Stolen Lenses

[Michael A. Smith]

My wife, Paula Chamlee, and I got to Chicago, a city we have been commissioned to photograph, and on September 24 our van was broken into and my lenses were stolen. Fortunately, Paula's lenses were in the car our assistant was driving out and he had not yet arrived.

The lenses and lens shades, filters, Pentax 1 degree light meter, etc., were in an older Tamrac backpack.

Here is a list of the stolen lenses. If anyone sees any of these things, please notify me immediately. My email address is at www.michaelandpaula.com.

35" Red Dot Artar in Ilex #5 shutter serial number 812262
30" Red Dot Artar in Ilex #5 shutter serial number 791676
24" Red Dot Artar in Alphax shutter serial number 829585
16.5" Goerz Dagor in Ilex #5 shutter serial number 755927 or no number. We had one lens where the serial number was painted out and this could have been it.
14" Goerz Dagor or Goerz Double Anastigmat in a Compound Shutter serial number 915881 (I am not sure if it was a Dagor or Double Anastigmat—(I don't pay close attention to equipment). This is a very old uncoated lens and was the only 14" Goerz lens that covers 8x20.

Reward offered. Many thanks.

Michael A. Smith

[Steve Hamley]

Michael,

Sorry to hear about the loss. I hope they were insured, although many of the older lenses are difficult to just go out and buy when you want them.

Steve

[Walter Calahan]

That really bites.

[Jan Pedersen]

Michael,
Sorry to hear about this, not only is it a horroble feling to get robbed but your tools are also going to be difficult to replace even with insurance money.
I hope that your lenses do show up undamaged very soon.

[Nathan Potter]

Well Michael I had my first batch of gear stolen in Vancouver BC. in 1980. I'm still looking for it. All equipment was engraved with my social security number along with "this equipment is stolen". It is a terribly sinking feeling with an emotion of futility. My great condolences.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Bill_1856]

Sorry to hear it.
Good luck recovering or replacing them.

[omr]

:rolleyes:
My wife, Paula Chamlee, and I got to Chicago, a city we have been commissioned to photograph, and on September 24 our van was broken into and my lenses were stolen. Fortunately, Paula's lenses were in the car our assistant was driving out and he had not yet arrived.

The lenses and lens shades, filters, Pentax 1 degree light meter, etc., were in an older Tamrac backpack.

Here is a list of the stolen lenses. If anyone sees any of these things, please notify me immediately. My email address is at www.michaelandpaula.com.

35" Red Dot Artar in Ilex #5 shutter serial number 812262
30" Red Dot Artar in Ilex #5 shutter serial number 791676
24" Red Dot Artar in Alphax shutter serial number 829585
16.5" Goerz Dagor in Ilex #5 shutter serial number 755927 or no number. We had one lens where the serial number was painted out and this could have been it.
14" Goerz Dagor or Goerz Double Anastigmat in a Compound Shutter serial number 915881 (I am not sure if it was a Dagor or Double Anastigmat—(I don't pay close attention to equipment). This is a very old uncoated lens and was the only 14" Goerz lens that covers 8x20.

Reward offered. Many thanks.

Michael A. Smith

[omr]

sorry about that. i felt the same thing when my first camera was stolen in orlando.

[zoneVIII]

sorry to hear about that, hope u'll find ur lens soon

haryanto

[Richard K.]

That just sucks bilge water. Really sorry to hear about this, Michael.

[Rick Moore]

As a Chicagoan, I am very sorry this happened to you here. I hope you will still have an opportunity to photograph our city.

[Ron Bose]

I doubt that the perps even know the monetary value of these great lenses.

It sucks, big time.

[Frank Petronio]

Sorry this happened. I'd contact the camera stores in Chicago and watch Chicago's Craigslist and eBay.

[Bob Salomon]

Join the club. When I was with EPOI I was doing a seminar for Bronica in Chicago and during the lunch break someone or someones took all of the camera cases from the demo room which was locked and under guard in the hotel. They got 3 complete Bronica systems with lenses and accessories.

None of it ever showed up again.

[Allen in Montreal]

Michael,

I am very sorry to hear such bad news. I can completely relate having been robbed too.

In Montreal, all camera stores and pond shops are required to register all equipment purchased "off the street" with the police who run the list once a week. Sounds like a great solution to the smash and grab problem, but apparently, the organized thieves have just turned around and set up a swap system so Toronto gear is sold in Montreal and vice versa.


I will keep my eye out for listings of the gear for you in the local craig's list.
If it will help in the short term, if you need to borrow a 19 inch Apo Nikkor for the shoot, let me know.

[Kirk Gittings]

A great collection of lenses that will be hard to replace. What a tragedy. You have my sympathies. Best of luck with this.

[Ash]

That sucks. Good luck with replacement if not return.

[Turner Reich]

I doubt that the perps even know the monetary value of these great lenses.

Put some paper and ads out and they will know how much they are worth. Add an award then they will magically float to the top.

I imagine they are irreplacable and were insured, as if that helps.

I would put out some want ads too maybe you will be buying them back.

[Harley Goldman]

Sorry to hear that. It must be a huge batch of anger and frustration. The only good news is the fact they did not get you wife's lenses.

[Bill_1856]

Michael -- what a great opportunity for you to stop monkeying around with those antique Kodaks, and go to modren digital, like a REAL photographer.

[Eric James]

In addition to Frank's suggestions, it can't hurt to get the word out on other sites. Photo.net has a dedicated page for listing stolen equipment: http://photo.net/registry/

Good luck.

[Jim Ewins]

Our society now considers property crime as a misdemeanor. If the government can steal why can't we?

[David Karp]

Sorry Michael,

On the bright side, what a great subject city. I am sure you and your wife will make some wonderful images.

[Hollis]

That blows. I was robbed by the TSA and they got my canon gear about 18 months ago. Robbed me right out of my checked luggage. The govt. told me to cease and desist my actions against them. Lame.

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

Sorry to hear this Michael. I hold my thumbs that you will get them back!

[Mark Sampson]

Michael, I wish that I had any lenses like that,so I could loan them to you until yours are returned or replaced. But I don't... so you collectors out there, increase the value of your collections! Loan those big optics to a well-known photographic artist!

[Chuck Pere]

Not much of a market for those long Artars. Hope they just didn't toss them and keep the case. I'll also be checking the Chicago craigslist. You might want to check with this guy: http://www.glennview.com/index.htm
Maybe he could rent you some lenses.
Also many local camera dealers probably also check Craigslist daily for bargains. You might want to put an announcement on there listing the lenses. Good luck.

[Joseph O'Neil]

Where do lenses like this end up? They are certianly not that common, and unless they get trashed (gulp!), anybody who tries to sell them openly will be spotted fast I think.

Even if somebody wanted to use them, would they not be found out fast? For example if some new member shows up on this forum and says "hey, wanna see my new gallery of 11x14s I shot with a 35" artar?", wouldn't everyone's first reaction be something of a "ahem, and the serial number on that lens was......."

I have a new favourite gif - trying to figure out how to capure a still frame and make a new avatar our of it. You see, my wife's car just got stolen this past Monday night - she was at a PTA meeting and it was stolen form the school parking lot!

We just had the thing painted, tuned, and two new tires just 4 days beforehand too. So I kinda know exactly how you feel. You just wonder why, and where the heck does it end up? Will I ever see it again?

The irony is a car is a lot easier to replace than those lenses. That's just sad and bad, even if you get a million bucks in insurance on them, how to ever replace them?

So copy my little gunner and keep him around, I find he's good way to handle stress.
:)
joe

[Richard K.]

Where do lenses like this end up? They are certianly not that common, and unless they get trashed (gulp!), anybody who tries to sell them openly will be spotted fast I think.

I suspect that they may not even show up in the US. Lots of demand for classic lenses in certain far parts of the world and a *smart thief might try to fence them there if he knew the market...

*um...nevermind


...my wife's car just got stolen this past Monday night - she was at a PTA meeting and it was stolen form the school parking lot!

This was in LONDON? ONTARIO? CANADA? Holy crap. What is the world coming to! Really sorry to hear this. You realize that you're all adding to my already keenly developed sense of paranoia... :eek:
Maybe best to just stay home and watch photography DVDs...but what about my car in the driveway? The lenses in my linen closet...er...I mean...in the garage...under the concrete slab...

[Frank Petronio]

Chances are the thief has no idea what the lenses even are, and I doubt they could find a decent camera shop that would know either, so perhaps offering a no questions asked reward via Craigslist is an option, as unpalatable as it is to do.

[Vick Vickery]

Hey! Good idea, Frank! No questions asked...just shoot on sight!!! :-)

[lungovw]

Very sad. I suggest you to register searches on *bay with your lenses' key words and keep tracking for a while. WL

[Turner Reich]

Chances are the thief has no idea what the lenses even are, and I doubt they could find a decent camera shop that would know either, so perhaps offering a no questions asked reward via Craigslist is an option, as unpalatable as it is to do.


Put some newspaper and ads out and they will know how much they are worth. Add an award then they will magically float to the top.

Exposure is the key here, if I were in his place I'd be calling the TV stations and all Art connected businesses I could. I'd give some thought to a private detective too. The police will have the attitude that it is not worth the looking just put in an insurance claim.

Make them sound like jewelry and not just a camera lens. "Rare Glass" in the descriptions etc..

The public needs an education on old camera lens and Rare and Irreplaceable glass lenses. If someone stole the lenses out of an old lighthouse there would be a huge public outcry.

[Brian Sims]

Well Michael I had my first batch of gear stolen in Vancouver BC. in 1980. I'm still looking for it. All equipment was engraved with my social security number along with "this equipment is stolen". It is a terribly sinking feeling with an emotion of futility. My great condolences.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

Putting your SSN on valuable equipment is not advisable anymore. It's a good way to become a double victim of theft AND identity theft.

[Allen in Montreal]

Great idea,
I bet Michael could get some local TV coverage if played correctly and that might lead to the return.

Years ago, a local fotog who is a "Star" himself was robbed, the local french daily newspaper ran a story about how the best sports shooter in the province (state) was "cameraless".
An anonymous phone call was made and his gear turned up in the washroom of a Lafleur's (a fast food chain). Everything had been returned except a swiss army pocket knife!


Exposure is the key here, if I were in his place I'd be calling the TV stations and all Art connected businesses I could. I'd give some thought to a private detective too. The police will have the attitude that it is not worth the looking just put in an insurance claim.

Make them sound like jewelry and not just a camera lens. "Rare Glass" in the descriptions etc..

The public needs an education on old camera lens and Rare and Irreplaceable glass lenses. If someone stole the lenses out of an old lighthouse there would be a huge public outcry.

[Steve M Hostetter]

crime rate in Chicago is still 3x what it is in New York,,,, maybe we should photograph New York...

It's down hill from Gary Indiana,,, If your not big and bad don't go in

[jnantz]

bump

[Tony Karnezis]

I'm really sorry to hear the bad news, Michael. I can Fedex you a shuttered 19" Red Dot Artar on a KMV board for you to use if you like. Unfortunately, I haven't mounted my 24" yet. Then again, if you have any spare lens boards that could fit it, I'd gladly send it to you. Perhaps others on the forum have these lenses on Kodak Master lens boards that they could lend you?

I hope you can put the frustration and inconvenience aside and have a great time photographing Chicago. I haven't spent much time downtown for years, so I'm eager to see the work that comes out of your trips.

Warm regards to you, Paula & Richard.

-Tony

[Steve M Hostetter]

sorry,, not a very nice thing to say but first thing you feel when you hear about this type thing is you get pissed

[Richard K.]

Another place to look would be the large photo flea market shows. The "Big One" is on today in Toronto . I'll be taking the serial #s - you never know.

[gregstidham]

I would consider putting up some posters in the area where the lenses were stolen. Often when a thief grabs a bag and discovers the stuff is old or has no value to them, they dump the bag and someone in the neighborhood may find it. Also drop off the poster at the local pawn shops.

I hope you have some luck getting your gear back.