Re: [Leica] Stolen Leicas--how do you prevent that from happening?

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Great advice Sal...But there is one thing here that points up the
difficulty of attempting to have anyone else " tell us how to..."

You suggest using the Brady bags, which are styled after Billinghams, as
a way to avoid standing out...Others on the list advise avoiding
Billinghams - and, therefore Brady's - as a way to avoid standing
out....go figure...:-)

B. D.

"Sal DiMarco,Jr." wrote:
> 
> Luggers,
>     The best way to avoid having your equipment stolen is to use a little
> common sense.
>     It is probably safe to say, when I travel out of town on an assignment I
> carry much more equipment than most of you. At the very least, I carry three
> bodies and six lenses. Let's not forget the large Halliburtons with the
> strobes, and the golf bag sized hard case with light stands, soft boxes,
> tripods, etc. or the large telephoto lenses. Traveling light for me is a
> dream.....
>     First of all, I never walk into a hotel with cameras visible. They are
> always packed away. Second, if I do have a lot of heavy stuff, I'll leave in
> locked in the trunk of the car. If you are really paranoid get yourself on
> of those aircraft wire bicycle locks and you can wrap it around the trunk
> lock and a strut of the trunk for added protection.
>     Next, I never leave anything photographic visible in the room.
>     Film boxes, caption envelops, nothing is left out for the maid to see.
>     When I leave my camera bag or equipment in the room, I either put it in
> my suitcase, or cover it with my garment bag, and toss my dirty underwear on
> top. Nobody steals dirty underwear or bothers with it for that matter.
>     The wire mesh bag is a good idea, but what do you attach it to? In the
> last three hotel rooms, I've stayed in there was nothing strong enough to
> attach the bag to deter a thief.
>     Usually, I try to stay at the "better" hotels, but it is no reason for
> letting down your guard. During a Photokina a few years ago, a buddy of mine
> from the National Geographic had his passport, money, and credit cards
> stolen from his room and he was staying at an Inter-Continental, I think.
>     If the assignment requires street shooting, I rarely have more than two
> cameras visible and I do not use Domke bags. Any photographer worth his
> Tri-X can lift a lens out of a colleague's Domke bag without getting caught.
> If a Photog can do it, a thief certainly can. I try to blend in whenever
> possible, and I do not use fishing style photo vests. I think it made you
> more visible.
>     I use soft unpadded Brady fishing bags. It is next to impossible to take
> anything out of theses bags without feeling it. Billingham bags are styled
> after the Bradys, which I'm not sure are still being made.
>     Well, that's my humble opinion.
> Happy Snaps & Labor Day,
> Sal DiMarco, Jr.
> Philadelphia, PA