Digital SLR Camera

Has anyone had any problems carrying around an SLR camera? Since its not the easiest thing to put in your backpack and take out each time you want to take a picture, I am kinda concerned walking around with it strapped to my neck? How about at night time is it safe to walk around with? I am think about bring a couple 4GB SD cards just in cased my camera gets jacked now!

|||

I use a LowePro backpack for my Canon Digital Rebel..., which also holds my laptop on the flight over.... kinda screams %26quot;CAMERA BAG!%26quot; but has room for my lenses, cards, guidebook, etc... I have the extra battery pack attached to my camera, so with the added weight there%26#39;s no way I%26#39;d walk around with it on my neck all day.

Not too much of a hassle to get it out for a good shot... It%26#39;s really a question of balance.... my wife carries a little full-featured Casio in her shirt pocket, and she beats me to the shot every time... however, my pictures are generally better due to the variety of lenses, ability to adjust aperture / shutter speed, control my depth of field, etc...

Every tourist in Paris has a camera, it seems... Whichever way to carry it that is most comfortable for you will be just fine.

|||

I gave up my Minolta years ago in favor of one of those tiny Casio Exilim models. An extra quality with the SLR was just not worth hauling it all around.

Day or night, I think the safest place for a camera is around your neck. In my opinion, the least safe place for anything is in a backpack - especially if anyone observes what you put in there.

|||

I carry my Canon SLR with an 18-200 Sigma lens which gives sharper shots than the standard Canon lenses and doesn%26#39;t weigh me down as much. I used to carry three lenses but the sideways stoop at the end of the day was too much. If I use a camera bag that is all I carry, with purse and so on stashed well inside in closed pockets and the zip top secured with a tether. But lately I have taken to a soft leather handbag which can be carried on a shoulder or changed to a backpack with the zips securely covered. A bit more of a hassle to get the camera out, but if it is a hassle for me then it would be for someone else. That way I am not so obviously a tourist.

|||

My solution is like Lynnb%26#39;s - I can tell if the OP is a man or a woman, but I have a large %26quot;travel purse%26quot; (bit bucket style with top zip and no dividers inside, just some pockets) which doubles as camera bag, guidebook and map holder, etc. That said, I don%26#39;t generally carry multiple lenses.

|||

I%26#39;ve never had any problems carrying around my SLR and Paris is amateur compared to a lot of the dodgy locations I%26#39;ve been to in the past 12 months.

I never walk around with the camera around my neck unless I%26#39;m at a place like a Mayan ruin where I will be shooting ongoing. It stays in the Crumpler (messenger looking) bag that goes over the shoulder/ across my chest) until I%26#39;m ready to shoot.

People who dont know photography really have no clue about lenses... My zoom lens gets a lot of attention because of the length (mainly from German men who need to compare size, or give me unsolicited advice about changing lenses), but it cant compare in value to my wide angle.

When I was last in Paris, I didnt have a room safe - and the camera was with me day and night anyway (lots of great night shots in Paris).

I back up every night to a photo storage device, so I%26#39;m not worried about the camera being jacked! I guess if I shot something really incredible, I would swap cards and put the valuable card in my pocket.

to me, photography is an important facet of any trip, and if you have the equipment, might as well use it!

|||

I%26#39;ve carried a non-digital SLR camera everywhere on 7 trips to Paris by just putting the strap around my neck. Day and night, and I%26#39;ve never had a problem. Several times a waiter will suggest not leaving it on the edge of the table at a sidewalk cafe and it is occassionlly a pain at a small restaurant at dinner, but why buy one if you are concerned about using it?

Pjk