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Old 23-07-2019, 03:11 PM
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sil (Steve)
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,474
not much use now for the OP but a chance for everyone else to look at Lenstag. Its a free online database originally set up to verify ownership which is the biggest hurdle in recovering stolen camera gear. You add the gear you own along with serial numbers etc, submit with a serial photo ands someone there confirms the number and gear match and you are at that moment claiming ownership. If you have serials for the stolen gear I would look there in case they have been logged as belonging to a new owner now. Proving that "at this time/date you owned this item" is what this aims to do or at least in your possession. I've been using it for years but never lost or stolen anything etc. Maybe astrogear and other stuff they may allow these days? worth asking, its a good idea to list what you can with them for such unfortunate events. So many people cause themselves problems when the gear is found by assuming the new owners were involved in the theft when often they are people like you and I who come across a bargain on ebay and just grab it without too much thinking. I doubt anyone buys second hand and thinks " I wonder if this was stolen" it always " I got a bargain". if the item is being sold at 1% of expected market price that raises flags, its much easier to sell a stolen camera at 90% of current market value. Anyway if you have your gear logged with this site and serials confirmed and then its stolen and put on ebay there will likely be a photo showing the serial or request a photo from an angle that will show it to you then you have evidence for police and ebay to take notice and action. otherwise its your word against someone elses.

Anyway Lenstag is free and is just intended to have a verified record of association of you and a piece of equipment. Items have been recovered due to the existence of this site. Photographic equipment has long been an easy income source for thieves and the gear is often of significant cost. An astromodded camera might be easy to find being sold for "parts only" since its broken and doesn't take a regular photo.If you have recipts for some of the gear I would contact the Lenstag guys, they may have entries for people who've just had gear stolen and so cant verify ownership in the normal way, they also may have other avenues to advise you to check and get your info out there in the hope someone encounters your gear.

Good luck mate. This is the only service I 've seen and it exists for this exact situation. Police aren't going to actively search, they'll want serial numbers to log just in case they pick up someone with a boot full of gear . There's no batphone to send the message about stolen camera gear to every possible second hand camera sellers.
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