Camera thieves at weddings

[pbyd]

For all of the wedding and event photographers out there, WATCH your camera equipment! I have two friends that lost equipment at weddings in the last few weeks.
One was shooting a wedding at the Post Oak Hilton and while he was busy someone went into his camera bags and took a D200, Tokina 11-16mm and a 70-200 VRII. One other friend was at the Omni Hotel shooting a wedding and someone took her rolling Pelican Case with Nikon bodies, lenses and flash.
Just a warning, about 10 years ago we had people taking camera equipment at weddings in Houston, Austin and Dallas, I just hope this is not the start of the same thieves.
Wayne
Photography by Design

[iamntxhunter]

Always having to watch your stuff thats for sure. Thanks for the heads up.

[island bound]

I have a very polite and well mannered 8th-grade boy, son of my friend, who will sit with my bags the entire night for $30.
Pretty good deal for me.

[danchez]

people get complacent and their ish starts getting stolen.... I agree with Chris, if you can't find someone to watch your gear for a small fee, or you think, "it wont happen to me" well, then live with the consequences when it does happen to you.

WOW, where did that come from?!?

[FireHeart Photography]

I lock mine to the DJ stand and lock the bag too - small locks but enought to keep sticky hands from getting inside...

[Tom]

Everyone should get a Think Tank Airport Security bag. You can lock your gear up and lock it to something that won't move.

[S-Man]

^ Again, I want one of those really badly but the amount of weddings I'm doing doesn't warrant the cost ATM. One of those with a small lens bag or messenger bag to stay on your hip would work great.
This has always been a huge fear of mine and I have to admit, I've become somewhat complacent at the last few weddings. I usually just stash my gear near the DJ or bar, or in a corner somewhere and assume everything is going to be there. It's always in the back of my mind that something will turn up missing though :/

[Tom]

$350 for a bag is a lot cheaper than replacing a 5D. I also travel, so this is useful for that. Also, when you aren't home, you can keep your gear tied up and out of sight.

[Flea77]

+1 to what Thomas said. My wedding kit is in a LowelPro X300 which has an integrated cable lock just long enough to go through all the zippers and the leg of a table etc. Pain in the rear to constantly unlock, but much less of a pain than replacing everything.

Allan

[MicWayWal]

The problem I have had with my gear locked up is that it slows me down. I have to go to my bag continuously during the wedding and I have to move my gear several time through out the day.
Unlocking and locking the bag to get a flash or a lens is a big pain. I need speed at a wedding. Besides it is so easy to lift the table to slip the lock off the leg it's silly.

The best solution for me is a "Bag Babysitter" like Chris spoke of. In fact the sitter will wind up helping me out to be faster. I pay $45 for the day. They learn what I am going to the bag for and usually have it ready for me when I get there. I have one kid I use all the time that will download my cards to the laptop and do some sorting for me for a slide show at the reception. I have had wedding guest go thru my stuff just to see what I am using. It's crazy.

Humans that scream for me is the best security.

[Tom]

Besides it is so easy to lift the table to slip the lock off the leg it's silly.

Yeah. That's not how you should be locking it.

The problem I have had with my gear locked up is that it slows me down. I have to go to my bag continuously during the wedding and I have to move my gear several time through out the day.
Unlocking and locking the bag to get a flash or a lens is a big pain. I need speed at a wedding.

I need speed, too. In fact, I have an assistant at all my weddings, and still lock my bag to something secure.

Use something like the Think Tank Retrospective 3 to carry your gear around that you may need. Won't break your back. I'm still locking up my bag, because I often have gear that I used earlier that I won't use again (macro lens for one) plus I have my emergency gear in there. I will use a bag like the Retrospective to carry some extra cards, extra flash, extra batteries and maybe an extra lens or so.

[Flea77]

Originally Posted by MicWayWal

The problem I have had with my gear locked up is that it slows me down. I have to go to my bag continuously during the wedding and I have to move my gear several time through out the day.
Unlocking and locking the bag to get a flash or a lens is a big pain. I need speed at a wedding. Besides it is so easy to lift the table to slip the lock off the leg it's silly.

The best solution for me is a "Bag Babysitter" like Chris spoke of. In fact the sitter will wind up helping me out to be faster. I pay $45 for the day. They learn what I am going to the bag for and usually have it ready for me when I get there. I have one kid I use all the time that will download my cards to the laptop and do some sorting for me for a slide show at the reception. I have had wedding guest go thru my stuff just to see what I am using. It's crazy.

Humans that scream for me is the best security.

Unfortunately I don't have any human scream alarms, and the lock is a lot cheaper than $45 a day. I lock mine to a table leg (or something else) that has some way to prevent lifting the table to slip the lock off (like a leg that has cross supports, etc). And for me, in my situation, unlocking the bag each time is a lot faster than leaving the wedding to get more equipment because mine was just stolen.

To make things faster I can use a Black Raipd DR-1 to carry two bodies with lenses and a waistpack for other little things. If things get more serious than that I can always break out the photo vest!

But to each their own, the main thing is to have some kind of security for your equipment.

Allan

[OFFSHORE DANIEL]

I am very happy I read this since I carry a ton of gear and would hate to have anything stolen. I really like the idea of using a sitter.

[suerenee]

Originally Posted by MicWayWal

The problem I have had with my gear locked up is that it slows me down. I have to go to my bag continuously during the wedding and I have to move my gear several time through out the day.
Unlocking and locking the bag to get a flash or a lens is a big pain. I need speed at a wedding. Besides it is so easy to lift the table to slip the lock off the leg it's silly.

The best solution for me is a "Bag Babysitter" like Chris spoke of. In fact the sitter will wind up helping me out to be faster. I pay $45 for the day. They learn what I am going to the bag for and usually have it ready for me when I get there. I have one kid I use all the time that will download my cards to the laptop and do some sorting for me for a slide show at the reception. I have had wedding guest go thru my stuff just to see what I am using. It's crazy.

Humans that scream for me is the best security.

I use a Shoot Sac for this reason. I carry the glass I'm going to need. My case pretty much just has my back up and extra batteries. I might go to by case once during the reception, everything else is on me.

[TxTowman]

HHmmmm maybe bag sitter would be a good way to get to watch a pro sometime!