Really BAD news

[Colin Southern]

Colin - I can do the exif data of course, and he said proof of purchase, I added receipt, didn't know there was a difference really, thank you, that gives me some more options. The person I bought it from is on this forum, I am still hoping he will offer the written receipt.

I'd like to THINK that if you could show eMails - a hole in your bank account - service receipt from Canon - EXIF data that shows the lens has been used on your camera etc then in my opinion it becomes one of those "if it looks like a duck - walks like a duck - quacks like a duck then ... it's probably a duck" type situations.

And if the member won't cough up a receipt, just let me know who they are and I'll put a colour cast on all their photos - blur them - and rotate them 0.5 of a degree! (just kidding!)

[Flurry]

Another reason to schedule the camera is that your homeowners policy only covers the camera for named perils such as fire, wind, theft. It will not cover mysterious loss (you think it was stolen, but not sure) or if you lean over that canyon wall to get that perfect shot and drop your camera.

[Thomas J]

Wow, that really sucks. Some people should be filtered from the world at birth! That is, if there was a way to tell they would be thieving lowlifes.

Anyway, avert your eyes if you're not into tasteless jokes:

At least now you have no excuse not to go Nikon!

[SpiderBob]

Flurry, if you lean over a canyon wall and drop your camera you deserve to lose it not really, but just saying, where is the strap Thomas, a Nikon, I've heard of those, just can't think of where . My kids all have canon and we exchange lens or actually they borrow mine a lot, I stick with Canon

[Gary Whitcutt]

Man, that just sucks big time. I'm really sorry. Having anything stolen can be traumatic. Stealing your hobby gear and damaging your car's trunk in broad daylight is something else. Most of us work hard to carefully select and acquire things like photo equipment over time, so when it's taken away in a few seconds by loser cowards, it makes matters even worse.

GW
Camano Island, WA

[BokehBo]

Bob, I feel sick for you and your loss. Keep us posted on the results with the insurance company.

[SpiderBob]

I just picked up a voice mail from my insurance agent to take all my receipts and/or proof of ownership to the police department downtown Los Angeles for identification of reported stolen camera equipment and I should plan on being there anytime from 10AM to 2PM. He doesn't answer my phone calls so don't really know what that means, but I'm getting it all together to go tomorrow morning. Don't really want to speculate at this time as it could be for just as he said identification purposes or perhaps even to identify what may be there. I have no number to call downtown, just an address for the department. All sorts of things going through my head now.

[stardelta]

I just picked up a voice mail from my insurance agent to take all my receipts and/or proof of ownership to the police department downtown Los Angeles for identification of reported stolen camera equipment and I should plan on being there anytime from 10AM to 2PM. He doesn't answer my phone calls so don't really know what that means, but I'm getting it all together to go tomorrow morning. Don't really want to speculate at this time as it could be for just as he said identification purposes or perhaps even to identify what may be there. I have no number to call downtown, just an address for the department. All sorts of things going through my head now.

bob really hope things go ok in the morning i am confident things will work out for you.please keep us up to speed with the outcome of your meeting , i have been following this story from day 1 and am really hoping there will be a positive outcome.
regards glenn

[Colin Southern]

I'd suggest just trying to relax Bob,

If you get your gear back in good condition then great - if you don't then you have insurance - so either way you're going to be OK. I was never a big believer in insurance until a crazy lady in my work area made me nervous - so I took out some cover - and a year or so later had my Rolex stolen. The insurance Co had a new one on my wrist in 60 hours - since then I'm a BIG insurance fan

[SpiderBob]

Well I'm home, what an ordeal. I was taken into a vast room with others looking to identify stolen property. Had to of been rolls of tables with different areas for what you might be looking for. Mine section was electronics and cameras, wow the things that get stolen and/or lost. My section only had 6 six foot tables, I spent 4 hours trying to read tiny little numbers (no magnifying glass for help). The guy that was in charge was a talkative fellow, was surprised that I was sent down by my insurance company to help (that's a laugh, I had no help) identify property. So looking I went, and I did find several of my stolen property items. I was kind of hoping (dreaming) that I would find everything in my bag. My camera (serial number found), my 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS lens (serial number found), my EF 100mm F/2.8L Macro IS USM (serial number not found), the officer could not find the sr number either so I don't feel bad, but he let me put it in my box. EF 100-400 F/4.5 - 5.6L IS USM (serial number found), my camera bag (I think) my EF 50mm 1.4 (again no serial number found, and again he let me put it in my box).

Things I'm still missing EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, extension tube EF 25 II, Singh-Ray Variable Neutral Density Filter, B+W Circular Polarizing Filter, all operating cables and chargers (two) extra two sets of batteries too, B+W 8x Cross Screen Star Effect Glass Filter, 1.4x III EF Extender.

He did put down a big box of cables and said pick what I want. I let that one go, they were a box of spaghetti.

So.....I asked what now, he said the box that I identified now goes into lock-up (great!). It needs to be kept to verify numbers once again, by another officer, then it needs to be cleared. I asked what that meant, and he said if the case is active, it has to stay until that case is heard and closed, it's not his decision. So it could be next week or who knows when. About this time the guy told me, I should have not found anything. I'm not sure if he was serious or just kidding me.

So, I called my agent and he was happy I found at least some items (naturally). I told him the condition of the area I had to pick it up in and he told me that it will all go to the manufacture of the items that were recovered (at my discretion) and would be checked out and repaired at no cost to me. The items not found, they will start processing right away

Anyone want to guess how long this can take, I don't. I know that Canon when you send things in says up to 60 days, although I have always had items returned in no longer than 3 weeks.

I think this has movie capabilities - I've never heard of this before, well maybe I have I was an MP in the service.

Well that's my Saturday, hope yours is better.

Oh yes, and everything that is not claimed, goes to a police auction. Maybe I should go to that

[Momo]

Amazing! Good for you... at least you got most of your stuff. All you have to do now is wait for it... and at least you know where it is. This thread has literally made me go through all of my gear and write down every last serial number. I just need to get it all registered with my insurance company.

Again, congratulations! Getting some of it back is better than nothing at all.

[Colin Southern]

Whew - what a "journey"

[drjuice]

Wow, Bob -

That's a shocker, especially since I'm not far from you. A couple of suggestions:

1. In spite of Stephany's Pelican cases, all my really expensive electronic gear, cameras and pieces, computers and pieces, iPod when it's not plugged in, go into an insulated beer cooler (of which I have two, one of which is actually used for pop -- aka soft drinks in some places). Because they're insulated, they're waterproof and also quite well padded by the insulation and also have a non-leaking soft plastic insert that keeps water out.

2. When I wander anywhere out among crowds, I have a one-shoulder backpack (which accommodates my inability to carry anything on my right shoulder) from the blue team that I wear on my front rather than on the back. It holds whichever camera, all my lenses, my filter pack, my off-camera flash, spare battery, and my diffuser if that's likely to be necessary. Also, when appropriate, I carry my camera's Raincoat. The monopod and tripod both fit into the same case (I haven't figured out why that happened, since it was the case that came with the tripod) and hangs off the bottom of the front backpack. My spare memory cards are in my bottom left cargo pocket. It looks for all the world like I'm just headed out for a stroll in the weeds.

One final note, if any repacking, swapping batteries or memory cards becomes necessary, that happens at the END of a photo stop rather than before I go into a grocery store, restaurant, etc. The point here is that many bad guys take advantage of this type of thing on the spur of the moment. I also keep an eye out in my rearview to be sure that I'm not followed from one place to another regardless of the length or shortness of the distance. And, I NEVER get into a camera or computer discussion with somebody I don't know already (unless it's a camera store dude).

Finally, the back of my RAV looks pretty junky because it has my camping gear, my bed for when it's raining so I can't camp, etc. So, most bad guys don't want to deal with that; they want in and out.

Stephany's strategy is a good one, but I can't physically lift the loaded Pelican cases. 8~(

v

[drjuice]

One other thought on this subject, your scanner is your friend. I started scanning receipts and warranties when I first got a scanner. So, before I actually open up the box to engrave the object (inconspicuously) and start learning how to deal with it, if something has a warranty and/or cost more than $50 and/or is something I might want to sell when I'm finished with it, the receipt and any warranty get scanned, into a single scan if it will all fit on the scanning glass.

So, when I bought this particular computer and two new lenses (I already had my Minolta lenses from my two Maxxums), I scanned the computer warranty (4 pages), the lenses' warranties (2 pages), and the warranties for various extra pieces, i.e., remote control - no shutter releases any more, external flash, new diffuser, UV filters for all lenses, heavier tripod), and the sales receipts. When I needed to give my insurance dude the information in order to increase my coverage, I emailed the receipt scans to him. Ditto for computers, including one I built myself for which I had a single receipt for all the separate pieces. Needless to say, I make sure that any new information like this is captured to a backup disk THAT DAY and not just for my periodic backup system.

v

[stardelta]

bob thats great news even though you got to wait it sounds like you got the bulk of your gear back ,which is a great result in itself.
glad things are looking brighter.
glenn.

[Flurry]

Flurry, if you lean over a canyon wall and drop your camera you deserve to lose it not really, but just saying, where is the strap

Glad the ordeal is over I am actually in the big bad insurance industry and you would not believe the things that happen to people. I have not had anyone drop a camera off a canyon, but the toilet has happened before....don't ask me what they were trying to take a picture of

[SpiderBob]

Glad the ordeal is over I am actually in the big bad insurance industry and you would not believe the things that happen to people.

I can only imagine, as for big bad, don't think so, I would not have recovered what I did if it was not for the persistence of my agent, let alone pay for the items that were not recovered and offer to send in for checkout and/or repair of the recovered equipment, I'm a happy person. The biggest news for today is I just got home from picking up what was recovered, case must have ended. Now to send it all to Canon. That will be another several weeks I'm assuming. But all is well, I have ordered what is missing and payment is on it's way.Yahoo! I see the light at the end of the tunnel. And he offered to let me rent a camera in the meantime. I declined as I have no lenses to use yet, we both got a laugh out of that one. I didn't want to push the idea of some nice lenses, he has already done a heck of a lot.Bob

[Albert Sim]

Bob, you know what I currently do and what I am going to do in the very near future ?

So sorry to know about it and it really happens that way !
Currently, if I ever take my gears out of my house, (I use a Lowepro Fastpack 350 and a shoulder bag Inverse 200 AW) I'll make sure they will never left out of my eyesight. I'll never left them inside my car too because of I am afraid of what that happened to you ! I will carry them, though heavy, even when I stop by to have a drinks or even to the restrooms! For the sake of peace of mind.
So.... for the past 1 or 2 months, I am shopping around for a Pelican hard-case like the Pelican 1510 with padded divider. You see, I have the same idea as Steaphany mentioned. Though not 100% thief-proof but at least they will need more time to get away and this might be good enough to turn them down.

P.S. One Pelican 1510 with padded divider will cost me approximately USD500 (in Malaysia), I am yet to save enough money for it.So now I still carry them around.......

[SpiderBob]

Well, I called Canon today to find out what's up, didn't find out much. They did say it is on the table now being looked at, what they didn't know is I called last week and they said the same thing

[Carl in Louisiana]

I have always been told that the "squeaky wheel will get the grease ever time. Keep at them and let them know you called last week and got the same response. That will then put them on the spot, hopefully. I hope everything will turn out okay for you and your gear will be in tip top shape when it arrives home.