theft prevention

M

mooge

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though relatively inexpensive, my standard (SLR) kit is rather precious. i've got a trip to the tropics coming up soon, and I don't really want to get my stuff stolen. any tips from you lads?

do I need to black out the Canon label? as I understand, the more electrical tape on the camera body the better, but is it necessary on a chrome camera (or do thieves not realize that this is not digital or particularly valuable)?

and if I did get a Leica (hah!) kit, are those less likely to get stolen because of the old-school-ness?

and... chrome or black? black is discreet, chrome is prapse flashy, but no expensive SLRs of today are chrome in colour.

opinions?

cheers.
Dragunov
 
Thieves don't generally study what to take, they just take what someone's not paying attention to. And they don't care what brand it is, they're not going to use it to take photos, they're going to sell that $800 camera for $30 worth of drugs. Maybe, just maybe, if the gear looks "really old" they may not bother, but I wouldn't count on that.

The best advice I can give you is to make it all fit into a modest carry bag and never let go of it. Not even for a minute. I walked 15 feet away from my bag which was on a bench at Busch Gardens Virginia for less than a minute to look at something with an eye to maybe photographing it, and when I turned around, it was gone. I really mean less than a minute. Lucky for me it was picked up by a security person and brought to a security booth down the road where I retrived it. But it could have been a less happy ending. And don't leave any items of your kit in your hotel room.
 
Take no more than you can keep with you ALWAYS and never EVER put it down. Get a booth at a resturant and put the camera againt the wall and cover it. If you are forced to a table, put the bag strap around a chair leg and your leg.

I like bags with two straps, one shoulder and one around the waist. Stops the grab and run types and carrying is lots more compfortable that way no matter where you are.

Thieves are opportunists so don`t provide the opportinity.
 
I'm a little old for this trick and you may be a bit young for it at 16, but I've done it 20 years ago... get a nice, big PINK diaper bag and carry your gear in that. They're even lightly padded all around, and some may even have dividers, but in any case you can hot-glue some padding in for dividers. Not even a crack head will steal a diaper bag, it might have a dirty diaper in it!
 
some good suggestions...

not sure about the diaper bag, but my carryaround camera bag has some resemblance to my mum's lunch bag. y'know, the cooler types? it doesn't really scream "camera bag" in any case.

how am I supposed to carry my camera? on a strap around my neck? in the bag? on a strap screams "TOURIST!" but if it's in the bag, I could miss the decisive moment. what do you do?

thanks, you all!
 
I like this idea of a "Personal Articles" insurance rider. How does it work, can you take it out for just the time you are on vacation, or do you need to keep it for a longer period of time? Is it expensive?
 
Dbl Neg,

Thanks for the info, I'll definately give it a try on my next vacation (if the economy improves!). I'll have alot more peace of mind lugging my Bronica kit around if I know that it is insured.
 
I have never lost a piece of camera gear to theft in either business or personal travel situations. The key is to keep an eye on your equipment - don't leave it anywhere unattended, if at all possible. When out on the street, act confident and pay attention to what is going on around you.
 
Don't worry about it any more than you would at home. Just don't leave your stuff sitting on a bench while you wander off. Just because you aren't at home doesn't mean everyone is out to get you.
 
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