engrave equipment

[RalphLambrecht]

I'm wondering how many have their precious equipment(camera bodies and lenses customized by engraving) nd what are general thoughts about this procedure?

 

[Sirius Glass]

Given the price of used film equipment, why bother?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

If you want to add a customised touch with engraving, have a nice shiny dog-tag style tag made up with whatever you want engraved and attach that to the camera e.g. with a chain or double-sided tape or something else (but not with glue!). As for engraving direct to equipment, never. It is ugly, an instant disincentive to second-hand buyers/dealers who will stop at the first look, and it certainly will deter anybody from buying it in the future. I have seen a Pentax lens where the previous owner's engraved name spread out around the barrel was ground over, then painted. The paint mismatch and 'valley' caused by careless grinding was just so hideous. Engraving stuff was common in the 70s and 80s.

 

[BAC1967]

Every now and then I come across a camera with someone’s Social Security number engraved on it. I remember when the police would tell people to do that so their items could be identified if they were stolen. My parents bought an engraver and started putting their SS number on everything of any value. Now we’re more worried about our Social Security numbers being stolen than anything else.

 

[ic-racer]

If one is concerned that the equipment is valuable, engraving it will take care of that.

 

[BrianShaw]

Are you talking about engraving for identification, or decoration? I've never seen a camera engraved for decoration but in firearms that has been a historically prevalent practice for presentation pieces. Most look really cool and their value seems increased by both the quality of the engraving and the name-cachet associated with the recipient.

In terms of engraving for identification... I wouldn't/t since it severely limits re-sale appeal and recovery of stolen goods is generally very low anyway.

 

[benjiboy]

Engraving cameras with your name or social security number doesn't prevent somebody stealing them and it seriously affects the resale or part exchange value, your best insurance is to keep a record of the camera serial number and the original purchase receipt as proof of ownership.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Engraving cameras with your name or social security number doesn't prevent somebody stealing them and it seriously affects the resale or part exchange value, your best insurance is to keep a record of the camera serial number and the original purchase receipt as proof of ownership.

I also write my name on the inside of the baseplate, or inside some other easily removable external part, just in case I have to prove ownership at some time or other.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Engraving cameras with your name or social security number doesn't prevent somebody stealing them and it seriously affects the resale or part exchange value, your best insurance is to keep a record of the camera serial number and the original purchase receipt as proof of ownership.

Yep

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I also write my name on the inside of the baseplate, or inside some other easily removable external part, just in case I have to prove ownership at some time or other.

I hope keeping a list with the items and their serial numbers at home will take care of that.

 

[MattKing]

I have a used Lunasix 3 meter where the former owner wrote some exposure "hints" inside the case.
Somehow though, I don't think Ralph needs to engrave cheat sheets on his cameras .
The only reason I could see for doing it would be if you had multiples and needed a quick way to tell them apart. Sort of like how some people knotch their film holders.

 

[btaylor]

The engravings rarely bother me (I'm not a collector) and often significantly lower the value of great older gear, which is good for me!

 

[Mick Fagan]

I have all of my Nikon gear, lenses and bodies engraved with my automobile licence number. Do them with a store bought engraver that I picked up around 45 years ago, still works.

In 1978 I had a break in at my house. It was a double brick wall house with steel bars on every window, very much like a penitentiary . I arrived home around 2330h one evening to find the window pulled out of the wall, half of the wall missing (bedroom) and virtually everything in the house gone, except for two items. My bed, which I had fabricated from scrap timber and the colour television, which didn't work too well. Even took my china and cutlery. They used their own furniture removals van, would you believe. My neighbours, two sisters, one 82 years old the other 85, thought I was doing a midnight runner, didn't suspect a thing.

Life went on and around 2 years later one of my camera bodies turned up in a stash of about 1,000 cameras. Having my licence number engraved on it enabled the authorities to trace me down and ask if in fact this was one of the stolen camera bodies I had reported stolen. It was and the perpetrators were taken to court; I was a witness. A lot of time and effort went into this action from the various authorities and members of the public like myself. The persons involved made the newspapers as their combined (approximated) steeling spree, had amassed goods to the value of around half a million dollars. Funnily enough they had rented a house that they used to stash their stolen stuff; only entering and leaving in darkness. It was this toeing and froeing in darkness that raised the suspicion of a newly moved in neighbour. They called the police thinking that someone was stealing stuff from the house; great way to get caught.

Apparently one room was filled almost completely with stolen, but empty wallets, almost to the ceiling. Another with cameras; SLR's as they couldn't be moved easily, whereas 135 film compacts were almost instantly moved on as they were something that moved without questions being asked in pubs and clubs.

They got a suspended sentence and a fine of something like $2,000 and walked out of the court room with huge smiles. I couldn't repeat here what the police prosecution officer said, but it was a rather succinct phrase which pretty much summed up what everyone there thought.

Mick.

 

[Bill Burk]

I have a used Lunasix 3 meter where the former owner wrote some exposure "hints" inside the case.
Somehow though, I don't think Ralph needs to engrave cheat sheets on his cameras .
The only reason I could see for doing it would be if you had multiples and needed a quick way to tell them apart. Sort of like how some people knotch their film holders.

Haa sure, notch the inside of the gate at the focal plane! That way, you can prove ownership by producing a negative that matches, and you can easily tell which camera needs to be fixed when you find capping

 

[Johnkpap]

Some of my best buys lately have been engraved items, the latest was a near mint nikon 28mm 2.8 AIS lens that cost me $40.00 !!! the camera shop had it in in their markdown box, filled in the engraving with some paint and put it on my F2, takes great photos.

If you are a user of cameras, it is a great way to get nice items look at engraved ones they can be had for less than half the retail price

Johnkpap

 

[AgX]

I have never come across an engraved camera. Quite often I see ever-ready cases from the 60s with owner name and address written on the inside. And I have seen some pocket cameras with name stickers on it. In one case it was a printed aluiminium sheet.

 

[guangong]

I have all of my Nikon gear, lenses and bodies engraved with my automobile licence number. Do them with a store bought engraver that I picked up around 45 years ago, still works.

In 1978 I had a break in at my house. It was a double brick wall house with steel bars on every window, very much like a penitentiary . I arrived home around 2330h one evening to find the window pulled out of the wall, half of the wall missing (bedroom) and virtually everything in the house gone, except for two items. My bed, which I had fabricated from scrap timber and the colour television, which didn't work too well. Even took my china and cutlery. They used their own furniture removals van, would you believe. My neighbours, two sisters, one 82 years old the other 85, thought I was doing a midnight runner, didn't suspect a thing.

Life went on and around 2 years later one of my camera bodies turned up in a stash of about 1,000 cameras. Having my licence number engraved on it enabled the authorities to trace me down and ask if in fact this was one of the stolen camera bodies I had reported stolen. It was and the perpetrators were taken to court; I was a witness. A lot of time and effort went into this action from the various authorities and members of the public like myself. The persons involved made the newspapers as their combined (approximated) steeling spree, had amassed goods to the value of around half a million dollars. Funnily enough they had rented a house that they used to stash their stolen stuff; only entering and leaving in darkness. It was this toeing and froeing in darkness that raised the suspicion of a newly moved in neighbour. They called the police thinking that someone was stealing stuff from the house; great way to get caught.

Apparently one room was filled almost completely with stolen, but empty wallets, almost to the ceiling. Another with cameras; SLR's as they couldn't be moved easily, whereas 135 film compacts were almost instantly moved on as they were something that moved without questions being asked in pubs and clubs.

They got a suspended sentence and a fine of something like $2,000 and walked out of the court room with huge smiles. I couldn't repeat here what the police prosecution officer said, but it was a rather succinct phrase which pretty much summed up what everyone there thought.

Mick.

Until turning my eyes to your tag I thought you lived in New Jersey!

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have all of my Nikon gear, lenses and bodies engraved with my automobile licence number. Do them with a store bought engraver that I picked up around 45 years ago, still works.

In 1978 I had a break in at my house. It was a double brick wall house with steel bars on every window, very much like a penitentiary . I arrived home around 2330h one evening to find the window pulled out of the wall, half of the wall missing (bedroom) and virtually everything in the house gone, except for two items. My bed, which I had fabricated from scrap timber and the colour television, which didn't work too well. Even took my china and cutlery. They used their own furniture removals van, would you believe. My neighbours, two sisters, one 82 years old the other 85, thought I was doing a midnight runner, didn't suspect a thing.

Life went on and around 2 years later one of my camera bodies turned up in a stash of about 1,000 cameras. Having my licence number engraved on it enabled the authorities to trace me down and ask if in fact this was one of the stolen camera bodies I had reported stolen. It was and the perpetrators were taken to court; I was a witness. A lot of time and effort went into this action from the various authorities and members of the public like myself. The persons involved made the newspapers as their combined (approximated) steeling spree, had amassed goods to the value of around half a million dollars. Funnily enough they had rented a house that they used to stash their stolen stuff; only entering and leaving in darkness. It was this toeing and froeing in darkness that raised the suspicion of a newly moved in neighbour. They called the police thinking that someone was stealing stuff from the house; great way to get caught.

Apparently one room was filled almost completely with stolen, but empty wallets, almost to the ceiling. Another with cameras; SLR's as they couldn't be moved easily, whereas 135 film compacts were almost instantly moved on as they were something that moved without questions being asked in pubs and clubs.

They got a suspended sentence and a fine of something like $2,000 and walked out of the court room with huge smiles. I couldn't repeat here what the police prosecution officer said, but it was a rather succinct phrase which pretty much summed up what everyone there thought.

Mick.

And when you replace the car do you have to have all the cameras engraved or do you have to sell all the cameras and start over?

 

[CCLA]

You can keep your licence plate when you change your car. I know dealerships push you to get a new plate with a new car, but you do not have to.

claudio

 

[Sirius Glass]

You can keep your licence plate when you change your car. I know dealerships push you to get a new plate with a new car, but you do not have to.

claudio

That depends on in which state the car is registered. Not all states allow that. California only allows personalized license plate to be transferred.

 

[Carriage]

I assume he means his driver's licence number. The thing that shows you're legally allowed to drive a car, not the number plate on the car. Victoria police suggests engraving your driver's licence number on bicycles.

 

[CCLA]

That depends on in which state the car is registered. Not all states allow that. California only allows personalized license plate to be transferred.

Really? I did not know that!

claudio

 

[Mick Fagan]

What a laugh.

I have a driving licence, any automobiles I own, have registration papers. The driving licence number stays with you and is not used again. Even if you let it run out and have to sit for another driving licence, you will get a new number.

I grabbed this online:-

"
UK US license uk /ˈlaɪ.səns/ us /ˈlaɪ.səns/ A2 [ C ] an official document that gives you permission to own, do, or use something, usually after you have paid money and/or taken a test: a dog licence. a driving licence (US driver's license)
licence Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary "

Mick.

 

[Carriage]

The confusion is here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plate The US (and Canada?) calls them licence plates. Well, license plates.

 

[MattKing]

FWIW, we here in British Columbia, Canada refer to the plates on our car as licence plates and the numbers (and letters) on them as our car's licence number - even if it might more properly be described as a registration number. If we trade in or switch cars we can in most cases move the plates (and associated number) from the old car to the new.
In addition, a lot of the pay parking around here requires us to punch in our licence (plate) number into the machines that take our money.
For that reason, more often than not we tend to refer to the number on our driver's certificate (which serves as proof that we are licenced to drive) as our driver's licence number.
We also don't refer to the storage area at the back of the car as the "boot".
Isn't it marvelous how the English language offers so much flexibility ?