Going to Paris next month. Is it worth to bring my Super Speed Graphic?

[Willie]

A colorful water pistol filled with Ammonia shot at the face of a mugger works well. Just make sure you have one that does not leak.
In the camera bag the pressurized can of wasp/hornet insecticide can be used against a mugger. Grab, trip it and nail them. The stuff shoots 20-30 feet and will mark them with the smell even as they are trying to see with the stuff in the face and/or eyes. Keep it where you can reach into the camera bag easily to get it for use.

[Ray Van Nes]

Spent a week in Paris a few years ago and had my usual travel rig, a 2 x3 Graphic Century. Had no issues. Remember the main part of Paris is a busy place and if you are planning to use a tripod , you may get grief on that account. I mostly used my camera in the area called La Defense which is where they keep the modern buildings. There is a huge plaza and one can set up wherever with no issue.

[pepeguitarra]

A colorful water pistol filled with Ammonia shot at the face of a mugger works well. Just make sure you have one that does not leak.
In the camera bag the pressurized can of wasp/hornet insecticide can be used against a mugger. Grab, trip it and nail them. The stuff shoots 20-30 feet and will mark them with the smell even as they are trying to see with the stuff in the face and/or eyes. Keep it where you can reach into the camera bag easily to get it for use.

Just do not try that in Los Angeles, police may shoot you before you set up.

[jnantz]

there might be tripod issues in paris. some places won't let you
put a tripod down .. can't remember ...

[Bob Salomon]

Just do not try that in Los Angeles, police may shoot you before you set up.

And you would be subject to arrest in most jurisdictions if you sprayed ammonia into someone’s face. Especially if you got it into their eyes!

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

there might be tripod issues in paris. some places won't let you
put a tripod down .. can't remember ...

Hello from France!

French regulations about image rights are exceedingly complex.
However a recent law passed in October, 2016 now allows to reproduce images of protected art visible from the public domain, for non-commercial use.

Quoting wikipedia, please note that this is a major improvement with respect to the previous situation in France.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_panorama
Since 7 October 2016, article L122-5 of the French Code of Intellectual Property provides for a limited freedom of panorama for works of architecture and sculpture. The code authorizes "reproductions and representations of works of architecture and sculpture, placed permanently in public places (voie publique), and created by natural persons, with the exception of any usage of a commercial character".


In Germany and Switzerland, an old law named Panoramafreiheit in German (freedom of panorama is a really poor word-to-word translation from German, but OK, let's say freedom of panorama ... freedom to take pictures in Paris is more important than proper terminology) grants to everybody the free use, commercial or non-commercial, of any picture showing anything visible from any spot located in the public domain.
In France, recent buildings are protected by artists's rights; so, even for non commercial use, before 2016, you never knew whether you could, or could not, post the image of a recent building on any web site.
Now things are simpler in France: for non-commercial use there is no longer any restrictions regarding artist's right for images that anybody can take from the public domain. For commercial use, a kind of copyright applies to all images of recent buildings. In Europe, artists' rights are granted for 70 years after the death of the artist. For example, this was strictly enforced for le Corbusier buildings in Paris, and fees you had to pay were quite high.
However if you are interested in 100% freely taking commercial pictures of Le Corbusier's buildings, go to Switzerland

Now regarding tripod use in Paris. Tripod use is allowed anywhere on the public domain provided that there is no nuisance to street or pedestrian traffic. I have posted here a few years ago a copy of an official document stating this.
However there are still many restricted areas, for example the Louvre Palace gardens. It is not considered as a public domain!!
In French for those places we use the expression "Private Government Estate", in French: "domaine privé de l'État".
So private government estate is not public domain, and this covers many national monuments, museums, etc. where no freedom of photography is, at least officially, granted.
So, there are regulations stating that any commercial shooting withing le Louvre gardens is submitted to prior authorization and payment of fees.
Hence tripod use is prohibited in Le Louvre gardens, except if you have a written permission, the excuse being that only professionals selling their work use a tripod.
I do not want to comment on this, but the facts are that zillions or tourists, including professional photographers, freely take pictures from le Louvre gardens without a tripod...

So to make it simple, feel free to use a 4x5" camera anywhere in Paris, feel free to set-up a tripod anywhere but inside Le Louvre gardens, and enjoy your visit.

Regarding robbery, for me things are simple, in Paris I would carry everything with me, and I would leave all film & equipment that I do not need for a day's walk in my hotel room. This applies to any major city of Western Europe.
Beware of any unattended bag left on ground in a café, those bags can be grabbed very easily, at least secure the bag by putting one of the bag's shoulder straps around the leg of the chair you are sitting on.
I second the idea that a 4x5" camera no longer attracts the interest of thieves, much less than a modern 35mm SLR.
On the contrary, using a 4x5" press camera in Paris will attract friendly people !

[pepeguitarra]

Thank you Emmanuel: I was ready to change my destination to Spain. But, after reading your post, I will still go to Paris, and Germany as previously planned. Last year, I spend one month traveling in Italy. Everyone advised me to watch for pick pockets or thieves, but I never saw or felt one. In fact, I found an Italian photographer in Rome taking photos of the Pantheon. I brought a Leica M9 with me. We talked for half an hour about photography. He actually had built his 4x5 view camera with wood himself. That was my first encounter with LF photography. Since then, started the move to LF. My camera weights 2 pound, the lens less than 200 grams, and a tripod weights 3 pounds. I will add a 6-film holder bag with 12 shots. I can leave my 2 25-slides film boxes at the hotel with the changing bag. I can manage to carry that stuff in a small backpack. Regarding not taking photo and buying a post card, thanks Bob. I admire the work of professionals but I insist that Amateur stand for love to photography.
Emmanuel, I personally do not like to take photos of other people art work. If I travel to go and see it person, I want to enjoy it in person as much as I can. However, there are some buildings or architecture in general that I love to photograph. Usually, most of the stuff I like has been built more than 100 years ago.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

I was ready to change my destination to Spain.

Well, there are so many magnificent cities in Europe, that nobody can see everything in a single trip.
If you miss France at some point, for any reason, you'll have to come back another time

Regarding freedom of panorama, Spain is coloured in green on wikipedia's map, so the situation is like in Germany and Switzerland.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libert...rld_map_fr.svg

There are many readers of this forum who enjoyed LF photography in Paris without trouble.
I've never set up a tripod in Paris, but at least now I know that I'll never attempt to bring a tripod at le Louvre Square to take a picture of Pei's pyramid

Paris is not France, France has many, many nice old villages and cities & monuments all kinds waiting for your tripods, LF photographer friends!

[pepeguitarra]

Well, I think my wife and I have our eyes of the food.

[ventdesable]

Hello,

My eldest son (21 yo) whom I proposed to spend some time in New York City on is own answered me this "It's said to be very risky to walk out this city. One can meet thieves, drug dealers and so on". He spends most of his free time (nights) in Parisian places where I have never been.

The only real risk is the unknown's fear. And, maybe some "take-me-silly-things". If it's written on your forehead "I'am a wealthy american : robb me !" : you may loose your wallet and some change. But, just as my friend Emmanuel said nobody will even see your Super Graphic.

Using a tripod in Paris might sometime be difficult. But... April in Paris... You'll start to find early morning lights : a lot less people in the streets, easier tripod positioning, more permissive people. And, for the balance : Il est cinq heure, Paris s'éveille.

If you do your serious work in the early morning, it will leave you the possibility to visit the Musée d'Orsay with it's extraordinary collections. And there is the magic. The last government gave us a "Ministre de la Culture", Fleur Pellerin, who will be remembered for at least one thing : she took an Instagram picture of a Pierre Bonard's paint.. Few days after the museum authorised the possibility of taking pictures. And that is huge ! ;-)

Welcome in Paris it is a wonderful city.

Jérôme - Born and raised in Paris !