Travelling with Camera

We are away to Paris on a belated honeymoon...well we have been married a year
I shall be taking my camera but concerned about walking the streets and airport with an obvious camera bag. I had thought of transferring the camera and lens to a ruck sack but that would need a fair amount of padding. Just wondered what you guys do?

A rucksack is difficult to access quickly except for theives behind you. I have a Lowepro Stealth Reporter 200 which I love and can be slid around to your front, or there are bags like the Slingshot series. However I do fly with a camera rucksack or if on business travelling a computer racksack. My Swissgear computer rucksack is big enough to get the Stealth bag in side, and my laptop etc. but the whole lot is damn heavy. On scheduled flights to the Middle East etc. they mainly don't weigh the in cabin baggage so I have got away with it ok. Flying, well I have put the odd lens and flash etc. in check in baggage but body and most stuff is in cabin with me as hand luggage. If you are going with budget airlines like Ryan air or something then I doubt you will get away with much.

Thanks BC, left it too late to get another bag so I guess it will have to be the camera bag

I use a padded laptop bag that looks like a normal rucksack - I like it because it doesn't shout 'laptop' or 'expensive camera gear'

I use a LowePro Vertex 200 backpack - I only take what I need, and always carry it as hand luggage - totals about 7kgs. It has loops for a padlock, but in all honesty that just says 'rob me'.

You shouldn't have any problems in Paris, but I use a small camera bag that takes one body with lens, and one lens, that's all I need if I am walking about, once I have the camera round my neck the bag is mostly empty anyway.

Best thing to do is insure your gear, although camera insurance is such a rip off, might be better to see if your contents or travel insurance covers it, although most travel insurance isn't worth a carrot, so I would not rely on it.

You are probably more likely to get your stuff nicked when you are at dinner than someone actually try to pry it from your grubby mitts, so just be careful when you sit at a cafe etc.

Alan.

I carry my SLR down the front of my trousers - I find people avoid me that way.

Just kidding.

I've a Tamrac Expedition 4 camera rucksack which holds a body and 3-5 lenses. To be honest for the airport I'd always keep it as hand luggage as I know how rough luggage is treated.

As for walking the streets it does scream 'rob me' as Jack pointed out but I guess at some point you have to just use what's best suited for your needs other wise you'd be walking about with a safe.

i have 4 camera bags for certain situations...lol
my last bag purchase is a Tenba messenger bag
http://www.tenba.com/products/Messen...veable%5D.aspx

it has a camera insert which holds a body plus 4 lenses or accessories.
it can hold my d700 w/ grip...sort of...if I take out the grip, it fits better, the k20d is smaller, so w/ the grip, it fits in nicely. it can fit a medium sized tele..(da*50-135 or 70-200 nikkor) . it looks very unassuming...which I love....

and it can double up as a regular messenger bag if you remove the insert...which is also a good plus....


i'll take pics later of it w/ some gear in it...

Some useful ideas for the future, thanks all. Yes I have the camera insured through the travel insurance so hope it will ok. Guess I am being a little overly concerned about walking around but take your point Alan about cafes etc.
I think I will get the case handcuffed to me