Leica M11 5590332 stolen at Gatwick

[Herr Barnack]

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5 hours ago, Pelu2010 said:

Sorry to hear this story. 
1:  so to get this: someone on a plane, where you need to identify yourself with an id , stole the camera?

2:  My policy is: I always have the camera on my body or at my seat. I never leave the came alone.

hope you get the camera back !

peter 

@leicaminox8x11 I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune.  Here's hoping you will be able to recover your kit.

1:  Unfortunately in our modern world, there is an increasing number of people who are just shitbags.

2:  That also has been my policy - never let your kit be separated from you, no matter what it takes. 

When flying, I also keep my cameras and lenses in a Pelican box, locked with two large Master padlocks securing the box.  This keeps shitbags from rifling through my belongings; I think it also helps to scare them off from stealing the entire box as it would be highly visible rather than looking like just another black bag in an airport with a quarter million other black bags.

Also, welcome to the forum.  Wish it were under better circumstances.

Edited July 28, 2024 by Herr Barnack

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[Mute-on]

5 hours ago, BWColor said:

Unfortunate.. I just returned from a three plus week international photo vacation.  I have one more suggestion.  AirTag all of your luggage.  Upon returning, my daughter’s luggage was lost, but the AirTag showed us that it was on the tarmac vs back in Korea.  This helped with recovery.  

Very sensible. We just returned from a 3 week trip to the UK, deploying Air Tags for the first time. More shall be acquired in future to install in remaining carry-on and check-in bags. 

[Sonofido]

So sorry for you!

I have not tried this myself but it may be worth checking out the StolenCameraFinder tool: https://www.stolencamerafinder.com/

Let us know how it works out, please. Having gear stolen is a nightmare thought. 
 

Good luck!

[student]

Truly sorry to learn of your loss.

London airports have a "reputation" with some referring to Heathrow as "Thiefrow". I lost a laptop in checked in baggage at Heathrow. The (best known) British airline offered to compensate for anything other than the laptop. Of course your loss was on a flight from Gatwick. And London town is seen as utterly unsafe for anyone wearing a recognisably expensive watch. Police is not interested in such thefts

Personally, i have been rather lucky last year, twice: once I left the Q3 (in a small Manfrotto bag) in an Istanbul hotel on the floor in the coffee bar. It was still there after two hours– when my son asked me about it; and next in a Bangkok restaurant, I left the camera bag and my briefcase (plain Japanese job in fabric similar to Manfrotto)on an empty chair . That too was there after an hour or so after we left the restaurant– when my wife reminded me. 

I do hope that you get your camera back- did you try the airline about it?

[hillavoider]

On 7/26/2024 at 11:53 PM, leicaminox8x11 said:

5590332 is the serial number

Always keep the camera with you. Always keep the bag in sight .

My bag had to be moved from under the seat as i was in a emergency exit row to an overhead locker far away from my seat.

Check the bag for the camera at all times. Use a shoulder bag rather than a roller bag.

The airline is responsible for your bag if they moved it, i'd be getting legal advice right away, i also would not of got off the plane until they produced it

Edited July 29, 2024 by hillavoider

[intermediatic]

I once had a laptop stolen on an aer lingus flight. I fell asleep and it was under the seat in front of me, slid forward during landing. Never saw it again. There were only two men in this part of the cabin with me at the time. I hadn’t realized it happened until the plane landed (was dozing). The airport garda and staff were absolutely no use. 

[JLV]

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Sorry to hear that!

Airports are full of security cams including on the pathways to go out of the plane.

The one who came out with your bag could have been spotted easily.

I have a radical solution with is to keep all my precious and vital things  ( M11 and usually 35 cron, passport, keys, wallet, cash, phone) in the same shoulder soft leather bag that I keep with me all the time without exceptions. I avoid emergency exit rows only for that. (  even if it is too much details, I go to the loo in a plane or anywhere else with it... )

This bag has in the back a large pocket with a zipper where I put passport, wallet, keys and cash. the inside of the bag is for the M11 and one or two lenses, and 2 front small pockets for the phone and lens brush, cloth, SD card, etc.

The bag is close (including the front pockets)  by two leather strips so nobody can sneak in.

I said radical because, I just can't lose at the same time all the items I mentioned, so there is no exceptions.

If this happens, you will read my name in the obituaries 😉

Hope you will get your gear back soon.

Bets,

[leicaminox8x11]

Hello all

Thank you for all your good wishes. Despite my insurance not paying out, I finally just replaced my M11 with anther used one ({chrome for a change) and another 21mm F2.8 lens. No 40mm Rokkor-M/Summicron yet though.  Normal service resumed. My secondary Leica is an M8 mainly for BW. I have kept the original box, etc, and logged the theft with Leica UK, Leica Germany and WEX.  Chrome is nice but seems a bit silly putting a spot over the Leica sign. Needless to say, the replacement camera produces excellent results.

I search weekly for its re-appearance. It will eventually turn up. 

[jakontil]

1 hour ago, leicaminox8x11 said:

Hello all

Thank you for all your good wishes. Despite my insurance not paying out, I finally just replaced my M11 with anther used one ({chrome for a change) and another 21mm F2.8 lens. No 40mm Rokkor-M/Summicron yet though.  Normal service resumed. My secondary Leica is an M8 mainly for BW. I have kept the original box, etc, and logged the theft with Leica UK, Leica Germany and WEX.  Chrome is nice but seems a bit silly putting a spot over the Leica sign. Needless to say, the replacement camera produces excellent results.

I search weekly for its re-appearance. It will eventually turn up. 

hi there,

fortunately, glad to see you move on now despite all the hurdles, hope you enjoy the replacement as much and wish that lost camera would resurface 

[LocalHero1953]

.

Edited January 26 by LocalHero1953

[LocalHero1953]

10 hours ago, leicaminox8x11 said:

Despite my insurance not paying out

One lesson from this appears to be to find a new insurer!
Who was it (so we can avoid them)? What reason did they give for not paying out?

[DigitalHeMan]

27 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

One lesson from this appears to be to find a new insurer!
Who was it (so we can avoid them)? What reason did they give for not paying out?

Without knowing the details, I would imagine any insurer would not pay out if you tell them that you knowingly left your bag unattended. Also, unless it was a dedicated camera insurance rather than a general travel insurance, the photo equipment limit would be way below the value of a Leica.

[DigitalHeMan]

@leicaminox8x11 I searched for your camera serial number and found the report on stolen camera finder. I noted you put the location as North Terminal Gatwick. But since it was stolen once you were on the plane, surely a better location is 'on a plane to destination x'. If you're flying from Gatwick to, say, Barcelona, the 'thief' is just as likely to be trying to sell it in Barcelona, than in London.....

[Vip]

I had the same experience on train from Venice   Stollen M 11 a 35 LUX 16/21 wate 28/2 summicron. The same settings my bag over compartment over my head 

[RQ44]

How terrible to discover it gone once you landed. I kept mine in my backpack in front of me the whole time. If I went to the toilet I would just leave in backpack but would check for it upon return and if gone, the passenger sitting next to me would endure a lot of pain and suffering for the remaining flight time. The hide of someone to pull a theft like that mid flight.

 

Edited January 27 by RQ44

[NigelG]

Sorry to hear about this…as others have said I never put my cameras in an overhead bin or check them. I have a non-camera style leather folio bag that also has my iPad/macbook in it and I always have it at my feet. If it’s on the floor at a cafe/airport lounge etc my foot is through the strap.

I have everything covered on my home insurance not travel insurance - global coverage for all possessions inc. jewellery/art/watches etc when outside of the “house” with only a requirement to list individual items over £20k IIRC and no “fault” clauses.

Yes it’s not cheap but I think rolling possessions into the insurance of (expensive 🙄) properties is cost-effective as opposed to specific insurance policies for photo gear etc and means I don’t have to worry about whether something is covered or not.

I hope you get your kit back…and definitely change insurer.

[_leicaguru]

Where I live there is no insurance that will cover my camera. So when I travel I have a small bag I keep with me at all times. When I put it under my seat I wrap the bag around my leg. I also lock it with a travel lock. The only time I am separated from it is when putting the bag through the x-ray machine. If they asked me to put my bag anywhere other than next to me I would leave the flight and get another flight. 

I had an incident recently where I put my bag down in a bathroom and left and forgot it. About 2 minutes later I ran back and it was just there where I put it. But never again will I ever take the bag off of me. And of course I wouldn't buy an exit row ticket because I can't have the bag with me. 

I am also the sort of person who, if I see a bag with a camera in it (or a wallet or anything else), I will sit there where I find it and put it next to me until I see a panicked guy run back and I will give it back to him. I really don't understand people who steal things. 

Edited February 1 by _leicaguru