Camera in Egypt

[ny cruisequeen]

When we are on our Museum visit to see King Tut in Cairo, do I:

a)Leave my good, expensive, brand new camera in the car with the driver (and possibly the high heat)

or

b) check it and take a chance that it will be there intact when we are finished?

or

c) take an older camera that I won't worry about?

[texancruzer]

Good point. Anybody ?

 

While we are in Cairo for a few days before our Nile cruise, we only have the one chance to see the museum with our tour. We will be "doing" other things that same day - so cannot leave in hotel...... hesitate to leave on bus....... check at door ??? OOOOO don't like that option either.

[paul929207]

We left ours on the bus. No damage done

[cruisemom42]

Of the options listed, I would probably leave it in the car (or bus or minibus) if you have a dedicated driver for your group. The driver's job generally entails staying with the bus; if he must do something else in the meantime, the vehicle will be locked.

 

I would not advise using the check at the museum.

 

If your camera is so expensive or so heat sensitive that you will worry about leaving it, then perhaps it would be good to invest in a moderate (but still good) camera for Egypt. Egypt is hard on cameras -- mine got sand in it from being in the desert (scratched the lens and gummed up the auto open/close).

 

Expensive cameras are also a target for pickpockets and thieves. One person in our group put his camera down (as requested by security) to be scanned through the airport scanner when we were enroute to Abu Simbel. He also had to take off his shoes and belt. By the time he got his shoes and belt back on and went to pick up his camera, it was gone. The two security guards sitting right on the other side of the table claimed to have seen nothing. :rolleyes:

[MercedMike]

When we visited the museum, our guide took all the cameras from our group (about 14), tied them all together and took them to the checkstand. We got them back all intact with no problem.

 

In many places we left all sorts of things on the bus and never had any problem.

 

But if you are really that frightened, then buy a cheap throwaway camera to carry that day.

 

In any case, I recommend downloading your pictures every night so they are safe, even if the camera gets lost or broken.

 

We saw a girl try to sneak a photo of the Tut mask with her cell phone. They confiscated the phone on the spot. Our guide said that was it, she would not get it back.

[texancruzer]

Hmmmm interesting. The camera is not the priceless thing. It will be the pictures we take before the museum on that day. I like how the guide tied them all together...... makes walking off with them a bit harder :D

 

We do not download each day but take many many memory cards. We use one each day or every other day and then switch. That way, we would only lose some of our pics. I will not let dh take computer on vacations......he will work :eek: Same with cell phone.... I try to book stuff where it won't work :rolleyes:

[Sekhmet]

I will not let dh take computer on vacations......he will work :eek: Same with cell phone.... I try to book stuff where it won't work :rolleyes:

 

This rings a bell. We have a very good friend who is part of our New Year vacation group, but who appears to be surgically attached to his BlackBerry (may well be, actually, as he IS a surgeon). The temptation to despatch both man and machine over the side is sometimes overwhelming!

[Grannycb]

Is theft that big of a problem at the Museum of Egyptain Antiquities? I'd have thought it would be fine to leave my camera in an insulated bag in the van. And as for sneaking photos, aren't there postcards and books on sale there?

 

One other question: Did your guide go through the museum with you or were you left to wander on your own?

[texancruzer]

This rings a bell. We have a very good friend who is part of our New Year vacation group, but who appears to be surgically attached to his BlackBerry (may well be, actually, as he IS a surgeon). The temptation to despatch both man and machine over the side is sometimes overwhelming!

 

 

Hoo boy. Have been tempted many many times to chuck the phone over the side or anywhere else that would cause it to not function and interrupt my vacation. My dh is an attorney and even while he is on vacation, things move forward and continue at the office without him.....sometimes he must check-in so I let him via email or an occasional call.

[cruisemom42]

Hmmmm interesting. The camera is not the priceless thing. It will be the pictures we take before the museum on that day. I like how the guide tied them all together...... makes walking off with them a bit harder :D

 

We do not download each day but take many many memory cards. We use one each day or every other day and then switch. That way, we would only lose some of our pics. I will not let dh take computer on vacations......he will work :eek: Same with cell phone.... I try to book stuff where it won't work :rolleyes:

 

You could always take the memory card out of the camera before leaving it. They don't care if you have memory cards in your bag, but they do check for cameras.

 

As someone else said, they are quite strict about photos both in the museum and in the royal tombs at Luxor. Someone in our group (there's always one....:rolleyes:), tried to sneak a photo in one of the tombs despite our guide emphasizing that it was NOT allowed and NOT okay to do so. The guards were all over him in a second. They took the camera from him and were going to keep it, I'm pretty sure. Our guide intervened and after a heated discussion (and perhaps some money changing hands), he was able to get the camera back -- minus the memory card.

 

Oddly, in other places it seems to be okay to take photos; in fact, sometimes the guards even encourage it for a little "baksheesh". Just listen to your guide. He/she will know the drill.

[MercedMike]

Is theft that big of a problem at the Museum of Egyptain Antiquities? I'd have thought it would be fine to leave my camera in an insulated bag in the van. And as for sneaking photos, aren't there postcards and books on sale there?

 

One other question: Did your guide go through the museum with you or were you left to wander on your own?

 

Yeah, this is the thing I don't understand. That stupid girl held her cell phone up over her head to shoot a pic of the Tut mask over the heads of the crowd around it. Why?? The gift shop sold many postcards of different views of it, much better than she could ever get by sneaking a pic. I never bother taking pictures that a postcard shows better and more professionally.

 

OTOH a picture of US standing in front of the sphinx is something I can't buy. So whenever possible I want to be in the picture!

 

Our guide went through the museum with us. This was the old one, and it was pretty convoluted and twisty. It was much easier to find stuff with him.

[ny cruisequeen]

The problem is the intense heat that builds up in the waiting car. The battery can become overheated and ruin the camera. If I remove the battery and bring it with me, and there is a metal detector at the entrance (???) they can possibly take my battery and then I am up a creek! We have a private tour car for 2- not a large bus or van. If they do not keep the air on in the waiting car I can ruin my camera. That's one of my big concerns.

[dileep]

The problem is the intense heat that builds up in the waiting car. The battery can become overheated and ruin the camera.

 

 

Can you remove the battery and leave it in a separate bag in the car?

[texancruzer]

Along with numerous memory cards we also take a few batteries......

 

I am actually thinking about buying a second camera (same one as we own now) and then we each have one..... we love our Sony Cyybershot 12.1 megapixels...... we actually took pics in a jeep in the mountains of Turkey on basically a goat trail.....and they came out clear as a bell. It has a wonderful movement feature that takes all the jiggle out.

 

We did this with our underwater cameras......we bought one and got one for a Christmas present so we have two.

[dileep]

I am actually thinking about buying a second camera (same one as we own now) and then we each have one..... We did this with our underwater cameras......we bought one and got one for a Christmas present so we have two.

 

Good idea. You can share cards and chargers!

[Grannycb]

It seems I've read most private companies provided bottled water. I'd assume this would be kept in a cooler in the vehicle. Couldn't batteries be put in the cooler?

[cougfan]

We were in Egypt in Feb 2006. While at the Cairo Museum I had to check my camera at a little building in front of the museum. I was given a small ticket and I could see them put my camera in a little cubicle. When were done with the museum I went back, gave back the ticket and got my camera back. There were many camera bags which got checked since no one could take their camera in to the museum. In the tombs in Luxor I was able to carry my camera as long as it stayed inside the bag. At the pyramids our guide held onto the camera.

 

Julie

[ny cruisequeen]

THANK YOU ALL!

I have decided to bring an older camera to leave with our driver. I am afraid of the dust ruining my new camera(DSLR) and also the heat, so the new one stays onboard, and the old one comes with me for this one day. I would rather play it safe than be miserable for the rest of my trip!

[texancruzer]

We were in Egypt in Feb 2006. While at the Cairo Museum I had to check my camera at a little building in front of the museum. I was given a small ticket and I could see them put my camera in a little cubicle. When were done with the museum I went back, gave back the ticket and got my camera back. There were many camera bags which got checked since no one could take their camera in to the museum. In the tombs in Luxor I was able to carry my camera as long as it stayed inside the bag. At the pyramids our guide held onto the camera.

 

Julie

 

OK.... let me see if I got this right.

 

Museum - no cameras - period.

Luxor tombs - camera ok - no pictures ? just inside right ?

Pyramids - no camera ? inside right ?

 

Just trying to figure out where and when pics are ok. Seems a tad confusing.

[dileep]

I am hoping that we will be taken care of on this photographer's tour

 

http://www.1worldtours.com/PhotographersEgyptTour.htm

[MercedMike]

OK.... let me see if I got this right.

 

Museum - no cameras - period.

Luxor tombs - camera ok - no pictures ? just inside right ?

Pyramids - no camera ? inside right ?

 

Just trying to figure out where and when pics are ok. Seems a tad confusing.

 

Signs will be posted and your guide will let you know.

[Pirateskigirl]

OK.... let me see if I got this right.

 

Museum - no cameras - period.

Luxor tombs - camera ok - no pictures ? just inside right ?

Pyramids - no camera ? inside right ?

 

Just trying to figure out where and when pics are ok. Seems a tad confusing.

 

Museum-no cameras period

Luxor-No cameras are permitted period inside the Valley of the Kings or Queens. If they catch you it's a $100 fine and maybe you get your camera back.

Pyramids-You can take all the pictures you want outside the Pyramids and the Sphinx. No cameras permitted inside the Pyramids or the Solar boat museum.

[texancruzer]

Wow, I better have a great memory, I guess, as it seems you can't take pictures in Egypt :eek:

 

I can understand no pictures in the museum or inside of any stucture (such as tombs etc.) as it could harm items (mummies, pictures on the walls etc.)

 

But to not be able to take pics outside......such as the Valley of the Kings is ???? for me.

 

What about Abu Simbel ? Or other sites ? Sakkara, Temple of Horus, Temple of Philae? There are a ton more we will be visiting .......

 

I will definately depend on our guide for "guidance" (no pun intended) but would like to have a good idea of what we can and can't photograph before we go. One of favorite things is to re-visit our pictures :o

[cruisemom42]

Museum-no cameras period

Luxor-No cameras are permitted period inside the Valley of the Kings or Queens. If they catch you it's a $100 fine and maybe you get your camera back.

Pyramids-You can take all the pictures you want outside the Pyramids and the Sphinx. No cameras permitted inside the Pyramids or the Solar boat museum.

 

Some of this is simply untrue.

 

You can take pictures in the Valley of the Kings or Queens OUTSIDE of the tombs. However, they are dead (get it?) serious about no pictures inside.

 

You can take pictures inside the solar boat museum as long as you do not use a flash. I was able to get some excellent photos as there is plenty of light in the modern, well-designed building. (Looks a bit out of place on the outside, but beautiful on the inside.)

[Sekhmet]

And Yes, you can take photographs in the temples you will visit. However, to add one more prohibition - No military installations, however that is defined. When we first went to Egypt 20 odd years ago, no pictures allowed at the Aswan High Dam for that reason, but that has been relaxed. As others have said, ask your guide.