Use a security pen and write your post code inside the battery compartment so it can be identified with an Ultra violet lamp if found , or being sold in a pawn shop etc
@@Scotian280that can be scratched off, and some people will still buy it if it’s cheap enough, even though it is very clearly stolen if the serial is scratched off.
I saw an interview with a thief a while ago where they said tape over logos specifically made them target that person more as the only people who do it are people with the most expensive gear, so your mileage may vary on that one, haha.
I’ve also used black tape to cover the logos. I have also put a red and yellow silicon camera covers on my Canon and Nikon. These will not stop someone from taking your gear and both of the things I’ve done can be easily removed but my 25 yrs working with LE have shown to me that most thieves are looking for an easy take and something that doesn’t stand out in a crowd. The only problem I see with the Harbor Freight hard cases is one I had at a hotel. I was asked to not bring any guns into the hotel and the person pointed to my HF case with my Nikon’s in it. I actually had to open it to prove it held cameras and not guns. Thieves really like taking guns so I traded in my black HB cases and now have them in Red, Orange and Yellow
i literally do the exact same thing. im 24 now but my late teens and early twenties aged the hell out of this purple jasport bag. youd think it was a bag for some crust punk or homeless person. never expect it to have anything of value
if I see someone with a camera with the logos covered, I immediately understand that it is an expensive camera so... I think it's best to just carry a discreet backpack that isn't for photographic equipment and that would get you
Once you pack the camera in the security bag, you tend to leave it there. Next, you start taking photos with your cell phone. Next you leave your camera secured in the hotel. Next you leave your camera at home.
Someone said they will be notified of the airtag and disable it. Correct me if I'm wrong: If the Airtag is not in ''lost mode'' then they can just take over the airtag, and dpnt even need to disable it and they now have also a new airtag. So always have it in lost mode. What you can also do is modify the airtag so that it doesn't make a sound by cutting a wire inside, there's tutorials on youtube, and then hide it in a place where its stitched into the bag so you can't even feel it from the outside, or on a motorbike you would take apart some stuff and build it into the bike at a spot where it would take several hours to find. if the thief gets notified you still got some hours. in some cases the notification comes about after 45 minutes as I've seen in tests and sometimes they never even get notified. If you don't go to get your stuff back right away you will likely never see it again. By the time you would have filed a police report it would be already too late. Not recommending anyone to do anything but thats how it is. Where I live I could just get the cops to join me right away, but that might not be the case where you live, so bring some friends that are physically strong at least
I think this is not the case, as they are registered to an Apple ID. So while they could theoretically factory reset it, they wouldn't be able to register it with Apple as the serial number is already linked to an account.
The most common camera theft scenario is when you put the bag down, leave it in your car, or otherwise are not in direct control of your bag. Overseas, the most common way to steal from a bag you are wearing is to slice the bag and grab what drops out. Apple specifically suggests you NOT use the AirTag for tracking a stolen device. The issue is that any thief with an iPhone (most here in South America) will be immediately notified of the presence of the AirTag. They will steal the bag, find and disable the tag, and be gone.
If someone is a thief and they want what you have they're going to take it regardless of all these extra steps. Just be smart and be aware of your surroundings and don't leave your gear unattended. Otherwise buy insurance for your gear. Trust me. I'm from the hood.
I believe in buying genuine products, not cheap Chinese copies. Peak Design put the money in to design their strap system, cheap copies remove that incentive.
I will give a nice tip. If you have integrated battery grip or just battery grip , remove 2nd battery and paste a AppleTag inside . So you will be able to track camera if thief threw bag away.
its really funny when people do all this shiz without realising that one of the most common forms of attack is a strap cutter and fast feet. oh and just fyi. a thief is gonna know a big camera with a big lens is likely to be valuable regardless of brand. if someones bread and butter is taking cameras from tourists, they arent gonna care if its a sony or cannon or nikon.
I use a small military backpack, and I wear a Buck 110 folding knife on my belt. The backpack makes you look like you used to be in the military, and to a crook, if you have a visible Buck knife, you probably carry a gun too. They will walk right pass me, and go to an easier target.
I don't understand why this needs to get so complicated. I don't even use a bag, just a strong camera strap and thats it. I never take the strap off and my camera is always attached to me 100%, whether I am eating or taking a dump.. Never had anything stolen. Also I'd never every use quick release anything. If you can "quick release" it, so can the thieves. I travel light with one camera and one lens, but if I really need to carry a second lens or a flash, I give it to my GF and she puts it in her regular purse or a shopping bag, pretty unsuspecting. Also if you plan ahead, you may get away with vintage lenses too. If you think you'll use 15-30 99,9% of the day, don't bring a sigma art 50mm as your secondary lens, just add a tiny Industar-50 to your backpocket.
Insurance is honestly so useless. I researched so many insurance companies, and they depreciate everything by 20% per year. Anything you have that is 5 years old is considered worthless to the insurance company. If it is 3 years old, it only worth 40% of the original price. If you buy things 2nd hand from Facebook marketplace, good luck getting the insurance to cover it at all. I think most people just buy insurance without reading the policy and just assume they will be covered if their things get stolen.
One thing you could also do for that bag is get you a couple diapers (unused, of course) and put in those front pockets to make it look more like a diaper bag. I don’t think a lot of people would catch on that you weren’t towing a kid around, they’d just see a “diaper bag” and lose interest…hopefully.
i got a cable lock for when I go to the beach. I also got a sensitivity Alarm 🚨 that is very loud and goes off if the bag is picked up. It was like $20 on Amazon. Also take a picture of something with your contact info, sometimes your stuff is sold without even being tuned on and someone honest will find you camara
Good tips. It'll also help thieves but let's just hope it does more good than harm. I'll throw in my own recommendation as well for the bag. I use the Top Shelf from Bevis Gear. This case/bag has a "door-lid" that opens so that you can access your camera quickly when it's in sling configuration. Having a sling bag makes it difficult to swipe and run. To access your camera, you operate the sling strap to bring the bag towards your abdomen and open the speed latch on the door. This main door faces inward and hugs your body, so it's unlikely that a thief could open it, even if they were aware of how it opens. Also, the door can zip up on the circumference when you're not actively using it. It has another zipper on the side to access batteries or accessories, but a camera body will not easily fit through there if someone managed to unzip it. Lastly, it has tiny zippers on the back to hide extra bag clips. I have an AirTag stuffed in there and it's difficult to find since it's pretty much embedded in the bag.
I haven't tried putting a camera in it but for my wife's recent holiday in Italy I bought her an S-Zone anti-theft travel rucksack. If worn on her back, the main opening is only accessible by her taking it off her back. Last year she was robbed by a thief following her and taking all her money from her old backpack, this year all was well.
I guess I haven't really had to think about precautions against getting robbed since I was a kid, a bunch of kids tried to rob me, after that my body spontaneously grew to 6'4
You could instead use a financial instrument for protection, ie insurance. That way your risk of loss drops to zero and you can use your gear how you like.
I looked into the airtags.. from what I read it won't transmit where something is in real time? there will always be a delay and it has to be within a certain amount of feet of an apply device?
Does anyone make a skin without logo cutouts? Can’t prevent everything, just make it as hard as you can an still function as needed. Situational awareness is the key.
I have been thinking about this issue after watching some poor sap worry someone was going to steal his Leica. The conclusion I am arriving at is to leave that expensive camera at home if the area you are going is full of criminals. Sony and others make really good tiny cameras like the ZV1 and RX100. They easily slip in a pocket and don't stand out, much like a cellphone. We will still get great stills and videos with those cameras. We just have to be realistic when it comes to cameras in public. We also have to make ourselves look like Joe public, nothing special, not showing off the camera and looking like someone really bad at photography like most cellphone users are.
I bought two used Kata bags in recent days. I think most people won't be able to tell they are camera bags, especially with the kooky looking logo that looks very 90s gaming developer.
If you tape the logo you are telling the thief that it’s an expensive camera. If you use a wrist strap and the thief has a knife and the strap makes you take longer to let go of the camera you will be in more risk of getting hurt. The best remedy is to just take a cheap old camera in risky places. Leave the Leica at home. I M O.
when putting a locator tag inside the equipment if you can put 2. one that is very hard to find and one that is somewhat hard to spot. if you can find the space to do that. this gives the thieves a false sense of thinking they are gettign away
Some great tips, thanks for sharing these. The AirTag is key, and having one that's on camera, as well as in the bag can be easy to overlook! Regarding using tape to conceal logos, it seems unlikely that it would make a difference. A thief targets an electronics item not necessarily a brand. And any large-ish, professional-looking camera/lens would attract attention, even if it is purely matte black. Obviously, there's nothing to lose with doing it, and if it gives someone peace of mind, all good. But probably not going to make any difference
AirTags are useless for tacking stolen items because anyone with an iPhone will be immediately notified of the presence of the tag. Most thieves that target this type of gear are aware of this and will immediately find and destroy or discard the tag. More often here in Ecuador, they are planting the tag on someone else or putting it in a taxi or bus.
Sorry, that bag looks like a camera bag. Even more so now that you have put all those zip lockers on it. Buy insurance for the duration of your trip, yes it may cost a little but what's the cost of loosing all your kit.
Good Video Jack. I tried to click on the Sling Bag link you provided and the link does not work. What is the model of this Bellroy sling bag of the one you used in this video? Do you have a working link for it? Thank you in Advance.
yup and they will also learn how to find someone who is not taking these steps to steal from. remember when the zombies are chasing you dont need to be the fastest, just not last!
On a recent trip to the Netherlands I did not bring my camera, I used my phone. My iPhone has quite a good camera and the wide angle lens is very suitable for the narrow streets. Another great thing about using a phone is that nobody pays any attention to you. You can even shoot in a museum or an art gallery.
Does anyone make a skin without logo cutouts? Can’t prevent everything, just make it as hard as you can an still function as needed. Situational awareness is the key.
Use a security pen and write your post code inside the battery compartment so it can be identified with an Ultra violet lamp if found , or being sold in a pawn shop etc
Great idea!
Not much help if you actually travel...outside of the US.
Why? Seems pointless when all you have to do is note the serial number of the camera to identify it….
@@Scotian280that can be scratched off, and some people will still buy it if it’s cheap enough, even though it is very clearly stolen if the serial is scratched off.
@@ArturMarinhoFeV it’s embedded in the motherboard when you turn it on….. it’s the ultimate full proof way to identify it
I saw an interview with a thief a while ago where they said tape over logos specifically made them target that person more as the only people who do it are people with the most expensive gear, so your mileage may vary on that one, haha.
It’s like a lucky dip for degenerates 🤪
I’ve also used black tape to cover the logos. I have also put a red and yellow silicon camera covers on my Canon and Nikon. These will not stop someone from taking your gear and both of the things I’ve done can be easily removed but my 25 yrs working with LE have shown to me that most thieves are looking for an easy take and something that doesn’t stand out in a crowd. The only problem I see with the Harbor Freight hard cases is one I had at a hotel. I was asked to not bring any guns into the hotel and the person pointed to my HF case with my Nikon’s in it. I actually had to open it to prove it held cameras and not guns. Thieves really like taking guns so I traded in my black HB cases and now have them in Red, Orange and Yellow
interesting, so should you cover the camera in bright tape then? stands out more , if they don't want to steal something that stands out.
Use a JanSport backpack and attach a lot of music memorabilia patches to it. No one will ever know that you have an expensive camera inside it.
i literally do the exact same thing. im 24 now but my late teens and early twenties aged the hell out of this purple jasport bag. youd think it was a bag for some crust punk or homeless person. never expect it to have anything of value
I keep damn near 20k camera equipment in jansports or small travel backpacks. i keep my "other" cameras in there also.
if I see someone with a camera with the logos covered, I immediately understand that it is an expensive camera so...
I think it's best to just carry a discreet backpack that isn't for photographic equipment and that would get you
Once you pack the camera in the security bag, you tend to leave it there. Next, you start taking photos with your cell phone. Next you leave your camera secured in the hotel. Next you leave your camera at home.
Someone said they will be notified of the airtag and disable it. Correct me if I'm wrong: If the Airtag is not in ''lost mode'' then they can just take over the airtag, and dpnt even need to disable it and they now have also a new airtag. So always have it in lost mode. What you can also do is modify the airtag so that it doesn't make a sound by cutting a wire inside, there's tutorials on youtube, and then hide it in a place where its stitched into the bag so you can't even feel it from the outside, or on a motorbike you would take apart some stuff and build it into the bike at a spot where it would take several hours to find. if the thief gets notified you still got some hours. in some cases the notification comes about after 45 minutes as I've seen in tests and sometimes they never even get notified. If you don't go to get your stuff back right away you will likely never see it again. By the time you would have filed a police report it would be already too late. Not recommending anyone to do anything but thats how it is. Where I live I could just get the cops to join me right away, but that might not be the case where you live, so bring some friends that are physically strong at least
I think this is not the case, as they are registered to an Apple ID. So while they could theoretically factory reset it, they wouldn't be able to register it with Apple as the serial number is already linked to an account.
The most common camera theft scenario is when you put the bag down, leave it in your car, or otherwise are not in direct control of your bag. Overseas, the most common way to steal from a bag you are wearing is to slice the bag and grab what drops out.
Apple specifically suggests you NOT use the AirTag for tracking a stolen device. The issue is that any thief with an iPhone (most here in South America) will be immediately notified of the presence of the AirTag. They will steal the bag, find and disable the tag, and be gone.
But Airtag is still better than nothing, especially if you lose your back.
If someone is a thief and they want what you have they're going to take it regardless of all these extra steps. Just be smart and be aware of your surroundings and don't leave your gear unattended. Otherwise buy insurance for your gear. Trust me. I'm from the hood.
This is a topic that is not often covered. Thanks for doing this. I did not know about the air tag mount. What a great idea.
$180 bag? Think I’ll wear a igloo lunch bag I saw for $15😅
I believe in buying genuine products, not cheap Chinese copies. Peak Design put the money in to design their strap system, cheap copies remove that incentive.
Brand name kids get robbed more often.
I will give a nice tip. If you have integrated battery grip or just battery grip , remove 2nd battery and paste a AppleTag inside . So you will be able to track camera if thief threw bag away.
its really funny when people do all this shiz without realising that one of the most common forms of attack is a strap cutter and fast feet.
oh and just fyi. a thief is gonna know a big camera with a big lens is likely to be valuable regardless of brand. if someones bread and butter is taking cameras from tourists, they arent gonna care if its a sony or cannon or nikon.
I use a small military backpack, and I wear a Buck 110 folding knife on my belt. The backpack makes you look like you used to be in the military, and to a crook, if you have a visible Buck knife, you probably carry a gun too. They will walk right pass me, and go to an easier target.
don't forget to wear a "navy seal" tshirt too
stolen valor
Pussies😂😂😂
😅🤦🏻♂️
@Panotaker
hey man, i've been thinking of buying a military style backpack, do you mind replying with a link to the one you use?
-eli
When I want to carry a bit more, but not a case full, I use a Peak Design camera cube inside a crap old backpack.
I don't understand why this needs to get so complicated. I don't even use a bag, just a strong camera strap and thats it. I never take the strap off and my camera is always attached to me 100%, whether I am eating or taking a dump.. Never had anything stolen. Also I'd never every use quick release anything. If you can "quick release" it, so can the thieves.
I travel light with one camera and one lens, but if I really need to carry a second lens or a flash, I give it to my GF and she puts it in her regular purse or a shopping bag, pretty unsuspecting. Also if you plan ahead, you may get away with vintage lenses too. If you think you'll use 15-30 99,9% of the day, don't bring a sigma art 50mm as your secondary lens, just add a tiny Industar-50 to your backpocket.
If someone can remove a quick release strap from my hand without me noticing, they deserve my camera
Thank you! I’m going to Rio de Janeiro and I don’t wanna have my stuff stolen, will use the tape tip ;)
Thief: Oh, taped logo. Must be a Leica.
Insurance is honestly so useless. I researched so many insurance companies, and they depreciate everything by 20% per year. Anything you have that is 5 years old is considered worthless to the insurance company. If it is 3 years old, it only worth 40% of the original price.
If you buy things 2nd hand from Facebook marketplace, good luck getting the insurance to cover it at all. I think most people just buy insurance without reading the policy and just assume they will be covered if their things get stolen.
One thing you could also do for that bag is get you a couple diapers (unused, of course) and put in those front pockets to make it look more like a diaper bag. I don’t think a lot of people would catch on that you weren’t towing a kid around, they’d just see a “diaper bag” and lose interest…hopefully.
Holy crap! I just looked up the price of that bag…OUCH! I guess I’m going the actual diaper bag route with an ICU. 😂
I also use a sling bag for that very reason! Those designated camera bags just stand out so much
i got a cable lock for when I go to the beach. I also got a sensitivity Alarm 🚨 that is very loud and goes off if the bag is picked up. It was like $20 on Amazon. Also take a picture of something with your contact info, sometimes your stuff is sold without even being tuned on and someone honest will find you camara
Good tips. It'll also help thieves but let's just hope it does more good than harm. I'll throw in my own recommendation as well for the bag.
I use the Top Shelf from Bevis Gear. This case/bag has a "door-lid" that opens so that you can access your camera quickly when it's in sling configuration. Having a sling bag makes it difficult to swipe and run.
To access your camera, you operate the sling strap to bring the bag towards your abdomen and open the speed latch on the door. This main door faces inward and hugs your body, so it's unlikely that a thief could open it, even if they were aware of how it opens. Also, the door can zip up on the circumference when you're not actively using it.
It has another zipper on the side to access batteries or accessories, but a camera body will not easily fit through there if someone managed to unzip it. Lastly, it has tiny zippers on the back to hide extra bag clips. I have an AirTag stuffed in there and it's difficult to find since it's pretty much embedded in the bag.
Same. There is an insane amount of places to hide those things. Good bag.
The word 'either' is not a synonym for the word 'each'.
I haven't tried putting a camera in it but for my wife's recent holiday in Italy I bought her an S-Zone anti-theft travel rucksack. If worn on her back, the main opening is only accessible by her taking it off her back. Last year she was robbed by a thief following her and taking all her money from her old backpack, this year all was well.
Hiding the brand and type with tape is the clearest signal to any potential thief that it's expensive 😅
I'm from South Africa and tape up my logo's as well. I believe this makes a massive difference.
I just wanna say, you deserve far more subs than 131. Keep it going though you make wonderful videos!
Thank you!
I guess I haven't really had to think about precautions against getting robbed since I was a kid, a bunch of kids tried to rob me, after that my body spontaneously grew to 6'4
This is such a useful video. This will single handedly save a ton of people's hard earned camera gear. Thanks for posting this :)
Glad it was helpful!
Used to travel with a diaper bag back in the day. Nobody wanted to steal it.
bro you videos are great man, keep it up
Thanks, will do!
You could instead use a financial instrument for protection, ie insurance.
That way your risk of loss drops to zero and you can use your gear how you like.
Get insurance, but still take precautions, you get a discount for every year without claims, I have a spotless 6 year streak
My mom bought one kislux and she loves it. It had been there for over 10 years when she went out with it.
I looked into the airtags.. from what I read it won't transmit where something is in real time? there will always be a delay and it has to be within a certain amount of feet of an apply device?
I use cheap secondhand gear nowadays, so I don't have to worry too much about it being stolen.
Yeh nobody knows it’s a camera if you tape over the logo
I mean thieves seeing logos taped would kind of get more of their attention no? It’s been a common thing for Leica.
Clipping azip shut just makes it harder for you.
A thief pokes a biro through the zipper and its open.
That was a wonderful video presentation. Thank you so much. 😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
I use a 1950's, medium format, folding film camera and put it in a chest pack or my coat pocket. 🤷😎
Does anyone make a skin without logo cutouts? Can’t prevent everything, just make it as hard as you can an still function as needed. Situational awareness is the key.
The link to the airtag plate doesn't work! The product is unavailable!
Thanks for letting me know! I just updated the link. Seems like it’s out of stock on Amazon but available from SmallRig directly.
I've taped an AirTag in my battery grips. The Fz100 batteries last insanely long so I just use a single battery
I have been thinking about this issue after watching some poor sap worry someone was going to steal his Leica. The conclusion I am arriving at is to leave that expensive camera at home if the area you are going is full of criminals. Sony and others make really good tiny cameras like the ZV1 and RX100. They easily slip in a pocket and don't stand out, much like a cellphone. We will still get great stills and videos with those cameras. We just have to be realistic when it comes to cameras in public. We also have to make ourselves look like Joe public, nothing special, not showing off the camera and looking like someone really bad at photography like most cellphone users are.
If you use a backpack, if your bag has the front clip, use it, it saves your back and it makes it harder to steal
A lot of opportunist thieves will steal anything and then look to see what they got afterwards
Great and useful video. Nice tips! Keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do!
I bought two used Kata bags in recent days. I think most people won't be able to tell they are camera bags, especially with the kooky looking logo that looks very 90s gaming developer.
Want to use wrist wrap for secure keeping of camera, proceeds to have a quick release wrist wrap lol
If you tape the logo you are telling the thief that it’s an expensive camera. If you use a wrist strap and the thief has a knife and the strap makes you take longer to let go of the camera you will be in more risk of getting hurt. The best remedy is to just take a cheap old camera in risky places. Leave the Leica at home. I M O.
when putting a locator tag inside the equipment if you can put 2. one that is very hard to find and one that is somewhat hard to spot. if you can find the space to do that. this gives the thieves a false sense of thinking they are gettign away
Very cool! thanks
Lots of good ideas here. The carabiners alone was a good one!
Thank you!
Useful, Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful!
Some great tips, thanks for sharing these. The AirTag is key, and having one that's on camera, as well as in the bag can be easy to overlook!
Regarding using tape to conceal logos, it seems unlikely that it would make a difference. A thief targets an electronics item not necessarily a brand. And any large-ish, professional-looking camera/lens would attract attention, even if it is purely matte black. Obviously, there's nothing to lose with doing it, and if it gives someone peace of mind, all good. But probably not going to make any difference
AirTags are useless for tacking stolen items because anyone with an iPhone will be immediately notified of the presence of the tag. Most thieves that target this type of gear are aware of this and will immediately find and destroy or discard the tag. More often here in Ecuador, they are planting the tag on someone else or putting it in a taxi or bus.
Great video. Thanks.
Glad you liked it!
Thank you!
Cool video dude, this was some valuable info
Glad it was helpful!
Sorry, that bag looks like a camera bag. Even more so now that you have put all those zip lockers on it. Buy insurance for the duration of your trip, yes it may cost a little but what's the cost of loosing all your kit.
great tips
Thank you!
7:56 you don’t need to run faster than the bear, just faster than the next slower person(:
i put pentax k-3 iii sticky labels on my sony a7r iv. pentax who?
Did I miss the link for the Pelican case and insert?
Choose safe place to be. For example in Japan or nerja Spain 😂
Is getting it stolen from you while it’s in your hands, like a stand up robbery style a thing from where you are?
Probably he is in usa
Great tips 🎉🎉🎉
Glad it was helpful!
Great vid!
Thanks!
My question is, have you actually tested these methods or are you just parroting a version of what everybody else is saying?
Good Video Jack. I tried to click on the Sling Bag link you provided and the link does not work. What is the model of this Bellroy sling bag of the one you used in this video? Do you have a working link for it? Thank you in Advance.
I’m working on making the links click-able but if you copy and paste it, the link should work.
Bellroy calls it the Venture Camera Sling 10L
Is a sony A7iv even worth stealing? That's such an affordable camera you could easily just buy another rather than to hunt it down with an airtag.
I go to the army surplus stores and get the most ugly, used bag I can find for my Leicas.
But you just taught the thieves as well
yup and they will also learn how to find someone who is not taking these steps to steal from. remember when the zombies are chasing you dont need to be the fastest, just not last!
No need to put tape over your logos if it’s a Sony. Nobody wants it.
I think for a thief it doesn't matter because they will just sell it
Witch brand is best please
The purchase links don't work
Just updated them! Let me know if they work now. Thanks for letting me know.
this guy seems like he used to steal cameras hahahah
The most optimal sense of security is conceal carry and situational awareness
In most countries in the world, that would get you arrested. So not the best advice for travel.
1. Don’t go to places where people steal stuff
2. Be happy
just use nikon if you dont want your belongings stolen
On a recent trip to the Netherlands I did not bring my camera, I used my phone. My iPhone has quite a good camera and the wide angle lens is very suitable for the narrow streets. Another great thing about using a phone is that nobody pays any attention to you. You can even shoot in a museum or an art gallery.
People steal phones btw
Does anyone make a skin without logo cutouts? Can’t prevent everything, just make it as hard as you can an still function as needed. Situational awareness is the key.