Travelling to Paris with camera equipment

I'll be leaving for Paris in a few days and have reading about pick pockets and high thief.

Can anyone offer any advice, particularly against my camera gear.

I'll have my body and lenses in my back pack locked and will take the camera and one lens out when I plan to use.

I'm off on an extended holiday and hate to lose my camera during the trip, I am insured with a floater, but I imagine I wont likely get a replacement until its too late.

I brought mine in a travel backpack to all over Britain, Paris, Rome and Florence. As long as you don't let your things out of your sight you should be fine. Don't set anything down behind you, such as at a restaurant or anything...

I was more worried about money or identification being stolen.

binlerne wrote in post #8699982
I brought mine in a travel backpack to all over Britain, Paris, Rome and Florence. As long as you don't let your things out of your sight you should be fine. Don't set anything down behind you, such as at a restaurant or anything...

I was more worried about money or identification being stolen.

Good advice - quick snatch and run is a realistic risk. Keep firm hold of bag straps at all times (also through chair leg, table leg etc in cafes) and you should be ok. I once had someone (a little kid) lunge for my bag next to me whilst I was sitting on the banks of the Seine near Notre Dame. I suspect mainly opportunists in the normal busy tourist areas. Out of the main areas you are on your own!

I just got back and had no problem at all. I kept the ThinkTank in the room, and took just 2 spare lenses with me in a waist-pack. My wallet went in my front pants pocket, with the access obscured by the waist-pack.

Just a word of warning - not all taxi drivers speak English. (I do not know enough about the geography of Canada to know if Ottawa is in the English or French speaking section.) So my recommendation is this: If you take a taxi anywhere, grab a few business cards of your hotel, so you can have the name and address for the return driver. That would have helped me immensely.

Where are you going and what are you planning/wanting to shoot?

Rad

i am going to paris myself in october, and i was told that paris is like any other busy city, keep hold of your gear, especially in busy areas, otherwise, say goodbye to it.
would love to see some of your images of paris, and how you found the place

Hi Everyone,

thanks a bunch for the advice, having traveling in parts of Europe before but its been two years. For some reason I found myself worrying about Paris after hearing about so many horror stories.

I do speak french, actually I'm fluent in three languages (English-Canadian French and Italian)

I have my camera backpack, but I'll bring locks.

Paris is no worse or better than any other capital city anywhere in the world - you will get pickpockets/ bagsnatchers.

Just be sensible with your gear/ money and you will be fine.

The main reason for theft being so prevalent in cities like paris is that the tourists switch off the normal mental precautions that they would have at home. Hence you see everyone looking at the scenery while ignoring their surroundings - very easy pickings for pickpockets.