STOLEN? Trace the thief!

I was thinking about exactly how much of a disaster it would be if someone stole my camera equipment, especially if I had it with me at the time! Even when covered with insurance it would be a lot better if there was a way to find out where everything had gone and be able to get it back.

So, I have been looking at tracking devices. I have seen them used on television programmes to trace stolen items such as laptop computers, allowing the programme's presenter to track down the thief and humiliate them on-camera, so I thought it would be a great idea to have something that could be hidden in a camera bag and be activated remotely in the event of a theft or robbery. The chances are that your equipment would be kept together in its bag, at least in the short term, so I think a tracking device would be a viable option.

I have had a look around to see what is available and found this device, that is self-contained and has a good standby battery life. Although not cheap, with something like this hidden in my camera bag I wouldn't feel the need to risk my life holding onto my equipment in the event of a robbery, or if my car got broken into it wouldn't immediately be the end of the world:

http://www.followgb.co​.uk/products/trim/inde​x.aspx

What do you think? If not this one, do you know of something more suitable? I think this applies more to urban photographers or those whose equipment is at higher risk, but have you considered something like this as a security option? It would be very reassuring to know that if the worst happened, you had the chance of tracking your equipment and knowing where to send the police!

Mike

I was considering something too, but not as "geeky" though I am very familiar with the technology you have proposed having used it for various 'projects' over the past 18 years.

I have been looking for a personal alarm that could be triggered remotely like the panic button on a car remote that flashes the lights and beeps the horn to draw attention. A battery powered alarm the size of a pack of smokes with a remote worn on your belt. As long as the two are within 50 feet say everything is good, but if they are separated like when someone grabs your bag and runs then an ear piercing 110dB alarm sounds that will have everyone looking at them. There will be no sneaking away and will most likely drop the bag and run.

Come to think of it didn't they have such an alarm for kids a few years back on the market?

We use a product at work that is similar to this. It is smaller about the size of a pen. Our security guy has a GPS type tracking system that will pick up the signal if within about 5 miles. We recovered about $400,000 per year of stolen equipment and materials. There may be cheaper systems available but for the individual it is probably cost prohibitive. Just get good insurance for replacement cost.

Eddar, what do you make that you need to track and people want to steal $400,000 of?

Construction equipment and building supplies. Tractor costs about $80,000 and we got two of them back last year.

Model homes we built had all the appliances stolen out of them 4 times. Everything out of 4 houses, dishwasher, microwave, fridge, stove, washer and dryer. We volunteered to put the trackers in for the developer. When they were stolen the 5th time we actually got all 5 sets back, minus what they had sold already.

Thats a cool idea for many things. You could even have it sewn into the camera bag lining/foam so it would go undetected. Track down the bag, and you can probably find the camera as well.

Here is another thought that might go overlooked by thieves. Digital cameras have serial numbers. The serial numbers get embedded in the images metadata. The metadata of images posted on line will be able to be searched in the near future (announced by Google, Yahoo, etc).

I can see a thief selling a camera, then the buyer posting images on the net. A search on the net could turn up the buyer/camera, in which the local authorities could get the camera back, and possibly track down the thief.

I'm skeptical. A quick look at the posted link shows some pictures. The unit uses 4 AA batteries, and a quick look shows the unit approximately twice as long as 4 AA's layed out in a row, and of course it has to be somewhat thicker. I'd think keeping something that big hidden amoungst some camera gear would be tough.

Additionally, a thief might break things up, selling the body and lenses separately, to conceal the original inventory.

So far as serial numbers, I'd think a better plan--which will never happen--is to pressure the manufacturers to better track products. If us the customers would raise bloody 'ell they might do something. The success of Walmart is evidence that this won't work. (Many people complain about WallyWorld, but they still shop there, anyway)

The last job I had before health and an accident got to me, was installing radio gear, and other projects. Neither Motorola, Kenwood, or Icom, at the very least, are very interested in helping a customer track stolen serial numbers. This is quite disturbing, concerning the nature of modern two-way and other communications gear. ALL modern radios have imbedded firmware serial numbers, used frequently to program the radios.

Last, what will a subscription and maintenance to a service like this cost? Between something like this, and probably theft insurance, you can just start a savings account to cover the losses!!

What happens if they run with the camera & lens & dump the rest at your feet? No system is perfect.

Most amateur equipment is already covered in your homeowners/renters insurance. Check yours & ask if you need a rider for "pro/am" equipment, & be sure to get "full replacement value".

Note to thieves: Come take mine, please. I wouldn't mind an upgrade!

Bob D. wrote in post #5912403
I was considering something too, but not as "geeky" though I am very familiar with the technology you have proposed having used it for various 'projects' over the past 18 years.

I have been looking for a personal alarm that could be triggered remotely like the panic button on a car remote that flashes the lights and beeps the horn to draw attention. A battery powered alarm the size of a pack of smokes with a remote worn on your belt. As long as the two are within 50 feet say everything is good, but if they are separated like when someone grabs your bag and runs then an ear piercing 110dB alarm sounds that will have everyone looking at them. There will be no sneaking away and will most likely drop the bag and run.

Come to think of it didn't they have such an alarm for kids a few years back on the market?

I've bought a few of these from "personal security" sites... they came as really cheaply made toys, really. I'd like to see something better made as one out of the box did not function properly. It wasn't radio remote like you describe, just a cord going from your belt loop to an alarm hooked on to the bag. It wouldn't dissuade everyone but I'd bet most thieves would drop the bag they just snatched if it is going off with a 120 db alarm... easier to run rather than fiddle through the bag to find the alarm, right?

I brought it to Europe but never felt uncomfortable enough on the street to use it.

If you're going to confront a thief without a police escort you might want to bring along another accessory, preferably in .45 caliber.

I thought about solutions like this when I got my laptop stolen in Barcelona two years ago.
Indeed no system is perfect, but if some kind of software or hardware was able to definitely compromise the stolen equipment (something like frying the circuit board of the camera/computer/...), it would eliminate the incentive for thieves to steal.
This would obviously only work if ALL electronic equipment were equiped with such a system, so that thieves would know it's useless...

This seems unlikely

Thanks for your replies everyone.

Obviously it would depend on your equipment being kept together, which is why I suggested it for use in the short-term after the theft. The chances are that your equipment will be kept together in its bag soon after the theft. A camera bag is just as convenient to a thief for transporting your stolen gear as it was to you for transporting your legally-owned gear. If just your camera is taken (highly unlikely if all the rest of your equipment is there for the taking) and not all of your equipment then it's not as great a loss so doesn't fall within the total disaster scenario of losing everything.

As this is for short-term, quick-recovery use it's not vitally important that the tracking device is invisible. The chances are that the police would be well on their way round there before the thief starts going through your bag and splitting up your equipment. If the device is hidden, all the better, but by the time it could be found I see as being outside the timescale when you would have recovered your gear anyway.

As for the cost, how many photographers spend hundreds and hundreds on lenses or equipment that never gets used? For the price of a 50mm f/1.4 you could have something in your bag that will pay for itself many times over the first time you have to use it.

Mike

eddarr wrote in post #5912591
We use a product at work that is similar to this. It is smaller about the size of a pen. Our security guy has a GPS type tracking system that will pick up the signal if within about 5 miles. We recovered about $400,000 per year of stolen equipment and materials. There may be cheaper systems available but for the individual it is probably cost prohibitive. Just get good insurance for replacement cost.

I'd be very interested in the details fo this device, Eddarr. Is there an internet link to the manufacturers?

Home insurance is all very well but if you rent that lets you straight out. Yes, contents insurance covers it IN THE HOME but once you're out and about, forget it.

A pen sized device sounds ideal, inconjunction with other measures such as recording serial numbers and being security conscious.

I went and did a search in Australia and found THE TrackStick. It's $AUD290 but looks good, and you use Google Earth to track it.

There is also WorldTracker which is live, but a lot dearer and has a yearly fee.

Link here http://www.trackstick.​com.au …p?cPath=21&prod​ucts_id=28

I looked at a couple of others here in the UK, but they didn't have such a long standby time, which I think is an important consideration, so you can leave it in your bag and almost forget about it!

Mike