Stolen gear

[Jim Bryant]

For all you internet sleuths out there. Earlier this week, a Seattle area photo store, Optechs Digital, was robbed. The thieves made off with a lot of equipment, including Phase One backs and Canon bodies and lenses. It was a well planned, professional hit. So be on the lookout for gear being offered at prices that seem “too good to be true,” especially on Internet sites such as eBay and Craig’s List.

If you find a suspicious item, please report it to Paul Slotboom at Optechs Digital, 206-343-9900, email paul@optechsdigital.com

Among the items stolen were:
Phase One P40 Plus camera system with Phase One 645af body and 80D lens
Phase One P30 Plus camera system with Phase One 645af body and 80D lens
28mm Mamiya-branded lens
45mm Phase-branded lens
120mm macro (Mamiya)
150mm 3.5 (Mamiya)
150 2.8 (Phase)
75-150 (Phase)
210 (Mamiya)
Canon 5D mark II
Canon premium lenses, including 16-35, 24-70, 70-200 IS, 17 and 24 tilt shift, 100 macro, 85mm, 300mm, 70-300
other Canon cameras and lenses, all in original boxes

[BEGM83]

It was me.

Im not sending it back.

The flights cost a fortune

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by BEGM83

It was me.

Im not sending it back.

The flights cost a fortune

Don't blame ya...some good gear mentioned. It happened sometime early Monday morning. He (Paul) asked that I send it along. Just proves to show that in this day and age, you really, really need to get insurance for your gear.

[R lake]

Sting 'em up!!!

Hope some of it gets sent here...I could use a good deal on a 5DMarkII

[Jim Bryant]

It could be anywhere by now.

[Indigo November]

Wow, that really sucks. Poor guy.

I'll keep my eyes open.

[essvee]

Really stinks about this equipment being stolen. Some of that stuff might be pretty easy to spot, though. Not a lot of P40's floating around Craigslist! Having said that, though, I bet the stuff is on it's way out of the country where it would be awfully hard to trace a $20k camera.

Has anyone created a repository for serial numbers for stolen gear? Down here in the Bay Area we have a motorcycle forum with about 35,000 members. When something goes missing, the description, including VIN's, is posted. When suspicious deals are offered buyers or other "interested" parties can do a quick lookup in the database to see if a VIN comes up with a match.

I'm not going to pretend it solves or prevents a lot of thefts, but there HAVE been matches and the authorities have used info from tips to recover personal property.

It's also possible, though an extreme long shot, to find equipment via EXIF info. Camera body s/n's are part of the data unless, of course, it's stripped out (which is easy enough to do).

In any case, I hope the perpetrators are somehow brought to justice. I think hell has a special place for those that believe they can take from others that which has been earned through hard work.

[candidrachel]

It was me! I did it! All in aid of the SOR charity

[Murtasma]

That's why you have insurance for your business in case stuff like this happens. I really doubt this gear is ever going to be found.