Stealth Camera Carrying

[howiebrou]

Back in the days when I used to lug my Nikon D3 around with 80-200, 50mm, 85mm, etc i would feel very conspicuous on holiday that I was asking to be mugged. It is difficult to carry all that gear in anything except a purpose built camera bag which tends to invite unwanted attention.

Having switched to a Leica M9 and carrying only one lens, a 50mm Summilux 1.4, I still felt nervous carrying it around Prague. It is still blatantly obvious what it is, I guess, because several people commented on it and gave the thumbs up. The bottom half is even enclosed in a leather pouch so it doesn't completely scream mug me! I carry it around in a normal shoulder bag, not a camera bag and this works because it is one item only.

How do you carry your cameras round when on holiday in a crowded city? Any tips to reduce the attention?

Howie

[MyPal]

Howie...We just returned from Europe also. It didn't bother me with the Canon EOS 5DMkII & mounted glass strapped around my neck or hanging from my back. I normally only carried the mounted lens but sometimes The Lady lugged my sling bag with an 85mm prime.

Here I am, the Segway helmet head, with a local Jazz Musician from grungy Soho Praha, Warsaw. He autographed a copy of his CD for me.

[klipschfan]

Small sling bag should work and has easy access.


vanguardworld.com

[Portugal]

Hi Howie, being a Nikon D4 and Leica M9 user myself i understand your concerns.

Among the Leica users community (there's a good forum online you should check out) an old and traditional strategy is to black tape the camera.

This is an extreme example. Most people only cover the M9 lettering and the red logo.



I confess I've never done it myself as I'm afraid the tape may mark the camera. People tell me it can be done with electrical - no glue - isolation tape.

[matciti]

My Canon D1 and Prime lenses are so heavy that (a) A mugger would would not be able to run away very fast and (b) if I hit them on the head with it, they would not get up in a hurry. That said I don't use a camera bag, just a normal shoulder sports type bag and have never had any issues travelling throughout Africa, Russia and the US.

[GaryProtein]

I have covered all the names and logos on my Nikon products for a few decades since I saw it done in a movie.

The tape never left a mark on a camera. I always used Scotch Super 88 electrical tape.

As with matciti, I have never been approached, but would never hesitate to use a camera as a weapon.

[Still-One]

On vacation I usually carry a messenger bag that handles one extra lens, my sunglass case, and other misc items. If I am just for photography (not very often any more) I will take a backpack style bag that handles multiple lenses.

[MyPal]

Originally Posted by matciti

My Canon D1 and Prime lenses are so heavy that (a) A mugger would would not be able to run away very fast and (b) if I hit them on the head with it, they would not get up in a hurry. That said I don't use a camera bag, just a normal shoulder sports type bag and have never had any issues travelling throughout Africa, Russia and the US.

+1. And if you smash it over someone who cares, that's what insurance is for & why It doesn't hurt to have an itemised portable clause in your policy that includes travel.

[jdandy]

Howie.......I prefer to travel as inconspicuous and light as possible. Unless the purpose of the trip is photography, I leave my Canon EOS system and lenses at home. If I am just traveling for fun, I carry the Canon SX130 IS camera. It is small enough to drop in a pocket or in Marlene's purse. The SX130 IS takes surprisingly good photos and supports an 8GB high capacity SD memory card. It uses two AA lithium batteries so I don't have to worry about a charger for a proprietary battery like my bigger Canon. Best of all, there is no camera in sight unless I am taking a photo. Here are some photos of the Canon SX130 IS and a few photos taken with it in Panama City Beach, Florida the last time Marlene and I visited.

[jdandy]

The Canon EOS XTi camera with the EFS 17-85mm Image Stabilizer lens is quite a load by comparison to the Canon SX130 IS camera. I have a total of three Canon Image Stabilizer lenses, filters, lens hoods, Canon Speedlite 430EX flash, battery charger, alternate battery holder, spare batteries, spare compact flash cards, and the manual all packed into a nice Canon bag, but the whole setup is too big and bulky to carry around all day just to capture snapshots. This photo was taken with the Canon SX130 IS.