Here are some simple and inexpensive tips on keeping your gear from being stolen.
First things first.
Make sure you have the serial numbers of everything recorded safely at home (and a copy somewhere else – like your safe deposit box, or even a Google document.)
Check with your insurance company and find out what the limits on your home-owners (or renters) are. If you need to add more coverage, you’ll find that it’s pretty inexpensive. If you’re a pro, make sure your insurance company knows that – you don’t want to give them an excuse to deny your claim should you make one.
Get rid of the fancy ‘Nikon’ or ‘Canon’ neck strap that came with your camera. Buy a third-party strap from your local camera store, or Adorama or B & H. I like OpTech straps because they’re wide and comfortable. Why help the thieves out?
If you carry a bag, be sure it doesn’t look like a camera bag. There are many backpack styles that look just like that – a backpack. Take a black marker and cover the bag’s logo. Thieves know that ‘Tamrac’ is a camera bag. You will still be able to read the logo if you’re close, but not from a distance.
If you take your camera into a restaurant make sure someone couldn’t take it while you were busy talking, or eating. Put the leg of the chair through the strap – anything to make it more difficult to take.
If you leave your gear in the car, be sure that (at the very least) it’s completely covered by a jacket, newspaper, anything. Better yet, put it in the trunk. Try and NOT put it in the trunk when you’re leaving the care. That just makes it obvious that you’re protecting something. Stop a block or so and move it to the trunk.
What about when you’re staying in a hotel? That’s a tougher issue. Most in-room safes are too small for a SLR with a lens. You could probably put the camera body in there, but that still leaves your (expensive) lenses unattended in the room. When you are checking in, be sure all your gear is stowed – don’t have your camera around your neck or the strap hanging out of your luggage. If you call room service, be sure nothing valuable is visible in the room when they come. Same for housekeeping – they will not open your drawers, so simply putting them out of site is a good idea.
These are simple ideas. The bottom line is trying not to attract attention and being aware of your surroundings. Put your gear in its bag before you get to you hotel and before you get out of your car. Thieves are opportunists. If you make it hard for them, they’ll pick on someone else.