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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Possible Stolen Red Camera. Help Needed.

ChrisLyon said:
Jumping on the firmware interaction train, when a stolen camera is identified, the firmware installer could call home with information on the computer like IP address/computer registration info. IPs can be tracked back to the ISP and then legal steps would have to be taken to ID the owner of the IP at the time of the call home. Then just fly over and knock down the door with a few hundred red ninjas.

I've never had a camera stolen-I can only imagine.
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what if the computer is located in an "internet cafe" somewhere in lebanon?


or the idea with shutting down the camera through updates, good idea, but then the result would be, the thief would get less money, because you cant upgrade.
a person who knows this would avoid to update anymore.
 
Axel Mertes said:
Best thing would have been a hidden embedded GPS module and maybe even embedded cell phone to send regular life signals when enabled with a new firmware etc. A technical value of maybe 100 or 200 bugs, that will give other benefit of being able to embed GPS data to every shot, which might be interesting to some poeple.
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I've always thought this would be a great feature. My biggest fear is some one stealing my cameras/laptops (I had a laptop stolen a few years ago, it sucked).

Anyway I looked into it, and for a few hundred bucks (and a bit of soldering) you can make your own Cell/GPS unit that you can track, and hide it in your camera bag/shipping case.

http://tinkerlog.com/2007/07/13/interfacing-an-avr-controller-to-a-gps-mobile-phone/

Sorry to hear about your loss.
 
Here's an idea: On the Craigslist New York or where ever this guy is supposed to live, put an Ad on the film and video or similar listing the following:

"I want a RED camera for my son, who's entering film school this fall! Top Ca$h paid!"

Someone willing to burn their life for $50K worth of high-end tech, probably just wants the cash or is desperate to shoot something specific in the coming weeks. They probably will want to unload the gear for whatever they can get for it soon. They will have their ear to the ground looking for a no-questions asked buyer and will be desperate to avoid a sting. If they take it overseas, it will be useless without a workflow to back it up. This is a grand theft felony so we are talking prison time of some length. Nobody with a brain enough to use this camera themselves will be dumb enough to try to hang onto it and risk capture. Work with the local autorities in the area where it disappeared. The DHS may also be contacted in this scenario because of the price one could command in selling such an item. One could finance all manner of nefarious deeds with the money one could get for a stolen RED.
 
K.Berlin said:
what if the computer is located in an "internet cafe" somewhere in lebanon?. . . .
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It's a lot easier to locate something in Lebanon than you might think.

Especially if your Lebanese and dealing with a professional item such as camera like a RED

If a stolen camera such as a RED does happen to find itself in Lebanon, it wouldn't take very long for a number of people to have knowledge of it. That kind of knowledge is wonderful for a legitimate business in the industry, but it can be a very dangerous and hazardous liability for those in possession of stolen goods. Lebanon is a small country with a significantly armed population, and the Lebanese authorities have a tendency to be very heavy handed and brutal towards thieves, especially when given the proper incentives. Lebanon has one of the best judicial systems money can buy.
 
Omnius said:
It's a lot easier to locate something in Lebanon than you might think.

Especially if your Lebanese and dealing with an professional item such as camera like a RED
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i am familiar with this kind of things, so i believe all you say is true, and i think best would be for indie rentals ask for your help, if it seems to be in the middle east.
 
I think the best thing here is for us to be given a LAST name

The last name alone will give us a good indication wether the person in from the Levant, Turkey, The Gulf States (Khaleej), North Africa, The Balkans, Iran, or Asia.

It will at least begin the process of elimination

Any word on a surname ?
 
Let us know the serial number!

If this guy thinks he'll ever use the camera on a professional shoot he's deluded. If the serial is scratched off, the crew should be very suspicious, no doubt they will know how to check the internal serial number anyway.

If you're reading this mate, you've got no chance. If you'd stolen a Z1 you could have got away with it. But you've effectively stolen a Maclaren F1, you muppet! Keep it in the garage, cos if anyone see you driving it, you're screwed.

The world geography of where this camera ends up won't mean a local crew is happy to work with the camera either.
 
To the person who has taken the RED camera from Indie Rentals. . .

By the fact that your name is "ABDUL" I am assuming that you are a Muslim, and you as well as I know that Allah-Subhanwataallah has knowledge of ALL things, and that the consequences of your actions will be severe in this life and in the next.
You have a way to save and redeem yourself. . . return the camera and be accountable for your actions like a man.

But be VERY VERY certain that you WILL BE FOUND. The RED Network extends across all continents and now that we are all aware of this incident word is spreading out to every corner faster than you could ever imagine.



Be intelligent and return the camera.

Don't give your mother and father unnecessary reason to grieve and mourn

Sincerely
 
How about something additional to the boot up PIN display, like two text lines customisable by the buyer at time of purchase and only insertable by Red, like the PIN, eg.:

Property of Visceral Psyche Films
www.visceralpsyche.com

ABC_123_XYZ

If you subsequently sold your Red to someone else legitimately, the additional warranty purchase by the new owner would come with the option to change that boot up screen upon verification of the sale by the first owner.
Would this be easy enough to implement in time for the next batch of cameras before they head out the door? Only Red can answer that, but I would feel happier seeing my company's name and contact details every time the camera boots up, knowing no one can change it.

Cheers,

Paul
 
Stuart English said:
Please let everyone that you do business with know that RED ONE cameras have a unique 9 digit electronic serial number - a P.I.N - that complements the physical serial number tag.
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I THINK who stol this camera he will try after while to upload new firware from
Red website ? is there is a way to track him trying ?:sarcasm:
 
It could make operating for us a little harder,
but with hearing this fact I'd like something to be done immediately to all upcoming reds.

-either implementing a pin code
-or a dongle wich expires after a certain date , like beta software
-maby something in the os, so you'll have to login every 3 or 6 months to update your profile and red being able do a check if you are the real owner of the cam, if not your cam will not perform anymore.., challenge , response thing ...
-or implementing a gps tracker at an extra cost, internally

or maby as many security items as possible combined together.

It can't be to hard I suppose to avoid further stolen reds.
 
sven said:
It could make operating for us a little harder,
but with hearing this fact I'd like something to be done immediately to all upcoming reds.

-either implementing a pin code
-or a dongle wich expires after a certain date , like beta software
-maby something in the os, so you'll have to login every 3 or 6 months to update your profile and red being able do a check if you are the real owner of the cam, if not your cam will not perform anymore.., challenge , response thing ...
-or implementing a gps tracker at an extra cost, internally

or maby as many security items as possible combined together.

It can't be to hard I suppose to avoid further stolen reds.
Click to expand...

or GPS tracking system,,,:usd:
 
Such "draconian" measures are not a good idea... It will cost RED more in the end to implement, test and support such protections. It won't stop the problem of gear being stolen. And it will make it more inconvenient, possibly even problematic for legitimate users.

The best thing to do is be protective of your gear. Take steps to ensure your security. Keep things insured for damage and theft. Try to know who you do business with.

Stuff happens, such is life. File the insurance claim and move on, hopefully the authorities can do something to recover the camera.

So far from what I've gathered from what was posted... The camera was sent with only a promise of the renter to pay, no valid insurance certificate was submitted either. Established customer or not, there's a little bit of carelessness in those details. If the thief was truly an established customer who paid for services at some point in the past, then there should be payment information or other ways to hunt him down. Use these details, go get the guy.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
The camera was sent with only a promise of the renter to pay, no valid insurance certificate was submitted either. Established customer or not, there's a little bit of carelessness in those details. If the thief was truly an established customer who paid for services at some point in the past, then there should be payment information or other ways to hunt him down. Use these details, go get the guy.
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Actually, it was sent out with a valid credit card used successfully in the past, a drivers license copy, a physical address that was used for a successful rental only 6 months prior, a valid insurance policy and to a customer that changed his dates that were planned over a month in advance due to scheduling conflicts.

We had none of the telltale signs of theft prior to shipping. My prep techs accidentally didn't charge before shipping. That was a mistake, but that's a small issue in comparison to the theft.

He also could have rented valuable PL-mount lenses from us to increase his theft, but didn't (he had taken care of those himself on his prior rental as well). If he really wanted to make some money, why not steal some Ultra Primes along with the camera? Why call and extend a rental due to weather? It all doesn't add up, so I still have hope that this package will show up at our office at some point, but I can't plan for that. Good thing my brother is in the FBI :)

I'll make sure to post more relevant information as soon as I have it.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and support. It does help. And if it happens in the future to anyone else, I'll be sure to do what I can to help as well.
 
Stuart English said:
Please let everyone that you do business with know that RED ONE cameras have a unique 9 digit electronic serial number - a P.I.N - that complements the physical serial number tag. The latter may be erased, defaced or otherwise tampered with, but the P.I.N can't.
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Ours says "N/A"...
 
Indie Rentals said:
Actually, it was sent out with a valid credit card used successfully in the past, a drivers license copy, a physical address that was used for a successful rental only 6 months prior, a valid insurance policy and to a customer that changed his dates that were planned over a month in advance due to scheduling conflicts.
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Oh... Wow. Uh, strange. You're right, that doesn't add up. I'd still start trying to track the guy down, but that's just weird.

He also could have rented valuable PL-mount lenses from us to increase his theft, but didn't
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Yep. Just one more thing that doesn't scream of a complete rip off...


What if it's not outright theft and something happened on his end and he's just hiding from you? Camera damaged/destroyed or stolen from him and he doesn't want to face the music... It's possible.

Anyway, all just speculation.
 
A. [Glad they deleted the message. Clearly I'm not the only one that needs to "lighten up."]

B. Here's some technology to keep an eye on. It seems small enough where you could actually embed it somewhere on your camera, (or -several- somewheres). It'd be even better if RED could place it somewhere that wasn't user serviceable (and thief-removable) as an add-on. (assuming it's even real)

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/hide_and...or-four-years-cost-2-weigh-nothing-333966.php
 
GvilleTV said:
A. That's tacky, and offensive. I hope they IP trace you and block your regular account.
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I thought it was funny.

You need to lighten up.

It sucks that a camera was stolen but life goes on and a laugh helps.

Really when you break it all down if anyone stole a red right now they are very stupid. Lenses or other gear fine but they will not get very far with a red and they will get caught fairly soon. Like Stephen Williams mentioned it will be the only old style red out there and will be very easy to spot. Also due to the nature of meta data and other digital signatures the camera will be found.

Now if they had taken lenses or other hard to trace items indie rentals would be SOL.
 
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