Robbed, stabbed and lost all my gear - what to replace it with?

[shadowblade]

ebay = take a risk with grey one = http://www.ebay.com/itm/272464729168

and for Canon lenses on Sony dSLM = there is a good discount on Simga MC-11 adapter now = https://www.adorama.com/sgmc11c.html = $149... you can get one for each EF lens you need @ that price

Would need to ship it to a US-based friend to bring to me, though, to avoid paying GST plus extra processing fees on arrival in Australia. For an online purchase with electronic receipts that include the name of the buyer, that could have future implications with travel insurance (how to claim it when I 'didn't' buy it).

To be honest,  I'm very reluctant to buy the A7r2 again, since it's nearing the end of its life cycle and almost certain to be replaced by something better within 12 months. I won't have a chance to use the camera until I go on another trip, and no reason to go on another trip until I've replaced the camera gear to take photos while I'm there. By then it'll be next year, provided I haven't killed myself through overwork doing extra shifts to cover the losses (can't spend regular income just to make good on camera and travel losses).

[shadowblade]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about the robbery, but nice to hear that you concern is gear.

I am shooting a similar setup to yours. If you need the T&S lenses there is no such gear from Sony. The G-Master lenses may be great, but I think that the Canon lenses are better priced. So, I would stay with Canon lenses. With Canon lenses you have the choice to use them on Canon bodies or Sony bodies.

Jim Kasson suggested that Fuji GFX may be an interesting alternative.

Personally, I am not very interested in Nikon. But I know to little about that system.

Best regards
Erik

There's also no penalty in using TS-E lenses on Sony - it's not like they had AF or automatic lens correction to begin with.

I really need Canon to announce the 5Ds2, and Sony the A7r3 or A9r, in order to make the decision. Would prefer to use native lenses on either system, to at least have decent AF. I wouldn't consider the 5Ds at all. But, looking at what Canon has done since then with the 80D, 1Dx2 and 5D4 sensors, I'd imagine the 5Ds2's sensor and ISO capability will be up to scratch. But who knows what Sony will bring out in their next high-resolution sensor?

Now is a really bad time to be choosing a high-resolution system - the models out there are all several years old and the next generation from both Sony and Canon are almost certain to have a huge leap in capability from the previous versions (Canon in DR, Sony in AF and both in MP) but with no indication as to which will be better.

[shadowblade]

Minimum viable replacements:

Arca-Swiss C1 Cube with flip-lock plate
Canon TS-E 17L
Canon TS-E 24L
RRS quick-release plate for 70-200

PLUS

Either:
Canon 5Ds2
Canon 24-70 f/2.8L II
Canon 70-200 f/2.8L II

OR:
Sony A9r
Sony 24-70 f/2.8 GM
Sony 70-200 f/2.8 GM

Second bodies,  hiking tripods, etc. can be bought later, and I still have a few spare Metabones Mark III adapters from when Sony were including them for free with their cameras.

Apart from the as-yet nonexistent camera bodies, any idea where the cheapest place in the world to buy them would be? Is Hong Kong still the Mecca of cheap camera gear, or is DigitalRev not the only place that's turned expensive?

[pcgpcg]

Glad to hear that your biggest concern is the camera gear.
I'm curious... where were you in BA when this happened?

[shadowblade]

Glad to hear that your biggest concern is the camera gear.
I'm curious... where were you in BA when this happened?

In Retiro, in broad daylight on a busy street, a block from my hotel.

I had literally just landed the previous night, got out of bed and went out for breakfast  In other words, around 30 seconds into my trip (not counting sleeping).

Had travel in Peru and Bolivia planned. Now I have to go home (no point hiking for 3 weeks without my cameras) and won't be able to recoup the losses for at least a year. Travel insurance is near-worthless - not just for camera gear, but also for non-medical trip cancellation.

[Paulo Bizarro]

If your expectation is that a A9R will come within 1 year timeframe, I would get a used A7RII. IMO, nothing beats the quality of the current and future MF lenses for the E mount, from Zeiss, and now also from Tokina.

[graeme]

Had travel in Peru and Bolivia planned. Now I have to go home (no point hiking for 3 weeks without my cameras) and won't be able to recoup the losses for at least a year. Travel insurance is near-worthless - not just for camera gear, but also for non-medical trip cancellation.

Very sorry to hear about the robbery & glad to hear that you survived it.

Re cancelling the rest of your trip: Why? You're in South America anyway: Even if you haven't got your camera with you you'd still be experiencing Peru & Bolivia & possibly noticing stuff that you wouldn't have if you'd been looking through a viewfinder / rear LCD.

You could even pick up a cheap DSLR & a decent cheap prime  ( Canon EFS 24 crop frame type thing ) & concentrate on some smaller scale more intimate images than you normally would.

This might feed into your future serious photography. Take a notebook ( a paper one ). It's all 'Visual Research'.

Good luck with your gear buying decisions, I can imagine what a headache that must be.

[shadowblade]

I'm not spending three weeks hiking through difficult terrain to not come back with any decent (aesthetic as well as technical, so sharp lenses and high-resolution sensors are a must) photos. I hike to get photos, not for the sake of hiking.

I'd rather spend the three weeks working and coming up with some extra money to go some of the way towards replacing the gear.

[shadowblade]

If your expectation is that a A9R will come within 1 year timeframe, I would get a used A7RII. IMO, nothing beats the quality of the current and future MF lenses for the E mount, from Zeiss, and now also from Tokina.

Thing is, I don't need a camera until my next trip. I rarely shoot anything at home. And the next trip won't come until I replace my gear, since photography is pretty much the only reason I travel. And that may not be for another year, if not longer.

[graeme]

I'm not spending three weeks hiking through difficult terrain to not come back with any decent (aesthetic as well as technical, so sharp lenses and high-resolution sensors are a must) photos. I hike to get photos, not for the sake of hiking.

I'd rather spend the three weeks working and coming up with some extra money to go some of the way towards replacing the gear.

Fair enough. Good luck with getting your camera system together & with your next photo trip.

[davidgp]

Now is a really bad time to be choosing a high-resolution system - the models out there are all several years old and the next generation from both Sony and Canon are almost certain to have a huge leap in capability from the previous versions (Canon in DR, Sony in AF and both in MP) but with no indication as to which will be better.

I'm very sorry to hear this... I was to suggest to buy a second hand body but I see you are not interested...

I'm talking memory here... but I think Canon 5Ds II is not expected this year (for the rumors I read)... only 6D II. I think we will see whatever Sony and Nikon had to offer in high resolution first. But then again... they are just rumors...



http://dgpfotografia.com

[eronald]

Sorry to hear this story.
Maybe someone local who belongs to the forum could lend you his backup?

Edmund

I'm very sorry to hear this... I was to suggest to buy a second hand body but I see you are not interested...

I'm talking memory here... but I think Canon 5Ds II is not expected this year (for the rumors I read)... only 6D II. I think we will see whatever Sony and Nikon had to offer in high resolution first. But then again... they are just rumors...



http://dgpfotografia.com

[BobShaw]

Yes. I take them as the baseline. But, surely, there must be some Hong Kong seller doing it for less, unless something's changed since I last bought lenses.
The Australian dollar's dropped by a third, which already increases prices a lot compared with last time.

My experience as an Australian having just come back from Hong Kong is that there was nothing cheap that was genuine. A seemingly big camera shop in Nathan Road was selling fakes at half the price of the Canon distributor across the road. B & H was actually cheaper on the genuine. There is some good stuff on eBay from the US but you have to factor in the Global Shipping Program which adds to it massively. Unfortunately the fakes are very good sometimes.

[shadowblade]

I've already ordered a new C1 Cube, since I need that regardless of what system I buy. Will probably do the same with the tilt-shifts once I get home and work enough extra hours to pay for them (could buy the whole lot right now if I wanted to, but I'm not going to use savings or usual income to replace camera gear - only whatever extra I can dig up). Also looking at selling my entire studio lighting set and a car.

Thing is, I don't know what 24-70/70-200/100-400 to get. It all depends on what the A9r/A7r3 and 5Ds2 look like - either Canon or Sony look to be good options in the next cycle of bodies. Don't want to get an A7r2 so late in the cycle, since it's value will halve as soon as the next one comes out and I'm unlikely to shoot a single frame with it before that happens.

[Rajan Parrikar]

I presume you didn't have photography equipment insurance?

[pcgpcg]

In Retiro, in broad daylight on a busy street, a block from my hotel

Wow that's scary. Plenty of photographers there during the day (it's not safe at night from what I've been told) although it is not a good area to be walking around with conspicuous camera gear in a poor neighborhood like that. Sorry for you and sad for BA that this happened.

Have you checked your home owner's insurance. My son had a camera stolen out of a rental car in Argentina and Allstate wrote him a check for full replacement value. You will need a copy of the police report, which hopefully you filed.

[Manoli]

Thing is, I don't know what 24-70/70-200/100-400 to get. It all depends on what the A9r/A7r3 and 5Ds2 look like - either Canon or Sony look to be good options in the next cycle of bodies.

Sure you don't need advice on what lenses to buy but, to state the obvious, if you go Sony you'll be committed to Sony, go Canon and you'll have the option to switch between bodies in the next and future generations to come.

Also I'm not sure if Sony construction quality is up to the Canon L standard. A quick review of LensRental's teardowns should convince you.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, can but admire your 'sang froid' ...


--
Edit:
New Canon lenses seem to have suffered a ~35% increase in price (at keast here in the UK). As alternatives - Sigma have announced , but not yet released, a 24-70 f2.8 Art series zoom and have you considered the Canon 200 f/2.8 ?

[BernardLanguillier]

I've already ordered a new C1 Cube...

Really? With all due respect, in a resource constrained environment this would be the last item I would buy. Pretty much any ball head costing 1/5th can do a great job.

And yes, I own a Cube also and know what it does.

I think I understand the urge to start to rebuild, but I am not sure you are choosing the right priorities.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Paulo Bizarro]

I've already ordered a new C1 Cube, since I need that regardless of what system I buy. Will probably do the same with the tilt-shifts once I get home and work enough extra hours to pay for them (could buy the whole lot right now if I wanted to, but I'm not going to use savings or usual income to replace camera gear - only whatever extra I can dig up). Also looking at selling my entire studio lighting set and a car.

Thing is, I don't know what 24-70/70-200/100-400 to get. It all depends on what the A9r/A7r3 and 5Ds2 look like - either Canon or Sony look to be good options in the next cycle of bodies. Don't want to get an A7r2 so late in the cycle, since it's value will halve as soon as the next one comes out and I'm unlikely to shoot a single frame with it before that happens.

If you have 1 year to ponder/decide, then definitely I would go for a used A7RII at that time. they should be reasonably priced by then.

As for travelling zoom lenses, I would go with f4 ones.

[Paul Roark]

Sorry to hear  of  your bad experience.

I'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to equipment, as I'm a hiker (and mostly former backpacker).  In addition to weight, I find too  much gear just gets in the way.  At the moment my favorite is the Sony a7r line with the Kolarivision Ultra Thin sensor cover.  This becomes a modern, state of the art platform for  Leica M mount wide glass.   When hiking or traveling, I try to stay "under the radar" with respect to expensive photo equipment.   

Stay safe.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com