A cheap pet tag engraved with your name and number could prove to be invaluable if your camera happens to get lost and is found by an honest person. For a few dollars, you can get a custom tag—as small as a penny—to attach to your camera or neck strap.
Another idea: Type up your contact info, snap a picture, and leave it on your camera or memory card. Anyone who finds a camera is bound to look through its pictures.
Funny idea :)
Funny and clever that is. I just wonder how many will actually return the camera to the owner :\
Posted by: Ilan | June 17, 2009 at 10:28 AM
The same idea applies to tripods, monopods, and camera bags. I spoke last week to a pro photographer that left a tripod behind after a sunset shoot. 15 minutes later when he returned to the site, the $1300 tripod and ballhead were gone. Even the most honest person had no way to return the tripod to its rightful owner.
Posted by: Eric B | June 25, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Instead of an address giving possible thieves the location of more camera equipment, how about an email and telephone number instead of an address?
Posted by: Steven J. Ardent | July 13, 2009 at 06:38 AM
awesome idea. We found a camera while in Orlando and we tried hard to find anything in the photos that was identifying that we could try and track them down. It had all their family vacation photos.
Posted by: angie j | July 13, 2009 at 07:54 AM
even a phone # can be traced to an address... but I do like the idea of an email address.
Posted by: betty dallas | July 13, 2009 at 07:54 AM
I keep on a protected photo my info. I have an address label on the battery. On the outhside tag my name and cell number. I also put a plain address lable on loose gear that has my name and cell. I would like someone to call me ASAP if they are that nice honest type.
Posted by: Crystal Lynn | July 13, 2009 at 08:19 AM
Another option...take a picture of a piece of paper with your name and contact info, make it the first picture on the card, than lock the image so it can't be deleted.
Posted by: Sean | July 13, 2009 at 09:03 AM
Just a heads up I thought of this with my very first digital camera. I purchased a finding that you can put a charm on a cellphone with, put a tag with my name on it. While the camera was in it's protective sleeve in my purse the tag found its way to the back of the camera and I imagine something was set on top of the purse and Voila, cracked LCD screen on brand new camera.
I still think this is a great idea, you just need to be careful where you place the tag and how long of a leash it's on.
Posted by: connie | July 13, 2009 at 10:02 AM
I think identifying the owner of expensive photo equipment (or anything, really) is a great idea, and I've been doing it for years with my stuff, however, instead of a dangling dog tag that costs money and may be an issue by introducing camera shake while shooting, I simply print out a label with "Reward if found!" and an e-mail address so that I can be contacted from anywhere in the world that the item is lost and found. If I can put a label on it, I do.
Posted by: Ralph Velasco | July 13, 2009 at 10:16 AM
If you're traveling abroad, please remember state abbreviations don't make sense to everybody – remember to add a "USA" line.
In any case, +1 to the e-mail idea.
Posted by: Damian Janowski | July 13, 2009 at 11:35 AM
I always do a clear label with contact info on it stuck to the bottom of the camera. But I think I'll do the protected image too! :)
Posted by: Trude | July 13, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Don't forget to include a photo of a baby:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article6681923.ece
Posted by: Patrick | July 13, 2009 at 12:24 PM
response to angie j above - maybe you can try the website "I found your camera" to reunite the camera and owner.
Posted by: angi | July 13, 2009 at 06:29 PM
I would love to really believe that my Canon 5D would be returned to me... in a perfect world. Great idea... I only hope it would work.
Posted by: Catherine Gamlen | July 14, 2009 at 01:57 PM