Camera Theft

It's unlikely your camera (or iPhone) will be swiped while you're taking photos with it. Most people are concerned about theft when gadgets are stowed in a bag while you're walking around. If you take your large camera be sure you have a bag that can be fastened securely (zippers plus zipper locks) and you carry it cross body or in front of you. Since there are two of you, maybe share one larger camera and use your phones for the rest.

Why have the cameras if you don’t use them to take pictures of things you want to remember?

I bring a DSLR. It’s heavy, but I limit to one lens and a sleeve so no case - just camera, lens attached, in a protective sleeve, in my purse. I limit what else I carry with me so my purse is normal size and manageable.

Stop worrying about theft - Europe is not as dangerous that way as some be people make it out to be. Stuff can happen anywhere but taking common sense precautions is all you really need to do. Every second person on the street will have an iPhone out in their hand - the simple act of using one won’t make you a target. Ditto for a nice camera. I was warned about this for Brazil. Europe is not Brazil.

Someone grabbing something out of your hand or attacking you is highly unlikely. What is more common is pickpockets - someone taking your stuff without you noticing. A pickpocket could steal your phone while you ARENT using it. This is where precautions come in. Don’t keep it in your back pocket or hanging out visibly from a purse, don’t leave it on the edge of a street side dining table (a thief walking by could grab it and run before you turn around). Keep it in your hand or front pocket or safely in your bag. Ditto for camera - keep it in your bag or your hand and don’t set the bag down without paying attention to it. Common sense precautions, it just takes a bit of awareness. The same type of awareness you’d use in a city in the US

Obviously up to you but ... my hubby and I take quite a lot of camera gear with us - 3 camera bodies plus around 4 lenses. We’ve never had an issue. Depends what you want to do with your photos afterwards as well... if you use your iPhone that’ll be great for small prints / social media. If you want larger prints or higher res photos you’ll need a camera. The extra weight is a consideration but for us, the joy we get taking photos makes it worthwhile.
As anywhere, be aware of your surroundings and don’t leave gear unsupervised etc.

Kalzak, theft of iphones is as prevalent in U.S. cities as abroad so if you use one when traveling the States, you'd want to take the same precautions at home as when traveling abroad.

Whether to bring your DSLR cameras or not depends on how you use your pictures. If you need higher-res pix for larger prints or use lens attachments often, then bring them. I have had several Canon G-series Powershots that while not overly large, aren't "pocket sized" either and have taken them on all of our trips, domestic and international. If you don't use some method of downloading your snaps online, I would bring a batch of memory cards and change them out regularly. That way if something happens to the camera, you still have most of your photos.

Maybe bring just one of your larger cameras?

Kalzak, the risks of having your camera snatched are no greater there than in the US or wherever you're from. Just because people warn you to be careful (because so many people aren't) doesn't mean Europe is a gauntlet of thieves. I assume you carry it with you while traveling at home? No point in having a good camera if you dont use it. Of course being careless, putting it down, and taking your eyes off your camera or phone while out and about, is risky, but that's true anywhere. There's no substitute for good judgment and situational awareness.

But the weight is an issue, and you have to decide whether you want to lug it around, and what to carry it in. Same with a phone, you have to have a secure place to keep it when not in use, not sticking out your back pocket like the average American.

Wow, we all pounced on this one!

LOL, Stan, Maybe because for many of us, snaps are our favorite souvenirs? :O)

We load favorites from our trips onto a USB that plugs into the back of our TV. Rotating slideshows transform a boring black screen into a nice piece of art!

I bring a DSLR. It’s heavy, but I limit to one lens and a sleeve so no case - just camera, lens attached, in a protective sleeve, in my purse. I limit what else I carry with me so my purse is normal size and manageable.

I do as Mira does. Except lately my camera is often in a small backpack when not in my hand. I love playing with my camera and that is a large part of my vacation so I'd miss it. Sometimes, I will leave it behind in the hotel room if the visit is to a museum, but I'll use my iPod (sometimes I don't have a smart phone, well, mostly) for snapshots, but not for photographs.

I don't feel like my camera is a target. My distraction while taking a photo might cause me to be a target, but my important financial items are hard to get to or in my hotel room. In case I get careless and lose my camera, I have taken a photo of my email address on all my memory cards and have an id card taped to the camera. I, too, switch out the memory cards so that I don't have my entire vacation on one card.

With the quality of the cameras in phones these days, I've stopped bringing my nice camera while traveling. Unless you do Macro, depth of field adjustments or carry wide angle and telephoto lenses or plan to enlarge the photos beyond 8x10...you phone will work just as well. Thieves want your money, resale of used cameras is very low. They'll scam if from you or take it when you are unaware, rarely do we hear of someone having something taken forcibly while traveling in Europe.

Just a comment about memory cards...When I first started using a digital camera, the capacity of the cards were small, so I would upload my pictures to my iPod each night and reformat the card. Worked well for several trips, but then I got lazy, and kept the pictures on the card, but uploaded every 2-3 days. Lo and behold, when going to upload one night, I got the message that there were no pictures on the card. When the card was back in the camera, it said "memory card full", but could not review any pictures. After a night of panic, I switched cards for the rest of the trip, and waited til I got home to try and retrieve the pictures. Three different places could not recover the pictures from the card. I was able to get the pictures off of the iPod, so all I lost was the the two days since the last backup (all my pictures of Budapest), but my fellow travelers graciously shared theirs. Lesson learned: memory cards DO fail, back up every day!

My general rule is don't bring anything that is irreplaceable or that you can't afford to replace. But that said, photos are important to me in remembering once in a lifetime events.

It is interesting that you "prefer" iPhone for photos. If your iPhone does what you need in terms of photography, you've answered your question about bringing the DSLRs.

Friends who have lost phones to pickpockets never new they were picked. You would be less likely to lose your iPhone using it as a camera than in your pocket.

The touristy areas of some popular cities (Paris, Barcelona, etc) are known for high concentrations of petty criminals. Even Mr Steves was recently a victim. That said, outside of some touristy areas, the crime rate is are least as low as a typical U.S. town.

London has seen an increase in driveby scooter theives (2100% increase in 2 years, Telegraph) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWilMUpEMEk
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40731485
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/15/phone-zombies-see-moped-thefts-oxford-street-rocket-2100-per/

debn brings up an important point about the possibility of SD card failure. I haven't had a failure although in their infancy the capacity was quite limiting. Now I've actually captured video footage with room remaining for high resolution photos. It's very tempting to continue filling a card but I've instead decided to be cautious. Even 32GB cards are very reasonably priced now so I attempt to put a new card in every morning. That way I will not lose anything I've captured in the event of losing my camera or other disaster. I've got to purchase a few more to handle my upcoming 21 day trip. I don't want to spend time trying to upload files in the evening.

Much ado about nothing.

If you want to take them then do it. If you don’t want to then don’t.

I am a photographer and if on assignment I’ll carry the DSLR.

If not I use my iPhone or a small Canon Powershot.

I pay attention to my surroundings, don’t leave either on a counter or a table.

In over 40 plus years of travel have NEVER experienced theft of any kind.

Kalzak,

I've packed along a Canon 7D DSLR to trips on Europe for many years, and have never had any problems in terms of theft. Of course, it's a good idea to use some basic security measures such as not leaving it on the edge of a table while you're having lunch. Doing that is asking for trouble! I usually carry the DSLR in the open, as it would be a major "pain" to have to take it out of a backpack every time I wanted to take a photo.

I also pack along a backup P&S Camera for snapshots or to take out in the evening and have an iPhone if needed. However the DSLR is crucial as it has the flexibility in terms of ISO, shutter speed or aperture, lens choices, etc. which allows me to get the pictures I want. It's a large camera and a bit of a chore to carry around all day, but I wouldn't be without it. I may only get to some of the places I visit once in a lifetime, so I want to make sure I have good, clear memories to look back on.

If I'm going out in the evening and leaving the DSLR in the hotel room, I'll usually pull the memory card and store it in my money belt. If my camera is stolen, at least I'll still have the pictures. The camera is insured anyway.

Using iPhones for taking photos is not necessarily any safer - https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/apple-picking-stolen-iphones_n_2818488 . There was a rash of "Apple Picking" in Paris a few years ago, and I prefer to keep my phone hidden as much as possible.

Well, look ........ you both have cameras so as to have images and memories of happy times and events. If, in the unlikely event that one or both of you lose your camera through carelessness or thievery, do you have household insurance for a claim? If not, are the cameras worth so much as to be a hardship to replace? If you go to Europe without them you will so regret it.

.....The risk of crime is regularly overblown in this site..... It is certainly overly discussed so giving the impression that you are entering a den of thieves. As I frequently have posted, we have spent close to a total year in Europe over the past 20+ years and have never had a theft problem, certainly never seen a pickpocket in action, or believe we have ever been close. Last year I posted an analysis of your chances of being pickpocketed in Victoria Station in London in the 1 in 600,000 on a very optimistic day. It is going to take a very bold thief to snatch your camera while you are taking pictures. However, do not leave in your camera in the middle of the table while using the restroom at McDonalds. It might disappear.

The risk of crime is regularly overblown in this site.

I disagree. There are a LOT of posters asking about or worrying about crime, such as Kalzak here, but they are getting that from either general ignorance, overblown warnings from other travel media or friends/family, or certain prejudices. But most of the regulars here respond to such threads, as here, with advice to relax and that crime is far lower than in US cities. We do warn about pickpockets and petty theft, mostly because that is the risk that most tourists will face. And this is not a type of crime we face in the States, so people are not used to it.

My wife and I will be traveling to Europe for the first time later
this year....I prefer taking our iPhones for photos but what are the
odds someone snatched them away whilst we are taking a photo?

You're asking the odds of having someone take your iPhone while you're taking a picture somewhere on the entire European continent??

Possibly the same odds as someone taking your iPhone while you are taking a picture somewhere on the North American continent. :-)

Emma, I am with you 100%. It is a fine line about encouraging a little caution and scaring someone. We do spend a lot of time discussing pickpockets and money belts on this site. When I am on the "L" in Chicago, especially the exposed platforms, I am more concerned than anywhere in Europe. Finally am comfortable with the New York subway but feel like I need to be more alert there than on the Tube.

Kalzak, you should take the threat pickpockets, and petty thieves in Europe very seriously. No other area on the planet has as many popular tourist attractions per square mile than Western Europe. There is a reason why you will see lots of "beware of pickpockets" signs in your travels.
My last five trips to Europe (London, Amsterdam, Vienna, Antwerp, Hamburg) myself or someone I have been traveling with has been nabbed by a pickpocket. Fortunately we used money belts/hotel-room safes so there was no major disruption of the vacation. Its not theoretical or something akin to being struck by lightning. Mind your valuables.

Unless you are travelling to an 'economically challenged' country, you'll be fine. I say that, not because the people living in those countries are more likely to steal from you, but because pretty much everywhere else popular with tourists, you will be one among hundreds or even thousands with DSLR.

Obviously, you should be cautious, but I expect you already are with respect to your phone and bag/wallet.

No, for me the bigger question is convenience. DSLRs, especially pro-grade, are big and heavy - even heavier with a pro-grade lens attached. For that reason, I bought a decent 'compact' that has broad capabilities - the Lumix LX100. If you've never used such a camera and are seriously thinking about leaving the DSLR behind, check them out: fast (f/1.7) lens, very good glass, decent-sized sensor and good video capabilities, too. Dynamic range is a little disappointing, but only if you're used to shooting better DSLRs.

Having said that, I am arguing with myself regarding which camera to take on our Euro trip later this year. Do I want the convenience and low profile of the compact, or the stunning image quality of the DSLR? Whichever I choose, the decision won't factor in worries about theft.

To be honest, part of me would love to do a big trip solely for the photography, which would have to be solo - wouldn't be fair to Mrs Wife having to stop every few minutes while I frame, recompose, move, frame again, move again, frame, change lenses, move yet again, then decide there isn't a photo opportunity after all. Then walk a little further down the road and go through the pantomime again. Three hours later and we've managed to get past the Trevi Fountain ...

I take more camera equipment (2 bodies, 5 lenses, a bunch of filters, tripod) than pairs of undies (2). I spent a lot of money of photo equipment. I could no more leave it at home than leave my undies. Many tourists have cameras - you will not stand out. Many take all kinds of pix. You could get robbed, but I wouldn't worry.

Theft or no, I don't carry more than I need. I traveled Asia with a full SLR (back in the 35mm film days), lenses, filters, tripod and film. My friend had a little auto focus Canon. When my pictures came back (we had to have them developed and carry the film with us), they were great. When my friend's pictures came back, they were great too. Mine weren't enough better than his to justify the weight I carried.

Ever since then I've traveled with the smallest good quality camera I could find. Now I'm using my smartphone only because the cameras have improved significantly and only one device/charger is much nicer. I'd advise someone to take only their smartphone. If you don't already have one, invest in something with the best possible camera.

Phone theft is an issue, a good phone is easier to sell than a camera. Don't carry it thoughtlessly. Holding a phone loosely next to the door on the metro is practically begging someone to grab it and jump off as the door closes.

Welp! Our minds are made up. We’re taking only out iPhones.

When I am on the "L" in Chicago, especially the exposed platforms, I
am more concerned than anywhere in Europe.

Actually, the L is very safe - even where it goes through some very dangerous neighborhoods. There is a broad brush of humanity on the trains, but crime is rare. And pickpockets are almost non-existent. As others have mentioned, unfortunately criminal activity in the US is more likely to be strong-arm (mugging) rather than a stealthy pickpocket.

"Welp! Our minds are made up. We’re taking only out iPhones."

Why? The consensus seems to be you'll be fine with the DSLR.