Travelling to the US this summer (Orlando) and tempted to take DSLR kit with me as carry on. Heard so many TSA horror stories of kit going missing, invasive procedures etc. I travel extensively around Europe due to work and never had a problem or concern with my kit. Is it worth the hassle / risk?
TSA and camera kit
- Thread starter Sh4rkie
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Would be interested in others experiences as well. May have to shoot a wedding in Chicago next year and not looking forward to customs..
How would they go missing in carry on?
Never put expensive kit in hold luggage.
For what it's worth I've been through US security several times and never had an issue with camera equipment. The only times I've ever been stopped to check were in Gambia, where someone came running after me to double check something. Pulled the lens out and he was satisfied, the other in South Africa when they just wanted to quickly check the 120-300 f/2.8 was what they thought it was, again just a quick "can you take that out of your bag" moment.
Never put expensive kit in hold luggage.
For what it's worth I've been through US security several times and never had an issue with camera equipment. The only times I've ever been stopped to check were in Gambia, where someone came running after me to double check something. Pulled the lens out and he was satisfied, the other in South Africa when they just wanted to quickly check the 120-300 f/2.8 was what they thought it was, again just a quick "can you take that out of your bag" moment.
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I take mine all the time on holiday, it's fine. Granted i don't take the full kit but remember keep essential as carry on, things that go in the hold you can do without if they go missing.
During screening / TSA security points valuables go missing from trays, bags, jackets etc
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If your going to worry that much you best not take anything with you!
I've travelled alround the world with my kit and never had any of it going missing in much more dubious contries than the US. I have twice had to unpack the lot which was annoying but such is the way of life just smile and get on with it!
I've never been to an airport where you couldn't see your kit at all times unless they hide a midget in the scanner to nab things on it's way through
Numerous stories and reports of items going missing from carry on luggage at TSA screening points. One guy got 3 years for stealing $800k worth of stuff over a 4 year period (checked / carry on) and said it was common place among employees.I've never been to an airport where you couldn't see your kit at all times unless they hide a midget in the scanner to nab things on it's way through
http://www.naturalnews.com/038601_TSA_anti-theft_video.html
http://petergreenberg.com/2013/08/03/tsa-sticky-fingers-the-worst-incidents-of-theft-at-security/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...on-convenient-thieving-culture_n_1923003.html
https://www.yahoo.com/travel/bp/airport-luggage-thefts-reportedly-rise-tsa-012317876.html
While i guess it's a very tiny percentage of employees / incidents in terms of overall travel it's still a concern due to how high profile the anti-TSA voice is hence my question for first hand experience.
You're probably more likely to have your stuff stolen from your hotel room or on the street than the airport... Just keep an eye on the bag/tray when it is on the conveyor.
One of those links is a guy trying to get YouTube views (but then again it is natural news), another talking about a case from 2009 and a third talking about checked baggage.
I think you'll be safe. If not, that's what travel insurance is for.
One of those links is a guy trying to get YouTube views (but then again it is natural news), another talking about a case from 2009 and a third talking about checked baggage.
I think you'll be safe. If not, that's what travel insurance is for.
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I fly regularly and always take at least one camera and have never had an issue. I always carry on my body/lenses and check my tripod as it tends to attract more attention.
Just keep your eyes on it at all times, my kit regularly makes a few passes in the x-ray machine and I've had to unpack it all more then once but never had an issue with loss, just go at your pace, people usually lose/leave behind stuff when they're rushing.
If you consider how many people that travel every day the horror stories are a drop in the ocean.
I'd be more worried about the hotel then the airport
Just keep your eyes on it at all times, my kit regularly makes a few passes in the x-ray machine and I've had to unpack it all more then once but never had an issue with loss, just go at your pace, people usually lose/leave behind stuff when they're rushing.
If you consider how many people that travel every day the horror stories are a drop in the ocean.
I'd be more worried about the hotel then the airport
I've never been to an airport where you couldn't see your kit at all times unless they hide a midget in the scanner to nab things on it's way through
Maybe they have one of those grabber claw things in there like you see in amusement arcades!
Maybe they have one of those grabber claw things in there like you see in amusement arcades!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Esh4W3dfI#t=32
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My wife and I travel to the US on average once a year. We've never had any issues with cameras, lenses, laptops and accessories in hand luggage, and tripods and more accessories in the hold. The TSA have searched at least one hold bag each return journey (always one with a tripod in it) - nothing's ever gone missing.
I live in the US and travel a lot with my DSLR and never had an issue.
If people loose their DSLR that is their fault and not TSA. You don't even have to take the camera out of your backpack/cabin bag. Plonk it on the conveyer belt and pick it up on the otherside.
If you put expensive equipment in the checked bag then there is some chance it will go missing, same as anywhere really, but I bet it happens less in the US than even many European destinations. But why you would do that I don't know, just carry it in the plane.
The only occasional issue is small local planes have minimal cabin bag space so anything beyond a large women's handbag has to be gate checked. But that is different to regular checking. The bags are loaded by hand immediately from the gantry and returned to the gantry upon arrival so no chance of stuff going missing. With these local planes you can see them load and unload your bag, often you don't even have a gantry and you just stand outside away from the wing and they bring the bags to you.
It is somewhat near wracking Having 20k of camera gear leave your sight but it's not a big deal, and only happens at very small airports.
In this regard the US is better than Europe, none of these measly 5kg cabin bag limits. As long as you can lift it then it is fair game. I flew with a cabin bag weighing over 30kg, above the 23kg checked bag limit! No one noticed or cared, but it did take 2 of us to haul it up to the overhead bins.
Only if you are blind.
As has already been pointed out above, camera gear is not something that security officials ask you to remove from your carry on bag to put in a tray, that seems to be reserved for just laptops and tablets.
In my experience, I've only once had my camera removed from my bag and that was after it had been scanned within the bag, and they then took me to one side to go through it. This was at Heathrow Terminal 5, the security person inspected it and then took some swabs, presumably to check for explosives.
Professional Photographers with large amounts of kit have no choice but to check their kit into the hold. A friend of mine uses Peli Cases, then puts them inside cheap hold all bags, so that they don't look like they are holding something expensive. The difference is that as a Pro, you are going to have all that kit insured, so that if it does go missing you will get it back, and potentially coverage to rent gear to meet the requirements of a shoot. Where as a non-professional may not have specialist cover and find that their travel insurance policy won't cover everything.
Bit of a sidebar.... Not sure how much time you've spent in Europe lately, but the weight limit of hand baggage tends to be down to the airline. BA allow 23kg for example, where as some of the budget airlines are like 10kg and are far stricter. Ultimately there is only so much weight you can fit in a bag to certain dimensions, which is what they tend to check if its clear your bag looks too big, unless you are filling it with bricks.
In a lot of ways though, I'd argue that the increase in checked baggage costs in recent years is actually quite often a pain. So many flights now you find that everyone has a small suitcase to the exact maximum carry on dimensions, thus there is a struggle to find an over head locker space to put it in, plus the added faff slows down boarding time.
In my experience, I've only once had my camera removed from my bag and that was after it had been scanned within the bag, and they then took me to one side to go through it. This was at Heathrow Terminal 5, the security person inspected it and then took some swabs, presumably to check for explosives.
Professional Photographers with large amounts of kit have no choice but to check their kit into the hold. A friend of mine uses Peli Cases, then puts them inside cheap hold all bags, so that they don't look like they are holding something expensive. The difference is that as a Pro, you are going to have all that kit insured, so that if it does go missing you will get it back, and potentially coverage to rent gear to meet the requirements of a shoot. Where as a non-professional may not have specialist cover and find that their travel insurance policy won't cover everything.
Bit of a sidebar.... Not sure how much time you've spent in Europe lately, but the weight limit of hand baggage tends to be down to the airline. BA allow 23kg for example, where as some of the budget airlines are like 10kg and are far stricter. Ultimately there is only so much weight you can fit in a bag to certain dimensions, which is what they tend to check if its clear your bag looks too big, unless you are filling it with bricks.
In a lot of ways though, I'd argue that the increase in checked baggage costs in recent years is actually quite often a pain. So many flights now you find that everyone has a small suitcase to the exact maximum carry on dimensions, thus there is a struggle to find an over head locker space to put it in, plus the added faff slows down boarding time.