Any experience 'disguising' your M8...

[JohnnyRangefinder]

A crazy thought...

I know of the practice of taping over one's "red dot" for sake of being a bit more inconspicuous. Anybody have experience with a more permanent solution? Black enamel model paint and a 000 brush? Black nail polish?

Part of me would love to 'debadge' my M8 - a black dot and black lettering - to tone down the 'look-at-my-Leica-factor'

I am not worried about 'resale' as I plan to keep this bugger for some time.

Cheers,

Sasha

 

[HAnkg]

DAG has black dots (to replace the red one) for $15. http://www.dagcamera.com/leica_m.htm

 

[usccharles]

i would love to paint my M8 symbol black. its very bright and big.. people "in the know" so to speak, love to flock over when they see the big M8 staring them down. i would love to paint it over with something black but don't know what is best to use...

 

[JohnnyRangefinder]

Thanks Hank, that's a great lead -- are the factory 'dots' adhesive stickers as well? It makes sense, like car emblems... I guess de-badging is the correct term 🙂

I may have to dive headlong into this and black out this beauty...

Sasha

 

[swoop]

I just use black art tape from pearl paint. It works fine, there was some discoloration when I removed it from the M7 after having it on for a few months. It wasn't residue, just a different colour that rubbed off with some thumb scrubbing. It stays on pretty well. And it helps mask the Leica thing. I get asked a lot why I have tape on my camera by people online when I show this pic on the net. In person, no one has ever bothered. They either ask me what kind of camera it is, or they already know.

 

[pmowen]

I've never understood disguising an M camera. A large percentage of the public probably doesn't even know what a Leica is. Those who do will recognize one with or without a red dot on it. More people stopped me to chat when I had my M3 (no dot) than stop me now with an M6 (silver dot). If you like the look of your camera with tape on it then that's fine, but I doubt you're fooling anyone.

 

[HAnkg]

Thanks Hank, that's a great lead -- are the factory 'dots' adhesive stickers as well? It makes sense, like car emblems... I guess de-badging is the correct term 🙂

I may have to dive headlong into this and black out this beauty...

Sasha

Yes they are adhesive stickers like you would get on a car wheel. The black dot has silver type on black background. If you wanted black on black it gets you a lot closer then the red dot and it's probably the cheapest thing you will ever buy with a Leica logo on it.

 

[Joe Mondello]

I was at a gathering a James Beard House (shooting the event with my rather enormous D200, 17-55DX and SB-800) and a Board member (an older gent) had a nice new chrome M8 with gray gaffer tape on it.

So I asked him point blank "How are you liking your M8?" to which he replied "I love it!"

I don't think it looks better "de-badged" and I seriously doubt anyone who knows what it is wouldn't recognize it anyway, so what's the point?

 

[furcafe]

Agreed. I can understand why somebody might find a black emblem more aesthetically pleasing, but as a disguise it's pretty darn thin.

I've never understood disguising an M camera. A large percentage of the public probably doesn't even know what a Leica is. Those who do will recognize one with or without a red dot on it. More people stopped me to chat when I had my M3 (no dot) than stop me now with an M6 (silver dot). If you like the look of your camera with tape on it then that's fine, but I doubt you're fooling anyone.

 

[Andy Aitken]

Why bother - the white paint in my "M8" logo has started to rub out after a few weeks anyway 😱.

Also don't you think the LCD screen on the back is a bit more of a give-away?

 

[Matthew]

I bought the black dots from DAG. It's really pretty easy to do and looks great. I didn't do it so much for disguise but because I always liked the look of the black dot LHSA M6

 

[Xmas]

PVC tape will fix the LCD screen as well, all you then need is a Leicivit base for a complete disguise.

Noel

 

[lament]

Whoever put a Hello Kitty sticker over the red dot certainly had the right idea.

 

[steve garza]

I'm afraid I wouldn't recognize the camera if I disguised it. I would sit around wondering who left this imitation Leica in my bag.

 

[sepiareverb]

Whoever put a Hello Kitty sticker over the red dot certainly had the right idea.

Yes! Now where to get one precisely the right size? I have a real beater M6 that I'd love to do this to!

 

[grduprey]

I have never understood this practice, and find it silly. Most don't know what a Leica is or never heard of one, and those who do, the tape will not fool anyway. why not just take it out of the box and start shooting? That's what did and do.

gene

 

[lament]

(props to uga from #photogeeks)

 

[sherm]

Didn't we go through this exercise last week????? 🙄

 

[John Camp]

People "in the know" so to speak, love to flock over when they see the big M8 staring them down.

I've been using mine since November, undisguised, and in all that time, I haven't been flocked even once. 😎

JC

 

[john_nyc]

Black DAG dot for me, too. Same as on my M7.
Not to disguise, but to remedy.
I've always felt that the blazing red dot ruined the elegant design of the modern M's.

Kinda like a big honkin' inflamed zit on the forehead of Mona Lisa. Or something to that effect...