Thieves stealing a lens straight off a photographer's cam


Audacious but I'm not too surprised considering Europe is never safe place for tourist, especially with the current high unemployment rate due to eurozone economic crisis.

I was once victim of a group of pick pockets at Barcelona metro station in 2007.

Rule of Thumb: Always be careful when a group of strangers get near you.
 

Never feel safe when I was there..

Especially the b**** in Paris trying to sell stuff to tourists.. They are really intimidating..
 

I did not take out my 70-200mm while I was in St Petersburg early this year. It was in my backpack all the time.

I did use my 35mm f1.4G though... We were super wary of crowds, etc. I think most of them will not target Asians because Asians are more Kiasi and careful... If a group like that came up to me, I will RUN off IMMEDIATELY holding on to my lens.

I think Angmo make a better target?
 

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Audacious but I'm not too surprised considering Europe is never safe place for tourist, especially with the current high unemployment rate due to eurozone economic crisis.
Power your statement! Really appreciate your detailed analysis in terms of economy, social topics, crime statistics, human behavior and other aspects for an area of 10 million sq km with about 750 million people.
Stay at home, Europe does not need such visitors.
 

To me, it is a fake video and all are actors. Are real thieves so stupid that they operate in front of a video camera? So that the Russian police can pick them up later? You need to press to unlock and the turn the lens to remove.
In a real theft/robbery the big group can knock him unconscious or stab him with a knife and steal all valuables. Not just the lens.
 

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That lens looks so heavy! The man can't feel the difference in weight?
 

In Malaysia a thief stole a camera from a photographer's lens.

Apparently he used a kit lens that the thief didn't want. :)

Bleh... Got thief stole diamond studded camera bag and left the content behind since it was an entry lvl camera and kit lens that the thief didn't want. ;)
 

To me, it is a fake video and all are actors. Are real thieves so stupid that they operate in front of a video camera? So that the Russian police can pick them up later? You need to press to unlock and the turn the lens to remove.
In a real theft/robbery the big group can knock him unconscious or stab him with a knife and steal all valuables. Not just the lens.

may be it is real n it is to be use as teaching aid for the syndicate?

better stick with my trusty LX3
 

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I've heard a similar story. Also in Russia. Also a 70-200mm. But the guy had his lens grabbed from him in a bar.

For once, I agree with the paranoia and think this footage is staged. Too perfect. Eveything and eveyone fell into the frame nicely.
 

If Nikon lens so easy to dismounted, Nikon really need to look into this issue. But on the other hand, if you are well trained, it might be easy. Staged or not, just be careful when you are alone out in other countries. When I am inside a crowded area and taking photos, my wallet WOULDN'T be found in my back pocket but I not telling you where I place it. ;p
 

If Nikon lens so easy to dismounted, Nikon really need to look into this issue. But on the other hand, if you are well trained, it might be easy. Staged or not, just be careful when you are alone out in other countries. When I am inside a crowded area and taking photos, my wallet WOULDN'T be found in my back pocket but I not telling you where I place it. ;p

You not using wallet at all? Lol
 

I've heard a similar story. Also in Russia. Also a 70-200mm. But the guy had his lens grabbed from him in a bar.

For once, I agree with the paranoia and think this footage is staged. Too perfect. Eveything and eveyone fell into the frame nicely.

I thought we have a resident case in Clubsnap. Almost exactly as shown in the video. Target 70-200mm, unscrewed from cam. I found the old thread when I was researching for my visit to St petersburg. I don't think it is staged. For someone in CS to get first hand experience, I guess they do it pretty often...

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/travel-photography/767482-russia-photographers-beware-theft.html
 

To me, it is a fake video and all are actors. Are real thieves so stupid that they operate in front of a video camera? So that the Russian police can pick them up later? You need to press to unlock and the turn the lens to remove.
In a real theft/robbery the big group can knock him unconscious or stab him with a knife and steal all valuables. Not just the lens.

The video is real. It was taken by a dash cam on a parked bus. Dash cams are compulsory on vehicles in Russia so the video footage can be used in accident/insurance claims. Try googleing Russia dash cam crash. You'll be surprised.
 

No lah, it is an enactment. The bus video cam is part of the whole setup.

The 70-200 Nikkor weighs about 1.5 KG.

The owner is bobbing around moving back and forwards and sideways.

In order to steal the lens, the thief got to unlock by pressing the lock button on the Nikon body's left, and then turn the lens.

Notice that in the enactment, this crucial portion (9 seconds into the video) is conveniently blocked by the boy in blue jacket.


It cannot be done, that is why the producer of the fake video got to block it off.

Once a 1.5 KG lens cantilevering off your camera body hung around your neck is removed, you will know it in a split second.


Anyway, if in Russia there are 7 gangsters (including the one in the foreground with his back to the bus windscreen), they don't need to just steal the guy's lens. They will just stab him and steal his camera, lens, backpack, wallet+money+credit cards, passport, etc...
 

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Its not impossible to do.. act of stealing is just an art of diversion.
Its what other artist like magician do. There is even a scientific explanation for it.
 


Notice that in the enactment, this crucial portion (9 seconds into the video) is conveniently blocked by the boy in blue jacket.

The boy in the blue jacket is actually the wife of the man in the red jacket, and she can be heard yelling out "police police" at the end of the video.
 

Not even four weeks since the original post and the thread is old? Wow, tough crowd. Glad I didn't bump a four year old thread...