So I came back to shore for a few days (I work on offshore oil rigs for those readers who may be new to this site) and had a chance this afternoon to take a stroll on the beach with my camera. I had my Minolta 28mm in the pocket of my sweater and a Minolta 100mm on the camera. While I was climbing around the rocks trying to get an angle on a bird, my 28mm lens fell out of my sweater, bounced off a rock and went straight into the ocean. I just about walked away from it to chalk it up as an excuse to buy a new lens. It took me about 2 minutes of climbing around to get to a position where I could get low enough to the water to search for it. I found it at the bottom of a little tide pool about 2 feet deep. I figured I’d be pulling sharks and oysters out of the lens body once I got back on dry land. To my surprise, only a few drops of water made it inside the lens. I had the front and rear caps on the lens when it fell out of my pocket. The front lens cap popped off when it first hit the rocks, while the rear cap stayed on tight. Darn good seal on the lens barrel where the lens extends with the focus ring. I’m not saying the lens is good to go but it is definitely salvageable. Once I get back to the rig, I’ll have the tools I need to open it up and clean off the water drops. I hope I can get it back to 100% and keep shooting with it. A lens with a cool story of its own! Here are the shots I did get before all this happened.


Sorry about the lens, but I’m glad you took the time to post about it. All of your pictures are “worth it”, even if it means getting a new lens out of the deal.
I’ve been concerned about you since you posted on the long term fever. I hope it was nothing serious and you are back in good health.
Take care,
Dana
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Yes, Tom- hope all is well with you. Beautiful pictures, of course.. would expect nothing less from you!! Sorry about your lens… I think the fact you’re using old Minolta lens is really classy- and hope that you can salvage the one you dropped… as you said- “A lens with a story….”
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Hi Dana. I’m back to feeling well. Still don’t know what that was all about. Glad to see you stopped by to check out the new post.
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