Any hestiancy about taking your digital camera?
 

Hey y'all,

I'm headed to Paris in Nov for my honeymoon! However, I'm a little nervous about bringing my $350 digital camera.

I'm going to use a money belt for my important documents and cards. So, no worries about those items -- But, now I'm thinking that I'm still going to be trotting around with an expensive pickpocket opportunity in my bag or pocket.

Any thoughts or tips on the camera?

Thank you!

You have a $350 camera because you want to take great pictures. Bring it with you!!! Just be aware of your surroundings, avoid crowds, and you should be just fine. In November, just keep the camera and strap inside your zipped jacket. Have a great honeymoon!! ((b))

As Budman says whats the point in having a camera like that if you don't use it.

Take sensible precautions, make sure you have insurance and regularly down load the pics.
Above all congratulations and enjoy your honeymoon !!

Muck

Definitely take your camera .

The thing to protect are your digital media cards which will have your photos.

Thanks for the feedback - which, of course, raises another question --

Do you have to worry about having your camera x-rayed at the airport? Don't want to do anything that would cause it to crap out on me.

No! It will be just fine. It will x-ray without a problem. ((b))

Just take along extra batteries.

you must bring your camera--the streets are no less safe than in the US--so take the same precautions and have fun

One of my digitals is also a $350.00 camera. I love to photograph and love to travel. So, I wouldn't be without it. If your hotel has a safe lock it up when you don't want to carry it around. Just beware, I was in the Caribbean and my camera had moisture in it inside the safe from going in and out of air conditioning to the heat. It had to go out for repair twice after that...but that brings me to my next point...have insurance...not just parts, but extensive. I buy all my cameras at Ritz/Wolf Camera their insurance is beyond excellent!!! Home owners is something to check too for theft. Again, I wouln't be without my digital camera when traveling! You can take, delete, have multiple memory cards, or even download them if you have the opportunity. Take it! :)

I'n not sure that I would count on homeowner's insurance for theft of a camera.

The maximum that most policies will pay is for "replacement" coverage...which for a digital camera is usually considerably less than you originally paid.

Deduct from that amount your deductible and it may not pay to file a claim. ..and that's not even considering a rate adjustment you might receive for filing a claim.

Just to let you know, there is a disposable digital camera out there (as well as a disposable digital recorder). They are both available at CVS, I believe. Yes, you still have to pay for the pictures, but it is an alternative to taking the real thing with you if you are at all nervous about it. The camera is about $20.00, and the set of pictures is about $10.00. The disposable digital recorder is apprx. $30.00, and when you get back you take it in and get the recorded time (about 20 min.) put onto a CD for about $10.00-$11.00. I guess the things were developed to give the user a chance to try out digital quality without paying for a camera or camcorder, and for use when you don't want to let your 16 year old take it on that Disney band trip. Hope that helps.

Hi Dick, I guess it does depend upon your household insurance. However I 'lost' my digi camera worth about £240 a few months ago and received a new replacement of the latest version of the camera in the post the next day ! Including the 2 memory cards.I was impressed by the service and the new camera is worth £280.

Muck

If you are nervous about taking your digital camera (remember you need convertors, adapters, for power source in europe) simply buy a couple 35MM disposables. No worries. Personally I'd take my nice digital (if I had one!) but I'm not a worrier and have never had a problem losing, misplacing, having stolen, possessions on a trip.

Buy a long strap that hangs from your neck. To keep my camera from bouncing around, I also put it in an inside pocket of a vest or jacket. Now that I have tiny light-weight cameras, I wouldn't think of traveling without them.

Take your camera, but let me caution you about what happened when I was in Paris about 13 years ago.

I was at the Arch of Triumph with my friend V. She had a very expensive camera, and I had a cheap one. A man approached us and said, "Let me take your picture. You two go stand over there." (about 30 feet away) He reached for V's camera and she said OK and started to hand it to him. I stepped inbetween them and said a very firm no!! I looked at V and I said, "Do NOT give him your camera!!" The man shrugged and walked away.

I couldn't help but notice that he had no interest whatsoever in my $40 WalMart camera, he was only reaching for V's $300 camera. I explained to V that something didn't feel right about this situation, and I think the man was going to run off with her camera as soon as we turned our backs. She agreed and was grateful for my quick thinking. But the credit for saving V's camera should really go to Chevy Chase, as I learned this from the European Vacation movie. :-))

I must say that this scam is not unique to Paris. I'm sure this could happen in any major tourist destination, in any country. Use the same caution in Paris as you would in any other major city.

Hey,the reason you buy a great camera is to take great pictures, and Paris is a great place to take pictures. Be a little cautious, of course, but snap away and don't worry. Nice thing about digitals is there small size. Easy to tuck away in an inside jacket pocket, etc.

Good luck.

Be careful with ALL your things--Paris is the pickpocket capital of Europe!!

Take the camera! Just don't go in for the white sock, white sneakers, baseball cap tourist uniform...and don't give you camera to someone so that they can photograph you. Be careful but don't be paranoid - it will ruin your trip!

Hi
I have a digital camera that costs a bit more than that and it has gone to Paris quite a few times now .. we only worry about dropping it into the Seine when leaning out over a Pont or hanging off of a boat lol..
We also never use money belts so maybe we are just the Dumb Luck type travelers ...I carry a bag that has a strap that goes across the chest .. it zips shut. The camera goes inside there when not in use. Budman said it all, you bought a camera to take pictures, take it!
Or if it will make you nervous all the time, buy one of those disposable types and toss it when you are through, you will still have photos of your honeymoon :)
Congratulations on your marriage!!

Before I went to Europe in September I ordered an ape case made by Norazza. Their website will show you the trifold case for holding a digital camera, and many other precious objects such as passports, credit cards etc.Worn around the waist it keeps all your valuables safe . I highly recommend it.

Congrats!

I always find I take better pictures when I have my camera with me.

Better pictures than without a camera?
Absolutely!
:)

I say take the camera your're used to using, and also take or buy a disposable. Those come in handy if you are concerned about handing a camera to a stranger for a shot of yourselves. I've handed my regular camera to strangers and had no problem, I usually choose a couple, and English-speakers just so I can explain how to operate it. I offer to do the same for them, using their camera. I do the choosing, I wouldn't let a random stranger approach me in that way.

Just a few comments on cameras from our experience. During our trip to Europe, the digital camera just stopped working. We were able to borrow a friend's camera while in DK, since we had the same kind, and just use our memory cards. However, all of our London pictures were taken on my daughter's $7 Wal-mart camera. We're lucky we had it and it was nice to actually have some printed pictures-it took months to actually get around to printing the digital photos.

Also, on insurance, we have our digital camera "scheduled", so it is covered against theft, loss, etc. It costs a little more, but we do it for the electronics we take out of the house a lot-laptop and digital camera.

Take the camera. If you have a recharger, bring a power converter.

Also, make sure you have enough room on your memory card!!! they sell 1 GB cards now for reasonable prices at Best Buy.
:D

cwojo makes a great point - take extra memory as memory bought overseas can be OUTRAGEOUS, even out of the tourist centres. Keep in mind, too, that TONS of people carry their cameras with them here, and from what I have seen, most are digital. There are pickpockets in all countries, and just remember that the locals don't wear money belts/around the neck thingees for their money. You will most likely blend into the crowd, anyways, in Paris. The best thing is to keep your important documents in the hotel safe that should be in your room (don't forget them when you leave!), and carry a bag with a zipper, stashed firmly under your arm.
Enjoy your trip!

I took my digital camera (nothing fancy, Kodak EasyShare) to Europe for 11 days. It held its charge, and I had no need to replace batteries (it sits on a dock at home which charges it all the time). I too kept it in a small bag slung over my shoulder under my jackets, so the camera was actually inside my jacket unless it was in my hands. I took along a couple of disposable cameras too. And wore a money belt.

I have taken my digital to Europe and South America. I always keep it in my purse securely over my shoulder. The biggest problem is not pick pockets, but making sure you have everything you need to keep it going, namely, spare battery, charger and sufficient memory. I forgot my charger on my last trip and ended up buying one in Italy. Actually it's a wonderful thing to have because it has the plug adapter and a converter and is designed to adjust to whatever type of battery you have. I had a lap top with me and would dump my pictures from the camera every night so that I never ran out of space and that worked very well. Here's hoping you get lots of wonderful pictures.

Going on honeymoon and thinking of leaving your camera at home? Do bring your digital camera, and don't forget the battery charger. Incidentally, most chargers are dual or mult-voltage, so you shouldn't need a converter - just an adapter plug which can be bought cheaply in any airport or electrical shop.

If your trip does not deserve your best camera, what's the camera for? Take the camera, use it, and enjoy it.

I second the advice others have posted: do not hand your camera to people who offer to take a photo of you! Back when digital cameras had just come out and were very expensive, I was on the beach and poised to take a photo of my family when a group of four teenage boys walked up and offered to take a picture of our family. Of course DH and I said no. Something told us those boys weren't out to earn their Boy Scout badges!

In the heat when we have no jackets we often thread ours in its case onto my husband's belt.

I agree with Carie; just go to Wal Mart( I think every state has them anymore); and for around 5,6,7 dollars get a camera case that holds extra bateries, and make sure it has a shoulder strap and a belt hoop.( great for the husbands to use that feature). I was kind a questiong myself the first time I took such an expensive camera with us on a trip. Relax and have fun!

Don't worry about taking your camera. Just have some street smarts. People have been giving some great tips.

I just got a great digital camera that's in the same price range, and I'm taking it to Tuscany in June.

It's a Panasonic lumix dmc-tz1 and it's a compact camera so that it doesn't stand out like a big digital SLR would. But it has a powerful 10x zoom that's great for travel photos. I picked it up at Ritz Camera which, as someone mentioned, is a great store. Here's the link to it: http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/IG...igital-cameras

I checked it out on dpreview.com first.

I think the big digital SLRs are the ones that thieves really keep their eye out for. That category of cameras run into the thousands of dollars.

Sounds like you have a compact camera that you can manage to keep on your person. Just use common sense and don't leave your bag wide open. Use the neck strap or the wrist strap when you have it out. Plus, always take an extra memory card, and if you have internet access, you can download the pics right away so that you don't lose them if, for some reason, your card goes bad.

Have fun!