This Site Can Tell You If Anyone Else Has Taken Pictures With Your Camera
The frustration and despair of losing your camera (or, God forbid, stealing it) is legendary, even in the era of smartphone cameras. Think about it: Lose both a piece of expensive gear and priceless digital mementos from your trip to Yonkers. But after you shake your fist in the sky and head back in your tracks, what else can you do? May be. This website provides an opportunity for investigation and hope. It’s a tiny bit of hope, of course, but it’s better than no hope at all.
It works like this: you upload a picture taken with a missing camera to stolencamerafinder.com , which then uses the camera’s serial number (stored in the EXIF data of the photo) to scan the Internet looking for other photos taken with the same camera. If it finds a match, you can find out where your camera ended up.
From there, you can try to track down the “new owner” and email him to request the return of your camera, file a report with the authorities, or devote your life to the John Wick-style thief hunt itself.
None of these options are likely to result in your Nikon being returned, but it has worked in the past and may help you find your way out. Maybe just knowing what the hell happened to your camera is the best you can hope for? The site also has a database of lost cameras around the world, so you at least know you’re not alone.
Unfortunately, camera phones don’t usually store serial numbers, and neither do every dedicated camera, so you might find that this path isn’t available to you even before you even start it. However, it’s worth a try if your missing camera is supported. Here is a list of them .