Film Lab Robbed of Camera Gear After Suspects Smash Through Door With Garbage Cans

Dramatic surveillance footage shows a person vaulting over a counter and sweeping camera gear from the shelves into a garbage can during a burglary at Scott’s Rochester Photo Supply on Friday | Image via Scott’s Rochester Photo Supply

A film lab and camera store was burglarized overnight, with surveillance footage showing two people using garbage cans to smash their way into the store before filling them with stolen camera equipment.

Police are searching for suspects following a burglary at Scott’s Rochester Photo Supply, a film lab and camera store in Rochester, New York, early on Friday morning.

Scott’s Rochester Photo Supply shared surveillance footage of the burglary on its Instagram account. One surveillance video shows a person using a garbage can to smash through the front door at 3:56 a.m., followed shortly after by a second person carrying another garbage can. The two then make their way behind the counter.

The store’s social media post says the suspects were “in the store for less than a minute and went straight for cameras.” A second surveillance video shows the pair going behind the counter and quickly stuffing several pieces of camera equipment into the cans as an alarm sounds, before fleeing the store.

According to a report by 13WHAM ABC, the Rochester Police Department (RPD) responded to the store after the alarm went off at 4:00 a.m and found a window had been broken to make entry and camera equipment had been stolen. The vehicle used by the two suspects, a 2006 lifted GMC Sierra, was also reported stolen earlier, at around 3:30 a.m.

Scott’s Rochester Photo Supply says it is working with police and its insurance company to determine the full extent of the damage from the theft and what will be covered. However, the film lab released an extensive list of the missing inventory, which included a Canon R10 and EOS R6 Mark II, a Nikon Zf and Sony a6700, a Sony a7S III and Sony a7 IV, along with numerous Canon, Nikon and Sony lenses, including Canon RF 28mm, 50mm and 28-70mm lenses, Tamron 18-300mm and 11-20mm lenses, and Nikon 50mm, 50-400mm and 18-300mm lenses.

A list of the camera gear stolen from the store.

The store shared more information about the suspects.

““Many people have reached out with suggestions, offered support, and asked how they can help. Honestly, we are not sure yet what moving forward looks like or what we need,” the store says in a statement, according to Rochester First. “We are working with RPD and insurance closely and hopefully quickly to better understand the full gravity of the situation.”

The store adds: “We do not want to put out a GoFundMe because we don’t know the full extent of the cost of damages and what insurance will reimburse us for yet.”

Captain Greg Bello of RPD tells 13WHAM ABC that the incident was under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call 911. Scott’s Rochester Photo Supply has asked anyone with any information to “please contact us as soon as possible.”

Image creditsAll photos via Scott’s Rochester Photo Supply.