traveling abroad questions

V

vanishproductions

Member
I will be traveling to costa rica and shooting some travel videos. I've never traveled with my equipment before. I'm trying to keep everything to a travel backpack for carry-on, and one checked bag. What kinds of problems will I run into at customs, and are there any other "words of advice" for a first time traveler with equipment? thanks, appreciate the help.
 
From someone who has traveled with equipment to all parts of Europe 30+ times, here is my 2 cents. Keep your cameras with you at all times if you can. Carry them on the plane in a durable camera case that is within carry on limits. Pack all other gear in your checked baggage. Make sure you have everything packed very well and in solid cases. I use pelican cases to travel with my production gear and accessories. You shouldn't have any problems with customs with the small amount of gear you are taking. If you aren't staying at a house. Keep all you cameras in a hotel safe when leaving them unattended if you can. Leaving them in your room is asking for trouble. Enjoy the Costa Rican women...
 
IS this for business or for personal use? If it for business you will need to file the correct paper work.
 
phudsontx said:
IS this for business or for personal use? If it for business you will need to file the correct paper work.
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It depends on how much gear you are taking. With just one checked bag and a camera, I don't think he would have to much worry about this. Just about every tourist these days travels with photo and video gear.

But if it makes you feel more comfortable, the easiest way is filling out Customs form 4457 "Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad." The form lists your gear's descriptions and serial numbers. Its proof that you owned the gear before you left home. They want to make sure you don't have gear for resale or bought gear overseas that you have to pay duty on. We have done this a couple of times. But nobody had ever asked for it, so we stopped. I have never seen a problem without filing a 4457 form with just a ferw pieces of gear.

The other way is filing an expensive "Carnet" list which is basically a passport for equipment or tools that you travel with for your job or trade show etc.
Only once did we file a "Carnet" but we had a ton of gear, including jib arm, dollies, monitors, multiple camera etc. It cost us close to $300 for the Carnet passport.
 
Tommy K said:
From someone who has traveled with equipment to all parts of Europe 30+ times, here is my 2 cents. Keep your cameras with you at all times if you can. Carry them on the plane in a durable camera case that is within carry on limits. Pack all other gear in your checked baggage. Make sure you have everything packed very well and in solid cases. I use pelican cases to travel with my production gear and accessories. You shouldn't have any problems with customs with the small amount of gear you are taking. If you aren't staying at a house. Keep all you cameras in a hotel safe when leaving them unattended if you can. Leaving them in your room is asking for trouble. Enjoy the Costa Rican women...
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I concur with Tommy. Have your camera as carry-on. Most camera bag manufactures will list which of their bags are "carry-on compliant",
but you should double check. Airlines can change their rules and you don't want to be caught out at the airport.

Make sure you have a charged battery in the camera when you arrive at the airport. Security often asks you to turn your electronic
equipment on (computers, cameras, etc) to see that it is what you say it is.

I'm not sure what other people think of putting tapes and/or memory cards through the x-ray machine. I've always put them in a
separate small bag (which fits inside the camera bag). I then hand that bag to security for them to hand check it. I may just be
paranoid though, as I've heard others say the x-ray machine will not erase media storage devices.

No need to worry about adapters to charge your equipment. The voltage throughout the country is 110, the same as in North America.

Depending on when your going (I went during the dry season). Don't forget to bring adequate rain protection.
There is rain forest there after all :)

Good luck with your shoot. Can't wait to see the footage.

Peter
 
pelican cases are a red flag for customs in any small country/ mexico/ bali/ tahiti /fiji/brazil/ . they won,t know what they are looking at. i travel with tons of equipment. 2 cameras/ lens set / lights/ gyro /monitor/omni tracker/ dolly wheels. full sound kit. I use walmart luggage with good foam inserts out of my pelican cases. I wanted to try and not get the working permits . i was always on my own with all my stuff. just keep telling them your on vacation. If you can split stufff up between people that works great.
 
Used Luggage

Used Luggage

jetaddiction@mac.com said:
pelican cases are a red flag for customs in any small country/ mexico/ bali/ tahiti /fiji/brazil/ . they won,t know what they are looking at. i travel with tons of equipment. 2 cameras/ lens set / lights/ gyro /monitor/omni tracker/ dolly wheels. full sound kit. I use walmart luggage with good foam inserts out of my pelican cases. I wanted to try and not get the working permits . i was always on my own with all my stuff. just keep telling them your on vacation. If you can split stufff up between people that works great.
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Indeed, even in any medium size city in the US, an old raggedy piece of luggage is not nearly the attractive target that a Pellican or Halliburton or vendor's case that says "SONY" in 2-inch chrome letters. Might as well translate: "STEAL ME" I like to prowl the GoodWill store and get used luggage of the appropriate size with the hardware still intact (or repairable).
 
I would never put fragile production equipment in regular clothing luggage. Your piece of luggage may be stacked under a 1000 lbs of other luggage on a cart, and be thrown around, dropped and bounced etc. I have never had my full size Pelican cases stolen and they don't say "Sony" or anything else on them. You have more to fear from airline baggage abuse than theft. IMHO you are choosing the more of two evils...

As I said earlier, I have had over 30 trips to every part of Europe and never had a problem. But I also always have insurance on myself and my possessions when traveling.
 
I agree that ordinary luggage (particularly used) probably isn't rugged enough for checked luggage on airlines. I use them mostly for gigs around town.
 
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