From: Paul Stenquist
On Feb 25, 2011, at 3:26 PM, John Sessoms wrote:
From: Stan Halpin
On Feb 25, 2011, at 12:13 PM, John Sessoms wrote:
The REAL Holy Grail of photography ... a camera bag
that will carry as much as you need to carry without
being too cumbersome.
Add to that it shouldn't LOOK like a camera bag so as
not to encourage thieves and you really would have
the perfect bag.
I'm still looking.
I have never understood the assumption that thieves are going
to be more attracted to camera bags than to, say, a ladies
purse (which might contain cash) or my guy's purse (which
contains my passport, cash, guidebook, directions to my hotel
room and key to said room, etc.) or a laptop bag or whatever.
Does a camera bag make me look more like a tourist? (I don't
exactly blend in most places I travel, whether carrying a
camera bag or not.) Is it that thieves are usually
photographers looking for an equipment upgrade? [I've
sometimes wondered if the thieves weren't the ones on the
other side of the retail counter from me, but that is another
story.]
Are there any data showing that camera bags are particularly
vulnerable? Interviews with convicted thieves concerning
their target preferences?
We may have spent a lot of money on the gear in our camera
bag, but can the thief realize more than a dollar or two per
pound when fencing the equipment?
For me, I will worry about whether a bag will accommodate the
things I need (?) to carry, whether it will provide
reasonable access to the gear whilst shooting, whether I can
use it as a carryon, and whether it is comfortable to carry
for long periods. Life is too short and already sufficiently
complicated - I will leave concerns about possible theft off
my list.
stan
Thieves are looking for items they can readily sell. And they're
looking for items they can get more for from whoever they're
going to sell it to.
Which do you think they can get more money for - camera equipment
or tourist clothing?
You've got many bags on the baggage claim carousel. Which bag
appears more likely to have something worth stealing in it - a
readily identifieable brand name camera bag or a nondescript bag
that looks like what everyone else is using to carry dirty
clothes?
Even if you're not concerned, why make it easy for thieves?
Checking cameras in a soft bag is a very bad idea to start with. I've
checked them in a locked Pelican hard case. When I do I make sure
I'm at the baggage claim before the baggage starts coming down, and
I'm first in line after the down ramp. Bags get tossed all the time.
Cameras in soft bags are dead cameras.
Paul
So, what do you do if you get to check-in and the airline informs you
they don't care what the rules are, you are NOT going to carry that bag
on the aircraft?
You can check it; you can leave it behind; you can go find a post
office, FedEX, UPS and mail it ahead then come back to check in ... but
you are *NOT* carrying the bag on!
BTDT-GTTS
Checked baggage isn't the only place your camera bag is vulnerable to
theft. You can't keep your bag in hand 23:59:59x7, and any time it is
not physically in your possession it's vulnerable to theft.
It's not even safe when you do have it in hand. If a thief thinks he can
get away with it, he'll knock you down and take the bag by force.
I prefer my gear not to advertise it's value in such a way as to attract
unwanted attention.
It's less likely to be stolen if it doesn't look like it contains
anything worth stealing.
Camera bags that LOOK like camera bags say "STEAL ME" to a thief.
YMMV.
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