# You know, sometimes, when one is tired...



## Stig (Aug 4, 2013)

You know those moments, when you are tired, trying to do something anyway and at some point you realize you are not your sharpest... 

well, today I was a bit tired, packing my gear, changing lenses... and I almost tried to mount two lenses together  luckily, no rear element was harmed making this, erm, story

did you manage something similar, or is it just me?


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## SwissBear (Aug 4, 2013)

... darn! it seems quite like i left the memory card in the laptop...


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## Ewinter (Aug 4, 2013)

I've tried mounting a Lens with the caps still on...


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## Atonegro (Aug 4, 2013)

Stig said:


> did you manage something similar, or is it just me?



O Yes...
Not all the time, but it happens once in a while.

Left in a hurry, and when I unpack, I have about eight lenses, my flashes, screens, tripods, remotes.....but not a single camera....


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## Zen (Aug 4, 2013)

Atonegro said:


> Stig said:
> 
> 
> > did you manage something similar, or is it just me?
> ...



What a "wake-up" call, eh?

Zen


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## Jim Saunders (Aug 5, 2013)

I haven't done that yet, but I did manage to recently bash my head open on the trunk latch on my car. The fact that I was putting my camera bag in there for safekeeping was just the little insult to add to injury...

Jim


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## neuroanatomist (Aug 5, 2013)

Jim Saunders said:


> I haven't done that yet, but I did manage to recently bash my head open on the trunk latch on my car. The fact that I was putting my camera bag in there for safekeeping was just the little insult to add to injury...



As long as you didn't bash the camera gear. Your head will heal.....


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## neuroanatomist (Aug 5, 2013)

Back OT, a couple of weeks ago I planned a sunset/evening city photo outing. I packed my camera, four lenses, a 10-stop ND filter, and my tripod. Or so I thought. Turned out I had grabbed the monopod case, instead. Kinda hard to take 1 minute exposures on a monopod.


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## Jim Saunders (Aug 5, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> Jim Saunders said:
> 
> 
> > I haven't done that yet, but I did manage to recently bash my head open on the trunk latch on my car. The fact that I was putting my camera bag in there for safekeeping was just the little insult to add to injury...
> ...



My camera is fine, but now I'm left to wonder why there seem to be only 23 characters in the alphabet... 

Jim


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## woollybear (Aug 5, 2013)

Turn topic OFF...

I once made myself an ice cream cone at home. Put the cones in the freezer and the ice cream in the cabinet. It was not a pretty site the next morning...


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## tcmatthews (Aug 5, 2013)

Left the batteries for my Canon in the charger at home. Had to take pictures of storks with my Nex and discovered that theE 55-210 is basically a slow POS. None of bird the pictures were usable. Ended up letting my dad have the E55-210 it is not even worth it for traveling.


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## RAKAMRAK (Aug 5, 2013)

Atonegro said:


> Stig said:
> 
> 
> > did you manage something similar, or is it just me?
> ...



Since you had screens etc with you I guess you were on an assignment of some kind. May we know what you did after that....... I mean after you found you did not bring a single camera......!!


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## rpt (Aug 5, 2013)

Dismounted my 5D3 from tripod and forgot to hold it! Crash! Luckily it fell into soft dry mud and leaves. Missed a rock by a couple of inches! No harm done to the camera or the 24-105. Severe bruising to the ego  which is on the mend. Every time I dismount the camera, that scene flashes past in my head. I guess I should be fine in a few years time. Neuro said that the head would mend and I am hoping it was not the tripod he was talking about


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## Atonegro (Aug 5, 2013)

RAKAMRAK said:


> Atonegro said:
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> > Stig said:
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I was lucky, it was not far from home.
I explained, hurried back and 40 minutes later we started work.


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## Atonegro (Aug 5, 2013)

Once I was on a boat, and bend over to grab a buoy, and my camera on my neckstrap was underwater....
The camera was OK, but the lens did not survive.


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## Kernuak (Aug 5, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> Back OT, a couple of weeks ago I planned a sunset/evening city photo outing. I packed my camera, four lenses, a 10-stop ND filter, and my tripod. Or so I thought. Turned out I had grabbed the monopod case, instead. Kinda hard to take 1 minute exposures on a monopod.


I did something similar, I packed camera, lenses and tripod, but left the quick release plate behind, which was normally attached to the camera. I tried balancing the camera on top of the tripod head, but I missed some really good shots of mist and ice that evening, they just weren't sharp.


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## Viggo (Aug 5, 2013)

Way back in the days I used to shoot droplet-shots in the kitchen sink, on a monopod, suddenly got a good one, and placed my camera on the monopod and ran for the computer to check it out, I heard a slow scraping noise as the monopod hit my kitchenbench and slided off to the floor, I grabbed 10 cm from the floor, lucky reaction...

I also once or twice left my Black Rapid strap at home, resulting in a walkabout with the 1dx+70-200 in my hand only.


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## tron (Aug 5, 2013)

Back in the 80s I had a Konica AutoReflex TC with a 40mm and a 70-200 Sigma Zoom.

The zoom was in its hard case and in a bag. I was running to catch up the bus paying extra attention not to loose my jacket because in a previous similar case I had dropped - and lost - my jacket.

Suddenly someone says that I had dropped a bag and an old lady had grabbed it and left in a hurry!

Well she got my Sigma with a Konica mount which I am pretty sure would not know what to do with!

The result: A friend from the work suggested to switch to Canon ...


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## sanj (Aug 5, 2013)

I married.


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## Viggo (Aug 5, 2013)

sanj said:


> I married.



;D ;D


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## Click (Aug 5, 2013)

Ha ha ha ;D Good one!


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## paul13walnut5 (Aug 5, 2013)

It used to be xlr cables or cans that would screw me.

So I took to leaving a cheaper pair of cans in a kit bag along with a rubbishy tatty old (but working) xlr.

All I had to now was to remember to pack the kit in the right bag.

Yup. Belts, braces and my breeks still end up around my ankles.


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## Dylan777 (Aug 5, 2013)

sanj said:


> I married.



I hope she or he is not CR member ;D


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## KyleSTL (Aug 5, 2013)

My most common mistake is forgetting a memory card in my computer. Luckily, I have bought extras that do nothing but travel in the tiny card pockets in my Lowepro bag. The one time this didn't work was when the only extra I had in the bag was a card with known problems and need to be reformatted regularly. The card seised up and did not show any contents at the very beginning of the wedding reception for a good friend, no more pictures were taken that night, but the pictures that were taken were later recovered when I got back home. The card has since been RMA'd and two additional cards were purchased, tested and used as available backup cards.


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## paul13walnut5 (Aug 5, 2013)

And I've yet to be known for removing documents from a scanner after I've captured them. Usually the most sensitive of personal documents at that, left in the office for a colleague or the cleaner to have a good swatch at, or irreplacable photos.


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## cheeseheadsaint (Aug 5, 2013)

For me, it is trying to take photos with the lens cap still on xD


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## Stig (Aug 5, 2013)

guys, thanks for not letting me hanging

some of the mishaps are funny (at least after a while...) and I thought Atonegro was winning, but then Sanj posted  but more importantly I think that there are things we share... e.g. I'm sure cheeseheadsaint isnt the only one who raised the camera with the lens cap on... I'm sure because at least I did as well... not once


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## tron (Aug 6, 2013)

I remember once when I left my car and entered my friends' car that I had grabbed my jacket from the car.
When we arrived I realized that I had grabbed a towel and not my jacket !

When I told this story to a friend he told me that once he had taken an extender with him thinking he was taking a teleconverter!


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## neuroanatomist (Aug 6, 2013)

tron said:


> When I told this story to a friend he told me that once he had *taken an extender with him thinking he was taking a teleconverter*!



What's the difference?


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## crasher8 (Aug 6, 2013)

Two weeks ago I took all my gear out for a shoot 20 miles away. No card. two slots yet no card. All my bags (4) had extra cards and batteries in them except one. I had to grab that one. Had a laugh.


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## tron (Aug 6, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> tron said:
> 
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> > When I told this story to a friend he told me that once he had *taken an extender with him thinking he was taking a teleconverter*!
> ...


Sorry , I meant to write macro extender!


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## paul13walnut5 (Aug 6, 2013)

tron said:


> Sorry , I meant to write macro extender!



You know, sometimes, when one is tired...


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## tron (Aug 6, 2013)

paul13walnut5 said:


> tron said:
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> 
> > Sorry , I meant to write macro extender!
> ...


 ;D ;D ;D


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## sanj (Aug 6, 2013)

paul13walnut5 said:


> tron said:
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> 
> > Sorry , I meant to write macro extender!
> ...



hahahahaha


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## dhr90 (Aug 6, 2013)

cheeseheadsaint said:


> For me, it is trying to take photos with the lens cap still on xD



I did that once when shooting stars, couldn't work out why my 20 minute exposure was so dark, turned the camera round and "oh damn..." :-[


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## KyleSTL (Aug 6, 2013)

tron said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > tron said:
> ...


I once bought on eBay a Canon EF12 Extension tube (listed as such), but what the seller didn't realize was that it was attached to a Canon 1.4x Teleconverter wrapped in black gaff tape. Picked it up for a song, sold the 1.4x (since I don't have a compatible lens) and kept the EF12 for free with cash in pocket.

Also bought a 35mm f/2.0 for $177 shipped in mint condition, since the seller used a straight-on shot of the front element and listed it as an 'FD' lens. Had he used an isometric view of the lens, it probably would have sold for more since other buyers would have noticed it was an EF lens instead. Used it for a year and a half and sold it a week ago via Craigslist for $230 with hood. Not a bad rental rate.

I've bought quite a few items from listings created by sellers that were likely a bit tired.


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## Tabor Warren Photography (Aug 6, 2013)

dhr90 said:


> cheeseheadsaint said:
> 
> 
> > For me, it is trying to take photos with the lens cap still on xD
> ...



At my friend's wedding, I was telling them about the benefits of hiring a professional wedding photographer, raised the camera up to click their pic... and the lens cap was on. Eventually, this will likely happen to all of us, we should probably work on the timing of our approach. lol

Cheers,
-Tabor


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## RobPan (Aug 6, 2013)

(Many years ago) I was in a Belgian village shooting a carnival procession with a F-1 and a FTb. Took some lovely pictures. Only after an hour or so I discovered that I had been using an empty camera. Fortunately this could not happen with today's digital gear: when the battery is empty or the card is full or missing you will get a warning.


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## GuyF (Aug 6, 2013)

Easy portrait shot. _Thinks_ focus, come on, focus....(presses shutter release button harder as if that'll help matters), why won't this thing focus??? Mutter, mutter, getting impatient....bloody equipment!!!!! _Moment of realisation_, cough cough, clicks focus limiting switch on side of lens to allow minimum focus distance. Admit it, you've done it too.

Renting 500mm lens. Open flight case in shop to inspect new toy. Nice. Close lid and flip locks shut. Lift case by handle and watch case pop open in 3.6 nanoseconds. Almost empty bladder in 3.5 nanoseconds. Luckily the velcro strap held the lens in place. Must remember to apply some compression to lid when closing to ensure locks engage. Are we insured, sir?


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## mrsfotografie (Aug 6, 2013)

GuyF said:


> Easy portrait shot. _Thinks_ focus, come on, focus....(presses shutter release button harder as if that'll help matters), why won't this thing focus??? Mutter, mutter, getting impatient....bloody equipment!!!!! _Moment of realisation_, cough cough, clicks focus limiting switch on side of lens to allow minimum focus distance. Admit it, you've done it too.



Yes, AND shooting with the lens in MF and not realising, and in the wrong IS mode 1/2, or off etc etc. Still forgetting sometimes to check that the switches are where you think you left them after knocking the camera or taking it from a bag.

Oh, and moving from inside to outside and forgetting to step back the iso's. Too much stuff to worry about sometimes.


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## GuyF (Aug 6, 2013)

mrsfotografie said:


> GuyF said:
> 
> 
> > Easy portrait shot. _Thinks_ focus, come on, focus....(presses shutter release button harder as if that'll help matters), why won't this thing focus??? Mutter, mutter, getting impatient....bloody equipment!!!!! _Moment of realisation_, cough cough, clicks focus limiting switch on side of lens to allow minimum focus distance. Admit it, you've done it too.
> ...



Yup, done all that too. I guess people like us should just stick with auto-everything.


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## Stig (Aug 6, 2013)

paul13walnut5 said:


> tron said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry , I meant to write macro extender!
> ...



;D



mrsfotografie said:


> ...shooting with the lens in MF and not realising...



+1
done that too :-[


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## mrsfotografie (Aug 6, 2013)

GuyF said:


> mrsfotografie said:
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> 
> > GuyF said:
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Ha! and then forgetting to put the mode switch in 'auto-everything' ;D


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## Rienzphotoz (Aug 6, 2013)

I once went out with 2 cameras 4 lenses and not a single battery in the cameras or spare in the bag ... the batteries were 2 hours drive away at home ... forgot to remove them from the chargers, as well as the pouches that held the spare batteries :-[


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## rpt (Aug 7, 2013)

Tabor Warren Photography said:


> ... raised the camera up to click their pic... and the lens cap was on.


So many times :


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## Jim Saunders (Aug 7, 2013)

I had one where I had a chance to explore manual flash settings after I didn't seat the poor thing in the hotshoe properly. You'd think it wouldn't fire at all, but here we are.

Jim


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## dhr90 (Aug 7, 2013)

GuyF said:


> Easy portrait shot. _Thinks_ focus, come on, focus....(presses shutter release button harder as if that'll help matters), why won't this thing focus??? Mutter, mutter, getting impatient....bloody equipment!!!!! _Moment of realisation_, cough cough, clicks focus limiting switch on side of lens to allow minimum focus distance. Admit it, you've done it too.
> 
> Renting 500mm lens. Open flight case in shop to inspect new toy. Nice. Close lid and flip locks shut. Lift case by handle and watch case pop open in 3.6 nanoseconds. Almost empty bladder in 3.5 nanoseconds. Luckily the velcro strap held the lens in place. Must remember to apply some compression to lid when closing to ensure locks engage. Are we insured, sir?



I was guilty of that at the weekend. First outing with my new 70-200, had switched to MF to try and capture a shot of a flag reflected in the tinted window of a boat, spotted a bird starting to fly past "Come on, focus"... bird is right overhead "Why aren't you focusing...better press the shutter harder"... bird now flying away with camera in full rambo mode firing offer 8FPS all superbly out of focus, "WHY WON'T YOU FOCUS?!!" Realised my error the moment I'd dropped the camera from my face, wasn't even worth it, the MF focus shot didn't come out well


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## Rienzphotoz (Aug 7, 2013)

rpt said:


> Tabor Warren Photography said:
> 
> 
> > ... raised the camera up to click their pic... and the lens cap was on.
> ...


+1000


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## docholliday (Aug 7, 2013)

My worse was attaching a dark slide to Hasselblad and letting go of the camera - still holding the darkslide. That, and attaching a lens board to my 4x5 and walking around to the back of the camera - forgot to engage the locks on the lens board. 

The Hasselblad (203FE) rolled down a muddy hill on the way to a creek and I dove after it, catching it about 10 feet from waters edge. 

The 75 Grandagon dropped, front element first, into my camera bag that was below. It smashed the Heliopan polarizer that was sitting on top. That sucked. But the UV on the front of the lens saved the front element...


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## Valvebounce (Aug 8, 2013)

Hi Guys,
Heading out to family barbque thought I will take some gear and see if I can grab some nice shots of the nieces playing, no big deal right.

Now to some I pack weird but it works for me. Samsonite Colt with 7D 17-85 in and a Tamrac Expedition7 with spare body and everything else, including tripod in place up through the middle. 

Stick gear on back seat, open doors and start engine for ac, sort other things, set off, first roundabout, crash from back seat, damn forgot the seat belt round gear! Oh well. 
Arrive at inlaws get camera as nieces are on fine form, remove lens cap and drop shards of uv filter all over the floor, :'( at least the front element made it unscathed! 
Lesson never stop part way through a routine even if you are tired and the heat is unbearable! :

Cheers Graham.


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## Atonegro (Aug 8, 2013)

What I learned yesterday....

When you put a CPL-filter in the backpocket of your trousers, remember to get it out BEFORE you sit down.

Feel pretty polarised right now...


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## ninjapeps (Aug 8, 2013)

Four years ago, I excitedly left for my very first shoot with a couple of my friends who were doing goth lolita attire. Arrived at the venue and wondered why my camera felt lighter than usual. Opened the battery compartment to find that I had left the battery in the charger at home.


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## paul13walnut5 (Aug 8, 2013)

When I used to use manual film SLRS (lovely minolta SR's) I was frequently in the habit of shooting 12 frames before realising I hadn't changed the ISO speed, which meant my metering guide was sometimes a bit out.

Some films like XP2 or Reala 100 could be reliably pushed, so just keep on shooting, others like Kodachrome 64 or Velvia 50 gave me a dilemma... reset the ISO and write the used frames off or keep it where it is and push the developing instead.


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## Videoshooter (Aug 8, 2013)

Plenty of times I've left behind batteries, SD/CF cards or tripod plates. Or had silly mix ups like putting the SD card wallet into the bag with my 5DmkII, or some CF cards into the 60D bag. Luckily I usually do this when leaving home pre-dawn, shooting sunrises or surfing - on paid jobs I always have everything packed the night before then double check it all in the morning. Also a few times I've left the charger plugged into the wall at a wedding reception. 

The worst brain fart I've ever had though, was packing up at the end of a shoot. I Took the camera off the tripod and packed it into the backpack, then turned around and packed up the tripod. Picked the backpack up, swung it onto my back, and quickly realised I'd forgotten to zip it up as I saw 2 cameras and half a dozen lenses fall to the floor. Lucky it was on grass and not concrete, or I would've destroyed my entire kit in one go!


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## JPAZ (Aug 8, 2013)

Think I've done just about everything above. I've shot many a pic outdoors at hi iso and many with AF turned off but the lens accidentily set just close enough that I did't realize the focus was off until viewing on the computer at home (beep? what beep? I did not notice no stinking beep!) Latest fatigue induced screw-ups all seem to be battery related:

1) Arriving at a vacation destination with the right camera but the wrong extra batteries /charger (learned a lot about conserving battery power!)
2) Arriving in Central Asia after 30 hours of travel realizing my charger was still at home waiting to be packed (see #1 for part of lessons learned) and running around Bishkek looking for an Lp-E6 charger. Wound up with a 3rd party knock-off hoping the batteries would not be permanently cooked (they seemed to have survived).
3) Arriving at a family outing with the dead battery in the camera and the charged one at home.

Maybe next time I'll mistake the M for the 5Diii? :


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## viggen61 (Aug 8, 2013)

My biggest moments like that (so far...) usually involve:

1) forgetting to put in an empty CF card to my 7D
2) going off shooting
3) remembering I'd forgotten to bring the other spare CFs when I get the dreaded "Full CF" message...


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## Stig (Aug 8, 2013)

Videoshooter said:


> brain fart



aaand I've learned something new today 

what a great forum this is... and, as it turns out, not only for photo-ish things but also for new phrases and other bits of English 
thanks, have a nice day


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## KyleSTL (Aug 8, 2013)

Stig said:


> Videoshooter said:
> 
> 
> > brain fart
> ...


Pretty common expression in American English (especially the midwest). I doubt it's a very universal phrase in all English-speaking areas.


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## Jim Saunders (Aug 9, 2013)

Sometimes when one is tired you forget that your new-to-you 50D has two different burst modes, and reach the incorrect conclusion that you bought a lemon. Once you realize that you wonder why burst rate isn't an adjustable parameter already...

Jim


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## rpt (Aug 9, 2013)

Forgetting to insert the cardboard tab from a box of the film I used for my AE-1 that had the ISO/Din number on it. Well I seemed to be inadvertently turning the ISO knob and as the film usually stayed in the camera for a looooong time, I'd forget what ISO film I bought. So getting back to the "right" ISO was sometimes a hit or miss...


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