I have several issues with my feet and legs, plus, at times, poor balance. My feet always hurt, so, I am not faking anything, when I use a cane or stick for support. I have an injury-induced scar, and an adjacent surgery scar, caused during the repair of the injury, at one knee, that I can show at a security checkpoint, if it comes to that, though the scars are not directly related to my present-day issues. (Yes, I know that one is not “supposed” to have to “demonstrate a need,” if questioned the need for a support device.) Plus, finally, I have aged to the point that I look like a stooped, old grandpa, because I am a stopped old grandpa.
Texas re-wrote its blade laws in 2015, so, I live in a state which has become even more blade-friendly. Unless there are checkpoints that use actual wands, metal detectors, or physical searching, a blade is a consideration, and, generally, if the blade is discovered, no law has been broken. (One does have to weigh the consequences of being banned from the location, temporarily or permanently.)
A camera, or lens, especially one with a metal body, can be used to parry incoming blows/jabs/thrusts, and can be used as an improvised impact weapon. Notably, many music and entertainment venues do NOT allow cameras, or may allow small camera and/or lenses, but not “professional” cameras and/or lenses.
Some places that do not allow cameras may well allow binoculars.
If risk assessment makes it seem wise, I have concealable body armor, which I can wear while armed or unarmed. I would not go to an entertainment venue where I reasonably believed that body armor would be likely to be necessary, but, perhaps I might need to go somewhere, to walk a relative, family member, or VERY close friend out of a situation/location. The armor would be passive protection for myself, as well as anyone I am shielding with my body.
Edited to add: Notably, I do not recommend swinging a camera by its strap, to use it as an improvised flail-type of weapon. While the loss of the camera may be acceptable, I would not want to provide a heavy object to an opponent, who might use it against me. The strap lugs on cameras may well be designed to fail, to save users from strangulation-type injuries. I seem to remember one camera manufacturer having designed strap lugs to fail at 125 pound of pulling force. One could probably exceed that amount of force, during a physical struggle.