Almost got my camera stolen...from my hand!

keller

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So last night I was snapping shots in the city, when this teenager runs across and tries to grab my camera. Luckily I heard the footsteps and turned just in time to hang onto my camera. As he ran past he threw a punch at me, so I gave him a good whack with my small tripod.

Anyway alls well that ends well, no damage done, he ran off before I could grab him though. But still, I live in Australia, which is supposed to be one of the world's low-crime places...

From now on, I'm wrapping the camera cord several times around my wrist while shooting!
 
This is why I shoot shots in the backwoods.. nobody around to steal my stuff! Acutally I always make sure to wear my camera with the strap around my neck. If they want the camera they are going to have to drag my strangling body along with it.
 
Whenever I shoot music events downtown, I always carry it with me in my Tamrac backpack. Every now and again, some drunkard will ask me, "Hey man, what's in the bag?"

I always reply, "A woman's head. Leave me alone or I'll add another one."
 
keller said:
So last night I was snapping shots in the city, when this teenager runs across and tries to grab my camera. Luckily I heard the footsteps and turned just in time to hang onto my camera. As he ran past he threw a punch at me, so I gave him a good whack with my small tripod.

Anyway alls well that ends well, no damage done, he ran off before I could grab him though. But still, I live in Australia, which is supposed to be one of the world's low-crime places...

From now on, I'm wrapping the camera cord several times around my wrist while shooting!
And keep the tripod handy! :lol: That was good....
 
keller said:
From now on, I'm wrapping the camera cord several times around my wrist while shooting!

I have learned that lesson the hard way as well. I also try not to leave my camera bag on the passenger seat of the Jeep. Some one should start a "Getting robbed or beaten up for taking a photo" thread.
 
Had a Miranda Ft and a Z-I rangefinder stolen from me when I was a kid. Then I started shooting Nikons. Figured I could beat them to death with the body and still photograph their dead, lifeless body with it when it's all over.
 
I had a homeless junkie try and take my camera off me as i walked through the city centre of a day. He didnt try to run past and take it, he just stood there trying to take it of my neck when i refused to give him "any spare change". Luckily he backed off when when i got aggressive with him

Strange thing was i saw him again a few months later when i was a bit drunk so confronted him and told him He was the guy who tried to rob my camera. He apologised and said he couldnt remember because he was high at the time and that he was trying to clean up his act. Ended up just feeling sorry for him
 
Just as an added note.. Make sure you have your camera and gear insured. That way if they do actually manage to take off with your camera you at least can get it replaced without paying.
 
Luckly I havent had that problem...yet... I have heard afew tips... someone once told me to scratch up my camera and lens (not the glass...) and spray it alittle with paint or do whatever so it looks more warn maybe put some duct tape on it so it looks like its being held together... but I cant bring myself to do that, (my cameras to perty...) but one thing I did this summer when i went to NYC, instead of using one of my good camera pouches, I went to the army surplus store and purchased a used gas mask bag thats alittle warn looking and i had extra pouches from my camera bag that attatched to it so I put wrinkely warn duct tape on those so it all looked old and krappy... the nice this is the gasmask bag attatched nicely to my back pack that I took on the train with me...
 
Originally Posted by Kent Frost
"A woman's head. Leave me alone or I'll add another one."
Had a good laugh out of that one.

Now to avoid something like this when carryign gear aound, has anyone ever tried using a 'beltbag' or one that wraps around the waste? I guess the only problem with that one is someone would be able to quickly undo it fromt he back and be off with it. Hmm..
 
craig said:
Some one should start a "Getting robbed or beaten up for taking a photo" thread.

Be sure to post all the photos that were accidentally taken in the struggle, we'll add some critique :lol:
 
i was taking night photos once in downtown philadelphia, around love park. and had put my camera in my backpack when some guy asked for my bag,many many ... many times. he tried pulling it off, and we got into a little scuffle, but there was a cop nearby who broke it up.
i was ready to keep on shooting but the officer insisted i pressed charges. ehh.. so i went to the preliminary hearing a month later, testified, but didnt go back for the next hearing to press charges, huge waste of time. and not one good photo either.
 
Keller, can I ask what City. I live in Sydney and have been thinking fo going into the city to take some night shots.
 
It was Melbourne the first time I almost got robbed, then Adelaide (!) the second time. I've never shot in Sydney before, but I know there is higher crime there compared to Adelaide/Melb, so probably pays to be more careful.

I cant bring myself to scratch up my camera, but I'm doing the "crappy camera bag" idea, and it seems to be drawing less attention than before when I had a good camera bag.
 

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