My wife and I in 10 days leave for the UK to visit family and take a side trip to Rome and Naples,looking forwards to seeing Pompeii etc and we have private tours scheduled.
My wife has been doing a lot of reading and research as she always does a lot on safety and not being a target for thieves,she is concerned that if I carry a large camera I have nice Nikon D3100 with a good sized zoom lens that we are going to stand out like a sore thumb as tourists,we are taking the train from Naples to Pompeii and from what she reads you are more likely to be target for theft in Naples and Rome when you look like a tourist.
We have money belts,not carrying a back pack etc
Has anyone had issues taking large cameras etc or other concerns.
thanks Adrian
as said above, you will look like tourists from 300 yards distance regardless how you dress or look like, or whether or not you have a huge camera. This isn't an
Italian thing, I can spot the American or
German or Dutch or South African tourists from a long way off when they are strolling around Dublin. Its a consequence of being any foreigner in any foreign country. One dresses different, one gestures differently, one stands at different distances, one's bags are different etc. So no point to think you can de-tourist yourselves anywhere. What you want to look like however is a savvy and street-aware tourist and that's why you should bring your camera in a small well secured backpack. Don't wear your backpack on your front as some tourists do - that makes you look even more frightened and vulnerable, which will attract different
cons. Just try and be as normal as possible. Dress appropriately too - modestly, in long trousers which protects from sunburn and are invariably more secure for holding wallets. And, when n you've made all these efforts to look normal, reconsider whether you really will benefit in Pompeii's dusty environment from the better pics that a massive camera takes. Bear in mind the lighting will generally be excellent and the subject matter will generally be inanimate. So the advantages of a high
quality camera diminish. I've taken countless splendid pics of both Vesuvian cities, many Vesuvian villas and museums, all out on the internet, and all with a high
quality phone camera that is available in my pocket 24/7 when a shot arises. Finally, Naples is no scarier to me than Amsterdam or
Edinburgh, the last two cities I was mugged in. So, relax. The biggest target for
cons and muggers is those with frightened sparrow looks and the more easy and relaxed that you look and feel, the safer you will be.