FUJI HDM: 1984-2022 R.I.P.

My Fuji HDM since I bought it when it appeared, in 1984, is a camera that has accompanied me in difficult situations for all these decades, for dives, in the arctic or on the back of a camel, at more than 40 degrees Celsius in the African desert . In all this time, it gave me nothing but satisfaction.

The Fuji HDM broke down only one time, in 1991, on my honeymoon cruise to the Caribbean, but it was my fault: I closed the battery compartment wrong and salt water got into it. Despite the fact that, at that time, the camera was not already in production, that was a time when the big firms were still proud of the products they sold and had a good stock of spare parts, so Fujifilm Spain managed to repair it, and It was working perfectly until yesterday!!! that, in a dive, water entered inside. 

I don't understand why: the chamber was well sealed and, although the instructions say nothing about protecting the joints with Vaseline (as Eumig advises for its Nautica), I took the precaution of using Eumig Vaseline. What did I do wrong? Nothing. Perhaps, it is that his time has come, after almost 40 years. 

I have two other spare Fuji HDMs, for emergencies, but I am very sad, because I liked using this unit, my first HDM, which accompanied me before I got married, at my wedding, during the growth of my children and in multiple expeditions .

So much water got inside the camera that the 25 euro roll!!! of Kodak Ektachrome was also damaged.

Rest In Peace, my faithful Fuji HDM.

More about my Fuji HDM: CLICK HERE