Leave gear in hotel room or bring to the beach?

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jonneymendoza

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Hi. i am planning to go to miami beach in september and will stay in a hotel there for a couple of nights as well.

i will be bringing all my gear as i will be going to other places besides the beaches.

my question is should i leave my gear in the hotel whenever i go to the beach for a swim with my wife(just two of us going so no one to look after my gear in the beach) or take it with me, hide the bag amongst towels or something and keep a eye on it once in a while while in the water having fun?

Thoughts?

btw it is all insured but the catch with the "theft" part is that it is not covered if its unattended and got stolen(i checked many insureres and most ar elike that) im with photoguard by the way

http://www.photoguard.co.uk/coversummary.asp

What is not covered
We are committed to providing you with clarity on the cover you are looking to purchase and aim to tell you the key exclusions of this policy before you buy.

Exclusions relating to theft of your equipment

Theft if the equipment is entrusted to someone else
Theft of your photographic equipment if left unattended when away from its usual insured location unless it is in a locked room, locked cupboard or locked luggage compartment of a vehicle
Theft at the insured location unless there is forcible and or violent entry
Theft when the security requirementshave not been met
The matching of a collection
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gear: 400d gripped, 70-200f2.8 mk2, 17-50mm tamron f2.8, nifty fifty, 430ex2 flash
 
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Hopefully the hotel room has a safe big enough to store the gear. Might be worth checking with the hotel.
 
sep9001 said:
Hopefully the hotel room has a safe big enough to store the gear. Might be worth checking with the hotel.
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Yep, I'd agree with that. Worth checking with the hotel. Most have a way of securing guests less than ordinary kit. I've usually found somewhere to secure my cameras and / or shotguns in the past.

Mike
 
Theft of your photographic equipment if left unattended when away from its usual insured location unless it is in a locked room, locked cupboard or locked luggage compartment of a vehicle
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... a hotel room *is* a 'locked room'...

If hotel staff steal it, then you have a claim against the hotel. Just stick it in the bottom of your suitcase and leave it in your room.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
... a hotel room *is* a 'locked room'...

If hotel staff steal it, then you have a claim against the hotel. Just stick it in the bottom of your suitcase and leave it in your room.
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In most hotels I've noticed a clause in their T&C for staying stating along the lines that the hotel cannot be held responsible for any items going "missing" on the hotel premesis. Including anything left in safes behind the counter :shake:

I have always taken this to be a posh way of saying, "Unless you have definate proof that our staff have stolen anything of yours, it's not our problem".

I'd suggest talking to the reception, possibly ask for a manager and see if they can put it anywhere where they feel it will definately be safe - such as his/her office. I've done it before with high value goods that won't fit in the safety deposit boxes and a modest tip wouldn't go amiss. (y)
 
I doubt a locked hotel room would count as far as insurance is conerned, too many people might have access or a key, and the electronic locks are not as secure as the hotels claim, I'm told it's easy enough to beat them.
 
Lock the door to the room. That's a locked room. Doesn't matter how many people have keys. Leaving stuff you didn't use that day under towels at the beach would be classed by most insurers as "stupidity".

FWIW travelling in the UK I leave stuff in the car overnight. Thatcham Cat 1 is better than most hotel security. Or in a locked bag / peli case chained to a water pipe in the room. Gets some funny looks in good hotels.
 
Personally, I'd leave 'the gear' at home and take a decent compact.

A lot less hassle/worry IMVHO.
 
I bought a canon d10 for the beach and use in the water and it's great for other places such as theme parks. However for other things you will miss your usual dslr. I'd just take the minimum stuff you need and leave it in the hotel room. I've never had a problem yet doing this.
 
Dave in Wales said:
Personally, I'd leave 'the gear' at home and take a decent compact.

A lot less hassle/worry IMVHO.
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might as well sell the "gear" useless for it to be left at home.


The reason why i brought a dslr is for me to take it with me in memorable things i can capture in life, be it my nepthews first birthday or a once in a lifetime trip to florida/miami, that is why most of us none professional togs buy a dslr.

to capture life evolving around us in a unique way.

if a compact can help capture that in most conditions, of course many of us would use a compact but unfortunately compacts are crap on certain situations. They have tiny sensors capturing little light, slow AF systems, limited lens u can use if any, loss of IQ etc etc etc.


i love my DSLR. my mum has a Film SLR that i now use as well and she "always" bought it with her wherever we go. parties, vacatiens. special events etc etc.

Photography for me is about capturing and document my life experience and there is no way in hell my dslr is staying at home when i go florida or any place abroad.

in fact, i bring my dslr with my 70-200 f2.8 with me every single day monday to friday going to work.
 
jonneymendoza said:
might as well sell the "gear" useless for it to be left at home.


The reason why i brought a dslr is for me to take it with me in memorable things i can capture in life, be it my nepthews first birthday or a once in a lifetime trip to florida/miami, that is why most of us none professional togs buy a dslr.

to capture life evolving around us in a unique way.

if a compact can help capture that in most conditions, of course many of us would use a compact but unfortunately compacts are crap on certain situations. They have tiny sensors capturing little light, slow AF systems, limited lens u can use if any, loss of IQ etc etc etc.


i love my DSLR. my mum has a Film SLR that i now use as well and she "always" bought it with her wherever we go. parties, vacatiens. special events etc etc.

Photography for me is about capturing and document my life experience and there is no way in hell my dslr is staying at home when i go florida or any place abroad.

in fact, i bring my dslr with my 70-200 f2.8 with me every single day monday to friday going to work.
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Compacts have improved vastly over recent years, some of the top end models would give many a dslr camera a good run for the money.
We do training courses and I'm seeing these pictures up close and huge on screen next to assorted dslr's, it getting much harder to tell the difference these days.
 
Was in Florida last October and stayed in a few hotels. I took 60d , 70-200 F4, 17-85, Charger, managed to get these in all the safes along with money, passports, jewellary etc. The Rosen plaza you could have got a laptop in also.

regards
Steve
 
I know it's easier said than done, but if the security of your gear is causing you stress even before the holiday, imagine what it will do to you whilst you are actually on holiday!

Take the very basic set up you need for the kind of shots you have in mind and as others have suggested, leave it in the safety deposit locker in your room. Some hotels also offer a safety deposit box service at reception so check with your hotel. Personally, what I tend to do is store my gear in different suitcases and lock the suitcases when I go out. If you are staying in a reputable hotel, I don't think the staff will go as far as breaking in to your suitcase to nick your stuff. Have a great holiday.
 
keep it secret - keep it safe. If it is invisible, and nobody is aware about it is likely to be fine. I wouldn't leave anything in hotel in the morning when the rooms are cleaned, but later on in the day it is much safer.

Anyway, where are you leaving your wallet, passport, keys when going for a swim? That alone will be bad enough
 
I Usually put the camera in my suitcase and lock the suitcase. I also leave the 'do not disturb' sign on the door to make people think I am in the room. Usually even the cleaners avoid the room if the sign is at the door.
 
Lets be honest, your not visiting a war zone or a third world country and the last time i checked pirates won't be a problem either. You won't be the only person in Florida with a camera and you will see other, more expensive and desirable equipment slung over shoulders or hanging from the necks of locals, tourists and professionals alike.
Don't take your gear down the beach unless your certain it won't be left alone and more importantly unless its environmentally sealed... sand in your zoom ring?
Take a compact or something designed to go in the water, you won't regret it and will find yourself using it more than you imagined. Compacts are great for this sort of stuff, and in my opinion all you need for holiday snaps, your not going to be printing billboards with any of your photos, slr or not.
But more importantly than any of the above, enjoy your travels for what they are. Capture the moments but don't spend all your time peering through a viewfinder, you'll get a funny looking tan lol
 
jonneymendoza said:
might as well sell the "gear" useless for it to be left at home.


The reason why i brought a dslr is for me to take it with me in memorable things i can capture in life, be it my nepthews first birthday or a once in a lifetime trip to florida/miami, that is why most of us none professional togs buy a dslr.

to capture life evolving around us in a unique way.

if a compact can help capture that in most conditions, of course many of us would use a compact but unfortunately compacts are crap on certain situations. They have tiny sensors capturing little light, slow AF systems, limited lens u can use if any, loss of IQ etc etc etc.


i love my DSLR. my mum has a Film SLR that i now use as well and she "always" bought it with her wherever we go. parties, vacatiens. special events etc etc.

Photography for me is about capturing and document my life experience and there is no way in hell my dslr is staying at home when i go florida or any place abroad.

in fact, i bring my dslr with my 70-200 f2.8 with me every single day monday to friday going to work.
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IMVHO, you have an awfull lot to learn about compacts my friend, excellent pieces of kit these days.

Remember the old adage....It's not the camera, it's who's behind it.
 
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Dave in Wales said:
Remember the old adage....It's not the camera, it's who's behind it.
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I thought the photography rules were
1. it's all about the light
2. good glass makes a big difference
3. whatever Joe says is right, no pint discussing ;) :D
 
Dave in Wales said:
IMVHO, you have an awfull lot to learn about compacts my friend, excellent pieces of kit these days.

Remember the old adage....It's not the camera, it's who's behind it.
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yet many great togs shoot on some sort of SLR/DSLR and not a compacts :)

the reason why slr/dslr > compacts is because it gives you a lot more versatility and creativity to shoot in different conditions that a compact cannot take.

Try shooting low light action shots in a compact for example lol good luck with that.

By your definition we shoudl all ditch our dslr and just buy a compact lol.

Or all those sports, landscapes, studi, wedding togs should all sell there gear and use a compact instead :)
 
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Look at it this way.
A camera is essentially a light sealed box, start there. You then have a choice of what goes in front and what goes in the back. These front and back bits are only added extras. You can point a pinhole camera and a leica at the same boring subject and you will end up with the same boring picture. Even though the leica has some holier than thou glass on the front it won't change what you point it at. Sure enough they won't perform the same and you might get the picture with the leica before the pinhole but it will still be the same boring scene.
The same with compacts and digital single lens reflex cameras, neither one will make a better picture of a bad scene. I think its just people get camera envy and feel like plebs shooting with compacts. Or the ones with slr cameras feel empowered over others because of what they shoot with.
So for the average Joe, especially the average Joe travelling with weight restrictions then compacts should be a serious consideration.
 
I took all my gear to USA last year and a few times it was left in the hotel room whilst out, It was all in a rucksack type bag and left with the suitcases and other bags.

Like said if you are always going to worry about your gear before you even leave for your holiday then what you going to be like when you are on the beach and your gear is not with you.

I will be taking my 50D 100-400 and 17-55 with me on my bike trip this year around europe, I will use it alot and like you say whats the pooint in getting good gear if you aint going to use it, mine will be in the pannier of the bike and took into the hotel when not on the bike and with me when not in the hotel, if it all comes back in one piece great if not its what i would call tough **** and i would try a claim on insurance and if that did not work then so be it.
Life is too short to worry, have a good life and live it and do all the worrying when your dead.

spike
 
Simon photo said:
Look at it this way.
A camera is essentially a light sealed box, start there. You then have a choice of what goes in front and what goes in the back. These front and back bits are only added extras. You can point a pinhole camera and a leica at the same boring subject and you will end up with the same boring picture. Even though the leica has some holier than thou glass on the front it won't change what you point it at. Sure enough they won't perform the same and you might get the picture with the leica before the pinhole but it will still be the same boring scene.
The same with compacts and digital single lens reflex cameras, neither one will make a better picture of a bad scene. I think its just people get camera envy and feel like plebs shooting with compacts. Or the ones with slr cameras feel empowered over others because of what they shoot with.
So for the average Joe, especially the average Joe travelling with weight restrictions then compacts should be a serious consideration.
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I don't know why you are placing so much negative emphasis? It sounds like OP wants to use his gear productively and is not interested in boring subjects :shrug:

For boring subjects smartphone is enough, so compact is pretty much dead in the water in a couple more years.
 
I just got back from a vacation in San Francisco California (u.s.) yesterday. It really depends on the hotel in my opinion. If your staying at a nice place you really don't need to worry. The last thing these hotels wants is to have a bad review about a clients personals being stolen. Just lock it in your suitcase and you should be fine. I actually put all my equipment and my macbook pro in my suitcase one night but forgot to close it so when I returned to the room later and found the case setting there opened I was a bit panicked. :eek:. Felt pretty stupid when I realized my mistake. If you are staying in a "not so great place" I would be cautious about letting anyone at the hotel see what you have. I wouldn't carry it out in the open. I would still use the method mentioned above though.
 
daugirdas said:
I don't know why you are placing so much negative emphasis? It sounds like OP wants to use his gear productively and is not interested in boring subjects :shrug:

For boring subjects smartphone is enough, so compact is pretty much dead in the water in a couple more years.
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Im not being negative, im just pointing out that its not always necessary to lug your main camera/lenses around the world, unless its your job.
Before i had my e3 g was using the shared compact. Its tiny, is hopeless in low light and offers the usual 9mp crammed onto a dinky sensor. But at the same time is quick, ready at the push of a button and works it all out for you. No worrying about exposure or faffing round changing lenses. The last time i used it abroad was our trip to Sri Lanka, where i proposed to my beautiful wife. It was all that was needed to capture the essence of our time there, some beautiful sunsets, some stunning scenery, no camera/lens combination would have offered me any more opportunities.
I guess what im saying is its what you shoot and not always what you shoot it with.
 
When I went away for a week recently I took only my smaller\older dslr (30D) and one lens (Tamron 17-50 2.8) in a small camera bag with spare battery & lens brush. I didn't want the burden of worrying about kit getting in the way of the fun.

I kept it with me most of the time, only leaving it in the hotel room on some evenings. I would have stuck the cam in a sealable plastic bag, inside the camera bag if going on a beach though.
 
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Similar thought as above... Camera is not there to be on a shelf:)!!!!! you have to use it , even on the beach, with care obviously - have it always with you ready to shoot :)....I might be going slightly too far and philosophical , but worrying too much about a camera is a evil, may stop you to taking to the places where great photos can be taken...I was in Miami beach two years ago, I took my camera, and guess what :)..There was a great video shot on the beach for the whole day , and I was snapping happily..... good luck
 
Adamsphotoart said:
Similar thought as above... Camera is not there to be on a shelf:)!!!!! you have to use it , even on the beach, with care obviously - have it always with you ready to shoot :)....I might be going slightly too far and philosophical , but worrying too much about a camera is a evil, may stop you to taking to the places where great photos can be taken...I was in Miami beach two years ago, I took my camera, and guess what :)..There was a great video shot on the beach for the whole day , and I was snapping happily..... good luck
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I did bring my camera to the beach in the philippines but that was ok because i went with my wife and her family.

never got sand on my gear at all.

The reason why i will leave it in the hotel this time round is because

  1. Its just me and my wife going
  2. i come from uk so i want to actually swim and chill on the beach, not taking pics of naked woman!

i will however go back to the beach either sunrise/sunset and take some nice pics.


im guessing that because miami is facing the east, Sunset is what i am after?
 
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