Everything stolen so hello M8 and a question

[chocy]

Hey guys

This is the first post I make here.
I have been quite jealous of you guys and the fancy leicas
I have been traveling Europe for about two months with my canon gears (5D w/ lots of L lenses)
unfortunately last week I had everything stolen from me in Madrid. 🙁
Luckly I have insurance on it so now I just have cash to buy everything back.
So now I figure it is the prime oppurtunity to go for the Leica setup.

I went to a shop and looked at it today and It is a great camera. (Although I am not 100% convinced on the digital Leica compared to the 5D (just the digital part. not the photo part)

Anyway now I will be going to Rome next week (after getting the M8)
so I am even more concerned about the theft than the Spain
So do you know any gadget that can help me from prying eyes of the theives?

Any advise can be helpful!!

No matter what the gear, photograhphy rules!!

 

[Tuolumne]

Get as inconspicuous a bag as you can find. Something that doesn't proclaim: "Very expensive camera and lenses inside!"

/T

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have a cheap device consisting of an alarm with a pin (like a grenade pin) attached to a piece of string. Separate the pin and the alarm and there is an ear-splitting noise.

Put alarm in case, clip string to belt. There will be times when you set it off accidentally but that's less embarrasing than losing your kit.

I bought mine in Lidl, a German cheap-grocery chain, but they had it only for a few weeks. Sorry I can't suggest where to look.

Good luck with the M8. It's a lovely camera.

Cheers,

R.

 

[tmfabian]

I've heard of people using diaper bags to thwart thieves these days. Apparently no thief wants to dig around in a diaper bag. Anyway, the point of the matter is, get a bag that looks the least like it should have a camera in it as possible.

 

[BigSteveG]

The Crumplers are pretty unassuming. They look like a typical day bag a person might carry. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Tuolumne]

Here is a motion detecting bag alarm on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Camera-Bag-Alar...8872608QQihZ013QQcategoryZ64337QQcmdZViewItem

/T

 

[infocusf8@earthlink.]

Sorry to say this but Rome is the last place I would go first with a new expensive camera. Thieves in Rome know just about every way to steal from tourists. If it were me I'd leave the M8 home and invest in a DLUX 3, put it in your pocket and only take it out to take quick pictures. It has a RAW setting and covers 28-105mm about all you'll use on the M8, excellent optics, image quality and a wide screen to take full advantage of the 28mm and the 16:9 aspect ratio. If it's stolen your only out $600 instead of $6000+ and its a lot easier to hide.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Sorry to say this but Rome is the last place I would go first with a new expensive camera. Thieves in Rome know just about every way to steal from tourists.

This reminds me of the classic trick of reinforcing the neck-strap with a (steel) guitar string: much harder to slice through.

Cheers,

R.

 

[cosmonaut]

I am just glad I live in a part of the world where most people can't even pronounce Leica, let alone know what one is.

 

[Nick De Marco]

For me there is no point having a convenient portable camera such as an M8 if you can't take it everywhere with you, especially the most risky places. I've carried an expensive camera around Naples before (and Rome but Naples was worse) and I certainly got some hard stares but keep it firmly around your neck at all times or in a hotel safe and have insurance.

Enjoy the M8 and enjoy Rome - such a beautiful city

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

Put some stickers over any labels that might give away the brand or value of the camera. Saw this on Karens site and thought it was a good way to to go stealth.

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/LeicaM7.html

I mean who wants to steal a camera with a piggy sticker on it right?

 

[jaapv]

Insurance?

 

[maddoc]

Sorry to hear about what happened ! I don't know how you think about film but for a trip to Rome some M6 w/Summicron 35 or 50 should do the job. You would be less worried about the value, have a Leica and it much less weight than a 5D with a couple of lenses.

 

[teo]

I'm italian and I know the situation is not nice about criminality.
But I've also been to Naples and spent many years in nasty areas of Milan, without losing a cent (until now ;-)) so I suggest to take the M8, and with a grain of salt you'll be back with your card full ;-).
The only advice I can give is the plain old don't look like a tourist, possibly avoid not only being alone in a dark road, but also the crowd, you can easily get burgled, and nobody'll help you, many just look at while happening.
The good thing about M8 is that if you keep the screen covered (or just off), it looks like a film camera. IMHO it should look less expensive than a DSLR with a big zoom...
And don't try to defend your gear, I repeat: in some areas nobody'll help you...

 

[jaapv]

I would say that Rome is a whole lot better than for instance the Cote d'Azur in summer. It all depends on your own bearing as well. I have seen people being overly cautious and being mugged in Nairobi, not the safest of cities even before the present disaster, whilst the guy in front of them - just as touristy and "attractive" just walked past the same hoodlums - but with an air of self-confidence. I carried expensive camera equipement around there many times and never felt threatened btw. Rome is fine imo, or at least as fine as any big metropole.

And Maddoc's advice is sound: no camera is worth your life - or even a stay in hospital.

Also I agree the M8 is far less likely to get you mugged than a 400D+zoom. Stickers are useless imo. If the thief knows it is an M8 (unlikely) he will not steal it; it is virtually unsellable, and if he doesn't he'll steal it anyway.

 

[Tuolumne]

This reminds me why when it comes down to it, I usually just take my Ricoh GX-100 when I go anywhere. No doubt, I'll come home one day to find my house burgled. 😱

/T

 

[tunznath]

Just some hints - I originally come from south africa and the crime there is bad - I saw tourists in capetown walking in the city centre with all their gold chains and rings on display - enough to feed someone for a year - dont invite crime in any country

so dont dress like a tourist - you may not think so but you are easy to spot - after a while the locals can even identify Germans, Italians, Americans, Brits - just by dress - dress like the locals ( buy some cheap locals clothes) dont display wealth, no leica cap, bag, t shirt, jewellery open on display,
Dont trust that everyone is honest,
Dont go to dodgy areas, if you feel uncomfortable in an area leave
Dont talk loud with your accents - very important
if you use a map, dont do it in a area where everyone can see you ( I photocopy them so they arent colourful "screaming TOURIST MAP"
Be confident - looking like you are about to be mugged is - well an invitation
If you get mugged, remember that in some countries your life may be worth less to the mugger than what he wants.

 

[Tuolumne]

You are also reminding me why I try not to go anywhere these days. Anywhere.

/T

 

[tunznath]

hey its a big bad world out there - but its damn interesting

 

[teo]

You are also reminding me why I try not to go anywhere these days. Anywhere.
/T

Ah, so that's why we're seeing more and more brick walls photos these days: people shoots the inside of their bunkers 😉 😀



...and the hi-ISO craziness lately is all about the said bunker being a bit dark inside to shoot without flash