Buy travel insurance and check that it includes camera gear and what maximum value are you insured to. Hi from Singapore. Probably the most honest city in APAC. 😊
67 here, 42yr. commercial shooter: What I do: Never use the branded camera straps w/ "Nikon", etc. on it. Tape over the Mfg and model info on the cam body; I use black gaff tape. Carry a monopod; it's more than just camera support. (self-defense) At night, carry pepper spray. NEVER leave stuff in a vehicle.
Good tips Justin. I often photograph at a park, within walking distance from my home. Even so, I try to stay vigilant & aware of my surroundings. There is so much violent crime in my neighbourhood , that I am seriously considering a concealed carry permit. It is a shame that we have fallen to such a low point in many countries throughout the world.
Excellent vid and advice. My tuppence worth. Sunglasses and a baseball cap helps me to avoid eye contact, unless I want to engage somebody. A small cree tactical torch, handy as an additional light source for low light shots, and for in the face distraction if someone gets "too close" And a scarf or towel etc (the brighter the better) which I can drape around my neck and over my camera, if I am wearing it on a neck strap, and want to conceal. And as you say stay switched on. I have no qualms about stopping and turning around to see what or who is behind me. It's something I pretty much do second nature. I have got some great additional shots from it, but also it allows me to confirm if I am attracting unwanted attention.
Hi. I carry my Q3 and LUMIX DMC70 on a old, battered laptop bag across my chest. When I'm going to take a picture, look around, take out the beauty, shoot and back into the bag again .
i usually buy a cheap small backpack in the country im travelling in with local branding on the outside etc then put my camera stuff in that. i look cheap but so far stuff has been safe. plus i have a lot of cheap bags i can use for whatever at home!
Great reminder video, Justin, on gear safety. I am always leary of taking my kit with me into new and/or sketchy places - even close to home - and tend to go out without it initially on a rece - or at least just with my pocket DLux - until I suss out the landscape before taking out my more expensive Leica kit. Most of us should have our kit insured and keep the serial numbers for the lenses and bodies in a safe place. My mantra for travel after years of working in sketchy places is to dress down and don't stick out. Dress how the locals dress. In sketch areas, carry an ancient backpack, and bundle your kit inside the ancient backpack in 1L-sized Wotancraft pilot bags, for example. Stick an Apple AirTag in the backpack too. One other bit of advice I have is that **embarrassingly** I have fallen victim to ONLINE theft. Lost a Leica lens to a sketchy dude wanting to buy it on the FaceBook marketplace. The money was in my PayPal account but suddenly vanished as the lens was en route. It was a fake/stolen FaceBook account and a fake forwarding address, and I could not stop it. Sucks. I should have known better. 🤬Police were not helpful, nor was PayPal. Told Leica, but they needed a police report to issue a red notice. There are lots of scammers out there trolling the sites to steal - especially good gear. Keep up the good work, mate.
So sorry to hear about that scam , that’s terrible Paul :(. Great advice you added there, I should’ve mentioned the AirTag thing as well as I do the same.
Good advice. When I took a gap year I got robbed only once - pickpocketed on the jam packed metro in Medecin. I didn't feel a thing, they took my phone which in today's world is more of a PITA than losing a passport. All access to my bank accounts / currency card apps and so on lost until I replaced it, confirmed my identity again and so on. I did stroll out of my hotel in Buenos Aires one day with a large camera out, but the guy on the desk shouted me to put it away - I'd gotten complacent. The thing to remember is don't look like a tourist. Every other backpacker I met who'd been robbed had made stupid mistakes.
First off, so jealous that a gap year is built into the culture in so many countries while in the USA it's not, or at least it wasn't when I was a young man. Yeah, it's typically stupidity that gets most or just getting too comfortable.
Great topic. You touched on this when you mentioned your fixer, but being with somebody is a great deterrent. Could be a friend, significant other, or a guide/fixer… but 2 people is harder to rob than one - plus it’s an extra set of eyes. Another tip is to portray confidence. Looking scared or unfamiliar with the area makes you appear vulnerable - a perfect target. So even if you *are* scared and no idea where you are… walk upright, walk at a normal speed, look relaxed but alert. If you need to check your phone or get your wallet out for some reason, you can duck into a convenience store or something to do that so you don’t present a target on the street. That’s also a great way to ditch someone you think might be following you. Keep your wallet and phone in unexpected places… preferably zipped up. I have a jacket with a zippered inner pocket that I love for my wallet. A low profile fannypack under your shirt could also be a good stash for wallets and phones… For a backpack I like to carry the impermeable kind with the roll top. The only way someone’s getting in there is if they either slash it or unroll the top - neither of which will be easy without arousing attention. It’s also clutch if you should be caught in a sudden downpour.
If you do not know the neighborhood, act like it is a bad neighborhood because it is. Best camera bag I ever heard of was a WW I gas mask bag my buddy carried his M-3 in. I use a cheesy, cheap old OD bag that can carry one camera and a couple of lenses, if I need the lenses. Always hand onto that gear. Never let it out of your sight.
Wotancraft is definitely low-key. The new batch is now no longer made with Codura that patina with use, unfortunately. I was lucky enough to pick up the last 7L pilot made with the Codura floor model. Another under-the-radar one lense one camera bag I use while traveling is the Wandrd Rogue Sling 6L. These are my two favorites.
I have travelled to Japan a few times and not had any problems. I have a Billingham bag that I used for those trips. Other trips though, to NYC and London, England, I took a small, rough-looking Think Tank messenger bag. Having been to Hell and back, that bag has the distinction of having the loudest velcro fasteners in the known universe, as well as zippered inside compartments. I haven't lost any camera gear but you are right, I trust my instincts and if I feel like someone is watching me, I take that seriously. I will lock down everything, even if it takes more time to change a lens because the alternative is to have someone try to rob me. I find too that these people are sometimes working with someone else so one person will try to distract and the other will try to rob.
I always look for rapidly available exit routes. Nothing good happens after midnight in a Fentanyl City like here in Portland. Be aware of public transit security. Tri Met is excellent in terms of connectivity and price by American standards, but they actively invite the criminal segment aboard with little, if any security (and prosecution). Robbery is the norm, not the exception. The ER at OHSU sews up 4-5 photographers a year who have either been knifed or shot. They tend to be solo photographers. Go in a group of at least 2. Understand that holding a camera and blowing a trumpet are near equals in terms of stealth. People use phones, not cameras these days.
I got my bag robbed when I fell asleep after a swanky event shoot. Took 2 bodies, 3 lenses, flash, and my 2 passports. The gear is replaceable, at the cost, but the passports and visas started a 6 month nightmare here in China. Now I keep my wits about me a lot more! Thanks for another helpful and wise video sir.
That’s terrible , I can only imagine the nightmare:(. A friend of our from Singapore was filming an event in HCMC for Canon all his bag was robbed. He got comfortable and just left his bag on the floor.
One time my house was robbed. I had a Nikon camera in a nice leather bag and I had a Hasselblad in a small, old (very old) suitcase. Guess which camera was stolen?
Surprised this wasn't the first tip but INSURE, INSURE, INSURE. No matter how many other precautions you can take robberies happen, and it only has to happen once to be very painful financially. It's typically pretty inexpensive and well worth the peace of mind so you can actually use your expensive equipment instead of just keeping it locked up.
Great video with excellent tips! The only time I’ve ever had gear stolen was when we lived in Seattle. It was stolen out of our house. I had a Nikon FM2, an FM, and a 200mm f4 that were stolen the day before Thanksgiving. The thief also stole my laptop, and most of my wife’s jewelry. I had been locking up my gear in my safe, but I had become complacent, and didn’t have it locked up that day. I believe the thief broke in through a bathroom window. I’m pretty sure I knew who it was, but I had no proof. Never got anything back. 🙁🙁Always best to lock up your gear whenever possible.
One camera, one lens . Get used cheap gear and explore. It cost less than an insurance. I'm going to Vietnam with gear I paid less than 170USD for. Fujifilm XE1 + 7artisans 35mm1.2 mark2
I have had many people casually ask about my $10K camera when they see me in safe areas (the body is about $1K US). This leads me to believe if your gear is not that expensive, thieves are likely not to know the true value of it and will think it is worth more than it actually does. So they are thinking they are making a bigger score than they actually are. I think one point you touched on it is be aware of your surroundings, what is going on around you and who is around you. Don't hesitate to research areas you are unfamiliar with before going there. Also, having obvious camera gear will automatically make you a target even in relatively safe areas.
Well said , being aware of your surroundings is definitely the biggest one which can be tricky when you’re also trying to be fully aware of your surroundings for images.
I use a small Think Tank Perception Tablet backpack for my regular Bangkok shooting. I don't keep anything of value in the 2 back external pockets and I position the main zips together at the bottom left side and secure them with a simple key card lock. Peak Design Capture Clip on the bottom of one of the straps so the camera in hand is secure and in front of me when I want my hands free. I have great Fuji cameras but I buy used and slightly older models to current so the cost of any individual item is never going to be more than $600 should the worst happen. Pretty sure the masses I observe with their faces buried in $1,000+ Iphones on the Skytrain and MRT are more vulnerable than me with my Billingham observing and acutely aware of my surroundings looking for a photo opportunity.
Back in 1984, my father left his new Canon T70 at the breakfast restaurant in the hotel in Tokyo. The hotel sent the camera to our next hotel in Kyoto and it arrived before we did. Generally speaking, South America is the continent that I have heard the most camera theft stories.
@@AskMOTT i have the khaki one. and when i ordered the pouches, i thought the same and ordered them in black. you are right, i can imagine how the black version is more low key
You missed some of the most important tips: 1. Get gear insurance for traveling. That is a must do action item. 2. Hotels are not really safe places to store gear - hotel rooms and hotel rooms safes are not secure.
I briefly mentioned insurance but yeah I didn’t go into depth about it because it’s but really a big thing in SE Asia , not quite reliable at least , but that’s changing.
That was my last video where the color wasn’t right. I did several videos back to back when I moved back into my apartment and all of them I messed up the color but it’s sorted now :). Well, I have some shorts that are from the same episode where the color is messed up that’s all :)
Look poor (preferably while next to some Americans dripping with bling 😬). Never take anything you can’t afford to lose. And don’t sit at a cafe/restaurant with your fancy camera on the table beside you…
Buy travel insurance and check that it includes camera gear and what maximum value are you insured to. Hi from Singapore. Probably the most honest city in APAC. 😊
67 here, 42yr. commercial shooter: What I do: Never use the branded camera straps w/ "Nikon", etc. on it. Tape over the Mfg and model info on the cam body; I use black gaff tape. Carry a monopod; it's more than just camera support. (self-defense) At night, carry pepper spray. NEVER leave stuff in a vehicle.
Great addition Tommy, love the monopod idea and I’m a big fan of gaffer tape as well :).
Wow! A whole bunch of good advice in a condensed, fast-paced package. Thanks very much.
Thank you my friend.
Good tips Justin. I often photograph at a park, within walking distance from my home. Even so, I try to stay vigilant & aware of my surroundings. There is so much violent crime in my neighbourhood , that I am seriously considering a concealed carry permit. It is a shame that we have fallen to such a low point in many countries throughout the world.
That’s so sad to hear , i remember feeling completely safe in a city like SF, nowadays I don’t even think I’d shoot there .
Excellent vid and advice. My tuppence worth. Sunglasses and a baseball cap helps me to avoid eye contact, unless I want to engage somebody. A small cree tactical torch, handy as an additional light source for low light shots, and for in the face distraction if someone gets "too close" And a scarf or towel etc (the brighter the better) which I can drape around my neck and over my camera, if I am wearing it on a neck strap, and want to conceal. And as you say stay switched on. I have no qualms about stopping and turning around to see what or who is behind me. It's something I pretty much do second nature. I have got some great additional shots from it, but also it allows me to confirm if I am attracting unwanted attention.
Great advice Kim, I use to do the same thing with a scarf but then I switched from being a scarf person to a hat person, I wouldn't dare try both :).
Hi. I carry my Q3 and LUMIX DMC70 on a old, battered laptop bag across my chest. When I'm going to take a picture, look around, take out the beauty, shoot and back into the bag again .
Awesome setup Jose, thanks for sharing.
i usually buy a cheap small backpack in the country im travelling in with local branding on the outside etc then put my camera stuff in that. i look cheap but so far stuff has been safe. plus i have a lot of cheap bags i can use for whatever at home!
That’s also a great idea and easy to do here in Vietnam with all the knockoff bags available:).
Great reminder video, Justin, on gear safety. I am always leary of taking my kit with me into new and/or sketchy places - even close to home - and tend to go out without it initially on a rece - or at least just with my pocket DLux - until I suss out the landscape before taking out my more expensive Leica kit. Most of us should have our kit insured and keep the serial numbers for the lenses and bodies in a safe place. My mantra for travel after years of working in sketchy places is to dress down and don't stick out. Dress how the locals dress. In sketch areas, carry an ancient backpack, and bundle your kit inside the ancient backpack in 1L-sized Wotancraft pilot bags, for example. Stick an Apple AirTag in the backpack too. One other bit of advice I have is that **embarrassingly** I have fallen victim to ONLINE theft. Lost a Leica lens to a sketchy dude wanting to buy it on the FaceBook marketplace. The money was in my PayPal account but suddenly vanished as the lens was en route. It was a fake/stolen FaceBook account and a fake forwarding address, and I could not stop it. Sucks. I should have known better. 🤬Police were not helpful, nor was PayPal. Told Leica, but they needed a police report to issue a red notice. There are lots of scammers out there trolling the sites to steal - especially good gear. Keep up the good work, mate.
So sorry to hear about that scam , that’s terrible Paul :(. Great advice you added there, I should’ve mentioned the AirTag thing as well as I do the same.
Good advice. When I took a gap year I got robbed only once - pickpocketed on the jam packed metro in Medecin. I didn't feel a thing, they took my phone which in today's world is more of a PITA than losing a passport. All access to my bank accounts / currency card apps and so on lost until I replaced it, confirmed my identity again and so on. I did stroll out of my hotel in Buenos Aires one day with a large camera out, but the guy on the desk shouted me to put it away - I'd gotten complacent. The thing to remember is don't look like a tourist. Every other backpacker I met who'd been robbed had made stupid mistakes.
First off, so jealous that a gap year is built into the culture in so many countries while in the USA it's not, or at least it wasn't when I was a young man. Yeah, it's typically stupidity that gets most or just getting too comfortable.
Solid tips, Justin! Thanks for sharing these insights 🔥
My pleasure , thanks for watching :).
Great topic. You touched on this when you mentioned your fixer, but being with somebody is a great deterrent. Could be a friend, significant other, or a guide/fixer… but 2 people is harder to rob than one - plus it’s an extra set of eyes. Another tip is to portray confidence. Looking scared or unfamiliar with the area makes you appear vulnerable - a perfect target. So even if you *are* scared and no idea where you are… walk upright, walk at a normal speed, look relaxed but alert. If you need to check your phone or get your wallet out for some reason, you can duck into a convenience store or something to do that so you don’t present a target on the street. That’s also a great way to ditch someone you think might be following you. Keep your wallet and phone in unexpected places… preferably zipped up. I have a jacket with a zippered inner pocket that I love for my wallet. A low profile fannypack under your shirt could also be a good stash for wallets and phones… For a backpack I like to carry the impermeable kind with the roll top. The only way someone’s getting in there is if they either slash it or unroll the top - neither of which will be easy without arousing attention. It’s also clutch if you should be caught in a sudden downpour.
Yes , if you can travel w someone it’s a great idea and fixer is always worth it when you can afford it.
If you do not know the neighborhood, act like it is a bad neighborhood because it is. Best camera bag I ever heard of was a WW I gas mask bag my buddy carried his M-3 in. I use a cheesy, cheap old OD bag that can carry one camera and a couple of lenses, if I need the lenses. Always hand onto that gear. Never let it out of your sight.
Great to hear from you Zoltan, I think wearing the gas mask would also deter thieves :).
Wotancraft is definitely low-key. The new batch is now no longer made with Codura that patina with use, unfortunately. I was lucky enough to pick up the last 7L pilot made with the Codura floor model. Another under-the-radar one lense one camera bag I use while traveling is the Wandrd Rogue Sling 6L. These are my two favorites.
I have travelled to Japan a few times and not had any problems. I have a Billingham bag that I used for those trips. Other trips though, to NYC and London, England, I took a small, rough-looking Think Tank messenger bag. Having been to Hell and back, that bag has the distinction of having the loudest velcro fasteners in the known universe, as well as zippered inside compartments. I haven't lost any camera gear but you are right, I trust my instincts and if I feel like someone is watching me, I take that seriously. I will lock down everything, even if it takes more time to change a lens because the alternative is to have someone try to rob me. I find too that these people are sometimes working with someone else so one person will try to distract and the other will try to rob.
Japan is a whole separate place , it’s so safe and polite there, I wish all my shoot took place there :). I’d break all my rules there.
Good advice, I use a messenger bag with an insert when I want to be inconspicuous. I always assume that people are watching and plan accordingly.
Messenger bags work well too as they rest closer to your body.
I use little Niteize carabiners to secure pouches containing accessories to internal hooks within the bag.
I always look for rapidly available exit routes.
Nothing good happens after midnight in a Fentanyl City like here in Portland.
Be aware of public transit security. Tri Met is excellent in terms of connectivity and price by American standards, but they actively invite the criminal segment aboard with little, if any security (and prosecution). Robbery is the norm, not the exception.
The ER at OHSU sews up 4-5 photographers a year who have either been knifed or shot. They tend to be solo photographers. Go in a group of at least 2.
Understand that holding a camera and blowing a trumpet are near equals in terms of stealth. People use phones, not cameras these days.
Well said Daryl , thanks for sharing.
I keep a Peak Designs Capture clip on my backpack. When I am uncomfortable, or just need hands free, my Q2 snaps in and is secure from a quick grab.
They do make their bags quite functionally friendly .
@@AskMOTT The Capture Clip can be used on almost any pack. I use mine on an old LL Bean pack.
"Seedy" is my thing
Fair enough :)
I got my bag robbed when I fell asleep after a swanky event shoot. Took 2 bodies, 3 lenses, flash, and my 2 passports. The gear is replaceable, at the cost, but the passports and visas started a 6 month nightmare here in China. Now I keep my wits about me a lot more! Thanks for another helpful and wise video sir.
That’s terrible , I can only imagine the nightmare:(. A friend of our from Singapore was filming an event in HCMC for Canon all his bag was robbed. He got comfortable and just left his bag on the floor.
One time my house was robbed. I had a Nikon camera in a nice leather bag and I had a Hasselblad in a small, old (very old) suitcase. Guess which camera was stolen?
Such a bad feeling to be robbed , hope you weren’t hoke when that happened. They took your Nikon :)
Surprised this wasn't the first tip but INSURE, INSURE, INSURE. No matter how many other precautions you can take robberies happen, and it only has to happen once to be very painful financially. It's typically pretty inexpensive and well worth the peace of mind so you can actually use your expensive equipment instead of just keeping it locked up.
It’s a good point but for my region SE Asia insurance isn’t really reliable but yes insure :), thanks for pointing that out.
Great video with excellent tips! The only time I’ve ever had gear stolen was when we lived in Seattle. It was stolen out of our house. I had a Nikon FM2, an FM, and a 200mm f4 that were stolen the day before Thanksgiving. The thief also stole my laptop, and most of my wife’s jewelry. I had been locking up my gear in my safe, but I had become complacent, and didn’t have it locked up that day. I believe the thief broke in through a bathroom window. I’m pretty sure I knew who it was, but I had no proof. Never got anything back. 🙁🙁Always best to lock up your gear whenever possible.
What a bummer and to know who did it must hurt even more :(.
@@AskMOTT yes, I agree. 🙁🙁
One camera, one lens . Get used cheap gear and explore. It cost less than an insurance. I'm going to Vietnam with gear I paid less than 170USD for. Fujifilm XE1 + 7artisans 35mm1.2 mark2
Good advice :)
Agree.
Is that a Bianchi on the back wall?
2003 Bianchi Eros :)
Add your tips, experiences and questions here.
I have had many people casually ask about my $10K camera when they see me in safe areas (the body is about $1K US). This leads me to believe if your gear is not that expensive, thieves are likely not to know the true value of it and will think it is worth more than it actually does. So they are thinking they are making a bigger score than they actually are.
I think one point you touched on it is be aware of your surroundings, what is going on around you and who is around you. Don't hesitate to research areas you are unfamiliar with before going there. Also, having obvious camera gear will automatically make you a target even in relatively safe areas.
Well said , being aware of your surroundings is definitely the biggest one which can be tricky when you’re also trying to be fully aware of your surroundings for images.
I use a small Think Tank Perception Tablet backpack for my regular Bangkok shooting. I don't keep anything of value in the 2 back external pockets and I position the main zips together at the bottom left side and secure them with a simple key card lock. Peak Design Capture Clip on the bottom of one of the straps so the camera in hand is secure and in front of me when I want my hands free. I have great Fuji cameras but I buy used and slightly older models to current so the cost of any individual item is never going to be more than $600 should the worst happen. Pretty sure the masses I observe with their faces buried in $1,000+ Iphones on the Skytrain and MRT are more vulnerable than me with my Billingham observing and acutely aware of my surroundings looking for a photo opportunity.
Smart set up Robin, I normally feel pretty safe in Bangkok that was just an incident of me feeling too safe and being stupid :(.
Back in 1984, my father left his new Canon T70 at the breakfast restaurant in the hotel in Tokyo. The hotel sent the camera to our next hotel in Kyoto and it arrived before we did. Generally speaking, South America is the continent that I have heard the most camera theft stories.
I’ve spent a lot a time of Japan and yes it’s feels amazingly safe , same w Singapore, doesn’t even cross my mind . Thanks for sharing that story.
You really think a wotancraft bag is low key? I have a shoulder bag from them but the material alone screams "weird" to me.
Mine doesn’t scream at all , it’s really quiet :). I feel the black one is rather inconspicuous.
@@AskMOTT i have the khaki one. and when i ordered the pouches, i thought the same and ordered them in black. you are right, i can imagine how the black version is more low key
@@AskMOTTOrder the 18L backpack now. in black. let's see how much it screams :D
You missed some of the most important tips:
1. Get gear insurance for traveling. That is a must do action item.
2. Hotels are not really safe places to store gear - hotel rooms and hotel rooms safes are not secure.
I briefly mentioned insurance but yeah I didn’t go into depth about it because it’s but really a big thing in SE Asia , not quite reliable at least , but that’s changing.
Keeping your head on a swivel is extremely important. There are thieves everywhere!
Balancing that w finding images is key or just focus on photographing thieves :).
What monitor are you using for editing and is it colour accurate? Sorry to hear about you story
That was my last video where the color wasn’t right. I did several videos back to back when I moved back into my apartment and all of them I messed up the color but it’s sorted now :). Well, I have some shorts that are from the same episode where the color is messed up that’s all :)
Insurance!
Agree , but places like Vietnam insurance is just now becoming reliable .
@@AskMOTT Then take a contract out on that thieves ass!
Look poor (preferably while next to some Americans dripping with bling 😬). Never take anything you can’t afford to lose. And don’t sit at a cafe/restaurant with your fancy camera on the table beside you…
Great advice Alistair, I’m always conscious of where I sit and where my gear is.
why is the video so dark?
I messed up the color on a few episodes,
all good now.
Protecting you gear or stealing it? 😂😂😂
Protecting mine , stealing yours :).