I guess the lesson here is to think about what you are handing to the GA when they say that you have to gate check your bag. As noted, it is easy to say that we would have done things differently, but I would think that in the case of that much camera equipment I would have stood firm on taking it onboard. I have seen people remove laptops and other electronics from a bag that was being gate checked and just carrying them on.

Do you at least have the stub from the gate check tag they put on the bag?