Taking your camera abroad

DJMorgan

DJMorgan

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Is there any procedures you have to go through to take your DSLR abroad?

Or can I take mine without a problem?

:thinking:
 
As above regarding the plane, never put it in the hold luggage. If you are taking a backpack with a fair bit gear in then the only problem I have found is that you have to take the lot everywhere you go, unless you want to leave it in the hotel, but personally I wouldn't.

Tried to fit all my camera gear in the safe at our hotel in Spain once, no way would it go in, so I took it everywhere with me, the wife was not amused :(
 
one bit of advice is to make sure you are not over the weight limit for hand baggage. i made my daughter carry a lens in her pocket for me to get me thorugh but then again they didn't seem that bothered
 
Also make sure it fits in that silly hand luggage size thingy... Also dont take every camera related piece of equipment - just what you think you'll need...
 
I've just hit a problem with this.

I'm flying to Ireland next week with Aer Lingus [ Aer Arann ] and they state that you can have a camera as well as your carry on bag

http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/baggageinformation/#d.en.1215

Now the biggie is -- is the camera allowed to be in it's own bag [ my Tamrac Rally 5 ] and I'm still allowed my carry on bag ? Or am I going to have to try and fit my Rally into my carry on bag ? I don't always like having the camera hanging round my neck :)
 
camerassassin said:
I've just hit a problem with this.

I'm flying to Ireland next week with Aer Lingus [ Aer Arann ] and they state that you can have a camera as well as your carry on bag

http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/baggageinformation/#d.en.1215

Now the biggie is -- is the camera allowed to be in it's own bag [ my Tamrac Rally 5 ] and I'm still allowed my carry on bag ? Or am I going to have to try and fit my Rally into my carry on bag ? I don't always like having the camera hanging round my neck :)
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I can't say with any certainty, but I fly Aer Lingus about once a month and I've never had a problem with taking on my main cabin bag (huge laptop rucksack) and another small bag (usually stuff I've bought in the duty free). They've never even mentioned it.

I can however say with certainty that you'd never, ever get away with this on Ryan Air though. They once tried to charge me 30 EUR to take home the bag I'd just bought a DSLR in from duty free in Dublin. I unpacked it all, squeezed it into my laptop bag and coat pockets and left the boxes.
 
Thanks guys, well this will be my first time abroad so you can see why I am asking these questions, so in conclusion I can take it with me as luggage onto the actual seating area?

And Insurance etc where can I get that?

Thanks for all your help!
 
DJMorgan said:
Thanks guys, well this will be my first time abroad so you can see why I am asking these questions, so in conclusion I can take it with me as luggage onto the actual seating area?

And Insurance etc where can I get that?

Thanks for all your help!
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Check the small print in your travel insurance. Should cover some gear, but they will probably be quite specific as to what's covered and where. Sorry i have no experience of specific camera insurance though.
 
One small thing to add, make sure you check and recheck that your baggage is within the weight limits. My last trip I only brought back just under a kilo of extra items, yet my case that weighed 21kg on the way out suddenly was tipping the scales at 25.4kg on the return flight.

As a result my tripod is now enjoying an extended stay in Australia :LOL:
 
you should be able to add it to your home insurance or your travel insurance, you may already have cover on your home insurance so check that first.
 
Most major airlines allow you to take one carry one item AND a personal item (such as a laptop bag or camera bag).

I recently flew with Delta to the States and this was their policy, I think BA and a few other big boys have the same deal on what you can take into the cabin.
 
2009 I flew back from the USA with Continental - and had a Techair Backpack with a MacBook Pro and of course plenty of other stuff in it and a small Lowepro Microtrekker Backpack with my K-x and a few other bits of camera gear in it - no problem with that lot - both backpacks in the Cabin with me :)
 
everytime i fly (apart from the last) i have travelled light. Camera 2 lenses and a flash gun.

mind you recently we have been staying in a villa with the family and took most of my kit plus a film SLR, carried it all in hand luggage but packed a smaller bag in the suitcase for when i am out and about. This is fine if you trust who you are staying with and with the villa there are no maids or room service so you know no one else is going to turn up.
 
I would think that you should be fine - just make sure that your camera bag looks smaller than the Flipside - but then you have still to get to the check in :)

I'll admit I'm panicking about my Dublin trip as the Aer Lingus flight is on one of their Aer Arann planes and the sizes for carry on are smaller :( and the weight limit is a good deal less [ 10kg with Aer Lingus and 7kg with Aer Arann :( ] I really need both bags once I'm there and the Tamrac Rally 5 will go in my 'normal' carry on bag.

I wish I could find out whose requirements are enforced on this flight - the contact us pages/ phone numbers are useless :(
 
Well my camera bag would more or less contain maybe 2 cameras

D3000 and the D7000, Id be carrying the body of the 3000 with the lens obv with it and then my d7000 with a kit lens and 70-300mm lens too, dont see the need for my flash gun haha
 
There is another approach.....

I work for a US company, and we plebs in the UK have to travel to the states a lot. A certain airport in the US is pretty bad at handling luggage, and there is a suspiciuos amount of "missing" luggage as well.

A number of us have purchased starter pistols. These are entirely, 100% legal to own in the UK, and you don't require a fire arms certificate or anything like that. JUST the starter pistol - no ammunition.

Take it with you to the airport. When you check in, declare it. Ideally ( just to save time ) declare it before hand, when you do your online check-in.

You get given a nice steel padded box with some very secure locks on it. Into this you place your starter pistol - along with anything else you want. We often put documents, expensive bits of equipment in there or small laptops. There is plenty of room for a camera and a couple of lenses - even sizable ones.

The box is looked after extremely well - it is tracked all the way through it's journey, it is stored away from the normal luggage so it doesn't get bumped, and generally seems to be treated with kid gloves.

When you get to your destination, you sign a bit of paper, and they open the box up for you.


Now - I'm not sure if this would work for every country - I would check before I tried it in china for example, but it's now something that a lot of us do every time we fly.
 
SlowSteve said:
A number of us have purchased starter pistols. These are entirely, 100% legal to own in the UK, and you don't require a fire arms certificate or anything like that. JUST the starter pistol - no ammunition.
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Do you all manage lots of athletics meetings ??
 
The only thing I would add is check the baggage with every airline you are travelling with - I booked through BA to go to NZ via LA and from there we flew with Qantas. BA allowed us 3 suitcases where as Qantas only 2 - I realised this 4 hours before we left home, so some hasty repacking ensued - but better than leaving a suitcase in LA. :LOL:
 
camerassassin said:
I've just hit a problem with this.

I'm flying to Ireland next week with Aer Lingus [ Aer Arann ] and they state that you can have a camera as well as your carry on bag

http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/baggageinformation/#d.en.1215

Now the biggie is -- is the camera allowed to be in it's own bag [ my Tamrac Rally 5 ] and I'm still allowed my carry on bag ? Or am I going to have to try and fit my Rally into my carry on bag ? I don't always like having the camera hanging round my neck :)
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as you say aer arran is only 7kgs carry on luggage, I was under the impression that its only one bag per passenger.. so would presume its a no for the camera bag as an extra?

saying that they weren't as bad checking (shannon) as ryanair are though, but still its a chance you could get pulled?
 
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Hmm - think I'll be using the Tamrac Rally as my carry on bag and collapsing the other into my case [ for the hold] . There seems to be enough room [ and weight :) for it in the case - so problem is solved.
 
Is there any issue with customs on the return journey? i.e. how do they know you took it out with you? What's to stop you buying used items whilst on holiday and claiming you took them with you on the way out?
 
Chilos said:
Is there any issue with customs on the return journey? i.e. how do they know you took it out with you? What's to stop you buying used items whilst on holiday and claiming you took them with you on the way out?
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It's not common, but it can happen.

My brother, who used to work for a well known computer software company, was required to take a copy of the purchase invoice for his company laptop with him when travelling abroad. This was specifically to avoid the problems of having it impounded while Finance dug it out and sent a copy to Customs & Excise. when he came back into the country. It had happened more often than they liked.

Take a copy of your UK receipt with you if you want to guard against it.
 
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I took mine with me to Florida in January, just used my backpak as hand luggage. I didnt take many lens so filled the gaps with a book and some other travel bits, very handy.
 
Flights I've been on (mainly long haul) you're allowed one piece of carry on luggage and handbag/laptop bag. My last flight with Virgin I took my camera and laptop in a Kata rucksack (just under 7kg) plus a VERY heavy photo album as carry on.
 
Watch out for security, they love inspecting your gear.
Last time I flew I had to get all my lenses out of their cases and watch my DSLR get swabbed for explosives.

I would recommend a small backpack for your camera gear.
 
Musicman said:
It's not common, but it can happen.

My brother, who used to work for a well known computer software company, was required to take a copy of the purchase invoice for his company laptop with him when travelling abroad. This was specifically to avoid the problems of having it impounded while Finance dug it out and sent a copy to Customs & Excise. when he came back into the country. It had happened more often than they liked.

Take a copy of your UK receipt with you if you want to guard against it.
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I did a bit of research, you can get a document called a carnet when taking items out of the country to avoid taxes on return. Probably easier than digging out invoices and receipts if you've lost them!
 
terryt said:
Flights I've been on (mainly long haul) you're allowed one piece of carry on luggage and handbag/laptop bag. My last flight with Virgin I took my camera and laptop in a Kata rucksack (just under 7kg) plus a VERY heavy photo album as carry on.
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Virgin do seem to have a crazy limit for hand luggage compared to other operators. Last time they insisted I take out my lens in its bag (which counted as a camera), and put a couple of books in my wifes hand bag to meet the limits. Then I put it all back the way it was before getting on the flight.:)
 
Last time I flew Virgin I had 12Kg hand luggage, they didn't bat an eyelid.
 
You can always take out your camera with the heaviest lens and hang it around your neck. Once you've passed the check in, you can put them back. :)
 
we travel at least 3 times a year with our camera gear. 2 hand luggage bags, each about 15kg :D

on the way out, we leave the hand luggage in the car and take a hand bag to check in. After check in we go and fetch our hand luggage.

security don't care about weight.

on the way back, at check in, just try to be nonchalant about the weight of your Compu trekker backpack ;) we tend to put the bags down on the floor where we're standing, out of sight of the check in person.

and get on board quick to get your hand luggage in the overhead storage.
 
Thanks again for all your help, I think I have nothing to worry about. I think with it being my first time abroad iv never ACTUALLY been away abroad.

So Im kinda a bit nervous haha.

But I use a lowpro 180 bag, so i guess i cud take that on as hand luggage.. :)
 
I woudl make sure that if nothing else, the other items of carry could be sacrificed to the hold should it be required (i.e nothing too breakable or valuable). I've travelled with various bits of electronics hand carried for work and never really had a problem other than with security wanting to know what thye are/do
 
I know you are not flying Easyjet but might be useful for someone. They now only allow ONE piece of hand luggage, this can be a trolley-case, handbag or laptop etc but not a combination. If you try and take two pieces through it will cost you £40 to have it put in the hold. I do not consider this unreasonable, as many people now only take hand luggage and it can be difficult to fit it all into the cabin, if the cabin staff cannot fit it all in it has to go into the hold which means the flight is delayed by a few minutes and they can lose their slots.
 
But as long as they are clear about this up front it shouldn't be an issue. I believe most airlines are fairly clear about exactly what you can take on as hand luggage.
 
I flew to Dublin last year with a budget airline. I used my Kata backpack for hand luggage with only a body and two lens. The rest of the space I used for personal stuff. There were no problems with check in but even though my bag fit the little carry on sizes it was a squeeze getting it into the overhead locker.
 
I'm going to Furteurventura next month and it's my first foreign package holiday for nearly 5 years!!!

It'll be the first time I've taken a DSLR abroad too.

I've decided to leave my 7D & 15-85mm at home and will take my 400D & 18-200 Sigma with me.

I bought myself a set of bag scales, the 7D combo and all the gear in my Lowpro 302AW was 4.6KG :thumbsdown: but the 400D, lens, flash and a few other bits in my Lowepro 100AW was only 2.6KG so I've got a bit of scope to stick my iPod and other bits in there too (y)
 
I was just starting to wonder about this very thing. My friend and I are going to Russia later in the year for the MAKS 2011 airshow so obviously the camera equipment is the main point of the trip. I bought myself a Tamrac Expedition 8 bag today but that is obviously going to be too large for hand luggage :eek: But I do want to take a 7D, Sig 120-300 2.8, 35-350, 24-105, 1.4x, 2x tc's so I guess that lot is going to add up.

Should I try and put the tc's and 35-350 in with my main luggage and just the 7D and 120-300 in a smaller back pack for the take on bag?
 
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