Cable Camera "Leash" for Vacation

To be honest with you if someone asked me to take their picture and such a leash was attached because they would be afraid i will steal it, I would say no. Cameras do get stolen. My daughters got stolen in Venice, but it was not by another tourist, it was when someone working with the thief distracted her. Just ask another tourist to take it. We usually ask some to take out picture who asked us to take theirs. Plenty of people will ask and will be happy to take yours when you take theirs. You make friends that way. So be careful but don't be rude.

I carry a big DSLR with me and my hubby carries a point and shoot since if it doesn't fit in his pocket it's too big for him. We've noticed that people always ask me to take photos of them, I almost always try to help out. Either they think I know what I'm doing because of my big camera or they think I wouldn't want to bother with their smaller one. We always use his camera if asking someone else to reciprocate, mostly because his camera is easy and doesn't require an explanation of what to do. So make sure your camera is easy to operate, and if in doubt, look for folks with a nicer camera than yours..... ;-). The most likely time a camera will be walked off with is if you leave it sitting on a table or a bench unguarded.

I've never seen the 'leash' to which you refer, but you might want to buy an extension called X Shot. It enables you to take your own picture. Here's a link: xshot.com

Dear Art: This is a very unfriendly idea. What you have in mind is to ask someone, probably someone who looks nice and respectable, to do you the favour of taking your photo with your camera. When that nice respectable person smiles and says "Of course, glad to" he then becomes aware that you actually think he might be a thief. Do you see the problem here? Do you think he might then be insulted? Do you think he might be so insulted that he would drop your camera to the ground and stomp off? Hope not.

Thank you all - I guess I was still in my "ugly American" mode and haven't developed my RS attitude towards travel yet. I gotta work on that. I see your points - a small tripod seems like a much better alternative. Thanks.

Dear Art: You're a good guy.

I travel with expensive camera equipment and I have never had a problem. I usually try to find someone else with a nice camera and ask them to take a photo for me and then reciprocate. I really think the leash idea is not a good one

Yep - I agree. This leash thing is just a bad idea. I cringe when I see children on "leashes" and I'm sure others would have the same reaction to me in my unmatched plaid shirt and pants with a camera on a leash.
Only 6 weeks left until we leave for RS 14 day town tour - I've gotta get into my RS travel attitude.

If you are on a tour it should be easy to find someone else on the tour to take pictures of you. I doubt they will run off with your camera!

Andrea and Nadine - Thanks for the info. We're starting off in Italy by ourselves for 8 days before the RS tour. That's the part I was most concerned about. Thanks Art

If you're really concerned about this, the trick is for you to give your camera ONLY to people that you approach, NOT to anyone who approaches you and asks if you want him/her to take your picture. Those are the potential thieves. (But truth be told, I've offered to take other people's pictures for them, and I'm no thief.) :-)