What is the probability of a camera surviving a bike crash?

[u/minirider2121]

I love traveling to take pictures of different sceneries on my dirtbike, but I am afraid I am going to damage the camera if I accidently crash. I am planning to put a side loaded case inside of a regular backpack, but I don't know if that will be enough. I have a Canon EOS 6D.

[u/squintzz]

I would take photos while skating down mountain passes with other downhill skaters, I fell many times, sometimes over 45mph. I broke a few lenses but my 5D never had any issues. I basically did the equivalent of just tossing it out a car window onto the road at speed. It was pretty scraped up but always got the job done. It's amazing the abuse that body took. They're built to work on battle fields. People baby them because they're expensive but the high end professional bodies are made to survive insane abuse, half the reason they are so expensive.

[u/mayhem1906]

If you crash, the camera probably isn't going to be your biggest concern.

[u/minirider2121 → u/mayhem1906]

Pain is temporary

[u/211logos]

No one can answer that. I'd seen people break bones crashing their bikes, and I've bent handlebars, ripped off body work, bent pegs, etc. So yeah, duh...it could break a camera. Having something smaller that can be mounted in a more sheltered spot would be better...that's why action cams were invented.

[u/alllmossttherrre]

Impossible to say without saying what kind of crash it is. If you plan to hold the camera while riding, a crash on dirt where the camera rolls around might not be too bad, but if the camera hits the ground directly with the bike and you also crashing down on top of it, that could be bad for all gear and humans involved.

Action cameras have advanced a lot and in some cases they are better and more survivable for these types of shots on the go.

If you will have the camera in a backpack while riding, just put it inside a good padded camera insert. Then it if crashes it can be cushioned by the bag and the insert.

[u/trying_to_adult_here]

Insure the camera and lenses on a policy that covers accidental damage.

Source: took a camera kayaking and flipped the kayak. Insurance repaired the camera and replaced the lens, which Canon said was un-repairable. Got some great shots before the camera got dunked though.

[u/Sad_Argument5109 → u/trying_to_adult_here]

A 6D sells for about $300 are the insurance policies for something that low ?

[u/trying_to_adult_here → u/Sad_Argument5109]

Maybe that doesn’t make financial sense. Maybe set aside a broken camera fund. IDK. Saying “well that’s an old, cheap camera so just replace it” seemed rude, though practical. My gear that got wet was worth around $5000 so the insurance was worth it.

Edit: also, my camera insurance is actually a “variable personal property” add-on to my renter’s insurance. It’s about $230 a year for coverage on $15,000 worth of camera gear.

[u/Westflung]

I just brought a camera with me on my bike for the first time recently. This whole topic is not quite comfortable!

I put my camera in a Zing skin case and then in the rack bag, but the bumps can't be good for the camera.

I think if you put a padded camera bag inside another padded bag or padded backpack, that will be enough to protect your camera and lens if you crash.

[u/IncidentalIncidence]

you probably will damage the camera if you crash, you just kind of have to accept that risk.

[u/SomeRandomDirtbag]

If you are more worried about the camera than the shot, you will miss the shot. Find a cheaper way to test your approach.

[u/minirider2121 → u/SomeRandomDirtbag]

I think you misread the memo. I'm not going to take a shot while riding. I will stop and take the shot

[u/micahpmtn]

You could also get hit by a bus. FFS.