Okay, I have to say that I would never put anything in my Hold luggage that I couldn't live without, something that I will not change (unless they go back to no hand luggage). I have started using TSA locks after the TSA broke my anti easy theft device (A keyring) and I have never had a problem with them.

Cape Air who run very small 10 seat Cessnas (9 pax + Pilot) state very clearly that hand luggage i.e. the bag is not allowed in the cabin. The bags are placed in the wing locker (literally on the wing behind the engine) when you board so there is little chance that they will be nicked/riffled through. However they could be damaged, so they also state that they will not accept responsibility for big ticket items left in the bag and will give you a tote bag to put these in that is allowed inside the cabin. Sadly I still managed to lose my hand baggage for 2 days after a Cape flight as I had too big a bag for the wing locker and they asked me to check it, I did so but didn't take anything out (my big mistake) and everything bar my travel documents went to Provincetown instead of BOS (I was lucky in that I go the whole lot back and had someone in ACK who could collect it and bring it back for me).

I can therefore see that a seasoned flyer such as the OP could put a very valuable camera in the hold, I've done it, but in my defence I was feeling awful that day and just groaned out yes when the girl asked if she could check it. I'm told that the TSA had then put it in the wrong pile and it had been loaded on to the Provicetown flight. Given ACK is a very small airport and you can watch them loading the planes I felt safe in the knowledge that it would arrive, wasn't best pleased when it didn't, and very relieved when I got a call to say that it was back in ACK.

I know (now) that 20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I'd never expect anything less than my bag to be gone through by at least one person (hopefully legally authorised to do so) when flying. I do exactly what convair does and put the dirty clothes at the openings to the bag and anything else under that. I used to have and use a bag that had locking points inside it and would lock any valuables inside another smaller bag that I would then lock and padlock that bag inside and to the bigger one. I outgrew the bag a while back but it was quite a handy feature.

I can understand the frustration of the OP at losing some of their honeymoon photo's, but the fact that it is a Digital camera might have contributed partly to the problem. You wouldn't have left (at least I hope you wouldn't) films inside the hold baggage for the xray scanners to fog for you, and you might have thought twice about putting the camera in the checked bag. On the plus side you are still togther and didn't suffer any injuries and will hopefully have a very long happy life with your partner.