Composure.

I should have taken a few photographs of the damaged mount.

Whilst returning home from the Brithish Model Flying Championships on Bank Holiday Monday I stopped at Blyth services on the A1. Parked the Pajero, got out and opened the side door to get my phone off the middle seats.

As I opened the door, one camera bag had moved to a position leaning against the door.........

Result: K3 SE + Sigma 70-200mm fell full drop from the bag and crashed into the tarmac.

I didn't even curse. I picked up the camera and lens, still attached. The SS bayonet lens mount ring was pull off the body two thirds of the way round letting me see inside. No damage to the lens. Some minor damage to the hot shoe.

I picked up the empty bag as well, put the camera/lens back into it and all back into the vehicle then went for a coffee.

Got home, unpacked the Pajero, put all the camping kit away, cleaned the cooker, fridge etc and had a cuppa.

After a couple of hours, I sorted out some fine tools from the workshop and proceeded to remover the lens (normal method) and then take apart the front end of the K3 to check for damage etc. Lots of tiny fiddly bits to take note of.

Basic conclusion was that all but two of the SS bayonet mount ring screws had stripped out the fibre/plastic insert points.

So I used really small globs of plastic wood filler (less than one drip size all up) to pad the thread-less holes and then re-fitted the SS bayonet ring, The ring has a super thin O ring around the circumference as a seal.

I carefully screwed all of the small SS self tapper mounting screws back in place and left it for thirty minutes. Had another cuppa.

All appeared fine so I put a lens on and tried the camera. All good. Remaining work: straighten one side of the flash mount, re-work the rear left corner of the built in flash as its binding slightly on pop-up.

I didn't get upset, there's no point, though I was annoyed with myself as I normally don't leave cameras in opened bags and never on a seat! Normally in the rear foot well or boot area.

After my wife's recent issue with chemo etc, my outlook on things has changed somewhat. Had the K3 been a goner, I would simply replace it, not so easy to do with us though.













I even take the event to have been a classic example of "lessons learned".

Best regards

You sound very calm about it all. And resorceful, well done with your repair.

Well done... Great job...Your right though. At the end of the day, getting stressed doesn't help much...