Mirrorless cameras and lens mount breakage? Any experience?

[TonyVentourisPhotography]

I wanted to find out if any one has had any issues with lens mounts breaking.

I am not going to call out any specific gear, as I figure all the mirrorless cameras are quite small in contrast to some of the lenses we put on them.  A fuji with one of the larger zooms, the Sonys, Olmypus, Panasonics...all of these cameras offer various lenses in the system that are quite large compared to some of the small light weight bodies.  So I want to get a general opinion from various brand owners. 

I have had 3 mounts get ripped out of different large lenses, and 2 camera mounts bend (yes the metal bent) in falls of no greater than 15 - 20 inches in the last 18 months.  Camera and lens stayed mounted in all situations.  (why they fell matters not, when you shoot day in and day out things happen...yes I have pro insurance, and yes everything has been repaired...and yes it was always my own fault)

I have broken plenty of full frame gear before too, etc...  However I have never ripped a lens mount out of the casing.   

In all cases no other damage was suffered to the equipment.  (In fact I finished a shot with a misaligned lens after a fall and had to photoshop two shots because of the "tilted" plane of focus!  I didnt have time to pull the backup out)  I do NOT want to start a discussion about this brand vs. that brand flaming.  I just want to know if any one has experienced anything in ownership of mirrorless cameras and damage.  Is the size ratio so different in this gear that the weakest point is the attachment between lens and body?  I would think that would be with all gear in actuality...but maybe a heavier, more massive body absorbs more of an impact?

Any thoughts? 

[vulture]

I just want to know if any one has experienced anything in ownership of mirrorless cameras and damage.  Is the size ratio so different in this gear that the weakest point is the attachment between lens and body?

I never had an experience like this with my mirrorless, although I once dropped my DSLR and lost the lens.
IMHO with all cases like this it's not the size ratio of the gear, rather the care ratio between shooter and gear.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

That is an interesting question. I don't have the slightest idea.

One thing to keep in mind is that a camera is a precision instrument. If it survives a drop it may still be working but it may come out of alignment.

Best regards
Erik

I wanted to find out if any one has had any issues with lens mounts breaking.

I am not going to call out any specific gear, as I figure all the mirrorless cameras are quite small in contrast to some of the lenses we put on them.  A fuji with one of the larger zooms, the Sonys, Olmypus, Panasonics...all of these cameras offer various lenses in the system that are quite large compared to some of the small light weight bodies.  So I want to get a general opinion from various brand owners. 

I have had 3 mounts get ripped out of different large lenses, and 2 camera mounts bend (yes the metal bent) in falls of no greater than 15 - 20 inches in the last 18 months.  Camera and lens stayed mounted in all situations.  (why they fell matters not, when you shoot day in and day out things happen...yes I have pro insurance, and yes everything has been repaired...and yes it was always my own fault)

I have broken plenty of full frame gear before too, etc...  However I have never ripped a lens mount out of the casing.   

In all cases no other damage was suffered to the equipment.  (In fact I finished a shot with a misaligned lens after a fall and had to photoshop two shots because of the "tilted" plane of focus!  I didnt have time to pull the backup out)  I do NOT want to start a discussion about this brand vs. that brand flaming.  I just want to know if any one has experienced anything in ownership of mirrorless cameras and damage.  Is the size ratio so different in this gear that the weakest point is the attachment between lens and body?  I would think that would be with all gear in actuality...but maybe a heavier, more massive body absorbs more of an impact?

Any thoughts?

[rdonson]

I've not experienced any breakage or heard any reports of it other than yours.  I have a Fuji X-T1 and a 100-400 attached to it from time to time.  I've never dropped it though.  I don't recall dropping any of my Canons either with 70-200 or 100-400 attached. 

Drops like you describe would result in some significant forces on the camera mount and I'd be surprised if many cameras could survive it be they mirrorless or FF.

[Paulo Bizarro]

Not me, but I don't use heavy lenses anymore. But I don't think it is specific for MILC cameras. I would also not use say a 70-200 f2.8 zoom on a Canon Rebel, and carry the stuff by the camera.

[stamper]

In 15 years of photography I have used 18 digital cameras.including 2 mirror less ones and haven't yet had a problem. My biggest lens is a 120 - 400 and have numerous lens including a heavy wide angle. Sorry but I think you must be heavy handed to have all of these problems?

[mcbroomf]

I've bent 2 camera mount rings on my Sony; 1st falling onto my back and side as I was climbing over a fence and caught my foot.  The camera was in the top of my pack which took ~50% of the fall.  The lens mount looked like this.  It was an A7R and I replaced the mount with one of the thicker metal mounts.  2nd time the camera strap caught in my bag and I dropped it so it fell from the top of my backpack (which was on the floor) 2-3 feet I suppose.  This time the camera was the A7R2 which has a thicker mount, but I was using a manual focus OM lens and the ring on the adapter pretty much looked the same as the other time.

I can't remember dropping camera and lens when I was using 1Ds and 5D bodies so I can't tell if they would have suffered the same.  The mount on the Canon looks about the same thickness as the thicker Sony mount (on the mk 2 bodies) and the after market mounts.

[vulture]

I never had an experience like this with my mirrorless, although I once dropped my DSLR and lost the lens.
IMHO with all cases like this it's not the size ratio of the gear, rather the care ratio between shooter and gear.

I have to correct my statement in post 2 of this thread:
On my last shooting trip to Southern Africa with my newly acquired Pana GH 5 with the Panasonic/Leica Elmar 100-400 mm/ 4.0-6.3 lens attached, the lens bajonett ring broke and bent when I took up that combo out of my belt bag. See attached picture. No unusual impact, like drop or the like.

My experience with Panasonic customer/repair service was the worst I ever had with a major camera maker:

The first "support center" (via the seller) gave me an "repair estimate" with a price tag just 5% under new price of the lens - with no specifications of the repairs/exchange parts needed. Together with an offer to sell me a new lens at about 10% less than new price.
I refused and contacted another "Panasonic support & repair center". After inspection of the damaged lens I got an estimate of about 50% new lens price as "repair costs estimate". Explanation: "No spare parts from Panasonic available yet for this lens, only exchange of the complete optics."
I grudgingly gave repair order but asked for delivery of the damaged or exchanged parts. (with the intention of getting a metallographic test of the damaged bajonet ring for an eventual material warranty claim).
After return of the repaired lens, the invoice said "Complete exchange of built group SWX0269 unit - 50% fairness"
No delivery of damaged or exchanged parts.
So it seems to me I got a new lens mount ring from Panasonic (no damage of any other parts were diagnosed) at 50% of the price of the new lens by "fairness" of Panasonic.(Europe)
Apart from MHO that an injection moulded aluminum ring is not adequate for a lens that weight I think that the service/repair policy of Panasonic is extremely customer-unfriendly. I am reconsidering my decision for that camera maker.

[TonyVentourisPhotography]

Wow that seems ridiculous.  Sorry to hear of that experience. 

That seems like a defective part/tolerance issue...especially if it didn't take a hit.  Either that or you are super strong! 

[vulture]

I am not especially strong.
My intention was to get the damaged bajonet ring returned for a material test - cavities or the like...
No way. Panasonic refused to return the damaged parts.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

Shooting since 1970, Minolta, Sony, Hasselblad, Pentax 67, Sony. Almost zero problems in all those years.

Best regards
Erik

[jmlphotography]

I had this happen to my OMD EM1 Mark 1.  Camera fell on to a carpeted floor and 12-40 f/2.8 lens broke off at mount.  It really was just a foot or so.    After 20 plus years with Nikons, I was really surprised at the damage.  I've read elsewhere that others have experienced similar problems with that particular model.

[pcgpcg]

A year ago my minimal un-padded camera bag fell off my waist and struck a metal stairway as I was hurrying off a ferry. This was a hard impact. I later found the Oly 12-40 Pro lens was now mounted about 10 deg off from 90 deg on the E-M1 Mk 1 body. Damage was to the lens, not the camera body. When I took the lens off a small piece of black plastic fell out from behind the flat metal ring on the lens and I could gaze inside and see circuitry. I placed the base of the lens against a wooden post and bent the flat mounting ring back and was good to go - sort of. Everything seemed to work fine. I didn't notice any focusing issues, but I was bothered by the internal damage and feared it was no longer weather resistant so I filed a claim (I had purchased accident insurance on the camera) which completely covered the cost of a replacement lens.