Everything stolen so hello M8 and a question

[chocy]

Hey guys

This is the first post I make here.
I have been quite jealous of you guys and the fancy leicas
I have been traveling Europe for about two months with my canon gears (5D w/ lots of L lenses)
unfortunately last week I had everything stolen from me in Madrid. :(
Luckly I have insurance on it so now I just have cash to buy everything back.
So now I figure it is the prime oppurtunity to go for the Leica setup.

I went to a shop and looked at it today and It is a great camera. (Although I am not 100% convinced on the digital Leica compared to the 5D (just the digital part. not the photo part)

Anyway now I will be going to Rome next week (after getting the M8)
so I am even more concerned about the theft than the Spain
So do you know any gadget that can help me from prying eyes of the theives?

Any advise can be helpful!!

No matter what the gear, photograhphy rules!!

[Tuolumne]

Get as inconspicuous a bag as you can find. Something that doesn't proclaim: "Very expensive camera and lenses inside!"

/T

[Roger Hicks]

I have a cheap device consisting of an alarm with a pin (like a grenade pin) attached to a piece of string. Separate the pin and the alarm and there is an ear-splitting noise.

Put alarm in case, clip string to belt. There will be times when you set it off accidentally but that's less embarrasing than losing your kit.

I bought mine in Lidl, a German cheap-grocery chain, but they had it only for a few weeks. Sorry I can't suggest where to look.

Good luck with the M8. It's a lovely camera.

Cheers,

R.

[tmfabian]

I've heard of people using diaper bags to thwart thieves these days. Apparently no thief wants to dig around in a diaper bag. Anyway, the point of the matter is, get a bag that looks the least like it should have a camera in it as possible.

[BigSteveG]

The Crumplers are pretty unassuming. They look like a typical day bag a person might carry. Sorry for your loss.

[Tuolumne]

Here is a motion detecting bag alarm on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Camera-Bag-Alarm-Motion-Detector-Security-DR-NEW_W0QQitemZ230228872608QQihZ013QQcategoryZ64337Q QcmdZViewItem

/T

[infocusf8@earthlink.]

Sorry to say this but Rome is the last place I would go first with a new expensive camera. Thieves in Rome know just about every way to steal from tourists. If it were me I'd leave the M8 home and invest in a DLUX 3, put it in your pocket and only take it out to take quick pictures. It has a RAW setting and covers 28-105mm about all you'll use on the M8, excellent optics, image quality and a wide screen to take full advantage of the 28mm and the 16:9 aspect ratio. If it's stolen your only out $600 instead of $6000+ and its a lot easier to hide.

[Roger Hicks]

Sorry to say this but Rome is the last place I would go first with a new expensive camera. Thieves in Rome know just about every way to steal from tourists.
This reminds me of the classic trick of reinforcing the neck-strap with a (steel) guitar string: much harder to slice through.

Cheers,

R.

[cosmonaut]

I am just glad I live in a part of the world where most people can't even pronounce Leica, let alone know what one is.

[Nick De Marco]

For me there is no point having a convenient portable camera such as an M8 if you can't take it everywhere with you, especially the most risky places. I've carried an expensive camera around Naples before (and Rome but Naples was worse) and I certainly got some hard stares but keep it firmly around your neck at all times or in a hotel safe and have insurance.

Enjoy the M8 and enjoy Rome - such a beautiful city

[ItsReallyDarren]

Put some stickers over any labels that might give away the brand or value of the camera. Saw this on Karens site and thought it was a good way to to go stealth.

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/LeicaM7.html

I mean who wants to steal a camera with a piggy sticker on it right?

[jaapv]

Insurance?

[maddoc]

Sorry to hear about what happened ! I don't know how you think about film but for a trip to Rome some M6 w/Summicron 35 or 50 should do the job. You would be less worried about the value, have a Leica and it much less weight than a 5D with a couple of lenses.

[teo]

I'm italian and I know the situation is not nice about criminality.
But I've also been to Naples and spent many years in nasty areas of Milan, without losing a cent (until now ;-)) so I suggest to take the M8, and with a grain of salt you'll be back with your card full ;-).
The only advice I can give is the plain old don't look like a tourist, possibly avoid not only being alone in a dark road, but also the crowd, you can easily get burgled, and nobody'll help you, many just look at while happening.
The good thing about M8 is that if you keep the screen covered (or just off), it looks like a film camera. IMHO it should look less expensive than a DSLR with a big zoom...
And don't try to defend your gear, I repeat: in some areas nobody'll help you...

[jaapv]

I would say that Rome is a whole lot better than for instance the Cote d'Azur in summer. It all depends on your own bearing as well. I have seen people being overly cautious and being mugged in Nairobi, not the safest of cities even before the present disaster, whilst the guy in front of them - just as touristy and "attractive" just walked past the same hoodlums - but with an air of self-confidence. I carried expensive camera equipement around there many times and never felt threatened btw. Rome is fine imo, or at least as fine as any big metropole.

And Maddoc's advice is sound: no camera is worth your life - or even a stay in hospital.

Also I agree the M8 is far less likely to get you mugged than a 400D+zoom. Stickers are useless imo. If the thief knows it is an M8 (unlikely) he will not steal it; it is virtually unsellable, and if he doesn't he'll steal it anyway.

[Tuolumne]

This reminds me why when it comes down to it, I usually just take my Ricoh GX-100 when I go anywhere. No doubt, I'll come home one day to find my house burgled. :eek:

/T

[tunznath]

Just some hints - I originally come from south africa and the crime there is bad - I saw tourists in capetown walking in the city centre with all their gold chains and rings on display - enough to feed someone for a year - dont invite crime in any country

so dont dress like a tourist - you may not think so but you are easy to spot - after a while the locals can even identify Germans, Italians, Americans, Brits - just by dress - dress like the locals ( buy some cheap locals clothes) dont display wealth, no leica cap, bag, t shirt, jewellery open on display,
Dont trust that everyone is honest,
Dont go to dodgy areas, if you feel uncomfortable in an area leave
Dont talk loud with your accents - very important
if you use a map, dont do it in a area where everyone can see you ( I photocopy them so they arent colourful "screaming TOURIST MAP"
Be confident - looking like you are about to be mugged is - well an invitation
If you get mugged, remember that in some countries your life may be worth less to the mugger than what he wants.

[Tuolumne]

You are also reminding me why I try not to go anywhere these days. Anywhere.

/T

[tunznath]

hey its a big bad world out there - but its damn interesting

[teo]

You are also reminding me why I try not to go anywhere these days. Anywhere.
/T
Ah, so that's why we're seeing more and more brick walls photos these days: people shoots the inside of their bunkers ;) :D



...and the hi-ISO craziness lately is all about the said bunker being a bit dark inside to shoot without flash

[tunznath]

remember brands say a lot about where you are from -
Jack Wolfskin - German
Blacks, berghaus British
etc remember your backpack, windbreaker, boots - it says a lot where you are from

[Andrew Sowerby]

I think that the original poster had the right approach in the beginning: buy the camera you want, insure it and then go where you want. Cameras are replaceable and insurance puts people in the enviable position of having to choose between a Canon 5D and a Leica M8!

[georgef]

1. put a PANASONIC sticker over theLEICA name he
2. carry an SLR lens to whack thieves over the head with he he
3. carry your gear in a bag with this on the outside: WORLD KARATE CHAMPIONSHIP he he he

Seriously though, get a slim bag that goes over your head and keep it in front of you, not behind your back.

[bottley1]

Italy is a very safe civilised place, just be savvy. Electrical tape stuck all over the leica bits will make camera less showy. Enjoy your trip

[BillBingham2]

Chocy,

I'd go with insurance and also do not bring the world (read every lens you own). I'm a minimalist these days. Take a 28mm, a 50 and nothing else. I use diaper bags for most of my kits and never had problems. I also am somewhat solid and walked all around NYC with a leica for many years so I do walk with a bit of an attitude.

Carry your bag around your shoulder across your chest, flap to the inside. I've been looking at the Timbuk2 medium or small classic messenger bag as a logical next level up. It's a bit bigger than the diaper bag I use and so I might get one of them.

While I would limit my self to a GR-D (28mm) and 40mm add on lens for places like that, I do not have insurance. You have to use your stuff, so walk strong and get the stuff insured.

B2 (;->

[Roberto]

Anyway now I will be going to Rome next week (after getting the M8)
so I am even more concerned about the theft than the Spain


Hey it's not fair! Italian are not worst than Spanish ppl..


Err.. where exactely will you stay in Rome? :D AHAHHA

Rob.

[shimo-kitasnap]

get a dark colored domke f5xb cut off the domke labels, wash it everytime you do your laundry for 4 months before you go on your trip, or buy a used one that looks like it's been to a warzone and back.....plenty of used ones on ebay, hell i'm selling one right now, real cheap. Get the waist belt and use it with the shoulder strap (can't be grabed off your person), Use a mini combination luggage lock on the zipper pulls.

If you're paranoid about camera getting stolen, buy a Zorki 6, canon 50mm f1.8 and 35mm f2.8, and a Voigtlander 28/35 mini finder. there you've got a camera that cost nearly nothing compared to a leica, has wide baselength for night focusing. Youv'e also got 2 decent lenses that yeild nice results yet are relatively cheap. And if it still goes missing, you're only set back $250 ish dollars.....

dress:
don't wear sandals, tourist trademark in many parts of the world, don't wear shorts.
avoid high fashion jeans, stick with levis in plain blue, or some kakhis or even black slacks. wear plain colored buttion shirt, loos the sunglasses and hats, loose the expensive wrist watch, wear a timex or skagan, dark colored.

[cosmonot]

I use diaper bags for most of my kits and never had problems. I also am somewhat solid and walked all around NYC with a leica for many years so I do walk with a bit of an attitude.

FWIW, from where I come from diaper bags often play substitute for purses when people are travelling with kids. Same goes for strollers. That means they have the cash/credit inside them, which to me makes them seem like just as much of a likely target for thieves.

I usually load up with army surplus bags & generic messenger style bags. Try to find something that looks like it DOES NOT HAVE A LAPTOP inside of it, then put some padded inserts inside. Unfortunately the popular "satchel" style domke/billingham bags don't really pass this test for me. Nor does anything with leather trim. Make it look like something that a starving student would carry a lunch and a magazine/newspaper or with, not like something a well off retiree would carry between home and the country club, and that's even better.

The attitude helps the most though. Moving around like you know where you are and you know where you're going seems to be the best tactic.

[Andrew Sowerby]

I think that Shimo is onto something too ... don't dress like a tourist! Not only do you make yourself a target, but (worse?) you'll look like a dork.

[hou baloo]

My friend carries his Leica gear in a pink "Hello, Kitty" padded lunchbag. It may not stop a thief, but it will likely limit the number of thieves to those who have a secure sense of their masculinity! :p

Traveling in urban environments, I use a very generic sling bag, usually one I have picked up in a thrift store for a couple of bucks. A little ragged, not fancy, usually black. In a lot of European cities, carrying one is so de rigeur that I would guess there is little notice taken of them.

[georgef]

insure it and go... i have travelled extensively (including some seriously dodgy places) with a leica and never had an issue.
however i AM 200lbs, thick as a brick and have two full arms of tattoo's (talk about enforcing stereotypes).
seriously, insure it and don't worry about it. a camera can't take pictures if it's at home!
john

HA hA, the tats work for me too. "When in doubt, raise your sleeves"! It works.
But I suggest other means than tattoos for the poster he he.

[caparobertsan]

Hello, I have read some of comment from members regarding travelling Eu countries.

I have travelled by myself arounf EU in 1992. I had no problems. I stayed at ythhostel all the time. I travelled Italy for a month it was great fun. Actually Spain and Italy were the better place for me to visit because of people and food. I was yes very very cautious. Only the gypsy(annoing kids) bothered me. Actually they More scary than any other criminals. And Italian people thinks all Asians are Karate master. They told me that long time aga A Japanese couple went to Rome for honey moon and thives soroundded them demaniding money. But hasband moved quickly atually KILLED them all not Just hit them KILLED them. In 1992 the story was still believed among Italians.

BY the way how did they steal your cameras???? How did happenen?

because your story and everyone`s comment worries me a lot.

[Avotius]

Try a Canon G9. Well rounded, easy to carry in your larger pocket. As for bags, I have a Matin black canvas bag with olive interior. Its quite ordinary looking and a pain in the neck to get into, which is why I bought it.

[Ben Z]

I've travelled everywhere, including extensively in Italy, and never had a problem. One of the reasons I put up with a lot of disadvantages in order to carry an M8 vs a DSLR is so I can dispense with a camera bag when I want to. When we go out in the evening I take the camera and one lens. Lens in one zippered inside sportcoat pocket, capped camera body in the opposite, small accessories in the un-zippered pockets.

I never understood the diaper-bag ploy. A middle-aged guy carrying a diaper bag, with no baby in sight? Come on, how smart does a robber need to be to see through that one?

[John Noble]

I never understood the diaper-bag ploy. A middle-aged guy carrying a diaper bag, with no baby in sight? Come on, how smart does a robber need to be to see through that one?

I do it all the time. :)

I'm 40. My increasingly weatherbeaten diaper bag goes with me everywhere, and it always has a supply of diapers, wipes, etc. sticking out of it. The kids (2 1/2 years and 3 weeks) aren't always with me. The fact that the diaper bag is an olive Domke F-6 doesn't make it any less a diaper bag.

No diaper bag is complete without a couple thousand dollars' worth of camera gear, of course.

[jbf]

I am just glad I live in a part of the world where most people can't even pronounce Leica, let alone know what one is.


Hey I resent that. I'm living in georgia too! :D


No i know what you mean though. No one here has a flying clue what one is... with the exception of the few photo students who ask "is that a leica" (when in reality it isnt). Even then the students know the name but not the camera.

[CK Dexter Haven]

Chocy (or others):
Would you mind specifying HOW you were robbed? If they got the 5D "and lots of L lenses," did this happen in your hotel? Were you carrying all that gear while shooting?

I travel a lot to South and Central America. I generally take all my gear (Canon 5D, Leica, Hasselblad, Rolleiflex), in a big case. But, once i'm there, i might take only one camera and one lens to shoot with. I'm careful not to use a "camera bag," but still, i've been cautioned by locals that thieves can ride by on bikes and slice straps —*that kind of thing. But, like the poster above noted, with stereotypes... i'm tall, black, and 'look' athletic — like i could chase down a thief without a problem.... So, i rarely feel at risk....

I'm just wondering about what other scams/ploys/strategies i need to be aware of.

[Larky]

I'm currently going with the messy backpack approach. I have a BMX (I ride, I'm too old but I enjoy it!) backpack, which even when held down with both feet and without the stress of trying to do it quickly and silently, is almost impossible to open! In that I can carry everything I need, it doesn't hurt my bad back (BMX and laptop use) and a thief would have to cut two straps to get it off.

My camera is always on my wrist though, always. I use a wrist strap pulled tight. I always walk with an attitude, I am only 5 foot 8-ish inches tall, but seem to look like I'm built well! Not fat, stocky, and I have a naturally angry looking face and walk. This seems to make people leave me well alone, and nobody ever starts on me.

I honestly think attitude is a big part of it. Be confident, be polite but be firm. Do not dress like a tourist, purely for the reason that you'd look like a git!

[ramosa]

three ideas. first, get a camera bag that looks non-camera like. i have a domke canvas bag and tore off the label.

second, i haven't done it yet (as i just got my M8), but i plan to put some black tape over the "M8" and red dot. has anyone done this? my first thought is to use black electrical tape. i would put a little piece of paper directly over the "M8" and red dot ... so that there's no adhesive on the actual camera labeling. would the tape hurt the black exterior of the camera? (sorry for answering your question with another question ... )

third, have good insurance. it sounds like you have adequate insurance (e.g. to cover for theft). you can also get a policy add-on that can protect the camera from anything ... theft, dropping it, losing it, etc. it doesn't cost too much--but does give an undeniable piece of mind.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Get as inconspicuous a bag as you can find. Something that doesn't proclaim: "Very expensive camera and lenses inside!"
I'd get a Pokemon bag :D

[Olsen]

Generally speaking, most European cities have low crime rates. There is a low probability for a tourist to get in trouble neither in Madrid or in Rome. In most cases I hear of that people have been 'stolen from', they rather lost things. Like leaving a bag in a cab, under a restaurant table, on the train or the bus etc.

I 'forgot' my photo bag in a Singapore cab. The next passanger and the driver went to great lenghts to track me down at the hotel I was staying at. Litterally ran after me....

Rome has a bad reputation, but the worst I heard of lately was this British couple driving their Landrover from Cape Town, South Africa to North Cape, Norway. - Their car was burgled in - Oslo...

[kuzano]

An inner liner soft for the camera equipment, but wrapped with chicken wire directly inside the bag you choose. Slash and grabbers usually work in pairs or more, and on skates and skate boards. The initial pass slashes your bag with a box knife, and the accomplices swoop in and snag up the contents that fall or hang out.

I was warned about this tactic when traveling in South America 20 years ago. In fact the Peruvian Govt tourism dept advised a group of us before going there. The suggestion was to put chicken wire around the whole bag or pack, but it seems to me that would clearly indicate some value inside the bag. OTOH, maybe it's also a way of diverting a pass at your backpack or bag.

[meltedARTS]

Everyone's going about this all wrong. You need a ringer (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/The.Big.Lebowski.1998.Screenshot.2.jpg). Get a HOLGA, and put a Leica sticker on it. Keep it in a tacky Dolce & Gabbana bag that you "forget" to keep an eye on while you hold onto the goods.

[SolaresLarrave]

Many of you guys are assuming thieves know that there are Leicas in the world, and that they are expensive cameras. Wanna hear the truth?

Thieves can't tell a Leica from a Canon or a Pentax or a Nikon.

Besides, as Olsen, our Oslo poster, pointed out, in Europe thieves only grab stuff that's not secured and then they don't care much about it because they'll sell it for peanuts anyway. Covering the camera with tape and all those tricks only attracts undue attention... if any. In sum, keep your bag with gear always in sight, and don't walk into places in which you won't feel secure. I traveled and walked a lot in Barcelona (where I lived for a year) in 2004 with two Leicas in tow... and nothing happened.

The only thing I'd be leery about is buying a camera like the M8 in a place in which I cannot invoke a warranty... but if you want one, go for it.

[NickTrop]

Wear a fez and a cape. By wearing a fez and a cape, you are 90% less likely to have your camera gear stolen in a foreign country (including Morocco). Fact. The exception being the Isle of Malta where your odds of having camera gear stolen actually increases by 15% by wearing a fez and a cape for reasons currently not known to science. Fact.

[Rayt]

I'm just wondering about what other scams/ploys/strategies i need to be aware of.

Be aware of distractions, for example like you are walking down the street and someone points to a 5 Euro bill on the ground, or somebody faints or falls in front of you. Same on the Metro when someone drops something and is looking for it next to your feet and constantly bumping into you. When that happens just walk completely out of the way.

The suggestions about bags are great (I carry a billingham myself) but eventually you'll have to take out your camera and shoot with it. Nothing has happened to my Leicas yet and I am in the numero uno hit list: East Asian. Somehow I think I would look cool in a fez.

[jaapv]

second, i haven't done it yet (as i just got my M8), but i plan to put some black tape over the "M8" and red dot. has anyone done this? my first thought is to use black electrical tape. i would put a little piece of paper directly over the "M8" and red dot ... so that there's no adhesive on the actual camera labeling.

That screams to the average thief: I'm expensive and camouflaged!! Steal me!!



would the tape hurt the black exterior of the camera? (sorry for answering your question with another question ... )



Not if you use Gaffers tape. If you use Duct tape or something like that: Yes, I have seen reports of that problem.


The real solution: Buy a beat-up 1930-ies folder for ten Euro, cut it open and hide the M8 inside, rigging up a connection to the shutter release.....:p

[fdigital]

That screams to the average thief: I'm expensive and camouflaged!! Steal me!!

Don't listen to that, taping the camera works quite well in deferring attention away from your 5k camera and onto some unsuspecting sods shiny canon G9 or nikon d80

[Olsen]

Michael Reichman of Luminous-Landscapes (link here: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/whatsnew/daterange.php/2008-01-01/2008-07-01)
tells of a trip to Paris at which his hotel room was robbed. He had to report it to the police, and all that, but never got a satisfactory answer to how that could happen with these magnet cards which serves as hotel keys today. Was it an inside job?

I have a similar experience from a business trip to Paris with my wife. We were arriving at Concord La Fayette (link here: http://www.concorde-lafayette.com/en/ ) by cab from Charles de Gaulle Airport when these uniformed porters insists on carrying our luggage. I usually carry my luggage myself and say no-thanks to that kind of service - which demands that you have small change in a foreign currency for tips. But my wife was all charmed by this hospitality and the porters picked up all of ou bags, including my laptop - excluding my wallet with creditcards, passports, tickets etc. The luggage was brought to our room, - all too late since we were about to go out and eat with friends. The laptop bag was missing. And still is.

The hotel staff were very helpful. They drove us to Surte' - of Inspector Clusseau/Pink Panter - Peter Sellers fame. I was impressed. The Paris police had a computerized tracking system for 'lost & stolen luggage', the Tricolour in the corner and a picture of the president on the wall. A white gloved police officer made a salute when we arrived, pollished shoes and all. - A police officer back here in Oslo looks more like a New York taxi driver (Colombo, you know!).

The bag with the laptop and vital business documents were never found, but I was compensated with 38.000 NOK - which was the actual cost of the computer back in 2001, from the Hotel's insurance company....

Inside job? I don't know, but when Michael Reichman has a similar experience, one can wonder. The reception area of Concord La Fayette is also an entrance to a shopping mall and - eventually, a metro station. A lot of people were walking through.

[Ben Z]

An inner liner soft for the camera equipment, but wrapped with chicken wire directly inside the bag you choose.

Google "Pacsafe" and/or "Daysafe". I have one of their daypacks, which has wire mesh embedded in the lining. it also has a length of braided cable inside that closes a drawstring inner bag, goes around something heavy or bolted-down in a hotel room, and then fastens with a padlock. Most hotel thievery is opportunistic, they aren't going coming in with bolt-cutters, hacksaws or liquid nitrogen, and they aren't wanting to come out holding a backpack cabled to a chair or bedframe :D

As for taping the logos, it's like putting an old sock over the hood ornament so a car thief won't know it's a Rolls. To anyone who knows what a Leica is, taping the logos is not much of a disguise. Nobody could tell that Robin was really Dick Grayson with that little black eye mask, but that was the comic books.

[jaapv]

Don't listen to that, taping the camera works quite well in deferring attention away from your 5k camera and onto some unsuspecting sods shiny canon G9 or nikon d80

No - those muggers are attracted by the large number of buttons...

[ramosa]

thanks for the varied input on the tape-over-label idea. i guess such a plan may not achieve any benefit (so, for now, i won't follow that path).

[WoolenMammoth]

omg, what a bunch of ninnys on this board.

do any of you guys live?

buy what you want. go have an adventure. Sure beats the alternative...

none of the photographers any of the people on this board worship would have achieved anything if they had some of the gear anxiety that some people here have. What *is* the point of having a camera if you are afraid to take it into the world?

[Artorius]

These work great against slash and grab. About the same size as the Domke Gripper straps(my preferred choice for straps). Now I use these;

http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=16

I use mine without the padded strap. You can get larger ones for your camera bags.

[NickTrop]

Put a mousetrap in your camera bag. Just don't you forget about it.

[shimo-kitasnap]

I spent 3 months on a study abroad tour in Vietnam last fall doing photoethnography and learning Vietnamese. I took an M3 and Canon P in a domke F5XB which I bought new a few days before leaving NYC, stocked up on film in Shinjuku, Tokyo while spending a few days with my parents (they live there) then hopped a flight to Bangkok which then conected to Saigon.

I found out right away that wearing shorts was a tourist stamp and wearing teva sandles was too (vietnamese don't wear them). I eventually just went into a local tailors shop (there lots of cheap ones) and had a pair of black slacks made for $12USD, bought a linen short sleeve collar shirt for $2 USD and a pair of rubber flip-flops (most men dress like this and usually wear the flip flops or leather dress shoes. I got rid of my rediculous seiko dive watch which too many passers by had asked me how much and where I got it from. Just used a cheap pre-paid phone to keep track of time. After that people would only speak to me in Vietnamese and not ask me to buy anything if I wasn't looking at them (wandering street vendors.) I'm half Thai so many times people would aske if I was Viet-American.....

Funny thing though everyone was very happy to let me take their picture, nothing but smiles all over which I got a real kick out of. One guy who was running a small gas station aske me to take a picture of him while he posed with his wife when I was filling the tank in my moped.

The only person who even batted an eye at my Leica was this old Vietnamese guy who was a combat PJ for the NVA who now does weddings, beauty pagents and birds, when he came in to give us a lecture and show us some of his original prints from the war. He took one look at the M3, said "Germany" and gave a thumbs up and then he showed me his Praktica which he still uses to to B+W street candids.
Awsome guy very friendly.

I vietnam and south east asia motorcycle theives are very commom thing and it's very hard to even know when they're coming. (yes just like in Full Metal Jacket only they don't stop to show off kung fu moves.)

While walking back from a nightclub with friends a bike came zipping by when the guy on the back snatched and ripped off a purse that a girl I went on the trip with was wearing across her chest. I was right next to her and had the M3 around my chest only inches away in plain sight and he didn't even go for it. I was paralysed, couldn't even react until they had took off.

be careful out there people........

[shimo-kitasnap]

yikes that'll put a hole in your wallet/pants.....

[ChipNovaMac]

Went through this thread and there is lots of great tips. Too bad we haven't yet heard from the OP on how his 5D gear was lost.

That being said, bear with me as I add my thoughts to what has been said.

About insurance. Right on. But at least here in the US, two claims in many cases within two or three years may make it difficult to get insurance down the road.

Talk of diaper bags can work, as well as other bags that don't look like camera bags. I use an Osprey messenger bag that has seen some use. My M8 is in a never-ready case inside designed for the Canon Rebel K2. Keep the M8 safe in the bag. The lenses are in pouches from PortaBrace that came with my HPRC rollabout. I have an REI compact umbrella hooked to the strap, so it looks like I am just a "local" on his way to or from work or whatever.

As others have said, try not look like a tourist. Sometimes that means dressing differently from what you do at home, or for what the climate would dictate for your home city. Jeans and shorts in many countries says tourist! As well as one mentioned, foot ware as well.

There is a side benefit to this as well. It can lead to great conversations and new friendships. During my first overseas trip in '06 to Reykjavik and London - some locals took me as as an ex-pat, not as a tourist - because I did not dress as one.

The advice about not using tourist maps is a good one. Sometimes this means planning your trip. On my last trip to SF this year I wanted the off beaten path. I did the photo copy thing; but placed them interleaved in a recent magazine. In overseas travel I would have bought a magazine in the city I was in and taped the photocopies in to it.

If you do have to use tourist maps or guides - then use them in "safe" places. Be aware of people around you. If someone follows you, go back to some where you feel "safe" in. Reviewing your next move in the restroom can be "safe".

If you do want to travel in places with a bit more gear; like a tripod then you have more work ahead of you. And that is called the internet. There are plenty of places that you can meet folks. Even here. The more people around the less of a target you are. Sometimes meeting folks might mean an afternoon of going out with just your P&S till you get a feel for them. Or being referred by other friends to new friends.

I look forward to a return trip to after spending an afternoon with friends of friends; we spent the afternoon playing with their dog at the dog park, a "picnic lunch" in the Goldengate Park, and then sometime just watching a movie. Turns out one of the couple is in to photography as well, and wants sometime to go out explore some of their hidden treasures of SF. Some of which they admit that they don't go to unless they have some others along. I felt no fear in meeting them, but just did not want my photography to hinder in getting to know them.

There are many security products out there for the photographer. PacSafe has many options. One that I have used for hotels that did not have a safe or security that I could leave my valuables in or with is the original PacSafe mesh security "net".

ThinkTank Photo has two new products that I think are worth mentioning: Lock It Up™ and Security Tag ™.

Lock It Up I like for my concerns when at the airport with delays. I admit that I am a nervous sort when I need to run to the bathroom or the such - even while waiting for a flight. I normally haul everything with me, which is a hassle. I can see having a couple of these along with me.

No it won't prevent folks from going through your bags (unless you put a zipper lock lock on your bags), but that is not the intent I believe of this product. It is simply about securing your bags to a secure object.

Their Security Tag product is for the instance that one poster here mentioned, an honest person - folks that do the right thing. Hopefully ThinkTank will allow use of this tag on non ThinkTank products.

[aniMal]

This is simply what any camera should be used for - moving about & seeing new places!

1. Black electrical tape - patch it up so that it looks ugly, and tear & wear it a bit...

2. No tourist maps.

3. Dress like a local - maybe even go buy some clothes when you land.

Should do the trick... Remember going to India and Nepal with an M-2 mid nineties; I made my own rucksack out of old postal sacks. When it came out on the belt at the airport it blended in totally ;-) In general, ugly and torn makes the trick!

[ChipNovaMac]

Dressing like a local is key.....

In my shop I can pick out the "Euros" over the locals.

Dressing "down" in the key for "Euros" visiting the DC area. Fancy sweaters and such seem to be a clue. Maybe being slobbish is the key to fitting in here in the US. And dressing up in Europe is the key for those of us from the US......

[SolaresLarrave]

In my trips I've noticed that the current universal dresscode is jeans and T-shirts. And I always pack both when traveling anywhere.

Once that's done, just concentrate in having fun. If you expect another incident, it'll happen: it's a phenomenon called "the self-fulfilling prophecy" and you don't want to become one more statistic on it.

Again... the OP seems to have disappeared anyway. :confused:

[ChipNovaMac]

In my trips I've noticed that the current universal dresscode is jeans and T-shirts. And I always pack both when traveling anywhere.

Once that's done, just concentrate in having fun. If you expect another incident, it'll happen: it's a phenomenon called "the self-fulfilling prophecy" and you don't want to become one more statistic on it.

Again... the OP seems to have disappeared anyway. :confused:

Not sure where you have traveled; but in my few trips - jeans and t-shirts did not mesh, in particular in parts of Europe. But to be honest it may be more a generational issue.

[Digital Dude]

That sounds great and I like the idea of the yapping little device mentioned by Roger. Anyway, I picked up a fifteen-dollar gay looking' sissy camera bag from Wal-Mart while I’ve been waiting for my custom b-laïka (http://www.foggspecialistbags.com/b-laika.htm#specifications) to arrive from France. The nice bag is made of basic black canvas with leather trim, although I suppose it could be inviting to Mother-F…Thieves. However, in the end, a thief is a thief so it won’t make much difference whether it looks like a Susie-Homemaker or Cartier diamond.

BTW: I travel internationally and in particular to Germany, France and Italy. In recent years, there are more and more criminals flowing in from Albania and other places. They freely rob people on the streets & shops and the Italian government in particular, is quite overwhelmed. I always cross the strap over my neck and shoulder. If I can get by with one or two lenses, then I tuck the second lens in my pocket and leave the bag secured elsewhere. In this perspective, the Leica gear footprint makes for a smaller visual target and is markedly less noticeable and easier to cradle next to your body.

The key here has more to do with common sense prevention. One: property specific insurance; Two: streetwise behavior; Three: use a securing strap of some fashion. Sidebar: As a former soldier, I use to wear those funky baggie style battle clothes with cargo pockets on the legs. The civilian versions are quite nice and when pressed, you can get by with a pair while dawning a casual Armani jacket. The cargo pocket works great for my second lens or two.
Regards,:o