Q3 Anti Theft Ideas?

[AussieQ]

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Just adding,

I really wanted an Oberwerth or Billingham bag for travel but decided to get a really normal, non 'camera bag' looking bag. Again, travelling and flashing the bling can attract unwanted attention. Only having the Q3 since June 23, I have only had one person in my travels ask if it was a Leica Q3 and that was just another photographer wandering the streets. I appreciate that we own these beautiful devices and want to use them in situations that are considered risky and so this is the risk one needs to weigh up in decision of getting the shot. 

[jaapv]

I rather doubt that  Leica in general is extra risk-prone. They are harder to sell and fence than more common cameras and less savvy thieves prefer to go for multi-button machines with big zooms. A friend of mine a while had to park his BMW car in Amsterdam Centre. He lost a radio every few weeks. He replaced it by a Ferrari. Never again- the junks found it too complicated to steal stuff from exotic cars. 

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[mrkennethtong]

13 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

It's usually more about you and your behavior than the camera itself I think...avoid bringing the camera to crowded, extra popular tourist sites in populous touristy countries (talking the Eiffel Tower, Venice etc more than Iceland or Patagonia, for example). Generally those photos are super boring anyway. Be aware of the social, political and cultural context of the place you are visiting. If you are walking into a neighborhood where you know nothing of the cultural circumstances and norms, and you start flaunting an expensive camera you may make yourself a target. All the more so if you are clearly in a totally different socio-economic bracket than the people you are photographing. I go to Paris at times to go to Paris Photo, and I read once where there was a scam where people would act as if they were giving you something that you had dropped, and they would take advantage of the natural impulse of people to stop and say that no, it wasn't theirs etc. Sure enough, a year or two later I was crossing a bridge towards the Grand Palais where it is held...a very touristy area, and some guy tried to pull that trick on me. I just waved my hand and kept walking briskly and it was immediately apparent in the guys face that I knew what he was up to, and he immediately moved on. In the end, if someone really wants your camera they are going to take it, and unless you want to risk getting beaten up, stabbed or shot, you should probably let them have it. Again, this is what insurance is for.

As for taping...I do often tape up the logos, but that is not for fear of theft as it is keeping distractions to a minimum. I find it is more people you are photographing who ask things like "oh, is that a Leica? That must be really expensive". With the logo taped it truly does cut way down on that...even many photographers don't necessarily know the models by site...especially non-m models. Most thefts are going to be more of opportunity. Most thieves know that they are at way more risk as well by attacking someone or trying to snatch something than by grabbing it off a table or smashing a car window, taking it from a hotel room etc. Getting caught stealing is usually a much less severe punishment than an assault or armed robbery.

Thank you for your detailed response. 

I am pretty cool with the Leica Service Center here. May ask them to change the Red Logo to the Black one if they have spares.

 

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[jaapv]

They won’t and can’t. It is not permitted by the brand owner. Leica only licenses the logo. They don’t have black logos. They once put black on the M8.2 but it landed them in a heap of legal trouble. They don’t stock or sell black M8.2 logos but will happily provide you with a red one. 

[Stuart Richardson]

12 minutes ago, jaapv said:

They won’t. It is not permitted by the brand owner. Leica only licenses the logo. 

Leica did it for me with the M9...

[mmk60]

OP - you should worry about your watches more than the Q3. 

[jaapv]

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5 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

Leica did it for me with the M9...

Probably one of the last M8.2 spares. . 

[Stuart Richardson]

could be!

[thegobi]

3 hours ago, mhasman said:

AirTag is not a solution, most of the time it only let people to see now their goods running away.
99.9% that police is not following that direction even it shows "it is right there, come with me please". And for sure, going somewhere by yourself is bad idea. 

Depends where you are… I have heard stories to the contrary where the police have followed up on an AirTag location.

I don’t think anyone has said they are a solution… in fact, there are no real solutions except not bringing your camera in the first place… just steps you can take.

[mhasman]

12 minutes ago, thegobi said:

Depends where you are… I have heard stories to the contrary where the police have followed up on an AirTag location.

I heard stories, too. That was why I put 99.9% haha. 
With no warrant, police offices is not gonna be following a car or knocking a door with "we suspect some stolen goods are there". Without warrant, nobody is opening a door or allows to inspect a car. Me, I wouldn't let it happen no mater a situation. 

Edited January 7 by mhasman

[thegobi]

18 minutes ago, mhasman said:

I heard stories, too. That was why I put 99.9% haha. 
With no warrant, police offices is not gonna be following a car or knocking a door with "we suspect some stolen goods are there". Without warrant, nobody is opening a door or allows to inspect a car. Me, I wouldn't let it happen no mater a situation. 

Seriously dude… would you have preferred if I had said: ‘people have told me’ ? I didn’t say rumours…

Your dealings with police are not everyone’s dealings… 

…also, how about when your bag gets stolen and they have cleaned out your cash and credit cards and dumped everything else (and yes, even an expensive camera) in a nearby bin? 

Pretty useful situation for an AirTag…. 🙂

[jaapv]

It depends where they dump the AirTag. If it is out in the wilds there will be no iPhone in the vicinity thus no connection   And even if there is chances are that the only thing you’ll find is the AirTag which they probably found within minutes and threw out. 
 

 

[andybarton]

22 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

if someone really wants your camera they are going to take it, and unless you want to risk getting beaten up, stabbed or shot

This is why it's not a great idea to use straps with steel cables in them, or other similar "anti-theft" specifications. If the thieves want it, they will take it. If they rip it from your arm or neck, that is likely to cost you more than the camera is worth.

It's only a camera. Get insurance.

[jaapv]

One other thing: often the people that get robbed in the street are the anxious ones. If you worry about theft you have far more chance of being robbed than when you project self-confidence. Targeting is an essential skill for muggers. 

Otherwise just take a friend.

 

 

 

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[Marc B-C]

27 minutes ago, jaapv said:

It depends where they dump the AirTag. If it is out in the wilds there will be no iPhone in the vicinity thus no connection.

This is a key point. AirTags will only give out their current location IF there is an iPhone nearby to connect with. In the absence of the same, you will only be aware of where they were at the time of their last connection.

I have them on all my house / car keys but that is purely to help me when I lose them in the house.

[Stuart Richardson]

16 minutes ago, andybarton said:

This is why it's not a great idea to use straps with steel cables in them, or other similar "anti-theft" specifications. If the thieves want it, they will take it. If they rip it from your arm or neck, that is likely to cost you more than the camera is worth.

It's only a camera. Get insurance.

Agreed. Crimes of opportunity are one thing, but muggings and armed robberies are another. Anyone who has gotten to the point that they are going to physically threaten you is probably desperate in some way or another...either drug use, poverty and/or in a lot of cases, young and stupid. Desperate people are not known for their sound judgements and rational reactions. Personally I would rather not roll the dice. A camera is not worth my life. Sure, maybe standing up to someone will work, but it also might get you shot or stabbed by a scared teenager who made a wrong decision when his body was coursing with adrenaline. Or, on the other side, if you are in the US and are the type to arm yourself for protection, you could wind up shooting and killing someone. Even if it is determined to be self defense, you still shot and killed someone...probably someone desperate, probably someone young. I imagine that will take longer to get over than losing a camera.

Anyway, as I said above, the best anti-theft plans are insurance and, being aware of your surroundings and avoiding the most likely scenarios where you might put yourself at risk.

Edited January 7 by Stuart Richardson

[andybarton]

34 minutes ago, jaapv said:

It depends where they dump the AirTag.

True, but I would imagine that most thieves don’t go out in the wilds to dump their loot. It’s more likely to be in a waste bin or dumped over a wall in an urban area. 

If you’re going to put one in your car, it’s a good idea to take the speaker out so that it doesn’t alarm when you look for it, AND you need to be very clever about where you hide it. 

[jaapv]

So you you roll up with a couple of cops and you find a wastebin...

[Al Brown]

9 hours ago, jaapv said:

A friend of mine a while had to park his BMW car in Amsterdam Centre. He lost a radio every few weeks. He replaced it by a Ferrari. Never again- the junks found it too complicated to steal stuff from exotic cars. 

How could he afford a Ferrari with parking prices in Amsterdam centre 😄 ?

 

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Edited January 7 by Al Brown

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[thegobi]

2 minutes ago, jaapv said:

It depends where they dump the AirTag. If it is out in the wilds there will be no iPhone in the vicinity. And even if there is chances are that the only thing you’ll find is the AirTag which they probably found wit-hi minutes and threw out. 

Because there are bins in the ‘wilds’? …please read what I wrote… 😆

I am talking about your low level bag snatchers after cash and cards—your camera is just collateral damage.. they don’t know or care about Leicas or your expensive Oberworth bag. They wouldn’t know who to sell it to if they did…

Not all thieves are professional members of the Evil League of Evil who can spot a Leica (even with a black logo!) from 50 metres. 😆

A new Leica Q costs around $10,000 here—an AirTag is less than 50 bucks… Why wouldn’t you use one anyway, just in case?

🤪