moving camera gear overseas: airfreight vs ocean cargo

JC · February 9, 2015

Does anyone have experience moving camera gear overseas? I don't have that much pro gear, but I want to take care of what I do have, and I have quite a collection of legacy Canon FD and Olympus OM lenses.

I am trying to make a list of pros and cons for air freight versus bundling them with household items in ocean going cargo.

Concerns I can think of:

Air cargo
-expensive

Ocean cargo
-shipper must pack for full insurance, will they know what they are doing? (edit, first shipper will let me pack, as long as I leave each box open for their packers to inspect and sign off on).
-humidity and darkness for 3 weeks plus may be terrible for 'antique' lenses, can I get the right amount of dessicant in each box?

What else don't I know that I need to know?

(too much to carry in cabin on a flight, and I'll also be 'shipping' 2 cats, so can't add that much extra baggage on the flight with me, will be too busy with the cats to take care of excess baggage).

mercphoto · February 9, 2015

I have no idea, but I'd be leary of humid, salt water shipping conditions. Then again, they ship cars this way, so how knows!

kdog · February 9, 2015

Good lord, not cargo ship! I'm continually hearing horror stories from folks who ship stuff that way.

JC · February 9, 2015

kdog wrote: »

Good lord, not cargo ship! I'm continually hearing horror stories from folks who ship stuff that way.

From people doing 'less than a container load' with shared cargo loads, or people who have a whole container to themselves which never gets unpacked until it gets to the destination?

kdog · February 10, 2015

Shared, at least in the most recent case I'm thinking of. This is a pic of a friend's box that he had shipped from Beijing when he recently moved back to the US.

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It does make sense that if you had your own container that it might fare better.

kdog · February 10, 2015

Or if you want to see something really scary, click here.

JC · February 10, 2015

kdog wrote: »

Shared, at least in the most recent case I'm thinking of. This is a pic of a friend's box that he had shipped from Beijing when he recently moved back to the US.

It does make sense that if you had your own container that it might fare better.

I've heard horror stories about palletized cargo, I also have friends who've had success.

kdog wrote: »

Or if you want to see something really scary, click here.

I don't think that's a common occurance, and that's what insurance is for, right?

Either way, my stuff has got to go, either in a container ship with everything else, or paying enough to buy a super new lens by air freight.

puzzledpaul · February 10, 2015

Only time I've ever done this sort of thing - via surface / sea freight - I used a decent wooden crate / box.

I also have a load of FD gear ... but I doubt I'd bother lugging it halfway round the world or whatever, since I can't see myself using it again?

Btw, something that's used to reduce weight (and thus cost) of quality flight cases is astroboard, rather than traditional ply.

pp

David_S85 · February 10, 2015

How about DHL insured air freight?

JC · February 10, 2015

My birdied shot in the landscape gallery is with an FD lens.

I will clear out some camer . Gear but I need to figure out how to ship the rest.

Sam · February 11, 2015

I would recommend all the highest end gear be hand carried. The rest should be boxed up with plenty of cushioning material, foam etc.

Take photos of all the gear, make a list of serial numbers, and buy a stated value insurance policy for the shipment. Stated value might be pricey, but it will be better than arguing why your Canon 70-200 2.8L IS MkII is worth soo much more than a 70-20 04.0L. and that lenses don't depreciate like cars.

I would go without spare clothes and underwear if I could pack one more thing in the carry on. :-)

I wouldn't buy the insurance from the shipping co.

As a side thought..............how much will the shipping cost versus buying your gear a seat?

Sam

JC · February 12, 2015

Sam wrote: »

I would recommend all the highest end gear be hand carried. The rest should be boxed up with plenty of cushioning material, foam etc.

Take photos of all the gear, make a list of serial numbers, and buy a stated value insurance policy for the shipment. Stated value might be pricey, but it will be better than arguing why your Canon 70-200 2.8L IS MkII is worth soo much more than a 70-20 04.0L. and that lenses don't depreciate like cars.

I would go without spare clothes and underwear if I could pack one more thing in the carry on. :-)

I wouldn't buy the insurance from the shipping co.

As a side thought..............how much will the shipping cost versus buying your gear a seat?

Sam

As in my OP, baggage on our flight will be occupied by two cats and their immediate necessities. Carry on maybe a cat or two (one is too large for the official airline rules). I'd worry about taking my camera gear as excess checked baggage because A) I wouldn't be able to pack it that securely given the TSA requirements to be able to open and unwrap all items, even if I could properly insure it against damage and

all my attention will be on the cats, and I wouldn't be able to attend to extra high value luggage during transit. I've thought about buying an extra seat, but if i do it will be for the cats.

I don't see how I can bring much gear with me on the plane, definitely not my 5D and full frame L lenses. I'll probably be able to fit one m43 kit with me. The rest is going to have to be shipped, I just need to decide between paying extra for air freight, versus shipping my camera gear suitably insured in ocean going cargo with our household items.

jtrai491 · February 22, 2015

I haven't been working in a Customs Brokerage firm and over 25 years, but I hold an Import Brokers License for the ports of NY & NJ and if you value your equipment I would ship airfreight.
In the mid 80's we would clear shipments for some major rock bands and they always shipped airfreight. Some even double cased some of their equipment, putting some equipment in fitted air cases then putting them inside a larger and stronger case with casters.
I realize the cost is extremely high but weigh the cost vs your equipment, only you can make that decision.

Good luck in your move,
Joe

JC · February 25, 2015

jtrai491 wrote: »

I haven't been working in a Customs Brokerage firm and over 25 years, but I hold an Import Brokers License for the ports of NY & NJ and if you value your equipment I would ship airfreight.
In the mid 80's we would clear shipments for some major rock bands and they always shipped airfreight. Some even double cased some of their equipment, putting some equipment in fitted air cases then putting them inside a larger and stronger case with casters.
I realize the cost is extremely high but weigh the cost vs your equipment, only you can make that decision.

Good luck in your move,
Joe

Thanks for the insider advice. I'm still trying to get all the quotes we need, our reimbursable relocation budget ended up being less that i thought it was going to be, so have to be judicious with our planning.

lightyear · February 25, 2015

There are specialized air shipping containers ( multilayer plywood box+metal hinges , hasps, edges) I have used for air freight shipment of photo gear. I bought used boxes from an air freight company, about $100/box, used foam and other cushioning; used tsa locks. The boxes made shiping easier, safer, not much more cost than trying to put it in a wooden crate. I think the insurance was less since it was in an approved shipping container. I note that the professional musicians use the same boxes ( bigger than mine) when equipment is loaded from the stage into the equipment trucks.
Stan

moving camera gear overseas: airfreight vs ocean cargo

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