File :-(, x, )
dabears !!Mvec13vF5eX
Alright /p/,

This summer, I am traveling to Iran. Yes, motherfucking Iran.

My question to you is, do you think I should risk bringing my $700 camera into the country? Westerners are pretty common victims of small crimes like theft in Iran, and I couldn't think of a bigger target hanging around my neck than a nice SLR. But the opportunities for some really incredibly photos would be passed up if I don't bring my camera with me.

Currently I'm leaning towards buying a cheap point and shoot to carry around if and when I'm out on the streets of Tehran, and bring the SLR, but just leave it in the place I'm staying whenever going anywhere remotely sketchy.

So what would /p/ do?

pic very related
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>> Anonymous
Doesn't really matter since you are going to get kidnapped and killed.

I mean seriously, you must have a good reason to go to Iran.
>> dabears !!Mvec13vF5eX
>>169949

It's business related, long story. It's all being taken care of and paid for by this filthy rich Iranian guy (basically the Bill Gates of Iran). Our safety will be taken care of by his personal security, so I'm not particularly worried about being kidnapped.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>169951
Maybe get a cheap film SLR? Something that can still give you lots of control and let you make great images, but that'll cost $30 instead of $700
>> Anonymous
>>169953

I agree with this man.
>> Anonymous
>>169953
Was going to recommend the same. Might even have to get two, in case the other gets stolen.
>> Martin !!ve2Q1ETWmJH
Why bother even taking one..
when theres a
>filthy rich Iranian guy
? ;)
>> Anonymous
if you bring any SLR you might get mistaken for western press and you'll probably get beheaded and the video will be shown on national TV but go for it because if you get some sweet photos you can probably make some money off of them and you don't want to let the terrorists win

I wish I could visit Iran. Seems like there are definitely a lot of journalism opportunities to be had in there. You can really expose a lot of the unknowns.
>> Anonymous
Or bring a point and shoot.
>> Anonymous
>>169953
This is an option, or if you'd rather, a film rangefinder, but I think you'd be okay with anything if someone has security arranged for you. I've seen work from photojournalists walking down the street in Iran with 5Ds and 2.8 L zooms.

An Olympus XA or a good digital point and shoot (Canon, Panasonic, Ricoh, old Olympus) would be good as a supplement to your gear for when you just don't want to schlep something the size and weight of an SLR.

But /p/ isn't the place to be asking this at all. Get your ass over to Lightstalkers.

>>169964
Iran isn't Iraq or Afghanistan. It's a relatively developed and politically stable country, especially for the region. All the terrorism related to Iran happens *outside* its borders.
>> dabears !!Mvec13vF5eX
I'm a bit hesitant to have any kind of SLR. Even if it's a cheap one, to someone who doesn't know much about photography, any kind of SLR would look like a nice, expensive camera. Plus, I can't slip an SLR in my pocket, which would pretty much be a must in order to have some kind of expensive electronic on me in the middle of Tehran.
>> dabears !!Mvec13vF5eX
>>170001

>But /p/ isn't the place to be asking this at all. Get your ass over to Lightstalkers.

Advice well taken, thanks for the referral. That's definitely the perfect kind of place to ask.
>> Anonymous
>>170019
Well, I imagine if you're going to have security people with you, you would be fine. But yeah, Lightstalkers. You should get some answers there from people who have actually photographed in Tehran. As opposed to us here speculating.
>> Anonymous
>>170072
Oh, and post a link to the thread. It'll be interesting to see how far off /p/ was from the right answer.
>> dabears !!Mvec13vF5eX
>>170082

Just waiting for the god damn activation email to finally come so I can actually post.
>> Anonymous
I went to Iran a month ago, took an oly e410 and snapped ~ 600 photos. I'm not that great a photographer so I won't be posting any here just yet :P so not exactly an expensive outstanding piece of kit

To be honest it's very secure and the people are really friendly. Be prepared to get a lot of invitations to people's houses for dinner. You will be treated more with curiosity and intrigue more than anything. If you hang around Tehran University, someone eventually will adopt you and take you on a trip no doubt to practice their english but it will be a good way to see places. Just a few pointers-

-be subtle if you are out doing street photography. In your face shots of women are likely to get you scowls and comments. A lot of shop owners in the bazaars LOVE you to photograph them. Visit them, some great opportunities there

- Do NOT take photos of government buildings or army bases, you will be asking for trouble.

- Stay away from southern tehran. It's the poorer area where there a lot of arabic people. Pretty "rough and ready" is the only way I can describe it. Northern Tehran is the richer side of town. People there are minted and houses easily cost $200k plus there.

- Parks in the city are always worth a visit. They are packed pretty much every evening in summer, especially on thursday nights.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
and here's a photo for you (apologies for any shittyness). I'm not exactly great at taking pictures yet, I'm still learning but what the hell ;)

Main thing is to enjoy it! Grab a lonely planet, it has great advice about culture and customs in Iran. I think you'll be very surprised by what you see over there. Shiraz and Esfahan are great cities to visit. They are very used to forigners/tourists and have a lot of english speaking people there. Also domestic flights are dirt cheap. Good luck, hope you have a good time!

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>> Anonymous
If youre male and have security arranged for you there should me no problem. Just read about their culture before leaving and respect it. Learn their customs and stuff like that.

One thing you will probably notice is that in general they are lot more friendlier towards other people they might not know than people in america.

Also i highly recommend that you get decent small rangefinder like camera. It makes shooting alot easier if you are not looking for attention for people around you. Ricoh GX100 or GR II with ext. viewfinder would be my choice.
>> Martin !!ve2Q1ETWmJH
>>170298
im interested in his nuts
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>170333
His nuts are extremely prominent in this picture.
>> Martin !!ve2Q1ETWmJH
>>170335
Will OP let us know the origins of his nuts?
>> Anonymous
>>170296
I'm thinking of getting an e410 to take pictures of my Latin America trip. What can you tell me about your experience with the camera?
>> Anonymous
>>170367
Get E-420. Its awesome camera. One of the most awesome entry level slrs ever made.
>> Anonymous
>>170375
Get it with the new 25/2.8 and you've got an SLR outfit perfect for taking photographs except for the small finder, which is fine if you're an autofocuser. Might want to get a magnifier anyway, might not.
>> Anonymous
>>170367

I'd agree with>>170375

I bought the 410 because it was cheap and the twin lens kit is a pretty sweet deal. I can't really give a fair judgment because it is my first dslr, I have nothing really to compare it against! It's a handly little thing, but since I have big hands it can also be a pain in the arse (the 420 has a slightly bigger grip). The viewfinder is pretty small, but overall I'm pretty happy with the camera for the price. 4/3rds glass is kinda pricey though and I'm still a student....so that sucks. But in the same light, I don't really *need* more than the twin lens kit, what with being a newb and all ;)

>>170333
>>170335
>>170357
I will never look at this picture the same again. Thanks
>> Anonymous
>>170387
>4/3rds glass is kinda pricey though

Consumer-grade 4/3 lenses aren't pricey, the problem is that you already have most of them :D