Stolen in San Francisco

[s_r_c]

My leicas were boosted after a shoot last night in the Mission. Most expensive

cup of coffee I'll ever have.

 

M4 - 1229319

M2 - 940218

 

both chrome, beater cameras. M4 JUST cla'd; M2 is button rewind, modified with

quick load and MP rewind arm.

 

black voigtlander glass went with them:

35mm f/1.7 & 28/35 minifinder

28mm f/3.5 & metal 28 finder

 

and metal lens hoods.

 

send word if you see them.

 

much appreciated.

[peterlyons]

Sorry to hear about that, Sean. I guess the obvious step would be to provide any local

shops that might buy those with your serial numbers so they can keep an eye out for

them. Best of luck!

[carbon_dragon]

How did it happen? Maybe you should notify a few of the biggies like B&H, KEH, and maybe EBAY (and maybe Craig's List). Maybe you can at least make it very difficult for the thieves to sell them.

[ronald_moravec1]

Sorry to hear.

 

When i sit down, I put my foot on the bag and the strap around my leg. People who do this sort of thing are usually eally good at it.

[christian_seebode]

Sorry, Sean. What happened to you is what I am always afraid of. Nevertheless, I'll keep eyes & ears open. In hindsight, do you really think the Mission is the best place to go to at night?

[steve_bellayr]

My sympathies. I hope you have reported the serial numbers to the police. This is too late for you but what I carry is non-descript shoulder bag (LL Bean's black bag works fine) and a carabiner (climbing store) & when I sit anywhere I clip the carabiner to me or something stable. It will not stop theieves but does slow them down.

[jtk]

"In hindsight, do you really think the Mission is the best place to go to at night?"

 

Should he confine himself to Walnut Creek when the sun goes down?

 

Sean, no loss. It's only cameras... an opportunity to start fresh.

 

When in the Mission, visit Hamburger Eyes Gallery ... beautiful neighborhood.

 

http://www.burgerworldchronicles.com/33/ (browse using hamburger eyes...many related sites)

[Uhooru]

FWIW the last time I was in the Mission last year, it seemed it was becoming "trendy land" with Yuppy restruants and clubs. Can you still get a good burrito there?

[vics]

Is there still a shop in Albany that sells lots of used Leicas? I don't remember the name but it might be a good idea to call them, too. If nothing else, you might find replacements. Sorry to hear that.

VS

[wgpinc]

I'm mostly down on the other end of town now but I used to get to the Mission regularly. I am truly sorry to hear that you lost your Leicas. I never considered the Mission a particularly dangerous place but it's the City and you can get ripped off or get your ticket punched anywhere if you aren't prudent. I had to grapple with a street guy one day on Mission Street one day after I took a picture that may have included him. Big, ugly and that wasn't Lakota Cabernet on his breath. The shame is whoever stole the cameras probably won't get much for them. I wish you could ransom them back for the few bucks they will probably get.

 

Barry try Pancho Villa on 16th Street between Mission and Valencia for a burrito.

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=476468

[rogerwb]

slightly o/t

Nice shots Gil. The accordian alone would be enough to keep me out of that neighborhood.

[Alex_Es]

Sean, I am very sorry to hear about this. Did you contact the police?

[vic_.]

I'm sorry for your loss. I'll never understand the nature of evil, and why people do such things.

[ace_fury]

Typical day on Mission Street. No shots were fired.

[ace_fury]

And now for the image.<div></div>

[emraphoto]

make sure they know over on rff as well... those camera's will turn up somewhere and

the more folks know the greater chance of getting them back.

[john_elder1]

Everybody learns this lessson the hard way, I did: NEVER leave your equipment in a car, not even for 5 seconds. I lost 2000.00 in 1986 in Rochester that way, and of course the insurance company denied coverage for some reason. Tough luck. Make an insurance claim on your homeowners insurance policy.

[vincenzo_maielli]

I'm very sad for you. I hope that you will find your cameras and lenses or you will buy the new equipment.The most important thing is that your life is safe. In the future, keep more attention.

 

Ciao.

[s_r_c]

... for the support.

 

yes, the police have been contacted. going on 24 hours later, and the report hasn't been filed yet; they wouldn't accept my serials.

 

so i'm canvassing the pawn shops and the used dealers i know in the city tomorrow.

 

it was after a shoot. i had everything with me. i have an old okay-looking peugeot, not exactly a high-profile car. Literally nothing was visible, and they didn't try to steal the car. they knew what they were going for.

 

sadly, i really think it was my ex-girlfriend, who lives up the street. turns out she was a fairly notorious con artist in the san francisco music scene. i never met a con artist before.

 

the officer made a "pfft-tch" sound when i said that.

 

it's all scrap metal by now probably. cameras, lenses, computer, and a body bag full of light stands.

 

the annoying thing is that this is the culmination of the systematic deconstruction of my sane, stable life since feb. 15th.

 

now i'm homeless, broke, AND will have to stop freelancing unless i can find people who want available light film shoots. i had my digitals on me, but all but one card was with the rest of it. cool.

 

the food is good still, but i don't like hipsters any better than i like gangbangers and meth addicts. i shoot there, i have friends there, if i could afford to, i'd live there. i get fewer bad vibes in SF than sacramento, where i'm from.

 

i've been mugged once, also in SF, this same M4 has been stolen twice now.

 

The last idiot mugged me across the street from the cops.

 

cheers, and don't let yours sit on a shelf. Tools break and get lost...

 

but are expensive to replace.

[Alex_Es]

Hang on. The cops did not accept your serial numbers? Why?

[mohir_ali]

Numbers are only good in cases of lost and found. The thief is unlikely to turn in his/her spoils to the PD, and the PD will not carry out a search for the gear.

[Brad_]

You might want to post your info <a

href="http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?

f=42"><b>here</b></a> - the SF Bay Area section of the RFF. <P>

 

A lot of SF area leica photogs hang out there...

[Jerry_]

You may also list the serial numbers on Photo Net, under stolen equipment.

[Paul Lewis1664881697]

Watch craigslist, too.

[jtk]

You better hope the cops DON'T find that equipment when arresting somebody for something else...it's VERY hard to get evidence released, takes like a year.

 

Meanwhile, we all know that Peugeot is not the kind of vehicle a normal kind of person drives in the US, so a meth addict might reasonably figure something entertaining might be found inside.