Taking camera to USA - a few questions

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Zymurgy661

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Hi all,

In a few weeks i'm off to the USA for a family holiday and am planning on taking the camera with me. Having never done this before is there anything i should take into consideration before i go?

Should i declare on travel insurance that i am taking it or get some proper camera insurance that would cover?

Hows the best way to get the kit there? I'm taking my 7d with Grip, 100-400L, 10-20mm, 28-135mm and flash. Is taking it as hand luggage the best way?

Thanks in advance
 
Yes definately take it as hand luggage.
 
Definately take out insurance for America, I have my camera insured (Photoguard ) but it didn't cover the USA I had to pay extra for it. Having taken my gear twice out there the first time the customes officer looked inside the camera bag and the second time I just walked straight through after it had gone through the xray machine. It all depends on the customs people but as said do take it as hand luggage..

Realspeed
 
First time I went to america I stuffed it all in a rucksack with laptop, spare cables etc.

Got to customs both sides, they asked me to open it and I swear they both thought it was a bomb first time round. I then had to take everything out, power it all up and explain what some bits where!
 
Definitely in hand luggage! Those labels they put on your bags 'handle with care' are just for piece of mind.

There is no harm in calling your insurance company telling them what you have and where you are taking it - just make sure you are covered!

You probably won't need it in the end but don't get caught short

Have a nice trip
 
If you see camera gear cheaper in the USA don't forget the prices shown in the window don't include sales tax normally. The prices are a bit cheaper and have a better warrantee usually 4 years, but that is just for American Market it wouldn't cover over here in the UK.
Realspeed
 
thanks for all the replies so far.

Aside from Photoguard, are there any other recommended camera insurance companies?
 
Check your house insurance as I have my kit covered on this now. Have to declare some bits over 1k in value and make sure they don't consider your 'camera' as one big piece of kit rather than seperate or it conveniently pushes it over pay out limit on some policies. Also have to pay extra for cover abroad but a lot cheaper than dedicated cover.
 
I'd recommend you see the airlines your flying with and find out the max size and weight of your carry-on luggage. I'm flying to Luton from glasgow and although its not a long trip, they've advised me i can't take my tripod onboard the plane(can understand, bit annoyed but oh well) So it'll just have to go down with my fiancées parents in the car.
 
Take it from me hand luggage without a doubt. I have travelled all over the world with a lot more equipment than that and always take it as hand luggage. I have worked out on the ramp loading aircraft so again hand luggage
What part of the states are you visiting?
 
cdiver2 said:
What part of the states are you visiting?
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Am off to Vegas, San Diego and LA for around 3 weeks total.

I'm flying with Virgin and have their hand luggage size and weight allowances. May have to split the 100-400 and 7D between mine and the daughters bag to make sure they don't go over.
 
Ok I have never flown Virgin but I have never had a problem with my lowpro backpack and as I said, I take a lot more gear than that, I also carry on a lap top and It all fits in the overhead. So far security/customs has never questioned what is in it. I also put a tripod and mono in my checked bags. Hope you enjoy your hols
 
realspeed said:
If you see camera gear cheaper in the USA don't forget the prices shown in the window don't include sales tax normally. The prices are a bit cheaper and have a better warrantee usually 4 years, but that is just for American Market it wouldn't cover over here in the UK.
Realspeed
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Bringing back over £250 (I think that's the current limit) worth of new goods from the states is likely to be liable to import duty here too. Worth considering also when tempted by cheap kit.
 
Depends on the lenses, when I last flew to Australia I had the body and 50mm with me always in the hand luggage and the other lenses/equipment and even a tripod packed in the suitcases. I also took out extra insurance with Aaduki which was the best price for the year and covered 30 days abroad.
 
OrinB said:
Bringing back over £250 (I think that's the current limit) worth of new goods from the states is likely to be liable to import duty here too. Worth considering also when tempted by cheap kit.
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Put the boxes in your suitcase and the lens/camera or whatever in your camera bag and no one will know you bought it over there, or better still leave boxes there.
spike
 
Again, thanks for all the comments. Carry on definatley seems t be the way forward then!

Not sure i'll be buying any lenses out there unless i find a very good price on a 70-200 L in which case i think i'd collapse the boxes and post back to the uk
 
Zymurgy661 said:
Am off to Vegas, San Diego and LA for around 3 weeks total.

I'm flying with Virgin and have their hand luggage size and weight allowances. May have to split the 100-400 and 7D between mine and the daughters bag to make sure they don't go over.
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I've just returned from Florida, Glasgow to Orlando with Virgin.
On the way out the check-in was great..........but on return they were VVVVV strict on hand luggage. 6kgs was my allowance & I was throwing away batteries etc. to get it to the limit :razz:

Crazy relly when as soon as you pass through the check-in you can buy as much carp as you want in the shops & still class it as hand luggage.
 
Just been weighing my bag and it stands at 8Kilos so going to have to trim some weight, put spare batteries in the suit case along with filters, and anything else i deam not needed.

6kg is not alot of weight, specially when the much smaller planes out of guernsey allow you 10kg

spike
 
Flew with virgin for the first time this year.
First of all dont forget to do the online check in before you arrive that way you save the lottery.
I took all my gear as hand luggage except my tripod, just told the security check it was camera equipment.
Coming back no check on hand luggage weight, flew back from San Fran.
 
Zymurgy661 said:
Am off to Vegas, San Diego and LA for around 3 weeks total.

I'm flying with Virgin and have their hand luggage size and weight allowances. May have to split the 100-400 and 7D between mine and the daughters bag to make sure they don't go over.
Click to expand...

Am flying out with Virgin next month to US (for job interview!!)- want to take camera so can show wife pics of place - and would be very interested in what you report back pls mate!

(just seen Mick's post- 6kg?!??!)
 
Mickwreay said:
I.........but on return they were VVVVV strict on hand luggage. 6kgs was my allowance & I was throwing away batteries etc. to get it to the limit :razz:

Crazy relly when as soon as you pass through the check-in you can buy as much carp as you want in the shops & still class it as hand luggage.
Click to expand...

Crazy? Its the most blatent profit-rising practice (of the many) that airports operators pull :thumbsdown: (don't get me started on BAA's re-arrangement of domestic departures at Heathrow to force you to go through Retail...)

Anyway, back to the OP's question - never put ANYTHING fragile or valuable in checked baggage. If you are lucky enough that it doesn't get stolen, it will be broken instead. Especially if going through any of the big hub airports on either side of the atlantic... smaller regional airports are better though.
 
SpikeK6 said:
Just been weighing my bag and it stands at 8Kilos so going to have to trim some weight, put spare batteries in the suit case along with filters, and anything else i deam not needed.

6kg is not alot of weight, specially when the much smaller planes out of guernsey allow you 10kg

spike
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Trick is to put your hand luggage down behind the counter when you check in and put your check in luggage on the scales. Don't make your carry 'appear' heavy. As long as the hand luggage isn't over sized they won't usually weigh it. Of course there's always a chance but be nice and you can get away with a lot. I've had them put stuff in the first class lockers for me at no charge before but theres always the chance you get a humorless robot that takes pleasure in making life difficult. They don't weigh each passenger so a couple kilos here and there is no big deal.

Once in heathrow the lady at the check in counter let me transfer about 10k kilos from my check in luggage into my carry on so I wouldn't be charged excess, my check in luggage was still over but she let it go.
 
SpikeK6 said:
Just been weighing my bag and it stands at 8Kilos so going to have to trim some weight, put spare batteries in the suit case along with filters, and anything else i deam not needed.

6kg is not alot of weight, specially when the much smaller planes out of guernsey allow you 10kg

spike
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If you wear a jacket then wear one with big pockets and put some gear in them for the check-in. Once through just put it back in the bag.
 
SpikeK6 said:
Put the boxes in your suitcase and the lens/camera or whatever in your camera bag and no one will know you bought it over there, or better still leave boxes there.
spike
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100-400 I bought abroad and just put it in my camera bag. However I am not sure how much you will save buying in a store...if you can find one. I estimate you are paying in pounds what we pay in dollars that's good but as has been mentioned put 7% tax on top.
Most US residents buy from B&H in NY and avoid tax.
 
I had no issues taking it as hand luggage into the US.

I'm not sure what duty you pay in the UK for buying online overseas, but I can thoroughly recommend B&H New York as an efficient and universally trusted online dealer.

I mention this as it may just be simpler and cheaper than buying gear there and bringing it home with a guilty look on your face as you try to get it through customs.

Taking advantage of our high Aussie dollar when it was worth 11c more than the Greenback (10 wks ago), I bought my 12-60 from B&H for AU$911.00. It arrived in Melbourne 2 days after placing the order but took a further 5 days to get it 180 miles from Melbourne to Wangaratta - bluddy red tape! Australians can import duty free up to AU$1000.00
 
Last year i went to the philippines and bought my camera and laptop in one bag, the lowepro 350. they never weighed it but from what i can remember it was certainly around 10kg of not more. i simply told them it has my camera and laptop and all was well after that
 
Definatly part of your carry on, you usually get to take a 2nd peice for the likes of a laptop or camera in addition to your hand luggage but check with your airline.

Don't rely on travel insurance they usually have some very low maximum value for a single item, read the terms of the policy before paying up.
 
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