stolen camera finder

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porktaco

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Stolen Camera Finder, A Site That Finds Photos Taken By Your Camera

By EDW Lynch on May 3, 2011

Stolen Camera Finder by Matt Burns is a simple website that can track down a lost or stolen camera by searching online for the camera’s serial number in the Exif data embedded in many digital photos. The site has a growing database of serial numbers mapped to photos posted online–more than one million cameras have been identified.
Every photo you take with your digital camera contains hidden information about both the image and the camera such as the make, model and date. This information, called exif data, can also include a unique serial number which identifies your camera. stolencamerafinder crawls the internet searching for photos, collecting the serial numbers of the cameras that took them. When you use the drag & drop feature, stolencamerafinder reads the unique serial number from the exif data of your photo and uses it to match against serial numbers it has stored.
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via Chris Glass
 
Neat idea. Unfortunately, one that's quite easy to side-step since EXIF data is easily removed from a photo file. Indeed, it's often lost by any modification of the image in software. Of course, if someone doesn't know any better (i.e. most of "joe public") and uploads the original file, bingo! I guess it only takes one file, with the EXIF data intact, to work - so it can't be a bad thing.
 
Welp, it just happened to me. Had my D80 & lens stolen from my car at some point in the past week. While I'd love to get it back, I have little hope of ever seeing it again. Checked out the site linked here, and got no results (though it's early yet). :(
 
Interesting concept. I think people have also started "stolen camera" databases. Only catch is (at least in the USA) "innocent until proven guilty." The burden of proof is on the accuser/the prosecution. I wonder how these perps get nabbed (what's the full story?).
 
just got my rx100 stolen.... but its not supported on the website as it doesnt write any serial number info on the exif. major bummer :(
 
Trouble is that even if you locate your stolen camera, you may not be entitled to recover it if the person who now has it purchased it in good faith for bona fide value without reasonably knowing it was stolen. It strikes me that actual photographers aren't typically camera thieves -- the actual thieves are often folks looking to make some quick money selling the item. Recovering your stolen item from someone who claims to be a good faith purchaser would likely require some sort of legal action. Even tracing back the item to the seller thief could easily require meaningful time and money.
 
Stupid me! By reading the title I though it would had been a thread about a stolen camera finder! :)
(that coffee isn't working any more!)
 
If only this could support the Mamiya RB67 and Nikon F2 I had stolen from me this morning.
 
Two suspicious Summicrons

Two suspicious Summicrons

There are two lenses in two separate ads; a 50 version 5 with built in hood and a version 4 35 that just appeared on Seattle Craigslist for $900. each and they look clean. The seller posted the lens hood for the 35mm lens with the ad for the 50 which tells me he doesn't have clue. Just sharing in case someone is looking for their stolen gear in Seattle. Here is one of the links:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pho/4860937834.html
 
hmmm.... since this is for digital images/camera's, i guess one can presume that film camera's have become devalued and of less interest to the criminal world!!!

another reason to stick with film - less theft!!!!


jvo
 
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