Borrowing (and breaking) equipment. oops.

I borrowed a backpack. And a big lens. I hadn’t really used either before. No big deal, right?

What I learned about the bag: if a big lens is in the main compartment, there are three separate zippered doors from which it can be accessed. Handy! Downside: that’s three separate doors out of which a lens can fall. And now, I make sure everything is zipped up before I move anything. Period.

What I learned about the lens: a UV filter can indeed work to protect the lens when it pitches element-first onto a concrete floor. Even though the lens cap was on, the UV filter shattered. The front element of the lens was fine, thank goodness!

What I reinforced about borrowing gear: be upfront about what happens to any gear you borrow, and assure the owner that you’ll pay to replace, repair, or have checked out anything that needs it.