Taking pictures with an expensive camera around Paris-Eiffel Tower, Notre dame, e.t.c.

Just keep your wits about you and enjoy your day.

If you're not used to big-city life, watch a few videos about typical precautions.

Por ejemplo, don't leave your day bag alone while going up to your subjects to get them posed, and try to avoid juggling multiple possessions at the same time that you have your eye on a distant object.

Is it a huge, clunky camera? If it is not, just wear it around your neck. Don’t leave it unattended. Of course, having a camera will call you out as a tourist and so you may be approached aggressively by scammers but if your question is about threat of theft or to your personal safety just because you have an expensive camera, that is not something that I would worry about in Paris.

We were in this area in October. There were many people with big cameras. Some were professional or semi professional photographers. You won’t stand out too much. As others have said, take all the normal precautions.

It's a holiday, so that may impact some things, but your best bet would be to be out early, specifically before 9am. The best time I've found to take pictures without hordes of people around is a Sunday morning.

I routinely carry a decent size DSLR while on vacation. The only thing I would concern yourself with would be paying so much attention to handling the camera that you ignore to secure other things from theft (like your wallet or phone).

I suspect thieves would much rather steal your cellphone or wallet than a large camera that might be hard to sell.

Thank you all for the tips!

Your biggest danger is being focused on taking the picture (pun sort of intended) and not of your surroundings.

A thief likely would be more interested in your wallet, phone, or the potential in your daybag, than the camera.

Just be aware, when taking pictures, get out of the traffic flow. If you will have a travel partner, let them be your eyes and ears while you are occupied.

I would be tempted to put the camera in a good crossbody bag for most of the time, bringing it out only for the few times needed.

Thieves don't want cameras. They want fancy phones, credit cards and money. If you leave the camera hanging on the back of a toilet door and forget it, odds are good it will be stolen when you rush back to retrieve it, but no one is targeting cameras. Why have an 'expensive camera' if you don't have it when you want to take photos?

Pickpockets are ubiquitous so make sure you don't have valuables in pockets or held carelessly in bags or. purses. But I would not worry about a camera hanging around your neck. You never want to put anything important on the cafe table or hanging on your chair etc but cameras are not targets.

FWIW. when I used to carry a high end camera and camera bag, my husband would volunteer to carry it and then leave it in restaurants. He also left his own laptop in a bar in Vienne. Every time we returned to find our item it was still there and we never lost anything. (and I started always carrying the camera bag). So even if you are really stupid, you woh't necessarily lose stuff. but make sure your phone is secure and you carry only the money you need and one card and stow it securely.

janettravels44, I dont often carry my camera, but last year tgere was a perfect day so I tool tge whole bag. I went from one end of town to tge other and for the life of me could not remember which Budapest cafe, coffee shop, bar I had left it in. The 3rd one I revisited was waiting for me, bag in hand. It was hours from loss to finding. Some months later a RS tourist left a purse in a local bar .... no problem. Waiting when she returned. Part luck, part culture. I love Paris so I think I will be back in tge next year or two, but its a shame about the lack of trust.

This is not at all responsive to the original poster of this question. Except, that is to say your plan is a good idea if it works for you.

No. My response is to those who share advice about theft. It's a problem; no doubt.

But it's not ubiquitous.

Case in point: My wife and I live in France. Have for over a decade. One year around Christmas, we rented an apartment just down the street from Notre Dame de Paris to welcome our (now adult) kids who had flown over from the U.S. The bells that morning were something to hear.

Anyway, a day or two later we were at Galeries Lafayette near Palais Garnier. Taking in the sights.

Stupidly, I left my cell phone in the restroom at Palais Garnier. Left it on the counter while I was washing my hands.

When I realized I had left it, I rushed back to the Opera House. Unfortunately, it was gone.

Dejectedly, I walked back to rejoin my wife and kids in the milieu of people outside Galeries Lafayette. . One of our sons suggested trying to call the phone from my wife's phone, so that's what I did. Amazingly, there was an answer. In what I recognized was heavily accented French, the fellow with my phone suggested we meet at a particular entrance to Galeries Lafayette in 15 minutes.

So we did. We went and met him. It wan't really a him. it was North African fellow with his wife, child, and mother-in-law. He passed over the phone and refused the 10€ offered to him as a reward.

Bonne Année was his parting comment.

I checked the phone case, and the 20€ note I keep in there for emergencies was still there, untouched.

Don't let down your guard. There are thieves.

But there are honest people as well. People who will go out of their way to help.

Keep that in mind.

I carried my Sony all over Paris last year. I had it on a Peak neck strap. I had no issues. I walk and use metros. No cabs or Ubers.

As others have mentioned, theft can occur easily while being distracted. I wear a ScotteVest and don’t worry about my wallet and phone when I know I’m going to be taking pictures.

The incident at Fontaine des Innocents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYekAmN2AAg

Beware well-dressed Frenchmen offering to help.

And do make sure you return the correct tape to BlockBuster ....

I think the takeaway should be is if you exercise a little bit of care and common sense you can relax and have a good time.