Frequently asked questions



What is Lenstag?

Lenstag is a project with three main goals:

  • Prevent the resale of stolen cameras, lenses & video equipment.

  • Significantly reduce the risk of theft.

  • Maintain the privacy of users and allow pseudonymous ownership.


How much does it cost?

It's free.


How does it work?

Lenstag works like this:

  • Sign up & add your cameras, lenses & video equipment to your account. It's free!

  • Verify that you're in possession of each item by uploading a picture from your phone or computer of each item's serial number or something else that shows you own each item (warranty card, etc.).

  • If an item gets stolen, immediately flag it as such and we'll create a public page to help you get it back.

Bonus feature: if you sell or give an item to someone else, you can transfer the record to them using Lenstag and save the next person from having to re-verify.


Why should I register my gear before it gets stolen?

The first few hours after a theft are absolutely critical to getting the word out & preventing resale of the stolen gear. If your gear is already registered, then you just have to sign in & flag the items as stolen (and optionally provide additional information).

If you wait until after your gear is stolen, you'll have to add the gear, verify it with something else other than a picture of the serial number and wait a day or two for someone at Lenstag to approve the verification request. By then the gear has probably been pawned or sold and the chances of successful recovery are substantially lower.


How can I tell if a camera or lens is stolen?

Do a web search for 'stolen', the serial number of the item and 'lenstag' for good measure. If the item's page shows up, there's a good chance it's stolen. If you know something about the item (location, craigslist post, etc.) please type it into the box and leave your email address (optional) so we can follow up.


Also, here's a list of all the gear flagged as stolen on Lenstag. Please let us know if you come across any item on here.



https://www.lenstag.com/stolen/