Taking DSLR Camera Off Ship??

[curlimommy]

Is this safe to do in the carribean? I love my camera and would hate to be limited to the point and shoot, but I would also hate to be targeted and possible get my camera and expensive lens stolen. Thoughts from anyone?

[vplsh]

We have done this in many ports in the Caribbean and have had no problems.

[MVPinBoynton]

I take my DSLR everywhere when traveling. I keep a hold of it in crowds and if I am at all concerned, I put it back in my sling case and move it to be in front of me.

[robtulipe]

It all depends on what I am doing at the port stop and where it is.

If it is my first time to a location which I am comfortable at or am on an organized or taking a special tour that will provide great picture opportunities, I will bring my Sony DSLR but use a sport camera bags which is well secured to me, has straps that can be attached to my camera and holds or contains my equipment in front of me on my chest.

If I am really concerned about the location or am just doing just a walk about or some shopping I will take my much smaller Sony Cyber-shot which has a 5X optical zoom, 10X with the digital zoom activated and takes really good pictures.

Here is a shot of my sport camera bag.

 

[floridatravelersforlife]

I take my Canon and the long lenses everywhere except under certain conditions. Questionalble areas like some specific areas in some cities or if I am at the beach. Then I take my Sony 12 mp small digital which is adequate and not noticable. By the way I took 1600 shots on our recent Equinox Ancient Empires cruise with no issue. Only time I didn't have it with me was on museum days.

[Phxazzcruisers]

I have always taken my camera with me. I am just very careful about where I go and keep it in front of me. We have never had any issues wnywhere we have been

[Flyguy35]

We have been to the Caribbean many times and have had no problems. We have even left our camera behind on some tours as the operaters are very careful. Tourism is the life blood of the area and they not want to have bad reports. Just go on the Europe boards, I would be extremely careful with my camera in Europe given the number of reports of people having camera stolen while walking around.

[cb at sea]

It's no more dangerous than taking it anywhere...if you don't use it, what's the point of having it?

[smeyer418]

It depends on where you are and how much you want to fight for your camera.

 

There have been reports of people being mugged for their expensive camera and jewelry. I don't wear expensive jewelry and stopped carry my really expensive camera years ago. I carry a relatively inexpensive 10 meg camera with a 10x mechanical zoom. There isn't really much more I can do with a $800 camera that I can't do with the $200 one. in fact the $200 one does more. Should you have to make this choice? probably not but the places we are traveling to a $800-1000 camera is a mighty tempting quick way to pick up some money-in some cases more than a person makes in a year.

 

The fact that it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't change that you are better off IMO without it than with it and let someone else be the target.

[lifevicarious]

I have been to many countries all over the world (Carribean included) with my multi thousand dollar DSLR and thousand dollar + lenses. I have never had an issue nor have I felt unsafe. But my main focus is travel/street photography so travel was the reason I purchased these items and I certainly wouldn't have left them at home in favor of a cheaper, less capable camera.

 

And despite what others may tell you, there really is a huge difference in picture quality between DSLR's and P&S cameras unless you stick to web or 4x6 only and in take those pictures in great light.

[MVPinBoynton]

I have been to many countries all over the world (Carribean included) with my multi thousand dollar DSLR and thousand dollar + lenses. I have never had an issue nor have I felt unsafe. But my main focus is travel/street photography so travel was the reason I purchased these items and I certainly wouldn't have left them at home in favor of a cheaper, less capable camera.

 

And despite what others may tell you, there really is a huge difference in picture quality between DSLR's and P&S cameras unless you stick to web or 4x6 only and in take those pictures in great light.

 

I couldn't agree more.

[Shooraq]

I bring my DSLR everywhere, but I will be smart about it. I will use camera bags that don't scream camera bag, like the Think Tank or Crumpler bags. I assess what type of pictures I will be taking and only bring 2-3 lenses and leave the rest back on the ship.

[curlimommy]

Thanks everyone. I'm a hobbiest/semi-pro photog myself, so I know full well how much better the quality is with my DSLR over the point and shoot. I've never been to the Carribean and worry about the camera a bit b/c carrying $2000 or so worth of stuff makes me nervous. I also will just be with my husband, so I'm wondering how people handle the beach days with the camera. Just let one person dip in at a time? I hate to not have the camera for beach photos, b/c beaches are are favorite, but I also hate not being able to go into the water with my hubby. Thoughts on this issue?

[hancock]

If you want to go in the water with your DH, leave the camera on the ship. I take a point and shoot with me and have a waterproof case for it. It goes in the water with me. I wouldn't leave anything valuable on the beach while I go in the water.

[hcat]

DD went to an all inclusive resort in Jamaica--the resort told them to bring only throw away cameras..just in case.

 

we usually leave the big lenses on board unless something special to photograph & take our little camera with us--but if we are snokeling we use the disposables.. just want fewer things to watch after when in ports...

[cirpi]

It depends on where you are and how much you want to fight for your camera.

 

There have been reports of people being mugged for their expensive camera and jewelry. I don't wear expensive jewelry and stopped carry my really expensive camera years ago. I carry a relatively inexpensive 10 meg camera with a 10x mechanical zoom. There isn't really much more I can do with a $800 camera that I can't do with the $200 one. in fact the $200 one does more. Should you have to make this choice? probably not but the places we are traveling to a $800-1000 camera is a mighty tempting quick way to pick up some money-in some cases more than a person makes in a year.

 

The fact that it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't change that you are better off IMO without it than with it and let someone else be the target.

 

 

Believe me, mugging and camera theft do happen frequently, especially in popular tourist destinations in Europe. It almost happened to me in Barcelona and I and my expensive DSLR were saved by my wife who threatened to bash the young thief with her walking stick. After more than 20 trips to Italy, most of the time packing expensive cameras, the Barcelona experience was a wakeup call. On our Equinox TA in the spring, I will leave my Nikon DSLRs and battery of lenses at home and pack just a Canon Powershot G11, a point-and-shoot I have found to yield 12x18 prints rivaling any I have taken with the expensive SLRs.

[smdubowsky]

It sounds like most of you are avid photographers do this may be an overly obvious statement, but don't take your DSLR to the beach or anywhere wet or overly humid. Sand especially wrecks havoc on cameras. Go out and get a waterproof point and shoot for those occasions.

[DrKoob]

Thanks everyone. I'm a hobbiest/semi-pro photog myself, so I know full well how much better the quality is with my DSLR over the point and shoot. I've never been to the Carribean and worry about the camera a bit b/c carrying $2000 or so worth of stuff makes me nervous. I also will just be with my husband, so I'm wondering how people handle the beach days with the camera. Just let one person dip in at a time? I hate to not have the camera for beach photos, b/c beaches are are favorite, but I also hate not being able to go into the water with my hubby. Thoughts on this issue?

 

Want to take your DSLR to the beach and still be able to swim with your husband? That's easy. Meet lots of people on your cruise's roll call and then go to the beach with some of them. Ask one to keep an eye on your camera while you swim with hubby. If you show them how, they might even take your pic as you come out of the water. That's one solution.

 

I will say this, I can definitely say that I would not walk around the streets in some European cities and some Caribbean towns without a strap that goes around my body as opposed to just around my neck. I wear a BlackRapid strap that allows me to carry the camera on my hip as opposed to hanging in front of my chest. Also, you just about to have to mug me to get it off.

 

That said, with the recent robberies in the Bahamas, camera or no camera you are going to lose something. Your camera is probably the least of your problems.

 

Also, I know that many of you carry multiple lens which often get in the way. When traveling, I carry one lens, an 18-200 mm 3.5 zoom and believe me other than a big 3 or 400 that's all I need.

[D4]

Regardless of what digital camera you bring, it is very smart to either backup the pictures every night or use a fresh memory card every day. There are so many stories on this board about people that lost or had their camera stolen along with ALL their vacation photos.

[DrKoob]

Regardless of what digital camera you bring, it is very smart to either backup the pictures every night or use a fresh memory card every day. There are so many stories on this board about people that lost or had their camera stolen along with ALL their vacation photos.

 

I totally agree with you on that one. I take my laptop and download the pics every day then back them up to my 60 gig iPod. I can't imagine not having those pics and I have had too many hard drives fail to only have one back up.

[lifevicarious]

On our Equinox TA in the spring, I will leave my Nikon DSLRs and battery of lenses at home and pack just a Canon Powershot G11, a point-and-shoot I have found to yield 12x18 prints rivaling any I have taken with the expensive SLRs.

 

Not meant to be argumentative, purely curious, but if you feel the quality is the same, why do you still have your DSLR's?

 

I personally have found just the opposite. Anything over 400 ISO I have found absolutely unusable on any P&S camera I have used (including the G10 but I admittedly have not played with the G11 but I assume it's not that much if any better). And even at 400 it's questionable.

 

I personally prefer to take the risk. A camera can be replaced but once in a lifetime moments can not and I feel I have a better chance of capturing the image (not to mention a higher quality image) with a DSLR then a P&S.

[smeyer418]

Not meant to be argumentative, purely curious, but if you feel the quality is the same, why do you still have your DSLR's?

 

I personally have found just the opposite. Anything over 400 ISO I have found absolutely unusable on any P&S camera I have used (including the G10 but I admittedly have not played with the G11 but I assume it's not that much if any better). And even at 400 it's questionable.

 

I personally prefer to take the risk. A camera can be replaced but once in a lifetime moments can not and I feel I have a better chance of capturing the image (not to mention a higher quality image) with a DSLR then a P&S.

you use film? I haven't used film in at least 10 years and I used to develop my own.

 

I have a lot of pictures blown up to 8x10. I have no problem at maximum resolution on my P and S to get that. Now I also admit that I also use the dial to dial a picture now and then and take short movies as well. I have had a couple of pictures published... and it was on an older and less capable Canon P and S.

 

This was published.

[floridatravelersforlife]

On the Ancient Empires Cruise on the Equinox, I recently was taking photos in places like the Duomo in Florence, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Vatican Museum. All three were low light level. I pushed the ASA to 1600 in some cases and with post editiing of the photos they were perfect and easily enlargeable to 1/2 poster size.

 

I used a Canon Xti Rebel and a high end Canon lense which allowed for the great shots.

 

I do use the the Sony Pocket Camera when it is called for.

[smeyer418]

although not directly on point here is an interesting article on increased crime

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/travel/6praccrime.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=when%20crime%20comes%20to%20paradise&st=cse

[DrKoob]

You know I got great pics from my P&S Olympus for years and I resisted getting back into an SLR but it wasn't the quality of the photos that convinced me, it was the shutter lag. I can take four to five photos with my Nikon D5000 before my lovely bride can get one shot to focus and the shutter to snap on her P&S. With my old Olympus or my Canon P&S I was missing shots I can get now easily. Plus, with an 18-200 3.5 lens, I don't really carry that much more with me.

 

There is a great book out there though called, "The Best Camera". It is full of photos taken with camera in the author's iPhone. He even as an iPhone app called, The Best Camera. His theory (which I subscribe to) is that the best camera...is the one you have with you when you want to take a picture. Isn't that the truth.