DSE 3 #1 September 15, 2008 The Extended Service Plan is expensive, but today it saved me a fair amount of cash... Had a very weird and hard opening that tore my still cam/lens and my video camera's wide angle adapter from my helmet. Not sure exactly what happened to cause them to fly, it wasn't riser strike, and the mount on the helmet is totally intact and feels solid. That said... my 40D, 15mm EF lens took a 3000' tumble. Only part salvageable was the 8GB CF card and the remote cable that was on a breakaway connector. Called Ritz today, and they will have it replaced in two weeks, and the local manager is sympathetic enough to let me "borrow" a 40D and lens until "replacement" arrives. Cost me 300.00 per year for the warranty, and well worth it. If you buy from Best Buy (where I bought the lens) check your ESP *carefully* as they just recently changed their policy and you could find yourself hosed. Ritz recently changed theirs too, but my agreement was "grandfathered." Here's the funny/lucky part; my ESP expires in 3 days. I renewed first thing this morning before going in to see them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #2 September 15, 2008 Can't agree more. One of my HC-5s is with the folks at Best Buy getting fixed. I had pretty much figured it was scrap and then remembered it was covered by the ESP. In my case the ESP was under $200 for several years so I am pleased to say the least. BTW DSE, check out this Link "It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frost 1 #3 September 15, 2008 Two words: homeowners insurance ;) 300 per year at Ritz for one camera would have bought you at least two years of coverage up to 20K for any of your personal property. What kind of mounts are those? What type of helmet? Any pics of the original set up? Did you happen to use any other back up on you mounts like quick release snap fasteners? Any thoughts on what it might have been if not the riser strike? This is fourth time in the last few months i hear of someone losing things on openings from lens to whole helmets. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #4 September 15, 2008 His RRS mount on another camera was destroyed too if I understood correctlyThat is a Stroboframe plate on the 40D. Homeowners insurance usually does not over items used for a business. In this case since DSE makes his living from video/cameras they usually deny the claim since it was a "for profit activity". You can get additional coverage for if it is a business related activity - in my case it added ~$145 to my homeowners insurance to insure my camera gear for $5000 with a $500 deductable. If I lose the XTi, I'm better off buying a used replacement, If I lose the XTi and HC3, then I come out ahead to use the insuance. I got it mainly for traveling with the camera lenses now that I am looking at getting L glass for ground stuff. Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #5 September 15, 2008 I have excellent homeowners (and amazing business coverage) but that 300.00 per year doesn't cover specific skydiving rider policies partially becaus they're work, in addition to other things. We have over 100 cameras in our inventory, not to mention the rest of the gear, about 10% of it is in my home at any given time. Fire and special activities are not covered in the business policy, either. My homeowners *will* cover the camera, but it's a huge PITA (actually worth the 300.00 anyway, to not have to deal w/it) to collect and make a claim. Believe me...with the assets from my personal studio, video production business, audio business/studio, and my personal belongings....I've got the insurance thing dialed in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yarak 0 #6 September 15, 2008 How bad was the damage to the video cameras lens? just stripped threads on the adapter or did it damage the actual camera any? What video camera was it? side mount or top mount? Are you %100 that it wasnt a riser strike of some sort?I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your fucking packing tent down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frost 1 #7 September 15, 2008 OK, in your case, sure. For the a lot of others HO insurance may be a more valuable option then ESP. Lots of people rave about their experience with claims of lost canopies and camera equipment. You spent a paragraph answering one little sentence, but didnt answer the relevant questions... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #8 September 15, 2008 The video makes it fairly clear it wasn't a riser strike. The bottom of the still camera is bent at an angle that makes it reasonably clear it was the weight of the camera that threw it forward hard enough to bend the bottom (there are two angles of bend, one that appears to be from impact, the other from being thrown/knocked/tossed whatever from the helmet). The video camera lens adapter is fairly cheep, and it tore the threads on the video camera, on the TOP of the vid cam, again indicating it was a downward force. My chest is bruised from my helmet bottom/chin striking it, and my right ankle has lineburn/cut on it from being tossed upside down. the original thought was that my slider was left collapsed (couldn't remember if I'd opened it up or not, but thought I had). The video does show that the slider was not collapsed, that throws that theory out. Coulda been a slider down, but it's doubtful, packer is pretty good. Coulda been line dump. We'd had a conversation earlier in the day about the stoes on my Dbag. No, I'm not 100% SURE it wasn't a riser strike, it's possible. I could have hit the releases with my hand when I was tossed upside down and hit the lines, too. I've been waiting on a still camera plate from Terry since Xmas of 07. Still don't have it. But...my CX12 stayed nicely in place, thanks to a very well made and mounted cage/plate that Terry designed and built. Just wish I had the still mount I've beenwaiting for, it might have saved me the loss. Frost, I figured Phree's post answered most of your questions. I only have a medium weight bungee on the front of the still to help "hold" it in place to take some of the opening shock from the carbon mount. Flat Top Pro with Schumacher plate/cage, carbon fibre L bracket on forehead, and a piece of aluminum for vertical mount that a DZ.commer made for me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yarak 0 #9 September 15, 2008 Well damn! If it was so violent that your feet hit your lines then I dont doubt that force alone destroyed those cameras. You are lucky that the cameras are all that was destroyed. I'm sure you have, but i would recomend a good gear check on all stress points after that kind of opening. I wonder how many G's a media card camera can stand?.......I guess alot!I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your fucking packing tent down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pincheck 0 #10 September 15, 2008 I used a specialist accident insurance poilicy to cover accidental damage for my stills gear to cover replacement costs as well which also has a hire cover included in the policy for £60-$120 but this wasn't a pro cover as i don't use mine for anything other than fun but its a sore one (pocket wise) if you loose it all the same Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #11 September 16, 2008 QuoteI could have hit the releases with my hand when I was tossed upside down and hit the lines, too. DSE...I'm sure I'm reading this sentence the wrong way. Can you help me out? Line burns on your feet? You were 'tossed' into a vertical head-down position on deployment? ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #12 September 16, 2008 Line burn on an ankle, yes. Not as bad this afternoon as Saturday, but you can see the remains of what was a cut/abrasion (not the scar, but the red perpendicular to the scar). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #13 September 16, 2008 Was this on your Sabre2?---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #14 September 16, 2008 QuoteWas this on your Sabre2? nope. Under a big, fat, custom Silhouette 190. I mention "custom" because it has a huge "hand" sewn on it, and it's 5 layers thick in some of the areas. It has never, ever spanked me. Til now Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #15 September 16, 2008 This is what I call "service!" Lost gear on Saturday, it's now Monday (Ritz is closed on Sunday in Utah). -Rebel XSi (they were out of XTi) -Canon 40D Total cost: 1 lens-retail of 850.00, Ritz thinks Canon will repair for approx 300.00 Drive to SLC/gas cost Loss of maybe four jumps on Sunday (s'OK, I was sore as hell anyway) Buy the ESP, IMO. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #16 September 16, 2008 Love my BestBuy ESP's as well.....---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #17 September 16, 2008 QuoteLove my BestBuy ESP's as well..... I *did* too. But it recently changed, which is why I mentioned it up-thread. My daughter manages the camera dept at a Best Buy in ATL...she warned me this morning to read the fine print carefully, but that older purchases were "grandfathered" and protected from the new changes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #18 September 16, 2008 Good to know. Can you sum up the change? I did notice that they were selling an accidental damage add on to the ESP on the last coupe ESP's I bought and I took advantage of them.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #19 September 16, 2008 According to my daughter, they reserve the right to replace with factory seconds/Bstock, cancel the warranty at any time and refund pro-rated value, and there was one other stipulation that she mentioned, and I can't recall right now. Was interesting, having my daughter tell me to buy from a competitor, I think I was more focused on that aspect. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor 0 #20 September 16, 2008 When you look at how the stroboframe mount operates, you can see that it's just holding that mounting plate with spring tension. It holds it very tight, but with enough force it will eventually pop out. That bracket releasing may not be a necessarily bad thing. If the opening is _that_ hard, maybe it's better to be dealing with camera replacement vs a serious neck injury. Another consideration; going with a bracket that positively locks doesn't guarantee your gear wont detach. That 1/4 inch screw may be tightly fastened to the camera, but the camera itself is made of many fragile pieces. Two years ago I saw a jumper land after his HC1 burned in. His stroboframe was intact, but all of the camera had broken off leaving behind about 2 square inches of circuit board still firmly screwed to the stroboframe bracket. I am covered by homeowners insurance but didn't realize ESPs could cover me for accidental breakage; I will definitely look into this next time I buy a camera....especially if I need to take it apart to glue the stabilizer :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peggs82 0 #21 September 16, 2008 Holy crap spot!!! Was this a WS jump or something else?? 40d and XSi? Are they giving you a choice? - I'm confused... What about your lens? Covered too? Hope your not too sore! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #22 September 16, 2008 t'was a tandem video jump. Lens is not covered under the warranty/ESP, because I already had that prior to buying the other bodies. Wish it had been, the lens is more expensive than the XSi and lens. I also wish Canon would sell the XSi as a body-only. Don't need *another* 18/55 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peggs82 0 #23 September 16, 2008 Well it is the 18-55IS version Would be interested to see just how it compares to the old 18-55 So they gave you the XSi instead of the 40d? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #24 September 16, 2008 The XSi is avaible via body only: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542177-REG/Canon_2756B001_EOS_Rebel_XSi_a_k_a_.html Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #25 September 16, 2008 Quote The XSi is avaible via body only: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542177-REG/Canon_2756B001_EOS_Rebel_XSi_a_k_a_.html Thx for that, Phree! BestBuy and Ritz told me yesterday that it wasn't, and wouldn't be for another coupla months. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
