Advice for Washington DC?

Hello all, my high school is going on a DC trip, and, being the photographer I am, I want to take my cameras...
The questions I have are this:
1. How much of a target will a 15 year old guy with (potentially) a 7D and 17-40L be?

2. How about me carrying a 100-400L? It would be doubtful if dad let me take it, but i had thought, lenscoat to make it appear rough, and no hood may make it less conspicous...

3. How much good did the 9/11 crackdowns do? Dad had his van broken into 20 or so years ago (when he was on this trip) and his flash was stolen.

4. Would something in the G12 line be on par wih the 7D for these shots?

I know the key is not leaving anything important in vehicles, and always watching my back; I am guessing that I will not get attacked in broad daylight when with my small group. I hear monopods come in handy as well!

Thank you for your input! (about the G12 idea; I am no-nonsense about clarity. If it isn't good enough, or just about as good as, the T1i, I won't bother.)

Thanks a lot! -Darin

you're probably going to the stuff around the mall, i wouldn't worry there much. just don't wander off.

Countless thousands of cameras walking around DC on a daily basis. Unless you are wearing a giant sign that reads "Steal my camera"....you should be relatively safe. You will probably find the 17-40 more valuable than a 100-400 unless you are planning to shooting some of the aircraft flying overhead. The 28-70 you have for sale would be an excellent choice too.

Woolburr wrote in post #13853849
Countless thousands of cameras walking around DC on a daily basis. Unless you are wearing a giant sign that reads "Steal my camera"....you should be relatively safe. You will probably find the 17-40 more valuable than a 100-400 unless you are planning to shooting some of the aircraft flying overhead. The 28-70 you have for sale would be an excellent choice too.

Actually you'd probably be even safer WITH the sign.

CameraClicker wrote in post #13852916
1. How much of a target will a 15 year old guy with (potentially) a 7D and 17-40L be?

Ask this guy:

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CameraClicker wrote in post #13852916
3. How much good did the 9/11 crackdowns do? Dad had his van broken into 20 or so years ago (when he was on this trip) and his flash was stolen.

Most of the 9/11 "crackdowns" in DC involved restricting movement for a few years around the Pentagon and seeing guys manning 50-cals on humvees around that area (and some less obvious AA personnel placements). The humvees have largely disappeared, but the AA guys are still around (but you likely won't see them or even recognize them). The other implements were extensive upgrades to bio/chem sensors in the metro stations/tunnels. The capitol police presence was already pretty strong around the capitol before 9/11 due to other threats (remember the guy a while back that took some pock-shots at the white house with an SKS in broad daylight?). Wander away from the mall area TOO far (especially at night) and you're just asking for trouble.

Woolburr wrote in post #13853849
Countless thousands of cameras walking around DC on a daily basis. Unless you are wearing a giant sign that reads "Steal my camera"....you should be relatively safe. You will probably find the 17-40 more valuable than a 100-400 unless you are planning to shooting some of the aircraft flying overhead. The 28-70 you have for sale would be an excellent choice too.

This. Not an awful lot of use for something much over 200 mm except at the National Zoo or during Cherry Blossom time. Expect to have to open your camera bag going into the Smithsonian museums; if they've got you meeting your Congressman or Senator and seeing the Capitol or visiting the White House, expect a much more thorough examination, though - more on the order of an airport security check. Since you'll be in a group, and doing mainly touristy things you should be safe wandering around. It's not like 40-50 years ago when the drinking age in DC was 18 and all the guys would break away and try to find a bar that wasn't too particular about carding.

If you're in a group, you shouldn't have too much trouble with a camera. Just the usual big city rules apply, keep your head up and try to look confident. There are a few neighborhoods that should probably be avoided, but you're safe since the school isn't going to take you into those and the museum areas are quite safe. I'm not exactly the tallest guy in the world and I did just fine wandering off into the tourist masses with camera in hand for some street photography (wouldn't recommend that specific course of action to a kid though).

There isn't anything that will require any great focal length in DC unless you're planning on a lengthy stay at the National Zoo (as has been previously mentioned) which is a little far away from the museums. The 17-40 will probably be attached to your 5D for the entire trip.

DC is still pretty open even with all the new regulations. All you have to do in museums is just open your camera bag, remove your camera and let them see you're just carrying lenses then they'll let you in. Nothing else really has changed in the museums.

I've never had any problems in DC and I find it pretty easy to do street photography there, just enjoy the trip. Hope some of this helped!

cameras are not alowed in the white house or on the floor of congress other than that anything goes but wide is better than 100-400

Really? Not even without flash? Thanks for the input so far, folks!

If you'll be just in the NW part of DC (where the White House, the Mall, etc lays) you'll be fine. But like others have mentioned they don't allow cameras in the White House and on the floor of Congress. You can still get some nice shots around the city though, I say bring the best gear you have.

So what do I do with my camera? I cant leave it in the vehicle, And the White House doesnt have a storage facility; Either the men in black take my camera, or I am not allowed in.

Although, I am not completely sure that we are even going to the WH...

Leave it in the hotel safe that day.

I too am planning a trip to DC and more zactly the aerospace museum and capture the major photo sites in the other building. I have read no tripods are permitted but I am going to mount my tripod on my walker with the legs inside the magnum AW bag it fits quite nicely and the walker is with me as long as I am walking with a destination. I missed out on my graduating classes field trip to WashingtonD.C.to a case of infectous mononeucleosis and just to make me feel even worse I had a world class case of poison ivy all over and I do mean everywher so I was in the hospital while my senior class was having the time of there lives( at least I hope they had a very memorable trip) While I was in an oxygen tent for the mononeucleosis but that same healing O2 was wreaking havoc on my Poison ivy. it just seems I was not destined to see our capitol at that particular time and place

Joe Ravenstein wrote in post #13871292
I too am planning a trip to DC and more zactly the aerospace museum and capture the major photo sites in the other building. I have read no tripods are permitted but I am going to mount my tripod on my walker with the legs inside the magnum AW bag it fits quite nicely and the walker is with me as long as I am walking with a destination. I missed out on my graduating classes field trip to WashingtonD.C.to a case of infectous mononeucleosis and just to make me feel even worse I had a world class case of poison ivy all over and I do mean everywher so I was in the hospital while my senior class was having the time of there lives( at least I hope they had a very memorable trip) While I was in an oxygen tent for the mononeucleosis but that same healing O2 was wreaking havoc on my Poison ivy. it just seems I was not destined to see our capitol at that particular time and place

Try and hit the Udvar-Hazy Center. Its apart from the mall and actually in Chantilly, VA. It has a lot of great exhibits, including the SR-71 and such.

There's a (supposedly) free shuttle from the NASM to Chantilly. Plenty of spotting area in the parking lot, it's essentially right under the approach path to Dulles with another ILS visible on the other side from the observation tower. If spotting is a passion, there's a park directly under the approach to Reagan if you don't mind heading there.

http://www.stevesairsh​ow.com/spotting-dca.html