Advice on camera exposure (of a difference)!

[DirtyHarry]

i need all the advice possible here in this please!! :wink:


some of you might remember that i posted some weeks ago that i was going to new york and needed to know what shops to go to and so on.

Now im still going but iv realised something and im very worried (even scared) about the prospect of using my camera in new york.

As in walking around new york and having my 10D and L lens hanging off my neck in full view. Even if it was in my bag (which is a lowepro AW) it stands out. Even if i whipped it out for the important shots...id be worried if some crack-pot would follow me and mug me or something.

What do u do? id say plenty of people have been in this situation before so any advice? its needed! :?

I want to get good shots and iv no other cameras apart from my girlfriends canon digicam. Its a 5million pixel ixsus (spelling?) so its good.

anyway any help? :idea:

cheers

Phil

[blinking8s]

i really dont understand what you are asking...

so you are using your girlfriends camera...thats about all I got out of it?!? right?

but what do you need help with? exposure on the ixus?

[DirtyHarry]

i really dont understand what you are asking...

so you are using your girlfriends camera...thats about all I got out of it?!? right?

but what do you need help with? exposure on the ixus?


ok sorry...i must of really explained myself wrongly.

what i meant was how do people use there 10D's or other DSLR's in a huge city where people could mug you. As in iv a 10D and its a nice piece of kit with my lens and grip and its eye-catching if you understand what im saying.

how can you not get noticed in big populated cities with such a huge camera. As in its obvious. the thing sticks out like a sore thumb.

so does anybody have any tips? As i want to take pics of new york but im affraid of it getting robbed or something.

understand? :oops:

[JZaun]

Use it,, you will not be the only person there with lots of camera $$$ hanging around their neck. Yep snatching happens but not often enough to worry. Every other person will have a camera. Stay in populated areas and you will be just fine!!!

[Hot Opal]

Make sure you have it covered (ie: Listed) in your travel insurance.

[mdude85]

blinking, the original poster is wondering how he should care for his equipment so that it doesn't get stolen as he is walking around the city taking shots. Surely a valid concern.

This is not a New York City thing -- this is a city thing, and such a thing can happen in the shadier parts of any big or small city, and sometimes even in the "nice" parts. But I digress...

There are reasons to be worried and reasons not to be -- I haven't heard very many stories of people being mugged for their gear -- after all, muggers are not always as well versed in the prices of L lenses and fancy dSLR bodies -- they have more of a shot at a "grab-bag" when they take someone's wallet. There they have access to credit cards and cash money. It is probably rather difficult for your average dumb criminal to make money off stealing your lens. The best he can hope for is selling it to a pawn shop. He's probably more likely to steal an expensive looking camera bag/briefcase, even if it's empty but is closed. I wouldn't worry too much but would still remain cautious. Since you have your girlfriend with you, at least you are a couple people so the chances of you being mugged are smaller than if you were alone. Also, I think the police department in that city is pretty good, so if there ever is a mugging in a populated area it's probably easy to catch the thief.

If I were you I'd always keep the camera in a bag, but make sure the bag is on the front of your body instead of strapped on the back. It might look kind of weird but it can save your gear from being stolen from behind. I live in Atlanta and when I am walking around on the streets I almost always keep my wallet in my front pocket instead of my back pocket.

I don't really know if I answered your question -- I guess as a last result you could always take a less expensive lens but I'm sure every lens you have you don't want to part with. Taking shots in New York City is a great experience and you'll want the best gear. I am totally understanding there.

I'd just suggest not going a lot of places alone with your gear. Always stay in populated areas and stuff. And make sure you check on your gear at all times. Have fun!

[wintoid]

Living in London, I can tell you that in all the areas near tourist attractions you will see hundreds of people walking around with SLRs, and even more with point and shoots. I'm sure it will be the same in NY. In the places you will want to take photographs, I doubt you'll feel too conspicuous with your camera.

Anyway, if you were a mugger, would you rather mug someone for some enormous SLR that probably turns out to be 35mm and worth almost nothing, or would you rather mug someone for a nice slim silver digital camera that you can easily conceal about your person?

[mdude85]

Use it,, you will not be the only person there with lots of camera $$$ hanging around their neck. Yep snatching happens but not often enough to worry. Every other person will have a camera. Stay in populated areas and you will be just fine!!!

good point, but most of them have cheap point and shoot digital cameras -- they do not have $3000 worth of equipment in one place at one time or however much it happens to be.

[Jerry Eisen]

That's what insurance is for and if you have that type of equipment and don't have it insured then lock all of it in a safe and don't ever bring it out.

[evilenglishman]

Anyway, if you were a mugger, would you rather mug someone for some enormous SLR that probably turns out to be 35mm and worth almost nothing, or would you rather mug someone for a nice slim silver digital camera that you can easily conceal about your person?

i would go for a camera that has a long white lens with a red ring around it.
I'm actually surprised that muggers haven't woken up to this yet.
I see people getting mugged for £100 mobile phones all the time - maybe these guys should start hanging around the press more :D

[DirtyHarry]

Anyway, if you were a mugger, would you rather mug someone for some enormous SLR that probably turns out to be 35mm and worth almost nothing, or would you rather mug someone for a nice slim silver digital camera that you can easily conceal about your person?

i would go for a camera that has a long white lens with a red ring around it.
I'm actually surprised that muggers haven't woken up to this yet.
I see people getting mugged for £100 mobile phones all the time - maybe these guys should start hanging around the press more :D


well dont give them any ideas!! :D

thanks guys for the advice! And yes iv travel insurance! its a must! and iv house insurance to cover my camera when its at home or when im about. it covers it then too!

So you think ill be ok just by keeping it on me and well straped?

[mdude85]

it's because those lenses are hard to conceal and hard to sell.

[DocFrankenstein]

Average mugger won't be able to tell digital rebel from cheap 35mm rebel... or the lens and what it's worth.

Being living in a city all my life, the only thing you have to worry about is not getting lost and winding up in the ghetto section of the city. Just find out where to go and where not to go in new york.

If you feel like you have left the "touristy" area and entering the bad one, just put your camera back in your bag, pull your baseball cap on and walk faster. Chances are there's not much to photograph anyways, but you won't have that touristy look anymore and you'll blend into the background.

When I was in Montreal I've made the mistake of being on the Ontario street at 12:20 at night. When I saw the street name, it took me about 8 seconds to put all of my "touristy" items in my bag, tuck in my head a bit and just walk with a sense of direction. If you walk like that, nobody's gonna mug you cause you don't give out the tourist vibe.,

Cheers

[IndyJeff]

I saw a show on tv once, it was interviewing a former Chicago policeman who has his own company that deals with self defense. Some of the stuff he talked about was avoid being a victim by looking like a victim. Don't be alone in a desolate area. Be familiar with what is going on around you, and who is around you.

I wouldn't freak about wandering around with a camera in NYC. In 99 when we went to DC one of the things on my to do list was getting night shots. Now DC is not the safest town in the US after dark but, by staying near the crowds I felt safe. When I got to the Lincoln Memorial to shoot the shot looking towards the capitol building there wasn't a lot of people around. We walked up and went into the memorial and by the time we came out there were maybe 100 people wandering about. I set up the tripod, got my shots and everything went fine.

Just beaware of your surroundings, the people around you and use some common sense and you'll be fine.

A thought just occurred to me, if you can keep a card in the camera and use it to shoot random shots of people who might make you nervous then remove the card and stick it in your pocket, if they rob you you might have a picture of them. Of course in some cities you might need a full gig card to record all the likley suspects LOL

[Savagelogic]

My advice would be to not let these unknown muggers ruin your trip. Take the photos you want, and don't look back.

BUT, when you are walking around don't be oblivious and have tunnel vision. As you're walking down the street make sure to look around and be aware of your surroundings. If you look like you would be oblivious to someone coming up from behind and grabbing your bag then you increase your chances of being a target. Now that doesn't mean to look around so much like you are paranoid, that can draw attention to you. If you see someone suspicious, just look in his/her direction so that they know you see them but you don't have to make eye contact or anything.

Also, know where you will be going so you don't get lost.