Photographer Has All of His Camera Gear Stolen While Sitting in Milan Restaurant
A photographer has been left utterly devastated after his camera bag was swiped as he sat in a restaurant in Milan.
Roger Radstrom was vacationing in Italy when the incident happened just a few days ago. The Swedish photographer says the backpack contained virtually all of his camera gear and just vanished while he was sitting at a restaurant.
“As usual, I placed my bag underneath the table close to my feet so I can feel it all the time,” Radstrom explains in a YouTube video. “And after a while, the backpack was gone. And I didn’t feel anything.”
Radstrom says he is unsure what exactly happened, whether someone distracted him or he was careless. The restaurant informed him that it was likely a professional job, but the staff there wasn’t much help.
The camera bag was a Tenba Fulton 10L V2 backpack containing his Sony a7 IV, a Tamron 28-200mm, a Tamron 17-28mm, a DJI Pocket 3, tripods, filters, straps, extra batteries, and extra SD cards. Radstrom estimates that in total, the stolen gear is worth roughly $8,000.
“I was really, really devastated,” says Radstrom. “My pulse was 500 beats per minute.” He adds that he had trouble sleeping afterward because of the “awful feeling.”
Radstrom reported it to the police, who, like the restaurant staff, have also been unhelpful. “They seem to dislike their work,” adds Radstrom. No longer with a full-frame camera, Radstrom had his Sony RX100 in the hotel room, which is now his main camera.
In a bitter blow, Radstrom doesn’t have camera insurance and will therefore try to claim some of it on home insurance. However, in a GoFundMe page set up for his lost equipment, Radstrom notes that his insurance only cover $2,500.
“I don’t think I was careless; I think this was a professional job. I was unlucky to be robbed by a ninja of a thief,” says Radstrom. “But my fault is that I didn’t have insurance that covered all the items I had.”
It is not the first time a photographer traveling in Italy has had his gear stolen: in 2024, a “hyper-vigilant” photographer had $16,000 worth of camera gear taken from him while traveling by train.
