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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
EQUIPMENT STOLEN
Joel Hawksley, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Athens | OH | USA | Posted: 5:40 PM on 01.30.11 |
->> Attention all, the following was stolen last night/this morning from the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio.
Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 ***367
Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR
Nikon D300
Nikon D700 ***1060
Nikon D3 ***5816
Nikon MB-D10
PocketWizard MultiMAX ***4044
Nikon 300mm f/2.8
Beta PocketWizard Units (3) - These are the property of LPA design.
Please contact me if you have any information that would aid in its return. |
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Michael Chang, Photographer
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Robertsdale | AL | USA | Posted: 7:06 PM on 01.30.11 |
| ->> Good luck finding your stuff. I definately feel for you. |
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Scott Kane, Photographer
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Edwardsville | IL | USA | Posted: 7:16 PM on 01.30.11 |
| ->> Good luck. I had a 300mm Canon lens stolen back in September from the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis and I was just sick about it, so I know what you are going through. |
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David Stluka, Photographer
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Oregon | WI | USA | Posted: 7:27 PM on 01.30.11 |
->> Joel,
Sorry to hear about your equipment. I had my vehicle broken into a few weeks ago prior to the Wild Card Playoff game in Indianapolis. We were much more fortunate than yourself. I was traveling with 2 other photographers and we had around $60,000 worth of gear in the trunk. Luckily, I covered our equipment up prior to going in with a cover in the back of my SUV... unfortunately, one of the other photographers left his laptop sitting in the back seat. Only the laptop was taken. I didn't realize the laptop was in the back... had I known, I would have done a better job of hiding it. I also hid my GPS receiver... the laptop fortunately was covering up my Canon G10 that they didn't get, either.
It was my first time in 20 years that anything has been stolen. Hopefully, I can go another 20 or more years. Be careful out there.
David |
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Patrick Fallon, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 12:23 AM on 01.31.11 |
->> Scott,
That was a realllly weird theft. So many people running around, only gone for a moment, Could have been any of us...
I don't think I could sleep at night without my insurance now. |
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David Manning, Photographer
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Athens | GA | | Posted: 2:12 AM on 01.31.11 |
->> Patrick,
I have to tell these stories to reinforce the point to the college kids that work around me at Georgia.
Anyone can walk into a press room and walk out with thousands of dollars of equipment. Best we can do is to minimize the risk. |
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Radu Rosca, Photographer
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Tirgu Mures | MS | Romania | Posted: 3:56 AM on 01.31.11 |
->> Damn.. and i was sorry for myself for losing a CST transmitter (that i later found)
I hope you'll be able to get all that gear back, i can only imagine how you feel. |
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Joel Hawksley, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Athens | OH | USA | Posted: 10:58 AM on 01.31.11 |
->> ATTENTION EVERYONE:
My gear has been successfully recovered. Thank you all for your help and support. Let this be a reminder to insure your gear, no matter how safe and secure your storage is. |
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Bob Ford, Photographer
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Lehighton | Pa | USA | Posted: 11:14 AM on 01.31.11 |
| ->> Wow, that's great news! I honestly wasn't expecting to hear that the gear was recovered. |
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Jon Gardiner, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 11:23 AM on 01.31.11 |
| ->> So, Who grabbed it and from where? How did they get it? Where and how did you find it? Was it a photographer who had access? I think this might help others to be more aware of where and how their gear is secured in what might "appear" to be a safe place. |
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Patrick Fallon, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 11:38 AM on 01.31.11 |
->> Jon, etc.
One should keep in mind this is an ongoing investigation. Perhaps certain details should wait until everything is over. |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 11:43 AM on 01.31.11 |
->> Curious if anyone has considered using the stop theft tags (used on laptops) on their superteles or other larger gear. The tags are $35. each with discounted for quantity. The small one is 2 x 3/4.
http://www.stoptheft.com/site/index.php
The price includes registration and recovery service. |
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Jeff Kowalsky, Photographer
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West Bloomfield | MI | United States | Posted: 12:40 PM on 01.31.11 |
| ->> Curious if you had a business insurance policy that covered theft? |
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Louis Lopez, Photographer
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Fontana | CA | USA | Posted: 12:52 PM on 01.31.11 |
->> Miracles do happen, and it's not even christmas...
Still would like to hear the how's on the recovery info, when all is concluded. |
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Larry Lawson, Photographer
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Portland | OR | USA | Posted: 3:14 PM on 01.31.11 |
->> Sorry to hear about the loss - really. I just have to wonder about people sometimes!
I get disapproving looks sometimes, but I lock up my TT rollercase/laptop bag to something - chair, support bar for the counter, anything, all the time. Even with insurance.
Hope you get it all back, and yes, miracles do happen. Thieves aren't too smart sometimes - let's hope that's the case here. |
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John Howley, Photographer
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Circleville | OH | USA | Posted: 3:40 PM on 01.31.11 |
->> I had been meaning to do it for a while but finally bought a laptop lock about a week ago before shooting a high school event at Ohio State. Don't know if it made a difference, but I felt better knowing it was locked up to my Think Tank roller while I was out shooting. Especially since I was the only one working in what is generally the media room.
Joel, glad to see your stuff was recovered. |
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Bob DeChiara, Photographer
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Burlington | MA | USA | Posted: 3:44 PM on 01.31.11 |
->> I have been on the fence in buying a laptop lock as well. But hearing this story just re-inforces my purchase.
Equally glad to hear all your gear has been recovered. |
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Butch Miller, Photographer
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Lock Haven | PA | USA | Posted: 3:52 PM on 01.31.11 |
| ->> Glad you got your gear back Joel ... too bad we have to be so protective of our possessions ... insurance, locks and security cables seem to be a necessary evil to ensure we can possibly deter theft or in a worst case scenario, endure a catastrophic loss and keep on working ... |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 4:06 PM on 01.31.11 |
->> I had a reply back from the folks at Stop Theft regarding using their small tags on camera gear.
"Our 2 inch long and 3/4 inch high small plate works well for photo equipment. It is .12M thick so it bends easily around curved surfaces. We have several people in our office that uses these on their personal photo equipment."
If you lose it and someone finds it they can call in and the firm will contact you as well.
If you subsequently sell the equipment you notify them and the new buyer can reregister it. At $25 ($15 if you buy 10), its something I'm considering doing. Certainly can't be worse than engraving your name in the barrel (which I've seen before). I wonder if you could get a discount on gear insurance if it was tagged. |
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Jamey Price, Photographer, Assistant
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Charlotte | NC | USA | Posted: 4:57 PM on 01.31.11 |
| ->> Im really glad to hear your got your gear back, Joel. I can't imagine how stressful the last 24 hours have been for you. |
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Joel Hawksley, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Athens | OH | USA | Posted: 8:21 PM on 01.31.11 |
->> Thank you all for your support.
@Jon (et. al): The lesson to be learned here is that even the highest level of security can not be an excuse to forgo insurance. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 12:22 AM on 02.01.11 |
| ->> so joel, was this someone you knew trying to teach you a lesson about leaving your gear lying around? I saw that happen several times back before digital made stuff crazy expensive....photog leaves gear lying around, buddy wants to a)teach lesson b)thinks it's a great gag c) just being an asshole.... just curious. I figure it's either that or those athens cops have crazy skills. glad you got it back. |
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Patrick Fallon, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 1:05 AM on 02.01.11 |
->> Chuck,
That was not the situation in this case. |
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Lane Hickenbottom, Photographer
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Omaha | NE | usa | Posted: 1:23 AM on 02.01.11 |
->> With all the working journalists on this board, you'd think a person could report what "allegedly" happened. I don't even care if the names of the accused are missing. Replace it with "some guy" or "some photographer".
Joel, you say that the lesson learned here is not to forgo insurance. The best policy can't find stolen gear. So how did it come to be that you found your gear? |
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Jon Gardiner, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 2:36 AM on 02.01.11 |
| ->> Exactly my point, Lane. I know about insurance and locking gear and paying attention, etc... This type of theft seems to have been occurring more often and It would be helpful to know if there is something folks mights not be on the look-out for. The bottom line is this was a helluva lot of gear that got snatched and someone had some major cajones to do it. |
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Mark Loundy, Photo Editor
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San Jose | CA | USA | Posted: 3:11 AM on 02.01.11 |
->> So Joel, what happened? How did you get your gear back?
--Mark |
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Brian Dowling, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 4:56 AM on 02.01.11 |
| ->> To those that think a ThinkTank roller is safe locked up, they use cheap zippers and as I have shown a few friends, it takes me literally 3 seconds to break into the bag. Insurance is the only real safe bet out there. |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 9:07 AM on 02.01.11 |
| ->> Insurance and a pac safe. |
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Lane Hickenbottom, Photographer
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Omaha | NE | usa | Posted: 9:16 AM on 02.01.11 |
->> Virtually nothing is theft-proof. Throughout history determined thieves have cracked the worlds best security devices.
However I'd *think* most would-be media workroom thieves would be deterred by a locked up ThinkTank roller bag and would prefer to swipe an unlocked roller. Spending 3 seconds to violently rip into a bag isn't exactly smooth; not like casually grabbing a bag and walking away with it like you own it.
But what do I know? That's why I want to know more about what happened in this instance. |
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Jeff Jones, Photographer
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Harrisburg | IL | USA | Posted: 9:21 AM on 02.01.11 |
| ->> Joel, Can you complete the the rest of your story? It might be useful to the rest of us to know who stole your stuff and how you ended up getting it back. |
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Joel Hawksley, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Athens | OH | USA | Posted: 9:29 AM on 02.01.11 |
->> To explain further, the consensus is that it was an inside job, hence my previous comment. The gear was in a closet, behind two other doors that were supposed to be locked by building staff at the end of the day.
The gear was found, along with other stolen items, yesterday morning in a Kata video bag in an exterior doorway at one of the public entrances to the center. Two lens hoods were not recovered, and one pocket wizard unit had its hotshoe ripped off.
This has been an ongoing issue, and is being addressed at all levels at the university. Since we are a learning institution, the department provides a large number of internship and work study positions, which means there are a lot or student workers who need to have access to our facilities.
Back on topic, Brian D. Is completely right. Insurance is the only safe bet. |
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Lane Hickenbottom, Photographer
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Omaha | NE | usa | Posted: 9:49 AM on 02.01.11 |
| ->> Well I'm definitely glad to hear you found the bulk of it. Some insured people are lucky enough to have an effortless claims process. But all too often making a claim is anything but neat. Plus it can be hell on future premiums. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 9:57 AM on 02.01.11 |
| ->> On the subject of computer locks....here's an example of why you should ALWAYS use one....I was covering the Olympic trials in Sacramento and the photo work area was past three security check points with two guards at the entrance to our tent. There were about 25 photogs in the tent. The fellow next to me (who will remain nameless) asked me why I was locking my computer up..I told him because if it gets stolen a) I can't do my job and b)my boss will kill me. He shrugged his shoulder and said 'interesting'. Well two days later he had borrowed my power supply and we came back in from an event and his computer was gone. He thought someone was playing a joke on him...they weren't...his was the only computer out of about 20 that day that weren't locked. Whoever took it just walked in...picked it up...and walked out right past all the security. Why? That's the way crooks work. They take the easiest route. Sure, these cables can be cut with a easily concealed pair of cutters....but why cut a cable when there are probably a couple of tasty items just sitting on a table for the taking. A $25 lock could save you a lot of pain and suffering. Joel, I'm glad you found your stuff, seems like your situation is a little different then most with it being a "inside" job. |
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Joel Hawksley, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Athens | OH | USA | Posted: 10:06 AM on 02.01.11 |
| ->> Chuck, it actually wasn't too different from your anecdote. The gear itself was not locked down, which will no longer be the case. We are investigating our options for keyed equipment storage cabinets. |
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