carlos diaz Posted June 16, 2007 Share #1 Posted June 16, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello Leica family, First off, I intend to offend no one with this question...........not a very good way to start off I know. A simple question: How concerned should I be about the safety of my beloved M8 in Europe? I will be taking, as previously mentioned, a cruise of the Mediterraneam and have begun to read in forums much talk about pick pocketing and stolen cameras. Have any of you taken any special precautions or have recommendations? As usual, hanks for your help. carlos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 16, 2007 Posted June 16, 2007 Hi carlos diaz, Take a look here M8- travel and safety in Europe. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
DaveEP Posted June 16, 2007 Share #2 Posted June 16, 2007 I will be taking, as previously mentioned, a cruise of the Mediterraneam and have begun to read in forums much talk about pick pocketing and stolen cameras. Have any of you taken any special precautions or have recommendations? As usual, hanks for your help. carlos Carlos, I cruise in the Mediterranean a lot. I was there in May and will be back again in September. On a general level, I have zero concerns about carrying the M8 + lenses with me. However, I take the normal precautions of not leaving it unattended in resturants etc, and especially don't leave it under chairs or tables, or hung over the back of a chair where people to access it without me seeing. Common sense really. If you are taking the tours organised by the cruise line, I would have zero worries. If you are walking in to the centre of major towns and/or cities, take the same precautions you would do at home. Be aware that some cities are more known for pick pockets than others. Barcelona has a reputation for this, and for cameras taken from the general public. However, I have been there many times, and, taking responable precautions as usual have encountered no problems myself. Beware of any one walking up to you offering you a cloth to 'wipe ketchup off your bag'. The idea is that you will take the bag from around your neck and then one of their accomplices will run up and grab it from you while you are distracted... In May I found I was able to walk through most cities with the M8 around my neck (instead of in the bag) and almost no one even looked at it (I was paying attention). They did however look at the Canon and Nikon cameras around other peoples necks! So, I would not let things worry you. Common sense is the order of the day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted June 16, 2007 Share #3 Posted June 16, 2007 They are all terrible drunkards who trade their offspring for red dots at a given chance. Stay out of the light, keep away from those with only two eyes, and beware of the dual legged. It's simply hell there, and they speak stranged tongues and eateth horribleth vittals. Those Mediterraneans are amongst the worst for they diet on garlic, foul oath, and dry blood. On the other hand their governments tend to be lax enough to outlaw carrying armaments, and somehow some of us manage to survive such harsh conditions. Throw fate to the winds of darkness and with luck you might be ok. Happy days eh? Hope this helps. ..............Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecaton Posted June 16, 2007 Share #4 Posted June 16, 2007 Hello Leica family,First off, I intend to offend no one with this question...........not a very good way to start off I know. A simple question: How concerned should I be about the safety of my beloved M8 in Europe? I will be taking, as previously mentioned, a cruise of the Mediterraneam and have begun to read in forums much talk about pick pocketing and stolen cameras. Have any of you taken any special precautions or have recommendations? As usual, hanks for your help. carlos Pretty funny that your M8`s safety concerns you most. How about your wife/partner yourself, her jewelry your watch, etc. Do you really think thugs care about M8s. Worldwide, it is only a couple of strange guys, incl us forum members, who care about the red dot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tashley Posted June 16, 2007 Share #5 Posted June 16, 2007 You're fine anywhere I've been in Europe, which is a lot of places. Even Barcelona, which people say is rife with thieves, was fine (but I kept the gear close). The one place I would not walk around with it is Naples - but then I'd be careful there with anything of value. t Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptruman Posted June 16, 2007 Share #6 Posted June 16, 2007 The M8 has the advantage over many DSLRs and bridge cameras in that it looks like an old fashioned film camera rather than the exquisite digital camera it is. I imagine (and hope!) that many opportunist thieves will look at other cameras strung round people's necks before they realise that the M8 is what it really is. However, taking sensible precautions is obviously sensible. I have replaced the (rubbish) supplied Leica strap with a much more comfortable Tamrac strap - it doesn't have Leica embossed on it and visible, even if someone did recognise the Leica branding of the supplied strap. So I feel a little less conspicuous, particularly from behind. Obviously taking sensible precautions is essential - don't leave it unattended or slung over a chair or under a barstool in any bag. In London I know of several colleagues who have had their laptop bag stolen. Others have lost their bag whilst on the shelf in a train. Perhaps ensure your camera bag doesn't look like a camera bag or worse a laptop bag? When I have the camera around my neck I tend to hold the camera to stop it flapping about. I also hope that if someone does try to cut the strap without me seeing them I'll at least still be holding it! Be sensible, be careful, but don't be paranoid. And above all enjoy your visit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted June 16, 2007 Share #7 Posted June 16, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I agree, you just need to keep your eyes open, I've had situations in Barcelona and on the Paris metro where you can get surrounded by people trying to distract you by, for example, selling flowers. As Tim says, keep the gear close and only take out with you what you need for the day (money, cards, lenses). Don't be put off, Europe has an infinite variety of places to visit... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gverdon Posted June 16, 2007 Share #8 Posted June 16, 2007 Hello Leica family,First off, I intend to offend no one with this question...........not a very good way to start off I know. A simple question: How concerned should I be about the safety of my beloved M8 in Europe? I will be taking, as previously mentioned, a cruise of the Mediterraneam and have begun to read in forums much talk about pick pocketing and stolen cameras. Have any of you taken any special precautions or have recommendations? As usual, hanks for your help. carlos Please, please... No problem at all in Europe. This is not USA. BTW, could you please give me your precise itinerary... Gérald Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 17, 2007 Share #9 Posted June 17, 2007 Come on, if you have to live like that, constantly looking over your shoulder. Europe is pretty safe in general,safer than the USA for instance if you look at the statistics but one can get unlucky anywhere. Having said that, criminals in general are on the lookout for the easy target, so somebody behaving frightened is more likely to get into trouble than someone striding with confidence. And a DSLR with many buttons or an easily sold P&S is a far more attractive target than our idiosyncratic funny looking Leicas. I have taken Leicas everywhere, including for instance dodgy parts of Jo'burg, but they attracted less unwelcome attention than Canons Nikons, etc. (or BMWs for that matter) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethC Posted June 17, 2007 Share #10 Posted June 17, 2007 Get some electrical tape and cover the logo and the "M8", the camera becomes invisible then. any self respecting thief would ignore it. Trouble is, every time you go abroad, you get confronted by foreigners (typed by a Brit living in Canada with his tongue firmly set in his cheek) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted June 17, 2007 Share #11 Posted June 17, 2007 ..........I'd be concerned about being sold into slavery and sent to some place like Michigan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted June 17, 2007 Share #12 Posted June 17, 2007 I too was concerned with Barcelona but like Tim, had no problems. I covered the red dot with a piece of black insulating tape. Nobody looked at it twice except for an elderly German gentleman who struck up a conversation with me in the Metro, as he had had Leicas when he was younger. I was even using it in the Metro in the end. Like others I would counsel not putting your bag under chairs or over their back. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted June 17, 2007 Share #13 Posted June 17, 2007 Because I use an Upstrap I tend to just sling the camera on one shoulder knowing it won't slip off. Twice in Chile I was approached by locals and told to wear it instead across my body for security, even though I did not feel any real need. I reckon that that was good advice and I would recommend it - as is the advice others have already given. As an aside, there is company marketing camera straps with thin steel wires incorporated making them un-cuttable. A step too far? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecaton Posted June 17, 2007 Share #14 Posted June 17, 2007 No offense intended either from a European who left barbaric and unsafe Europe (actually we left Switzerland, which is considered one of the most unstable areas over there) some 5 year ago to find refuge in the States. But I remember a reply Mark Norton, posted with a sense of humor on June 6 in another thread: "Reminds me that 75% of people in the US have never ventured beyond their shores. I love this Third World view you guys have.........................." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwfreund Posted June 17, 2007 Share #15 Posted June 17, 2007 I would be far more concerned about dropping it or getting into an unwelcome conversation with a waiter who compares it unfavorably to his trusty M3. -bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bernd Banken Posted June 17, 2007 Share #16 Posted June 17, 2007 don't worry, thiefs are clever and read the internet. They avoid to grab a camera which should have as a minimum one backup body. This means they have to catch another camera. Very difficult because the market share is so low. They know too that a M8 is a frequent traveller to Solms so they have Nikons/Canons on their target list. And it's easier for them to concentrate on Rolex. In general, Europe is so save because it's so far away from the U... LOL Enjoy your trip. Bernd Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtZ Posted June 17, 2007 Share #17 Posted June 17, 2007 Hello Leica family,First off, I intend to offend no one with this question...........not a very good way to start off I know. A simple question: How concerned should I be about the safety of my beloved M8 in Europe? I will be taking, as previously mentioned, a cruise of the Mediterraneam and have begun to read in forums much talk about pick pocketing and stolen cameras. Have any of you taken any special precautions or have recommendations? As usual, hanks for your help. carlos ¡Hola Carlos! I've been travelling around the World for many years and with a lot of cameras and lenses. Most of the time, when I take a plane, I have more than 30kilos (70 pounds if you prefer) just on cameras and lenses. Some of them are really "flashy" like the EOS 1Ds, especially with "white" lenses. I never had a problem. Though, there're a few places where I would take ALL kind of precautions: Rio de Janeiro, South Africa (except Cape Town area) and some ex-French Colonies in Africa. It's a simple rule: We consider people from under development Countries they're are all poor. They consider (when they see an European or Anerican Citizen) we're ALL rich. Some people said here it's a question about your camera look. I disagree. Even if you have a film camera they will be jealous because they never had a camera. In Brazil, I was really too naif. I took handred of pictures in Sao Paulo (I wans't alone) and I had no problem... I was really lucky. When I arrived to Rio I realised that you couldn't have ANY object with you. I was robbed at Copacabana beach on the first day (a tiny gold chain with an image of Mary which was given by my mother at the age of 7). I had left everything in the hotel (even the money) but I forgot to remove the chain out from my neck. When I was leaving the beach, two young girls came to me to say the wanted have sex with me. I told them to leave me alone but they refused. When I was putting my shoes on, both girls were next to me trying to touch me. I started to get angry. Then a guy (working together with the girls) arrived suddently and take the chain out from my neck. In two weeks I spent in Rio, all my cameras remainded in safe box of the hotel... I simply didn't take a single picture. People in the hotel adviced me not to taka ANY camera with me. Right now I'm in Russia (my best friend, a cosmonaute, gets married) I come here often. You must be careful but there's not a real danger if you don't behave as a tourist. Just don't show off. In some eastern european countries like Rumania or Bulgaria is the same. Others, like Hungary, Czech Rupublic or Slovakia, people are really nice and respectful on a general basis; you won't have bad surprises. In Africa the danger comes from people you meet. They all seem very nice and friendly but they will take anything from you without any feeling of guilty. In Senegal, someone stole me a PowerShot Pro in this way during a party I gave in a villa I had rented. It was one of my "friends". Though, nobody will try to rob your bag in the streets. Italy and Spain (Barcelona and Seville in particular) you must be attentive when you're a foreigner... I wish you a nice trip and take hundreds of nice pictures. There's no major problem in Europe but, as everywhere, you have to be take care of your belongings. PS: If you just pop in Paris... just let me know ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papimuzo Posted June 17, 2007 Share #18 Posted June 17, 2007 Amazing open mind threat!........ Pascal, how do you feel? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted June 17, 2007 Share #19 Posted June 17, 2007 ......... there is company marketing camera straps with thin steel wires incorporated making them un-cuttable. A step too far? This: http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=44 .................Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal_meheut Posted June 17, 2007 Share #20 Posted June 17, 2007 Amazing open mind threat!........Pascal, how do you feel? I guess the typo between thread and threat is not a coincidence but something Freud would wrote a book about ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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