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squarebox said:
If you should happen to return from Europe without your L you might be able to answer your own question whether it is an issue or not...
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TexPhoto said:
They might not be aware that white means expensive, but they would probably be aware that big is expensive.
A few months ago I was taking photos of a building which happens to be close to the local Occupy Someplace or Another. People saw a tripod & a big camera, and I had to explain half a dozen people I'm not working for "The Media".
[It's a nice building, and if "The Media" is right, it might collapse RSN.]
I was helping friends shoot a clip for a friend's song. Two 5Dmk2 & an HD hero, and people asked for which TV channel do we work, and whether it will be seen on MTV.
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Lots of great replies here (in particular, good tip on the camera straps with steel cables). Personally I've been lucky enough to never have had anything stolen (& I do travel a lot). Here are a few things I do:
HTH...
- Use "stealth" bags like the beautiful Think Tank Retrospective and Urban Disguise. I also have a big Crumpler backpack when I really need to carry everything.
- In the past, I owned a long white 70-200 f/4L. The first thing I did when I got it was cover all the white parts with gaffer tape. Not only does it make it stand out less, but it protects the lens body from dents & scratches as well.
- I have a specific clause in my homeowner's insurance covering $10000 worth of photography gear and computers against theft, fire damage, water damage, etc. I also try to buy everything with my Amex wherever possible, which provides some additional theft insurance for the first year.
HTH...
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I honestly wear a pair of timberland steel toe cap boots if the worst comes to the worst i will boot the thieving scums baws lol
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I've been mulling over having a multipurpose cane/monopod. I don't need a cane, but as a make shift billy club, it certainly can pay for itself.
This is probably a given, but you could work out and gain some bulk. Size can always give the perception of competence... at least when it comes to being physical. Oh... and be ethnic. That might help too.
And occasionally what I do, mostly to keep the camera dry, when it is moist outside is to wear a large sweatshirt and keep the camera underneath the shirt in the belly region. It is easy enough to lift the sweatshirt up and snap a few photos. And out of sight, out of mind helps.
This is probably a given, but you could work out and gain some bulk. Size can always give the perception of competence... at least when it comes to being physical. Oh... and be ethnic. That might help too.
And occasionally what I do, mostly to keep the camera dry, when it is moist outside is to wear a large sweatshirt and keep the camera underneath the shirt in the belly region. It is easy enough to lift the sweatshirt up and snap a few photos. And out of sight, out of mind helps.
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sheedoe said:
+1 on that Lowepro Messenger bag. Make no mistake, it's not a bag to buy for long hiking excursions and when protection is of biggest concern - the inner and outer walls are pretty thin. Then again, I simply took the inner protective walls out of my old Lowepro slingshot to buff it out and it now serves my purpose perfectly. I can walk through town at night by myself and don't feel the need to worry about my equipment. And for the price those bags are going for you really can't wrong.
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Ellen Schmidtee said:
OK, thanks for letting me know.
I have never had a problem with gear being stolen, but I am dude, not that big, but not that small. Anyway, common sense goes a long way.
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Concealed Carry Permit? .454 Casull is a HUGE detriment to theft! 
But on the insurance side of things, be sure to check the deductable. Personal Articles Policy with State Farm is well and good, but it's not for business use and when push comes to shove your claim will probably be denied. Inland Marine with State Farm is for Business use (you sell pictures?) but has a $1000 deductable, hardly helpful if someone walks off with a $1200 24-105. Similar issues with personal property home insurance, if it's "personal property" you use it for personal reasons, taking pics of your kids, zoo, vacation... if you hire out then it disqualifies it. Lie about it and try to make a claim and you could lose your home insurance and be blacklisted, making it hard to get coverage anywhere!
I switched to Travelers this past summer, much lower deductable and everything but natural disaster is completely covered. It's a bit more expensive than the Inland Marine policy at State Farm but has much better coverage.
I was with State Farm for 3 years, first year on Personal Articles Policy...found out they'd deny me if I told the truth that sell the pictures I take or get paid for taking them so I switched to the Inland Marine Policy for 2 years. Then I found I'd have to pay the first Thousand and looked around for something better!
My 2 cents....
But on the insurance side of things, be sure to check the deductable. Personal Articles Policy with State Farm is well and good, but it's not for business use and when push comes to shove your claim will probably be denied. Inland Marine with State Farm is for Business use (you sell pictures?) but has a $1000 deductable, hardly helpful if someone walks off with a $1200 24-105. Similar issues with personal property home insurance, if it's "personal property" you use it for personal reasons, taking pics of your kids, zoo, vacation... if you hire out then it disqualifies it. Lie about it and try to make a claim and you could lose your home insurance and be blacklisted, making it hard to get coverage anywhere!
I switched to Travelers this past summer, much lower deductable and everything but natural disaster is completely covered. It's a bit more expensive than the Inland Marine policy at State Farm but has much better coverage.
I was with State Farm for 3 years, first year on Personal Articles Policy...found out they'd deny me if I told the truth that sell the pictures I take or get paid for taking them so I switched to the Inland Marine Policy for 2 years. Then I found I'd have to pay the first Thousand and looked around for something better!
My 2 cents....
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I've carried my gear all over the world and shot in some pretty sketchy places (at night on the streets of Paris comes to mind) and haven't had too many times when I felt I was in real danger of getting my gear snatched.
Here are a couple of things I recommend:
1. Don't go alone.
Whether its my wife that's with me or a friend I always make sure to have a "buddy" with me if I can... and I make it clear to my buddy that their job is to help watch my back (literally!). For instance, crowded subway trains present a problem if you have your gear on your back. My wife just instinctively moves to stand behind me now to keep an eye on that situation.
Similarly, when I'm setting up an urban shot with a tripod, I'm all engrossed in what I'm doing and I rely on my buddy to keep an eye on my surroundings. Also, people are less likely to mess with 2 people than one.
2. Locks on my bag. I have several different backpacks but the ones that provide external access to any gear all have little TSA approved locks on the zippers. Anytime I'm somewhere sketchy or before using any mass transportation I always make sure it's locked up. I also prefer really shiny gold locks so that thieves can see they are on there and think twice about snatching my bag in the first place.
3. NEVER set your bag on the ground. This rule can be a pain but it does work. Ripping a backpack off of your back is infinitely harder than picking it up off the ground. If I do set my bag down to get something out of it, I immediately put back on my back when I get whatever it was out.
4. Keep hands on your gear.
I was shooting some urban scenes in Seattle a couple of years ago. I had my camera on a tripod and I was using my remote release. Even so.. I still kept one hand gripping the tripod... And it's a good thing. A homeless looking guy (i was down by the water and basically surrounded) came up to me and started trying to distract me by telling me to look at the sunset over there... Or at what his friend was doing. I stayed calm and KEPT MY HANDS LOCKED on my tripod and camera strap while I calmly continued shooting a few more exposures. I then calmly put my camera back on my neck, picked my tripod up and asked my wife if she was ready to go and moved off toward a more populated area...
Definitely the closest I've ever come to getting my gear stolen. My wife was pretty freaked out ;-). BUT I got beautiful shots of downtown Seattle in the waning light ;-)
Here are a couple of things I recommend:
1. Don't go alone.
Whether its my wife that's with me or a friend I always make sure to have a "buddy" with me if I can... and I make it clear to my buddy that their job is to help watch my back (literally!). For instance, crowded subway trains present a problem if you have your gear on your back. My wife just instinctively moves to stand behind me now to keep an eye on that situation.
Similarly, when I'm setting up an urban shot with a tripod, I'm all engrossed in what I'm doing and I rely on my buddy to keep an eye on my surroundings. Also, people are less likely to mess with 2 people than one.
2. Locks on my bag. I have several different backpacks but the ones that provide external access to any gear all have little TSA approved locks on the zippers. Anytime I'm somewhere sketchy or before using any mass transportation I always make sure it's locked up. I also prefer really shiny gold locks so that thieves can see they are on there and think twice about snatching my bag in the first place.
3. NEVER set your bag on the ground. This rule can be a pain but it does work. Ripping a backpack off of your back is infinitely harder than picking it up off the ground. If I do set my bag down to get something out of it, I immediately put back on my back when I get whatever it was out.
4. Keep hands on your gear.
I was shooting some urban scenes in Seattle a couple of years ago. I had my camera on a tripod and I was using my remote release. Even so.. I still kept one hand gripping the tripod... And it's a good thing. A homeless looking guy (i was down by the water and basically surrounded) came up to me and started trying to distract me by telling me to look at the sunset over there... Or at what his friend was doing. I stayed calm and KEPT MY HANDS LOCKED on my tripod and camera strap while I calmly continued shooting a few more exposures. I then calmly put my camera back on my neck, picked my tripod up and asked my wife if she was ready to go and moved off toward a more populated area...
Definitely the closest I've ever come to getting my gear stolen. My wife was pretty freaked out ;-). BUT I got beautiful shots of downtown Seattle in the waning light ;-)
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It also helps to be a natural badass. I was at a club and people were messing with me for a variety of reasons. All four were on the floor before all was said and done. You get a reputation for being a bad man... and people don't mess with you. Just saying.
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corntrollio
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DBCdp said:Concealed Carry Permit? .454 Casull is a HUGE detriment to theft!
But on the insurance side of things, be sure to check the deductable. Personal Articles Policy with State Farm is well and good, but it's not for business use and when push comes to shove your claim will probably be denied. Inland Marine with State Farm is for Business use (you sell pictures?) but has a $1000 deductable, hardly helpful if someone walks off with a $1200 24-105. Similar issues with personal property home insurance, if it's "personal property" you use it for personal reasons, taking pics of your kids, zoo, vacation... if you hire out then it disqualifies it. Lie about it and try to make a claim and you could lose your home insurance and be blacklisted, making it hard to get coverage anywhere!
I switched to Travelers this past summer, much lower deductable and everything but natural disaster is completely covered. It's a bit more expensive than the Inland Marine policy at State Farm but has much better coverage.
Photo.net has a good article on the varieties of insurance you can get for camera gear, including Personal Articles Floaters and Inland Marine policies. They also have an affiliation with an insurer with good rates:
http://photo.net/learn/insurance
It's something like $175 for the liability insurance, plus $60 per assistant, which is required if you want the Inland Marine coverage. If you're a pro, you need liability insurance anyway. The rates for Inland Marine are $10 per $1000 with a $150 for $15,000 minimum. The deductible for Inland Marine is $250, which isn't unreasonable.
As DBCdp said, don't lie to your insurance carrier and try to cover your gear under a Personal Articles Floater if you make money through photography. If you make even a dollar selling a photo as microstock, the insurance company can rightfully deny your claim for operating a business with the gear.
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corntrollio
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dilbert said:
Karl Grobl wrote an article about this in his years of experience as a photojournalist. He suggests using your camera as a defensive maneuver -- if you spot thugs, look them in the eye and take a picture of them if possible, which generally scares them off:
http://www.karlgrobl.com/EquipmentReviews/HowNottoBeaTarget.htm
He also tries to deter casual 3rd world theft from his hotel room by locking down his valuables. It won't prevent a diligent thief who is willing to put in the effort, but it'll be an effective deterrent, much like a bike lock, where a less determined thief will move on to an easier mark:
http://karlgrobl.com/EquipmentReviews/PacSafe.htm
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