Flying out of the country with gear?

Hey guys, i'm flying to hong kong china to film a video for a client and i was wondering is there anything special to do about equipment?

For my carry on backpack i'm bringing 2 dslr's and 4 lenses with my macbook and then im checking on the plane 1 camera slider and 2 tripods

i think i read something about a y38 form anyone have experience with this?

I think Y38 is a Canadian form. Your location reads Miami, so it wouldn't apply to you.

To be on the safe side, have copies of your receipts with you. I've travelled with similar equipment (sans the slider) and never had problems getting back into LAX. I'm not aware of a US equivalent of a Y38 form.

-alex

DJR222 wrote in post #16317602
Hey guys, i'm flying to hong kong china to film a video for a client and i was wondering is there anything special to do about equipment?

For my carry on backpack i'm bringing 2 dslr's and 4 lenses with my macbook and then im checking on the plane 1 camera slider and 2 tripods

i think i read something about a y38 form anyone have experience with this?

The U.S. equivalent of that form would be CBP form 4457.

Awesome thanks for the help guys i really appreciate it.

I've traveled to Japan and Ireland with my gear and never had a problem. Having an itemized list of parts with serial numbers might not be a bad idea (you may even want to notarize it to show you owned the gear prior to the trip).

I am glad that I found this thread. I will be traveling from US to Canada & Iceland for photography next year. These will be my first international photography ventures. I was not aware that I need to fill out any forms to as proof of ownership. Is this something for the customs?

Can someone shed more light on the requirement for US travelers and if its country specific or what?

Thanks in advance!

I think customs can tell by the serial number if you bought something cheap abroad? That was my experience many years ago though. In the mean time, I've never been asked on my yearly trips to Europe, but it would not make sense to buy stuff there anyway. I'm always more worried that they might put my carry on on a scale, as it's certainly over the weight limit for one bag. Since I travel with family I could put stuff in the kids backpacks for a moment though.

In general, it might be a good idea to get insurance though.

Hong Kong has no tax on electronic items so getting through customs with photography gear is no problem whatsoever.

http://forms.cbp.gov/p​df/CBP_Form_4457.pdf

dkizzle wrote in post #16319558
... Is this something for the customs?

(Decades old info, so call them up.) For personal equipment, I would go to customs, fill out the form, & have the equipment there so that they can verify it on the spot. Maybe having a copy of the receipts wouldn't hurt, either.

When we had a dozen large cases of 8X10" & 2-1/4" cameras, we just hired a broker & let him handle everything.

dkizzle wrote in post #16319558
I am glad that I found this thread. I will be traveling from US to Canada & Iceland for photography next year. These will be my first international photography ventures. I was not aware that I need to fill out any forms to as proof of ownership. Is this something for the customs?

Can someone shed more light on the requirement for US travelers and if its country specific or what?

Thanks in advance!

It wouldn't hurt to ask Canadian customs what they require. They might want a Carnet, a guarantee that what you bring in is what you will be bringing out. This proves ownership and eliminates import taxes.