Locking our bodies with a code like we do our phone... ramifications?

[jdramirez]

I was in a thread about someone going to Africa and the obligatory word of warning was given about theft of gear...

It occurred to me... what about locking or bodies with s code the way we do our phones. Photographers need immediate access to their gear, so doing so each time it powers up isn't an option... but what about every 24 hours? In the morning, enter the code and it won't require the code to be entered until the next twenty four hours...

If the body has wifi, you can back up the code to Canon interwebs and if you forget, you can have an email sent to your account.

Would this deter theft at all... certainly might deter resale value... to get the camera working again, a thief would have to connect it to the computer and re flash the firmware to the device... which might be too much work for a thief.

I guess they could sell it for parts.. Huh...

 

[mackguyver]

I was in a thread about someone going to Africa and the obligatory word of warning was given about theft of gear...

It occurred to me... what about locking or bodies with s code the way we do our phones. Photographers need immediate access to their gear, so doing so each time it powers up isn't an option... but what about every 24 hours? In the morning, enter the code and it won't require the code to be entered until the next twenty four hours...

If the body has wifi, you can back up the code to Canon interwebs and if you forget, you can have an email sent to your account.

Would this deter theft at all... certainly might deter resale value... to get the camera working again, a thief would have to connect it to the computer and re flash the firmware to the device... which might be too much work for a thief.

I guess they could sell it for parts.. Huh...

It sounds like a Magic Lantern request ;D. Personally I'd never use this - I find the minor delay between turning on my camera and shooting to be bad enough as is!

 

[Skywise]

It sounds like a Magic Lantern request ;D. Personally I'd never use this - I find the minor delay between turning on my camera and shooting to be bad enough as is!

Just put a fingerprint scanner on the power switch like the iPhone! I've NEVER had a problem with that! ;D

 

[Besisika]

It sounds like a Magic Lantern request ;D. Personally I'd never use this - I find the minor delay between turning on my camera and shooting to be bad enough as is!

Just put a fingerprint scanner on the power switch like the iPhone! I've NEVER had a problem with that! ;D

for a 5K+ worth of gear I would, please bring it on.

 

[jdramirez]

It sounds like a Magic Lantern request ;D. Personally I'd never use this - I find the minor delay between turning on my camera and shooting to be bad enough as is!

Just put a fingerprint scanner on the power switch like the iPhone! I've NEVER had a problem with that! ;D

for a 5K+ worth of gear I would, please bring it on.

Our lenses would be stolen and sold or traded for crack... and if someone really wants crack, they will steal our bodies too because they don't know any better...

I don't mind the delay... but it would be nice if the criminals were told in advance that the mkiii and the 1dx aren't worth stealing.

 

[mackguyver]

Two more things - would we get a discount on our insurance? Also, I'd be all for a Kingston-style lock on the bodies, like they added to the series II supertelephotos.

 

[slclick]

"Mr. Badguy, here is my camera body..no, you don't want this big long white lens...it's an old worthless model"

 

[unfocused]

I'd prefer a tracking chip that indicates where the camera or lens is.

 

[dstppy]

Canon could easily make a 'safetylock' where you literally bayonette the EF/EF-S mount/lens when you ship it/store it.

Do it the right way and you could make it easily known if a lens or body was stolen (if the buyer cares) -- once it gets well enough known, it would cut down on some kinds of theft.

I was going to make a 'safe gun' joke but that always gets people going :/

 

[Jim Saunders]

Having a PIN to enable each lens to a given body strikes me as feasible - no aperture/AF/IS without it. The disable-after-24 hour thing is interesting also.

Jim

 

[wsmith96]

I was in a thread about someone going to Africa and the obligatory word of warning was given about theft of gear...

It occurred to me... what about locking or bodies with s code the way we do our phones. Photographers need immediate access to their gear, so doing so each time it powers up isn't an option... but what about every 24 hours? In the morning, enter the code and it won't require the code to be entered until the next twenty four hours...

If the body has wifi, you can back up the code to Canon interwebs and if you forget, you can have an email sent to your account.

Would this deter theft at all... certainly might deter resale value... to get the camera working again, a thief would have to connect it to the computer and re flash the firmware to the device... which might be too much work for a thief.

I guess they could sell it for parts.. Huh...

maybe a programmable joystick/button sequence....that way I can relive my youth and feel like I'm still playing mortal kombat.

 

[mackguyver]

I was going to make a 'safe gun' joke but that always gets people going :/

Same here, but I decided not to post it - similar issues apply, but better to stay away from politics. If I had kids, I'd definitely lock up my camera gear, too, though, given the way my niece and nephew play with my gear!

 

[Skywise]

Having a PIN to enable each lens to a given body strikes me as feasible - no aperture/AF/IS without it. The disable-after-24 hour thing is interesting also.

Jim

I was thinking that too but what about those of use that have multiple bodies that use the lenses interchangeably on the shoot - You'd have to be able to pair a lens to X bodies and then "lock" it from being paired to any other camera. Then, of course, there'd have to be someway to reset that when customers forget their PIN so I think that would all be pretty easily bypassable.

maybe a programmable joystick/button sequence....that way I can relive my youth and feel like I'm still playing mortal kombat.

up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-menu-play.

 

[jdramirez]

Two more things - would we get a discount on our insurance? Also, I'd be all for a Kingston-style lock on the bodies, like they added to the series II supertelephotos.

Speaking of insurance... I don't ever want my mkiii stolen... but if it were to happen... maybe right after the mkiv comes out...

 

[dstppy]

I was going to make a 'safe gun' joke but that always gets people going :/

Same here, but I decided not to post it - similar issues apply, but better to stay away from politics. If I had kids, I'd definitely lock up my camera gear, too, though, given the way my niece and nephew play with my gear!

I'm the jerk hanging $2k of gear around an 8-year-old's neck so he learns how to shoot with something that doesn't have little pictures on the dial. ;D

 

[9VIII]

Nikon already has a patent on matching lenses to bodies, hopefully that wouldn't stop Canon from implementing something similar.

If you (digitally) lock lenses to bodies and have to input a code every time you turn the camera on (and then leave it on for the rest of the afternoon) that would be pretty secure.
Just require the code again before you flash it. If all goes wrong send it to Canon with a proof of purchase.

Initially it wouldn't be a deterrent, but after a few years people would catch on. It wouldn't make fencing stuff impossible, but with all the extra effort involved it would be far less appealing (going from a one man operation with no skill required to two or more with special equipment).

 

[jdramirez]

they could even rebrand l lenses as well as ls lenses.. the L would still stand for luxury and the s would stand for security

 

[Jim Saunders]

Having a PIN to enable each lens to a given body strikes me as feasible - no aperture/AF/IS without it. The disable-after-24 hour thing is interesting also.

Jim

I was thinking that too but what about those of use that have multiple bodies that use the lenses interchangeably on the shoot - You'd have to be able to pair a lens to X bodies and then "lock" it from being paired to any other camera. Then, of course, there'd have to be someway to reset that when customers forget their PIN so I think that would all be pretty easily bypassable.

It could be as simple as "enter PIN to enter pairing menu". Employing that option would make keeping receipts even more important so you could prove ownership if you had to get that PIN reset, but if it saves me on insurance then so much the better.

Jim

 

[jdramirez]

I'm a big believer in the secondary market... so that's my concern. If I buy a lens that is paired and coded with a pin, the first time I want to do is pop it on my body and test it out. If the buyer doesn't know to release the lens or they lose the CD... then that could pose a problem.

Maybe a USB key that you can input software... and then a Sigma style dock... or via usb through the body to unlock.

I think a USB key that you keep @ home in a lock box would be the figurative and literal key to this plan being feasible.

 

[Jim Saunders]

I'm a big believer in the secondary market... so that's my concern. If I buy a lens that is paired and coded with a pin, the first time I want to do is pop it on my body and test it out. If the buyer doesn't know to release the lens or they lose the CD... then that could pose a problem.

Maybe a USB key that you can input software... and then a Sigma style dock... or via usb through the body to unlock.

I think a USB key that you keep @ home in a lock box would be the figurative and literal key to this plan being feasible.

What about a microSD card in a little compartment, install it to leave the lens entirely unlocked (so you could sell it), remove it to enable the locking functionality? Something like that.

Jim