Chamonix etc. Stolen in Medford OR

[mandoman7]

To my dismay, I had my 4x5 outfit stolen out of my trunk while staying at a motel in Medford, Oregon last Tuesday night. I'm kicking myself now because I could've taken it to the room but I already had made three trips, and the lot was viewable from the room windows and had camera surveillance. Still, an unpleasant lesson learned and not soon forgotten. Some of the lenses I've used for 20 years.

Here's the list if anyone should come across anything:

-Chamonix 4x5 camera 45n-1 serial no. not available
-75mm F:5.6 Schneider Super Angulon , serial no. 14299236,
-90mm F:8 Nikkor SW serial no. 694568,
-135mm F:5.6 Fujinon W, serial no. 545427.
-180mm F:5.6 Schneider Symmar-S serial no. 13 931 969,
-305mm F:9 Schneider G-Claron, serial no. 14486757.
-360 Tele Nikkor F:8 serial no. not available.
-Pentax digital spotmeter serial no. not available.
-Lowe Pro AW Trekker (gray)
-Assorted filters, cable releases
-20 4x5 holders w/film

[Alan Gales]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss, John. Check around the local pawn shops in the area it was stolen. Also check out the local craigslist. Most thieves are not the brightest people in the world.

Good luck to you in getting it back. By the way, that was smart of you keeping a record of all the serial numbers.

[Jim Cole]

John,

Sorry to hear about the theft. It takes a long time to put a kit together. I hope you get lucky and get your equipment back. I would have thought it a small chance except for the good luck another poster had here when he got his gear back after a theft.

[Eric Rose]

If it was in your trunk how on earth did they get in? I have my glove compartment trunk release disconnected so if they break into the car they still can't release the trunk. Man that sucks about your equipment. I use to travel with a buddy who insisted on taking his gear into restaurants etc. if he ever left the car. His stuff never left his side. I always thought he was a little paranoid, maybe not.

[BarryS]

I'm really sorry to hear this. I think we learned from another member that you need to be proactive searching ebay, craigslist and local pawn shops to have a chance of recovering your gear. Because so few people shoot large format, I think the chances of recovery are somewhat better. Like Eric's friend, I never leave my equipment in the car--I just assume that anything left in a car has a good chance of being stolen.

[Ari]

Get the video surveillance tapes and never leave anything in the car.

[Harley Goldman]

Sorry to hear it. That sucks. The perp deserves broken kneecaps.

[Jim Galli]

That's a bummer John. Sorry to hear it. John Wimberly lives in that neck. Contact him and let him know what the kit was . . . just in case it turns up in the Pawn shop in Ashland.

[Liquid Artist]

I sure hope you find it soon, and that the theif gets a new boyfriend in jail.

[photobymike]

Sorry to hear of your loss.... pawn shops mostly will not pawn a film camera like that, or any film camera..... i have had a lot of pawn shop experience. Now Oregon might be different but i doubt it. In Florida ..all serial numbers are matched to the hot list of stolen stuff. No my guess is ebay or craig s list .... but the cops are on to that also......check the local news papers also.... even photo stores might be able to help. They can buy without the police checks that pawnshops experience.

[Otto Seaman]

Tell the police, they might recover it. Good luck ~ was it insured?

[Jim Andrada]

Lately they've discovered that thieves are using a hand held gadget to fool the car's computer into unlocking the doors.

[BrianShaw]

... I'm kicking myself now because I could've ...

I know you are, but go easy on yourself. We've (me, especially, it seems) all made decisions like that backfire. Sorry about your loss. I continue to be amazed at the recent reports of LF gear theft. I'm also amazed at the amount of stolen LF gear that is repatriated. I hope yours turns up also, and in good shape. Again... sorry to hear about your unfortunate envent.

[mandoman7]

Thanks for your condolences. I appreciate the sentiments and suggestions.

Lots of thoughts in the aftermath about what I'd do differently. One thing I've noted is that the loss has a personal quality when you've spent a lot of time assembling and using a set of equipment, and its not just the material value that needs to be factored in when one is considering the level of caution to be taken. I'll not be leaving equipment in a car overnight anymore, but I can understand the circumstances that led to my doing that in this case. The motel management said that they hadn't had any robberies of that kind in several years and that it was highly unusual in that location. There was a video taken that's being reviewed and we'll see how that goes. The foolish assumption that I really made was to think that a meth amphetamine driven robber will be using good logic and not break into an older car in an area that's in plain view. You need to allow for that craziness when your on the road and keep anything you care about with you.

As far as robberies go, I didn't lose my wallet, ipod, ipad, or computer, or my nice guitar that I'd brought to the room, or anything that's irreplaceable. They also overlooked a nice Feisol tripod with a Foba ballhead. So its decidedly unpleasant, but a manageable loss.
That police came quickly to get a report and they seemed concerned. They've been given a list and photos and I'm hoping for some good luck at this point.

[Rob Vinnedge]

I sympathize with you completely. The same thing happened to me 30 years ago when I was scheduled for an early morning architectural job. I had my truck loaded with brand new Norman lighting (4 power packs, 10 lamp heads, lots of accessories), 3 brand new Schneider lenses in a Halliburton case, a new Toyo 4x5, a Gitzo tripod, a case of loaded 4x5 holders, a flash meter and spot meter, and a film loading tent with two 50-sheet boxes of fresh film. I figured it would be safe to park the truck 10 feet from my open bedroom window in my quiet little neighborhood and I slept very soundly all night long. When I discovered that my truck was empty the next morning, I was so incredulous that I drove down to my studio, thinking that I must merely have been absent-minded and forgotten to load the equipment.

Notice that I haven't forgotten the stolen items to this day.

[pierre506]

Pity & a big lost！
I usually leave my 8X10 system in the car because it's really heavy. It seems too dangerous now～

[Kerik Kouklis]

I feel your pain. I had a bunch of ULF gear stolen out of my trunk in 1997. Amazingly, I finally retrieved my stolen 7x17 camera a couple of months ago, so don't give up!

[eddie]

If it was in your trunk how on earth did they get in? I have my glove compartment trunk release disconnected so if they break into the car they still can't release the trunk.

exactly what i do. it is amazing that he car makers have not thought about this.....my car has a trunk button next to the steering wheel....what gets me is it works with no keys! dumb dumb dumb! mine is also unplugged.

to the OP. if you get it, and can stomach it, post the video will ya?

good luck.

[Ben Hopson]

Sorry for you loss. Makes me think of how many times I have left gear in my vehicle overnight. I guess locks are not a sufficient deterrent. Hope you recover the gear or have it insured.

[Rob Vinnedge]

One additional note, I had my equipment fully insured and was paying a premium of over $1200 per month at the time of the theft. Ironically, the insurance company resisted paying for the loss on the grounds that I was away from my studio and therefore was not using the equipment. They resisted paying for three months, until a good friend of mine bought all new identical equipment and turned around to lease it to me indefinitely at the going rental rates for such equipment. My insurance agent then sent the rental bills to the insurance company and rightfully explained that I had been enroute to a location job and therefore was, by definition, "at work". Thankfully, the insurance company then caved, making it possible for me to buy all of the equipment from my generous friend.

[mandoman7]

Thanks again for your support and sympathy friends. At this point I've called all the likely shops and checked craigslist finding nothing. Its depressing whenever I let my mind wander over all the time spent with that outfit. In retrospect, that bag was at risk on thousands of other occasions (20 yrs of usage), somewhat out of necessity at times. For the most part, I was very careful, but there are times when you're out shooting and you leave the gear in the car while scouting, or maybe I was shooting and got a little ways away and realized I had gotten separated in my shooting reverie. I'm certainly not happy about the loss, but I'm working on it.

I have an older arca swiss and some normal and longer lenses to use, but am currently without a wide for that 4x5 format. I'm looking at maybe a 90mm 4.5 Nikkor to at least get me back out into the field. Had the f8 and loved it, but could use more light for what I was shooting, and they seem to be going pretty cheaply. If anyone is looking to unload a good condition, fast, 90mm, I'm interested.

[mandoman7]

I'm feeling pretty lucky this week. There's been some good news regarding my theft incident, which is that somebody found my stolen camera equipment, a guy who's truck was stolen and then recovered. Apparently the thieves stole the truck (the Toyota seen in the video) and then went on a robbery spree about 20 miles away, in a different police jurisdiction. The sheriff found the truck 3 or 4 days later and returned it to the owner who later found my gear and other stuff in the back, which the sheriff had left in there presuming it was his. He was honest enough to call me (I had an id tag on it) and I'm going back up this weekend to see what can be retrieved. It sounds like nearly all of it was left in the truck, amazingly enough. About $3500 worth. The truck owner refused an offer of a reward for being kind enough to call me.

[Vaughn]

That's great news. I had no such luck when my 5x7 gear got stolen out of my truck at a motel -- same mistake as yours. I used the insurance money to upgrade to 8x10, so my experience was a bummer but not a total loss.

[jb7]

Really glad it's turned up, for no reason at all I had a feeling it might...
Now, if it had been something useful, or valuable...

Only joking- I know how long it takes to put a kit like that together- it really doesn't happen overnight.
Well, sometimes maybe, outside motels...

Hope you're taking pictures again soon...

[Louis Pacilla]

Awesome news John! What a stroke of good fortune. Man after being the victim of a theft like that it must feel good to know you'll soon be reunited with your gear. Bully for you man, Bully for you!

Also a BIG Hip Hip Hurray! For the honest Toyota pick up owner. Here's where your luck really came in. This guy easily could have been a real jerk and just said nothing.

[Diane Maher]

Wow! I'm happy to hear that you got some/all? of your gear back.

[Hugo Zhang]

John,

Cngratulations! I like stories with a happy ending. :)

Hugo

[Jim Galli]

John, I think the secret to my success at never having a camera stolen is, it's so ugly the thieves just laugh at it. Scruffy old wood camera with an ordinary old black lens on it that just says Pinkham and something.

[Alan Gales]

That's great news, John! I'm happy for you.

[Alan Gales]

John, I think the secret to my success at never having a camera stolen is, it's so ugly the thieves just laugh at it. Scruffy old wood camera with an ordinary old black lens on it that just says Pinkham and something.

It's either that or your bumper sticker that says, "This vehicle and contents are protected by Smith and Wesson". :cool:

[Peter Langham]

Nice, John.

[Jim Cole]

Great news!

[tangyimail]

Wow, awesome, happy for you John.

[Zaitz]

Fantastic! I honestly didn't expect to come back to this thread with this outcome, really great news.

[mandoman7]

Fantastic! I honestly didn't expect to come back to this thread with this outcome, really great news.

That makes about 10 of us.
Its not often that you get an awakening like this without suffering the full penalty. I don't want to tempt Murphy's Law and get too happy before I have the stuff back in my possession, but I'm truly relieved that I don't have to go buy all those filters and cable releases, not too mention the lenses and digital spotmeter.
I should mention that the sympathy and generosity that were offered by members of this community were quite touching actually. Colin Graham and Peter Lanham, in particular, went beyond the call of duty towards helping me get back in the saddle. Its worth noting that there are some quality people participating in this forum

[mandoman7]

Well, the saga has concluded with my successful retrieval of basically all of the lost camera equipment. There's still some items missing, clothing, blanket, canon digital camera (cheap), but nothing that's irreplaceable or costly.
In the lowepro bag was the 4x5 Chamonix, 6 lenses from 75 to 360, pentax digital spotmeter, 7-67mmfilters, and many little accessories. Also about 20 holders with film in another case.
So, I'm the beneficiary of a strange turn of events and the kindness of a stranger who lives in a trailer park up on the Rogue River. This fella, Ron, was living humbly, but with a nice streak of ethical conviction, refusing a $100 bill that was offered as a reward for his gesture. His truck was stolen and later found with my equipment inside, as you may recall.
My return trip from Medford was in decided contrast to the one 3 weeks ago, with a couple of side trips for photo efforts. Working with the outfit again was like getting together with an old friend, with everything being in the right place. I won't be leaving this stuff in the car quite as much in the future, and the trunk will be separately locked if so.

[Racer X 69]

To my dismay, I had my 4x5 outfit stolen out of my trunk while staying at a motel in Medford, Oregon last Tuesday night. I'm kicking myself now because I could've taken it to the room but I already had made three trips, and the lot was viewable from the room windows and had camera surveillance. Still, an unpleasant lesson learned and not soon forgotten. Some of the lenses I've used for 20 years.

Here's the list if anyone should come across anything:

-Chamonix 4x5 camera 45n-1 serial no. not available
-75mm F:5.6 Schneider Super Angulon , serial no. 14299236,
-90mm F:8 Nikkor SW serial no. 694568,
-135mm F:5.6 Fujinon W, serial no. 545427.
-180mm F:5.6 Schneider Symmar-S serial no. 13 931 969,
-305mm F:9 Schneider G-Claron, serial no. 14486757.
-360 Tele Nikkor F:8 serial no. not available.
-Pentax digital spotmeter serial no. not available.
-Lowe Pro AW Trekker (gray)
-Assorted filters, cable releases
-20 4x5 holders w/film

It is always a terrible feeling when one discovers they have been violated like this. I wish you the best in getting your gear back.

[Racer X 69]

Sorry to hear it. That sucks. The perp deserves broken kneecaps.

You're too kind.

In my opinion we need to return to the ways of our ancestors. Get caught lying, we cut out your tongue. Get caught stealing, we cut off your hand.

Get caught stealing a second time, the other hand.

Then you will have a tough time wiping your ***, and might just never steal again.

[Racer X 69]

I use to travel with a buddy who insisted on taking his gear into restaurants etc. if he ever left the car. His stuff never left his side. I always thought he was a little paranoid, maybe not.

I am the same way. I carry my gear with me everywhere.

All the time.

[Tori Nelson]

Hey John,

So happy to hear about the return of your gear! If you think it would be okay with him, would you post the name and mailing address of the man that returned your things, I feel as though I'd like to send him a note thanking him too. This is a rather small community in the scheme of things and I think we all feel losses and gains for each other.

[kyle carter]

You're a lucky man. Great outcome.

[mandoman7]

Hey John,

So happy to hear about the return of your gear! If you think it would be okay with him, would you post the name and mailing address of the man that returned your things, I feel as though I'd like to send him a note thanking him too. This is a rather small community in the scheme of things and I think we all feel losses and gains for each other.

Your thought is based in kindness, but after meeting this guy I'm inclined to think he rather values his privacy and wasn't looking for recognition, surprisingly enough. I gave he and his wife a hug, which is not something I do very often.
Regards,
John