheapest any small business policy will go, so the rep added stuff until the price calculator squawked. That included scheduling my camera bodies and lenses by model, serial #. etc up to a certain dollar amount. With my policy, anything "scheduled" is also covered for drops and damage. Plus $1 million in liability is nice to have. (I'm with USAA/Hartford.)

I still have a $250 deductible for scheduled gear, so it isn't like I got a huge payout but if *I* had tripped and the K3 and everything had ended up in the river... I'd be in a world of hurt.

Edgar_in_Indy · 08-14-2014, 08:06 AM

Do you mind if I ask how much you pay for the policy?

NicoleC · 08-14-2014, 11:07 AM

$500/year.

Parallax · 08-14-2014, 11:13 AM

Riders for individual items usually aren't all that pricey. I used to have one and it was something like 8 cents per hundred dollars of value.

07-31-2014, 07:16 AM - 1 Like	#1
NicoleC Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 448	It started with this little toad... (Hubbie wants you to know he was NOT standing there at the time.) "Not my fault, lady." Does this look like a lens that took that much punishment including a final 12' drop into a creek? I'd test it out, but it's full of mud. Well, it's mostly dry on the inside now but the silt and sand remains.

08-14-2014, 06:34 AM	#11
Edgar_in_Indy Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Indiana, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,685	First of all, sorry to hear about your loss. A photographer should never have to bury their lens. Would you mind going into more detail about the insurance and how it applied in this case? Did you have some kind of special insurance for your photo equipment? Or did you have a special rider on your home insurance policy? Does it also cover theft? What about a deductible? I'm out and about with expensive gear a lot, and I've just been hoping that tragedy keeps avoiding me. Last edited by Edgar_in_Indy; 08-14-2014 at 06:44 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Abstract It All Started With A Tree (Multiple Takes)	aatifsumar	Photo Critique	5	03-19-2014 10:32 AM
Yeah it's started	jerryleejr	Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras	6	03-02-2014 08:02 PM
Okay That's It I've About Had It With This Shiz...	magkelly	General Talk	3	09-05-2012 10:02 AM
What should I lubricate this little Vivitar P&S with?	Alliecat	Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands	3	09-04-2012 10:20 AM
Gus started it......!	sawtooth235	Post Your Photos!	4	10-26-2008 10:13 AM

07-31-2014, 07:30 AM	#2
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460	The horror...the horror.

07-31-2014, 07:41 AM	#3
jbondo Loyal Site Supportaxian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Texas Photos: Albums Posts: 503	Now your lens is an amphibian too.

07-31-2014, 08:13 AM	#4
coboren3 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 66	This really is an interesting story. Has potential as a type of photographic comic strip. Hope you send the lens back to sigma with the photo-narrative, they might feel sorry for you enought to repair it for free. Or turn it into a commercial for their lenses. Last edited by coboren3; 07-31-2014 at 04:24 PM.

07-31-2014, 02:42 PM	#5
NicoleC Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 448 Original Poster	I filed an insurance claim today. We'll see what they tell me to do, repair or replace. And yes, dropping it into Falls Creek (I kid you not) in the Sipsey Wilderness is covered, although the phone rep had a little trouble with the "address of accident" field. Repair... I kinda doubt the optics will ever be quite the same no matter how awesome the repair tech is. If, however, it gets cleaned out and works fine, I will never, ever again complain how heavy this lens is!

07-31-2014, 02:49 PM - 1 Like	#6
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,332	When it happened did you say something like "oh darn" or "My, that was unfortunate"?

08-01-2014, 09:03 AM	#7
NicoleC Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 448 Original Poster	Originally posted by Parallax When it happened did you say something like "oh darn" or "My, that was unfortunate"? Pretty much just speechless horror. Insurance Co says send for repair estimate.

08-01-2014, 10:10 AM	#8
MD Optofonik Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 962	Wow. Shall we all stay tuned???

08-01-2014, 05:06 PM	#9
NicoleC Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 448 Original Poster	I'll update when I hear something. I wonder how long Sigma's backlog is?

08-07-2014, 11:21 AM	#10
NicoleC Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 448 Original Poster	Shipment arrived at Sigma today and I got a quote today... wow. Sez: "Water Damage, Beyond Economical Repair" and offered me a 50mm EX DG HSM 1.4 for $249. That's a great price, but since it's not a macro...

08-14-2014, 08:03 AM	#12
NicoleC Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 448 Original Poster	Originally posted by Edgar_in_Indy First of all, sorry to hear about your loss. A photographer should never have to bury their lens. Would you mind going into more detail about the insurance and how it applied in this case? Did you have some kind of special insurance for your photo equipment? Or did you have a special rider on your home insurance policy? Does it also cover theft? What about a deductible? I'm out and about with expensive gear a lot, and I've just been hoping that tragedy keeps avoiding me. I used to have a rider on my house insurance policy, but that doesn't allow business property or activities, and really only covers theft. Since I am selling prints and services (although not as much as I'd like yet), and I added the home studio, I took out a business policy. $500 is about the cheapest any small business policy will go, so the rep added stuff until the price calculator squawked. That included scheduling my camera bodies and lenses by model, serial #. etc up to a certain dollar amount. With my policy, anything "scheduled" is also covered for drops and damage. Plus $1 million in liability is nice to have. (I'm with USAA/Hartford.) I still have a $250 deductible for scheduled gear, so it isn't like I got a huge payout but if I had tripped and the K3 and everything had ended up in the river... I'd be in a world of hurt.

08-14-2014, 08:06 AM	#13
Edgar_in_Indy Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Indiana, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,685	Do you mind if I ask how much you pay for the policy?

08-14-2014, 11:07 AM	#14
NicoleC Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 448 Original Poster	$500/year.

08-14-2014, 11:13 AM	#15
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,332	Riders for individual items usually aren't all that pricey. I used to have one and it was something like 8 cents per hundred dollars of value.