PickPocket

[klissarov ik]

i was just curious to know if any of y'all had problems(concerning your camera & equipments) with pickpockets during a trip or even at home?

 

[EOS_JD]

I'm not long back from the beautiful city of Prague. No problems at all. I've been three timews and never any problems.

however a work mate is just back from Riga in Latvia, and he advises stay well clear. One of his friends got mugged (face slashed too) for just a few pounds...... Sounds dangerous there. At night the people were not friendly although he said it was nice during the day.

 

[(Ghastly) Krueger]

A coworker's camera was stolen from his luggage in a flight from China... no idea where it could have been, since it was not a direct flight.

 

[fightheheathens]

i had all of my equiptment stolen out of a car once in San Francisco

 

[Garbz]

It depends what you do. I personally would want to be in a group if I were in a dark alley on a Sunday night, but I have no reservations walking down the streets of Brisbane, Sydney, or Vienna while I was over there with my camera.

I would actually be more worried with a smaller camera, since many pick pocketers would prefer to avoid confrontation. A small camera is something that can be grabbed on a dash past, and something the pickpocket may even be able to use. Large cameras are rather different.

Use some common sense though. If you have say a Nikon D200 which unfortunately says Nikon D200 on the strap, tuck it under your collar so people from behind don't see it. Always have your camera strap secured around your arm or neck, unless you have a tripod or something else to make the camera even bigger and more difficult to snatch.

As for plane trips I always take my camera in hand luggage. I have never had an airline complain about bringing a camera bag in addition to a normal backpack on a plane.

 

[Kristen6877]

I haven't had any problems with pickpockets in Honolulu, Hawaii but I do have a friend that recently had a Canon Digital Rebel stolen from his car. There is apparently alot of auto thefts here.

Mahalo, Kristen

 

[jwkwd]

I am not a big traveler or anything, but I am kind of anal about my stuff, albeit older film cameras. I don't like to advertise anything. The logo's or brand names on bags are blacked out with magic marker as well as the name brand on straps. No, I don't black out anything on the cameras themselves. It might just be me, but if I see someone that has a Nikon hat and tee-shirt, bag and everything else, basically a walking billboard, that is an accident waiting to happen. Getting something stolen out of luggage or a hotel room is probably just bad luck. The best peace of mind still comes form insurance.

 

[Torus34]

I've not yet experienced a problem with pickpockets.

Now ask me if my wallet has ever been lightened by an ad for a new camera! ;-))

 

[The_Traveler]

The logo's or brand names on bags are blacked out with magic marker as well as the name brand on straps. No, I don't black out anything on the cameras themselves.

Me, too. I use hefty 3d party straps and put a little bit of black tape on Brnad names on cameras and lens caps. Less to catch the eye. My camera is always over my neck and shoulder - to discourage snatches from passing moto and I usually actually hold the camera.

In excursions to 45 countries haven't yet lost anything, except my pre-conceptions.

Lew

 

[DSLR noob]

At school, I just tell everyone the XT is a film camera with an EXPOSURE LCD screen. Nobody even wants it. Gotta love most teenagers who refuse to use anything retro. I leave it around my neck as well with the "EOS Digital" logo flipped underneath the strap to expose the solid black side.

 

[klissarov ik]

At school, I just tell everyone the XT is a film camera with an EXPOSURE LCD screen. Nobody even wants it. Gotta love most teenagers who refuse to use anything retro. I leave it around my neck as well with the "EOS Digital" logo flipped underneath the strap to expose the solid black side.

they never asked to see the film?

 

[Peanuts]

When I was leaving Sierra Leone, another individual I was travelling with had packed his P&S to go underneath (first mistake), and it was taken before it even made it on the plane (checked immediately upon arrival in London) So... oops.

 

[klissarov ik]

damn that's a bad mistake... i'm taking camera & bag with me for sure during my flight. but thanks for the comments, i took some good advices- since i'm going to my country, bulgaria, this summer and i don't want to get bad experiences with pickpockets as there's lots of them!

 

[DSLR noob]

they never asked to see the film?

"If I take it out, it'll get exposed, I only brought one roll, Sorry."

 

[Peanuts]

When I was in SL and Spain (which is notorious for pickpocketers) I used a Lowepro Slingshot AW bag - worked perfectly. I never needed to put my bag down (as you can just 'swing' it and get what you want) and in Spain, I put the All Weather cover up - sure it looks stupid and the lowepro symbol on it screams camera gear, but, any pick pocket who can remove a plastic cover that crinkles, open up a difficult to unzip zipper (it goes across then down then back across, and then steal the camera gear - I say good on him, because that would be a pretty impressive feat.