Protecting Your Photographic Gear-Addendum #1

If you've been reading this blog for a while now, you may have seen this post in which I list 10 things you can do to protect your gear from being stolen.

Most of those suggestions apply more when youre shooting in the field (outdoors).

Reading through this thread in DPR Sony SLR Forum, I found another item to include in that first list, and came up with another one myself. The two new suggestions are:

11.- Record the serial numbers of your gear and lenses. This is a simple procedure that will surely be useful in case your gear gets stolen, either from your car/home or office/or you directly. Thieves will try to sell your items, if they're stupid enough to sell them on internet, you can ask them to send you the serial numbers while posing as a potential buyer, if they match your recorded numbers, you can proceed legally. Even if they dont sell them through the internet, you can still provide those to the police so its easier for them to track them down.

Write those numbers down and keep them in a safe place. I suggest you write them down like this:

Item
Item model number
Serial number

Example:

Sony Alpha DSLR A700
DSLR-A700
2001201020613001 (fictonal number for explaning purposes only)

This tip applies to EVERYTHING, camera, vertical grip if you own one, case, lenses, filters (if they have it), EVERYTHING.

(The idea of recording serial numbers is credited to DPR Sony SLR forum user metfoo)

12.- Buy or build a locker. This applies mostly for home use. You can get a locker or a storing place to put your gear in and keep it out of sight, how big is up to you. Doing this will create a dedicated space for your gear that will keep all in one place and safe from other people or things (like pets). How concealed you want it to be its up to you. You can get an already made locker or you can build yours in the basement, in a wall (like a vault) or ground or anywhere you want/can.

You can go to stores like Home Depot or Sam's Club or anything similar and have a look at the lockers they offer. If you buy a locker already built, DO get a good lock for it. That will prevent unauthorized access to your equipment.

If you build one, make sure it wont affect the structure around it, you dont want to make a wall collapse or affect the stability of the place by doing a hole where you shouldnt...

That's it for now, if I find/think of more suggestions to add to this list, they will be published in further addendums.

Remember to be safe when shooting and see you next time.