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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-07-2019, 11:45 AM
Hey everyone
I'm a photography-enthusiast and would like to travel to Brazil this summer: Rio, Ilha Grande, Belém and Manaus. Now I guess I'd leave my camera in my hotel and just use my phone whenever I'm in the city, but what about the rest of the trip? Like going to landmarks, visiting villages, waterfalls, touristy shit, islands, etc? I understand that robberies and pickpocketing are frequent all over Brazil. I wouldn't like my 2000 euro camera to be stolen. Or am I just exaggarating?
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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-07-2019, 02:57 PM
You're opening new threads with questions like this constantly. Why not put it in the Rio De Janeiro datasheet thread or in the BH thread?
If you have to ask this question: don't take your camera.
Longer answer: showing your camera (or appearing like you are wealthy / a foreigner) is a disadvantage and in some cases outright dangerous. Situational awareness builds over time and in case of a longer stay I'd build that first before you bring expensive shit along.
Having said that: in touristic places there will always people with camera's. That is no excuse to use them. Ask a few locals in a spot if you can use it over there. Ask also for other spots in the same area you intend to use it.
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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-07-2019, 06:19 PM
no you're not exaggerating.
you might lose your phone too.
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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-07-2019, 09:41 PM
Keep it in a backpack. Find out where you want to shoot, plan the shoot, what result you want to get, shutter speed, aperture, lens, iso, time of day, etc. Show up, take the shot, put it back in your bag.
All comes down to is planning and being situationally aware. Don't walk around with the camera out unless you are going to take a shot.
If you look online there are millions of photos of the cities you mentioned above from professional photographers who bring in gear more expensive than yours. Use your head and you'll be fine.
I am speaking from experience.
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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-07-2019, 11:43 PM
I'm actually having a similar dilemma about bringing my expensive lens to South America. All I really care about it getting great shots of nature, so my solution is to find groups (things like meetup.com). Less likely to get robbed and a good way to meet people. For urban environments I'm not sure though.
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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-08-2019, 12:04 AM
Make sure you dont have more than one coin in each pocket as well, if someone hears them clank together you are in trouble.
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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-08-2019, 12:21 AM
Sure, just bring a switchblade with you too
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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-08-2019, 02:38 AM
Usually armed robbery in Latin America is like 500 / 100,000 which is under 1%. Thing is when a foreigner in a country does fall victim to a crime they go all over social media and YouTube about it.
One of my favorite examples is some Canadian guy who felled victim to an armed robbery in Tbilisi. Thing is Republic of Georgia's crime rate is comparable to countries like Korea and Japan. It turns out this guy booked a ground floor house and opened the door at 4 AM to a stranger (something I wouldn't even do in Japan). And at the end of the day this guy still got all his stuff back. But nevertheless the guy used his clout as some kind of Vice Journalist to pretty much defame the country as much as he could (and he even made Reddit and Facebook threads about it).
https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/qvzbk...i-got-home
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Traveling with a big camera in Brazil: stupid?
01-08-2019, 06:14 AM
I just wanna make it clear that I'm not some unexperienced guy. I live in Congo, I have lived in Venezuela and I have been in real life threatening situations before. I have been held up by guys with machetes, I've had rebels wanting to kidnap me, I've had cops jumping in my car wanting to steal from me, etc, etc. But I know this environment and I know how to behave and act in this and I know exactly where and when I can use my camera. I just wonder what is the best strategy in Brazil.
Being experienced doesn't make me reckless, Brazil is unknown terrain. My camera costs money. I will ask around for an insurance.