How to keep camera safe at college

[java]

My son is taking his big nikon with him. I wish he wouldn't but I guess you understand that his camera is like an appendage to him.

But how to lock it up? Any thoughts? I was looking at safes but he would need a pretty big one to fit it. Any other thoughts? I looked at locking tool boxes but again size was the issue.

Help my son bring his camera safely to college( he will have 9 other roommates!)

 

[LittleMissMagic]

9 roommates!?!

I'm in college, and a lot of kids have fancy cameras. When bringing my camera to college, I never really even considered theft as an issue. Freshman year I lived in the dorms, and I just kept all of my valuables in the room, not locked up in a safe, and there was never a problem. Of course, I only had one roommate....

I wouldn't bother with a safe or locking toolbox or anything else of the sort. Personally, I think extreme security measures scream, "Steal me! I'm valuable!" Does he have a camera case? I would just put a luggage lock on the camera case.

That being said, I wouldn't be concerned that anyone would mess with it. He'll have it on him at most times if it's an appendage. His roommates probably won't know its worth or even consider it a good item to steal (unless he tells them its value). And I would hope that his roommates wouldn't steal from him, anyway.

There are some security measures you can take, though. My campus police department allows us to register our valuables so that they can be easily returned if found lost or stolen. Also, I'm not sure what his dorm/house/apartment does, but he might have the option of purchasing renter's insurance which will cover the damage of valuables in certain situations.

 

[photo_chick]

I'm a photo major. We all have fancy cameras on campus. And the first thing I'd tell you is for him not to let it out of his sight if it isn't locked up. But I go to a school where theft is a problem. A heavy duty locking file cabinet can actually work pretty well. Not the cheap Walmart kind, but the heavy, can't carry them off easily steel cabinets. I also know people who have locking gun cabinets in their dorm rooms to keep laptops, cameras, etc. a little more secure and those work very well.

Ask campus police or your local police how they would put identification on there (like barcodes, engraved, etc) Make sure before he goes to school you have taken pictures of it with the serial numbers. Do this with any electronics he takes. You'll be glad you did if it does get stolen. And have insurance on it so that if it is stolen it's not a huge loss (many of us have extra policies just on our camera gear with low or no deductible).

 

[extreme8]

How about one of the pacsafe products.

http://pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&activity_id=10

Not theft proof but it would certainly deter a casual criminal.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Maybe something like this? it wouldn't be as secure as a filing cabinet or safe, but it would serve the dual purpose of giving him security when he has his camera and laptop out and around on campus.

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/airport-security-v2-roller-camera-bag.aspx