The Camera Store, located in Calgary, Alberta, has reported a camera theft incident that involved an attack on staff using bear (capsaicin) spray. The incident took place on May 16 at around 5PM local time, according to the company, which says the thief took off with a Sony A7R III camera and Sony 16-35mm F2.8 G Master lens.
The thief is described as a middle-aged man wearing a grey jacket, dark pants, sunglasses, and light running shoes. The Camera Store's Evelyn Drake said in a post on the company's blog, 'We knew there was something 'off' about him since the moment he walked in, and our team was on high alert.'
As the security footage shared on YouTube shows, the man attempted to run away with the camera and the store's employees took off after him. To evade them, the thief sprayed two of the employees with bear spray before fleeing in a black pickup truck.
'Although it is not our policy to chase down thieves, the loyalty and bravery of the staff who risked their safety are commendable,' Drake said.
The stolen Sony A7R III camera body has the serial number 3372445 and the stolen lens has the serial number 1803243. The Camera Store is seeking reports from anyone who finds the products for sale or who has knowledge about the theft.
Mere HD (1080p) would not be sufficient to give mug shot quality resolution of a facial features of a person over 20' from the camera, unless the person were an unmistakable celebrity (or "usual suspect") or the capture were a direct frontal view. However, not even 8k video is of much use if the culprit is wearing sunglasses and avoids facing the camera. A clever crook will "case" a store and know where the security cameras are or not. Conversely, there is no incentive to hide the cameras, since the mere sight is often a sufficient deterrent to theft, even if the imagery is weaker than most people imagine. Stealth shots of the car plates of vehicles in the parking lot might be more effective, but only if secret, and 99.9% of the capture would be useless or inconsequential.
I saw the video again, from 00:00 - 00:04 criminal face is aimed at the security camera, it seems he didn't know where security cameras are. quality is not about 4K or Full HD 1080P, but the size of the sensor. If they had 1080P with even 1" sensor, they could see a pretty clear image of the person. resolution does not mean quality, but only size of the video. Sensor size is the quality. lit. a 50$ camera and a 500$ camera could both be full HD, but different sensor sizes.
Idea for the store: put a security camera 1" sensor behind the counter, so whenever a client wants to check an expensive equipment you sell, he/her would stand right in front of the security camera, so you get clear picture of the face in close distance.
Generation Z would think the owners are evil rich people making money by exploiting people of color and him stealing it is sticking it to the man. also probably not his fault he is stealing since he is the product of a bad neighborhood and needs love not punishment man. Don’t harsh his mellow. It’s his truth that he needs this. Also, a Gen Z would rather take a video or selfie than stand up for what is right.
He just wanted to upgrade his A7RII and didn't like the upgrade price. So he he figured the upgrade value, including the lens, is worth a can of bear spray. He must be a heck of a Sony fan boy!!!
At least he was smart enough to pick a Sony... kidding aside it’s horrible .. I was in a shop that accidentally got pepper sprayed and the smell staged around for weeks...
Great reporting .... now every thug is going to carry bear spray ..... more civilized than a gun but being sprayed with that stuff is horrible. Even when you spray it if the vapour get on your hands you want to claw your eyes out..
Lolololololololololo ...... you can blast DPReview but in case you didn't notice ..... 99 % of public discussion forums were terminated in the last 2 years ...
This is one of the few left ....if you have something reasonable to say they generally let you.
Wow this almost reads like a sony marketing campaign.
I can can see it now:
"I don't often rob camera stores but when I do..... I steal Sony."
Or maybe it's a side effect of National Geographic slashing photographer budgets? The Sony A7R III camera and Sony 16-35mm F2.8 G Master lens would make a sweet landscape rig?
Poor guy was just checking out the new camera when the store employees attacked him in the store. Self defense in fear for his safety he used the spray and left.
There is a false imprisonment issue for the rest of the customers. it is a serious issue. Here in California, large market grocery chains let people walk out with carts full of groceries rather than have bad PR and a lawsuit for discrimination. sad. Children in adult bodies who vote prefer chaos over rule of law and real justice. when you steal, the costs go up for everyone else.
The thief probably watches Frono's Photos on youtube. Only way to keep that guy away is bear spray. ;-) You should call in the tip hotline. They can definitely use the info.
:-D Really novel perspective, yeah, definitely the thief had good taste, but the real heroes here are the shop staff, they risked their "lives" for a Sony camera. In 2015, this couldn't have happened.
M Lammerse, "Who has chikens, does have chikens dying"
1) They say that they assumed the person is trouble. 2) They say their staff were alarmed, yet they were doing many things totally wrong, giving the possibility for perpetrator to execute his plan.
This reminds me of my chickens. I have a dog to protect them I still lose chickens due to crime of opportunity by bobcats. I can keep them cooped up but I like them to eat bugs etcetera to have a higher quality of life. As a micro farmer, I accept some losses but protect the flock without total imprisonment. They are more pets than animals. I hate losing my chickens. I cannot kill, relocate or capture the foxes or bobcats and have to live with the risks.
You can not publically give such detail. As the perpetrator is innocent until found guilty. And that happens when court say so, even when you have video evidence.
Either you go by the justice system, or you can participate lynching. It is up to you what is your moral code.
There should be a database that anyone can access listing all stolen gear serial numbers. Repair shops could identify and confiscate any gear reported stolen and buyers can check to see if an item listed on eBay is legitimate.
At least the thief was well learn-ed on which camera to steal. My No1 suspect was Thought R'Us until I read it was an A7RIII with G-master lens. He would never dare. LOL
The video is no help as it was so very badly produced. Low res, low DR, no background blur. Come on! The place has really fallen apart after Chris and Jordan left. ;-)
Sorry all, I just couldn't resist. Of course I am glad no one was hurt and I hope they catch the loser.
The thief had his choice of many different cameras and lenses. He grabbed the A7Riii. Forget sales or profit figures... this is the best evidence yet that Sony is on the way to dominating the market! 😀
Most likely drug addicts. Find the cockroaches, take them to a remote forest area, and do what you got to do to get rid of scum. A 12 gauge works fine for that. They deserve no less.
Thieves steal what they can steal. They don't target their victims based on camera brands. If you are not careful or look like an easy target, they will try to steal from you, whether you have a canon, a sony or a leica. Most people don't see the difference between an entry level and a $3000 camera, or between kit lenses and expensive lenses. I have several cheap cameras laying around the house, just in case someone decides to enter our house when we are not home.
Also I wouldn't be surprised if the thief stole that camera&lens combination based on a client order.
Eye witness testimonies are least trustworthy evidence or information. Least, not second or third, but least. It is the last information you can use.
Logic Laws of nature Technical possibility Material evidence Documents Neutral testimony Party testimony
For most people a false memories can be injected and created, something awful that never happened, but they start to remember it by reading or hearing from it.
They found the thief eventually in Kootenay National Park (the other side the mountains from Calgary). They weren't sure at first, but then they found a Sony A7R III in a pile of bear scat, smelling faintly of bear spray. Must have used most of it photo shopping.
For those of you who are not familiar with bear spray, it is a super potent version of pepper spray. Really obnoxious stuff, but I guess it has to be to stop a grizzly (or a psyched-up camera store employee).
actually it is less potent or has less concentration of the same chemical. I guess bears have a higher nose sensitivity and is a deterrent not to incapacitate like pepper spray can. But the bear spray can has a longer range, much longer..
Pepper sprays are ineffective for many people. It doesn't stop or slow them. It is one of those self-defense equipments that are unreliable. And you can even train against it if you will, so that you can just use it as mouth spray if wanted.
Don't never try to stop a narcotic with a pepper spray, as very highly you don't do anything else that make them angry.
Tommi K1, did you ever tried pepper spray? Have you been in the police? Did-you ever try tear gaz? Have you ever been in infantry? I tried both. True that pepper spray is not on par with tear gaz, but it's still quite a bad surprize when you get that in your eyes. I know that the stuff they use at RCMP is pretty effective. My niece was once playing with pepper spray can in her room and fired it inadvertantly. My sister had to open all the windows and evacuate the house until it vented. It must be some effective...
I read the first few comments and was amazed to see how many of those posters here turned this whole thing into a joke. Crime is never a joke when it's you who is affected. Try this for yourself!
This is great marketing for the camera store. the value of the exposure far outweighs the cost of the camera. Perhaps as a viral marketing scheme, the camera store could just build a gauntlet before the exit that thieves would have to go through with pitfalls and pranks while being chased by security dressed like keystone cops while the benny hill theme plays. I’d watch that for days sped up x2. maybe catch slow motion video for reaction to jacka$$ style b@@bie traps.
That’s an amazing statistical extrapolation.... one ‘armed’ robbery with bear spray at a camera store and we’re lumped in with the U.S. tendency of violent crime. Okie.
Manitoba, Yukon, Saskatchewan, Northern Territories all significantly worse crime rates than the US average. And on that note, the US is a big place, inner cities bring up the national average significantly. Plenty of places with virtually no crime.
Based on looking at standard photographer behavior to anticipate the thief's next moves, the local police department has been driving by area brick walls in an all out manhunt.
and of course if that search "bears" no fruit , a quick search of the cat owner database of CSIS ,.... cross referenced with photos showing a drastic resolution increase of suspect cat portraits could prove helpful
No, but the attack like that in the U.S. might cause someone to pull a gun. Few would take a face full of mace sitting down if they had the choice. As for the camera, insurance will pay for it, but that only works about 3 times before insurance becomes so expensive, the store owner can't afford it. I know a video store that was basically "robbed out of existence" because of that.
How about spikes that would spring up from the floor and impale the thief? leave the thiefkabob up for a few days to send a message to other would be thieves. That would be a good anti theft device.
A guy in Alberta (where the store is) a few years back put a man-trap in his store, electrified something or other in the skylight. Crook tried coming in an died. He was charged with manslaughter (the owner) but I believe he got off eventually. He'd been burglarized a few times before that.
You get sprayed with bear spray, the last thing you are going to be thinking is getting your glock out. You are going to be trying to breathe and see. That stuff makes the spray that cops use and even tear gas look pretty tame in comparison.
Funnily enough, I was home when someone broke into my home. An ice axe works a treat for scaring the hell out of an intruder. Of course, the big idiot grin I had might have helped.
Man traps don't electrocute people. They just don't let the outside door open if the inside door is open. And visa versa. My industry uses man traps as par for the course.
Booby-trap then. Man-trap is anything designed to be sprung on someone unwelcome to a premise. Could be anything from a giant rat trap to a self-sealing door to a bear-trap.
In what US retail shop are employees armed? Banks and gun stores is all I know of. As an employee, there is no way I’m risking my life for merchandise. That’s nuts.
Far as I can tell stealing a camera doesn’t generally warrant capital punishment. But killing a thief does land one in jail if the shooter’s life wasn’t in immediate jeopardy.
There’s being right and there’s being stupid. One does not require the other.
Fujifilm's X-H2 is a high-resolution stills and video camera, that sits alongside the high-speed X-H2S at the pinnacle of the company's range of X-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras. We dug into what it does and what it means.
Holy Stone produces dozens of low-cost drone models aimed at consumers. We look at the HS710 and HS175D to see if they stack up to other sub-250g offerings. Are these secretly great or more like toys?
The EOS R6 II arrives in one of the most competitive parts of the market, facing off against some very capable competition. We think it rises to the challenge.
Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.
There are a lot of photo/video cameras that have found a role as B-cameras on professional film productions or even A-cameras for amateur and independent productions. We've combed through the options and selected our two favorite cameras in this class.
What’s the best camera for around $2000? These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both the speed and focus to capture fast action and offer professional-level image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best.
Family moments are precious and sometimes you want to capture that time spent with loved ones or friends in better quality than your phone can manage. We've selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens.
What's the best camera for shooting sports and action? Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best.
It is with great sadness that after nearly 25 years of operation, we must announce that DPReview will close in the near future. This difficult decision is part of the annual operating plan review that our parent company shared earlier this year.
Fujifilm's X-H2 is a high-resolution stills and video camera, that sits alongside the high-speed X-H2S at the pinnacle of the company's range of X-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras. We dug into what it does and what it means.
A blog post from Panasonic touts the ways its organic film CMOS sensor can control color spill between pixels, giving more accurate color in challenging lighting, but doesn't propose photography as something the sensor is suited for.
Digital sensors are at the heart of digital photography, but their development sometimes gets obscured by the marketing claims made along the way. We take a look at how sensors have developed since the early days of CCD, to better understand the milestones of the past and what's really going on today.
Who doesn't love a compact prime? This full frame 26mm F2.8 Nikkor lens has a sweet price, good features...but does it take a sharp photo? See for yourself in this new sample gallery shot with a production lens.
We met up with OM Digital Solutions' senior management at CP+ in Yokohama to find out what the transition from Olympus was like and to gain insight into its focus going forward.
If you're new to the drone world, there's much more you need to know than how to unbox and launch a drone. We break down the 5 mandatory steps you need to follow to fly safely and legally.
Camera and lens rental company Lensrentals has published a list of its most popular 'point-and-shoot' cameras, only to reveal that the very concept might now be obsolete.
Holy Stone produces dozens of low-cost drone models aimed at consumers. We look at the HS710 and HS175D to see if they stack up to other sub-250g offerings. Are these secretly great or more like toys?
Leica has announced the Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400mm F5-6.3, a telephoto zoom lens for L-mount. It's also announced a 1.4x extender teleconverter to work with it.
Round One voting results are in and we're now down to 8 matches. Jump in to see who won and sneak a look at how the DPReview team debated the choices, then get ready for Round Two – voting starts now!
Mathematical correction of lens distortion is commonplace. We explain why we don't think it makes sense to ignore it or to assume it's always a bad thing.
How well do Fujifilm's film simulations match up to their film counterparts? We revisit a classic DPReviewTV episode in which Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake shoot a few rolls of Fujifilm's Acros 100 II, and a few frames on the X-T3 in Acros film simulation, to find out.
It's March, and in America that means it's time to start arguing over which college athletics team is the best at basketball. For DPReview, it's also an opportunity for a good old-fashioned camera fight.
We take OM System's new 90mm prime F3.5 macro lens out and about around Seattle, in search of sunlight, people and very tiny things to get up close and personal with. Flip on through what we found, and see how the lens performs in the real world in our sample gallery.
After a three-year hiatus, we've been at the return of the CP+ camera show in Yokohama, Japan. In between interviews with executives of the major companies, Dale Baskin took to the show floor to bring you this report.
Comments