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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Stolen Gear: It Won't Happen to Me! (NOT)
Dennis Montgomery, Photographer, Assistant
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Ogden | UT | United States | Posted: 6:08 PM on 09.17.09 |
->> Today my Canon 1D Mk III with a 100-400 lens attached was stolen from my vehicle in Salt Lake City. I had just finished shooting the DEW Tour BMX Park practice and returned to my car and placed the camera under a towel on the back floor of my van. My wife and I then drove four blocks to have lunch and were gone from the car less than 30 minutes. We never opened the rear of the car, just got out and locked the vehicle and went to lunch.
When we returned, the rear passenger door lock had been "punched out" and the camera was gone. Ironically, the car was parked on a busy street less than 100 yards from a community policing station and it was mid-day. The police think someone followed us after they saw me carrying the camera to the car before heading to lunch. Obviously it was someone who knew what they were doing and what the camera was worth. (Please, no comments from the Nikon shooters...)
I have posted the serial numbers in the classified section and am offering a reward for the return of the camera, even though it is fully insured for replacement value.
I am posting this on the message board because I was one of those people who have read all prior messages about camera gear being stolen and thought to myself. "...that is not going to happen to me and certainly not in Utah". WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. I can think of several things I would have done differently NOW, but its not going to help me, but it may help you if you rethink how you transport and safeguard your equipment. |
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Nick Doan, Photographer, Assistant
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Scottsdale | AZ | USA | Posted: 6:15 PM on 09.17.09 |
->> It's awful that you had stuff stolen!
Dennis, until two days ago, I was just like you...I never thought it would happen to me.
Remember not only to be careful with your equipment, but mske sure your equipment lists and replacement values with your insurer are up to date! |
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Clay Begrin, Photographer
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Petaluma | Ca | USA | Posted: 6:33 PM on 09.17.09 |
| ->> Dennis and Nick, sorry to hear of your loss. Maybe this is something you have thought of, however maybe not, so I figured I'd post. If the gear was stolen by someone who knows camera gear, you're less likely to recover it than if it was stoeln by someone that doesn't know the gear. A lot of theft is to support drug habits and the gear could be sold for much less than it's value. If you have any pawn shops or camera shops within a hour's drive of you, you may want to let them know. Also if they're any flea markets in your area, worth a check, along with Craigslist. Maybe you've thought of this, but if not it may pay off. |
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Mitchell Clinton, Photographer
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Carlsbad | CA | USA | Posted: 6:42 PM on 09.17.09 |
->> I really hate leaving equipment in the car, but sometimes you just have to. I have been getting into the habit of locking everything into a pelican case and then cable locking it to something fairly permanent in the car. They will still get it if they really want it, but it will require a lot more time and effort. I have had equipment stolen from the car and from my hotel and I feel your pain (I lock the pelican case to something in the hotel room as well!).
If local boy Dave Zabriskie ca get his bikes back, you can get your cameras back! Good luck! |
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Debra L Rothenberg, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 8:00 PM on 09.17.09 |
->> a few guys here in NYC have something in their trunks called "autosafe" from England.
Any members in the UK have these? It is fantastic and worth the money. Unfortunately, I don't think they ship to the USA anymore but perhaps if enough members wanted one, something could be worked out. They have several sizes
actually--this may be it-it's hard to tell from this photo. The ones I have seen are large enough for a large backpack full of gear
http://upossibilities.com/swiss_travel_s_40f_autosafe.html |
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Mike Brice, Photographer
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Ogden | UT | USA | Posted: 6:40 PM on 09.19.09 |
| ->> I read that there was another incident similar to yours just a couple of days earlier in the same city. Looks like the thieves are getting smarter. |
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Derick Hingle, Photographer
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Hammond | LA | USA | Posted: 8:04 PM on 09.20.09 |
->> Here is a US company for vehicle vaults/safes. I've actually seen one of them, a colleague has installed in his vehicle, it is a great system, but a bit expensive, good insurance is probably cheaper lol. Sorry to hear about anyone losing gear, I recently purchased insurance myself because a friend had his gear stolen it was insured and he continued as usual but I'd be out of business without insurance, it is the most important thing you can buy even though you might never use it, if you do it will pay for itself in an instant.
http://truckvault.com/ |
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G.M. Andrews, Photographer
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Mobile | AL | USA | Posted: 2:58 AM on 09.22.09 |
->> I remember a few years ago during a rash of video gear thefts that one television station contracted with a machinist or a company to build some serious camera vaults out of sheet aluminum.
NPPA magazine had photos of this vault or lock box and it was impressive. The door lifted up and was held open by a setup similar to the liftgate arrangement on hatchbacks and SUV's.
The vidcam itself was locked into a bracket in the box, then the lid was closed and if I remember right, the lid had a hasp for a pad or combination lock.
The whole affair was bolted to the frame of the stations SUV's and station wagons, and looked pretty thief-proof. I thought about having a local guy build one for me, but never got around to it.
It was a great idea and great execution, though.
Might have to dig through the old NPPA mags to find that sucker. |
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Mike Doran, Photographer
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Petaluma | CA | U.S.A. | Posted: 3:45 AM on 09.22.09 |
| ->> Sorry to hear about your gear getting taken. I trust you had insurance. What I would like to know is how many of you have an alarm system on your cars or trucks the louder the better or more annoying as this would go a long way to deterring some of this. With the insurance I carry on my truck I got a discount for having an alarm system installed. In these times that we live in we need to be more creative in keeping our gear and not letting it out of our sight is one way and another way is to make sure that you have some type of detterent on your vechicle. |
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Brian Dowling, Photographer
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Philadelphia | PA | USA | Posted: 11:49 AM on 09.22.09 |
->> Most alarms won't go off just from a broken window.
I keep a pelican box in my trunk bike chained to my rear strut tower bar. Not the most secure thing in the world, but it will help smash and grabs and its cheap. I was walking around Brooklyn a few days ago and a video guy had a cage in the back of his SUV. Something similar to what plumbers have. Maybe a little extreme to some, but we often have 20k in gear in our cars. |
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Nik Habicht, Photographer
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Levittown | PA | USA | Posted: 1:00 PM on 09.22.09 |
->> "Most alarms won't go off just from a broken window."
Good alarms will, while also not tripping needlessly. As with anything else, it's a matter of getting what you pay for....
I dealt with equipment protection in two ways: Back when I was driving beater cars, I found a used car dealer specializing in acquiring ex-police cars at auction and moving them to cab companies. For the same money as a civilian Chevy Caprice of similar vintage/condition, I drove away with two ex-fleet Caprices: Black tires, bolted on hubcaps, sway bar, spot light on the A pillar, extra antennas left over on the trunk.
First stop -- to have a scanner installed in each vehicle. Then I'd park those anywhere, and leave the scanner cranked to full volume. Never had an issue with anyone going near those cars.
Later I got tired of having one Caprice for me, one for the mechanic, and bought a new truck. That one got an alarm system -- which worked perfectly.
I've never gone back to the car, carrying cameras, driven a few blocks and then walked away from the car not carrying cameras. If the trip's close enough for someone to have potentially followed me, wither the cameras come with me, or I'm running into something like 7-11, where I can keep an eye on the car, and where i won't be tied up for long.
If I wanted a sit-down meal, I'd drive a ways following the photo assignment or carry my gear in with me.
I never had any bumper stickers or other markings on my vehicles (once I dumped the distinctive Caprices). I wanted my truck to blend as much as possible. Bumper stickers, unfinished body work, flags, etc. all contribute to making a vehicle memorable.... |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | United States | Posted: 9:48 AM on 11.01.09 |
->> I don't know what is worse, having your gear stolen, or the person who had it stolen not having insurance and backed up images!
Not good...get insurance |
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