danaeye

Ok. Everyone says becareful in Rome. So how do you carry your camera wisely? If you have a small digital and carry in your pants pocket, sounds like it can be easily lifted. If you have a backpack, everyone says only put non-valuables in it. What if I have a 35mm larger camera?

Bottom line: How do you carry your camera in Rome safely? Can't be that complicated...is it?

capo

Hi danaeye. I carry a compact 35mm for slides and an old-school larger 35mm for prints. Since I've never been to Rome when it's hot, I wear a jacket that has an inner pocket with a zipper; the compact goes in there. The larger camera I carry on a strap on my shoulder but try to keep the camera in front of me, instead of hanging on the side, and also try to keep my hand on it. Also, because it's not an expensive camera and I have the compact, it wouldn't be the end of the world if it did get stolen.

For your small digital, I'd carry it in some kind of a zippered inner pocket if at all possible. That's not a guarantee, but a zipper is just one more "line of defense", as opposed to an open pants pocket.

Daneille

Hi - As I carry a enormous SLR I find it easier just to wear it on a proper camera strap around my neck - one of the ones made of the same sort of stuff as car seat belts (very hard to cut). (I find carrying a camera bag too cumbersome and easy to put down and lose). I just select the best lens for the day and carry spare film (usually one or two rolls) in my waist pack). I've never had anyone try and steal it. I did have my camera stolen along with a backpack once on a train between Rome and Venice - but that's another (heartbreaking) story.

Garfield

Get yourself a local shopping bag, carry the camera in it, also good protection from weather. That is how I carry camera in Russia.

lwinokur

i recommend buying a case with a small strap that fits right over your hand. that way you can palm it, or if you want your hands free, can grip only the strap, and it's always close to your body.

Daneille

danaeye, just as a postscript to my message - you seem to be very very concerned about being robbed. You should relax a little. Just be vigilant and sensible. You should be ok. Make sure you take out travel insurance that covers all of you valuables (including your camera equipment) - see if you have some sort of record of the purchase price or take a photo of the camera before you leave so if it does get stolen the insurance company has evidence of what it was (this worked for me on a pair of expensive sunglasses). Check your insurance company to find out if they require particular information to be submitted before you leave (ie. camera brand, value etc). Ensure you leave your used rolls of film in your hotel room - so if your bag gets stolen you won't lose your precious memories. Before you leave home take copies of your passport, your credit cards, airline tickets and other important documents and keep these separate from the originals when travelling. Keep them in your hotel room when out sightseeing.

stefanaccio

My vote would be to get yourself a small digital camera and put it in a fanny pack. Convenient and safe.

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isabel

You do seem more than necessarily worried about being robbed in Italy, based on this and your other posts. It's really not that bad. You do need to be careful, wear the under the clothes money belt, and be aware of your surroundings as you would in any city. But your chances of being robbed are not that high. People repeat the stories just to warn others. Of course if it happens to you then it is a big deal and you are more likely to talk about it on this forum. It's really not like there are theives on every street corner all day long.

I carried two cameras to Italy this summer, a small pocket sized and a larger 35mm type, both digital. Most of the time I had the small one in a pocket, or the outside flap of my backpack (but the side against my back, not facing out). The larger one was on a strap on my shoulder, but my hand was always on it. If I was shopping or in a museum or somewhere and knew I wouldn't be using them for a while they both went into the backpack. I have a small combination syle luggage lock (very tiny) that closed the two zippers together. I didn't even usually bother to lock it, but it would have taken someone the extra few seconds to figure out how to open it, so suppossdely would have been a deterent.

Being careful and being paranoid are two different things. If this is your first trip I can certainly see how you might be overly concerned but it's really not that bad.

ira

Hi dana,

Do keep in mind that millions of people go to Italy and only hundreds are robbed.

I keep my camera in a small case attached to a strap that I wear across my body with the camera in front.

TuckH

My Olympus Stylus came with a soft case having a loop on the back that enables me to slide my belt through it. Thus it's always "there" just above my right hand front pocket and below my right elbow. Very handy and safe.

sandi_travelnut

I have a small-ish Sony digital camcorder that I slip down into a purse. The purse has a zipper top and a large flap that I keep turned towards my body. It's a black vinyl (weather-proof) purse that I always use when I travel. Just big enough for the camera, and a guide book or two.

dan_woodlief

I carried my large SLR in a small holster-type camera bag in Rome and lots of other places. I would carry along 3 lenses for the day,along with film, cleaning supplies, and a few other things. I have never had a problem. The key is to keep the strap around your neck when shooting or walking around between photos and keep a hand on the bag in crowded spaces. I also keep my camera in the bag when not shooting so that I draw less attention. Don't lay it down in places thieves might act. Since then I have bought a small messenger bag-type camera bag that looks more like a book bag than anything else, but it does not close as securely as the small bag, offering less protection from damage but not sreaming camera either (loved it in NYC). I think the key is to keep a hand and an eye on your possessions.

chepar

My daybag had a zippered compartment on the outside. I purchased one of those telephone coil type keychains with a split ring on both ends, and attached my camera via the wrist strap to the zipper of this compartment with the keychain. When I was not using the camera, I just tucked everything into the compartment and zippered it up.

This way, when I wanted to use the camera, I just opened the compartment and took out the camera - but it was always attached to my bag. The coil of the keychain had more than enough stretch for me to raise the camera to my face to take the picture. Besides security, it worked well in case I got a case of butterfingers (which has been known to happen).

Of course, I had a very small and compact Canon Elph. I don't know if it would work so well with a larger camera.

suze

I use a small 35-mm point and shoot with a great lens. Or I take a few disposables of different types. I keep them in my pocket or my purse.

If you really want to use a larger camera take a normal camera bag &/or carry it around your neck on a strap as previously suggested.

If a camera has sentimental value and you could not stand to lose it, then leave it at home.

A digital is easy to carry because of the size, but I guess you could manage to get it lost or stolen. Although pickpocketing can happen it is not the norm... the way you say it I'm picture all of Italy running around ready to steal your camera. That's just not the case.

So to answer your last question. No it is not complicated in the least, you're simply worrying too much.

hopscotch

I wear my Olympus OM-2 (yeah, I'm traditional) with 35-105 zoom lens on a neck strap, and always hold the jewels with my left hand on the street. Whenever I see the gypsies I raise it to my eye and start taking their pictures. It works better than a machine gun!

Robespierre

I carry my Olympus OM-1 (I'm even more traditional and a control freak to boot) on the neck strap, bandolier style behind my right hip. The 35-70 is usually on it, but I also carry the 28 for landscapes and the 55 (f1.2) for available-light work in fading illumination.