Is it safe to pack Lenses in check-in luggages?


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cnng121

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Jan 13, 2007
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I need help in deciding if i should pack my lenses in the check in baggage as they are pretty heavy to carry around, together with my notebook and stuffs. Any adv from the seasoned snappers? And if it is ok, wrapping them with towels after putting them in the pouches would suffice? Thanks...:)
 

I need help in deciding if i should pack my lenses in the check in baggage as they are pretty heavy to carry around, together with my notebook and stuffs. Any adv from the seasoned snappers? And if it is ok, wrapping them with towels after putting them in the pouches would suffice? Thanks...:)
don't even thing about it! What happen if you need the lenses suddenly and you have no access to your baggage? Can't take photos! ...
 

don't even consider this option!
 

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Never ever do that! :nono:

Passport, tickets, cams and lens MUST always be with your person, aka hand-carry..
(unless you're a NatGeo photog who has got more gear than personal body weight..)

Everything else is considered as EXPENDIBLE..
Once my luggage was almost 40hrs late, and my tripod was lost by the baggage handlers..
You wouldn't want to lose gear or time to 'the system'..

And insurance claims usually can't cover the cost of your gear..
 

You lens will show up very nicely on x-ray machines. After which, they might not show up in your luggage.
 

I need help in deciding if i should pack my lenses in the check in baggage as they are pretty heavy to carry around, together with my notebook and stuffs. Any adv from the seasoned snappers? And if it is ok, wrapping them with towels after putting them in the pouches would suffice? Thanks...:)

there are special cases for camera equipment if you want to check them in ... my friend checked in his laptop in the check in baggage before, not much problem, but whether to take the risk or not is up to you. i prefer to carry everything in a backpack.
 

Insurance is very limited. You can potentially lose the luggage, and replacing the lens u need during the trip is too much of a hassle/cost. * You might be able to pay a premium to insure them, along with expensive luggage bags such as Pelican and Lowepro Omni Trekker series.

Towels and cushions ? if they do an inspection on the luggage, the inspector might not be the kindest or the most knowledgeable of lenses.

With so much pain, unless u are really carrying alot of huge lenses / equipments, i think just hand carry.

Ryan
 

Do it at your own peril....If you are lucky...your lens will still come out along with shattered glass sound :lovegrin:
 

A big NO...

Luggage handlers DO NOT care. Do so at your own risk.
 

Wow, seemed that this is a No.. No.. thank you all for the kind adv, maybe i would have to leave the heavy ones back home..

Insurance is very limited. You can potentially lose the luggage, and replacing the lens u need during the trip is too much of a hassle/cost. * You might be able to pay a premium to insure them, along with expensive luggage bags such as Pelican and Lowepro Omni Trekker series.

Towels and cushions ? if they do an inspection on the luggage, the inspector might not be the kindest or the most knowledgeable of lenses.

With so much pain, unless u are really carrying alot of huge lenses / equipments, i think just hand carry.

Ryan
 

First time in this sub-forum... just to share my experiences.

I do put a few of my lenses, batteries, etc in the check in luggages.

For example, when I travel to Kenya/Thailand purely for avian/animals/nature photography, I carry my 500mm, 400mm, 2 bodies, flash, chargers, 1 spare battery and the rest I dumped it into the luggage (already >10kg). There is a weight limitation on the handcarry, thus I don't want to be in a situation where I am forced to check in inclusive my hand carry. I brought along, 70-300mm, 12-24mm and many other accessories, inclusive heavy tripod Gitzo 1325, certainly the latter all check-in.

Thus, it is up to your risk appetite, don't ever check in 500mm or 400mm, check-in simpler, cheaper stuff, inclusive spare batteries, spare chargers, etc. Breaking a cheap lens - ouch, missing a golden opportunity to shoot the shot of your life? Priceless!!!!!!!

There are proper check in luggage for 500mm and 600mm for example, but I strongly discourage... too high a risk!!

Hope the above helps.

Forget to add, so far... zero problem... done at least 5-8 times already.
 

welll, you could check it in...if you dont look like an ang moh in indonesia...:bsmilie: the biggest problem whilst travelling to third world countries is that they almost always ask for bribes when you do not check it in. Or else, everything's fine. Wouldn't trust them to handle my luggage of lenses though...heh
 

my friend put his portable hard disk in his luggage

surrounded it with thick thick clothing

after the flight his hard disk sounded like r2d2 from star wars and died after 2 months

:) :) :)
 

yea dont ever try that. U wont want to know how the workers throw the luggages around. :sweat:
 

I need help in deciding if i should pack my lenses in the check in baggage as they are pretty heavy to carry around, together with my notebook and stuffs. Any adv from the seasoned snappers? And if it is ok, wrapping them with towels after putting them in the pouches would suffice? Thanks...:)
NO!!!
Always hand carry your equipment. I've seen cases where check-in luggages get damaged, get opened up or even go missing. Changi Airport is definitely ok, but not everywhere in the world practise the standard Changi Airport is practising in luggage handling.
 

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