Chrome or Black?

[mark-b]

😀 Urban streetshooters in particular, I'd like to hear why you prefer a black-bodied rangefinder, or a chrome-finished camera. In this 21st century environment, you see a lot of flash (i.e. "bling") and middle tones, but black objects might pop out of the ordinary. These days, we like black. I do. It's no longer the color of mourning, but of power and prestige. It seems to stand out and my eyes are attracted to it. Please tell me why you use a chrome camera, or a black camera.

 

[calexg]

I like black because it's not flashy and it tends to not stick out on the street. I think that a chrome camera has a very classy look to it, and makes the camera look a bit older and more "vintage" IMO.

 

[Al Kaplan]

My CL is black, no choice. My M3, M2, and M2-R are chrome, no choice. Had I bought black paint they'd be bare brass by now. The M2-R was only available in chrome. I have chrome lenses and black lenses. Who cares! They all take pictures. YOU are what makes the camera obvious. Make it part of you, handle it without fiddling, and nobody pays attention.

 

[calexg]

Who cares!

I understand the point you are making; however, let's use the (much referred to) car analogy: do you care what colour your car is? Of course it matters in your decision to buy. No, it doesn't contribute to the camera's picture-taking ability, as the colour of the car doesn't affect engine performance, but if I were offered to buy a camera that I didn't like the looks of, I wouldn't buy it.

You won't see me driving a yellow car. I suppose one could argue that a certain yellow car performs much, much better than...

We're talking about cars, right? ...no? Cameras? Oh, who the hell cares! Black or chrome--choose your poison! 😉

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

My two main shooters are chrome, like Al has said above, no choice in color. That's the way they came only big bucks can start to change that.

But for the discreet, low attention look, think about the lens choice as well. Fast lenses are usually larger than a slower one, same with focal lengths.

A Fed in my eyes with a collapsible 50 will look more discreet than say a Jupiter 8 or Industar attached. Lens hoods might help cut flare but also add lines to the camera which could make it appear larger.

 

[jonmanjiro]

A month ago I spent a weekend shooting in Hong Kong with a black ZI and a chrome ZI, and was really surprised that people noticed and reacted to the chrome ZI much more often i.e. by promptly hiding their faces or turning away! By the end of the weekend I was pretty much only using the black ZI. IMO it was an observable difference, and enough to prompt me to sell the chrome ZI. I'm now on the lookout for a 2nd black ZI.

 

[mark-b]

It must be a regional thing. I get the stares even when I'm shooting from the hip with my black M6. I'm down in Southern Cal. Last weekend, I was in San Pedro with my chrome Fed 2, and it's like I'm the invisible man snapping away with that relatively loud shutter it's got.

 

[jonmanjiro]

You're probably right about it being a regional thing. But I prefer black cameras, so it was all the excuse I needed to sell the silver ZI 😀

 

[maddoc]

Using a black M4-P, M5 or a silver M2, M6 doesn't make any difference at all from my experience. I was out for shooting together with a friend last Saturday night, me carrying a small Leica and him a D700 with 28-70/2.8. Nobody payed any attention to the cameras... 😉

 

[mark-b]

Heheh! If you want it, get it 😉 . No excuses are needed here 😀. And if it makes you blend in better, more power to you!

You're probably right about it being a regional thing. But I prefer black cameras, so it was all the excuse I needed to sell the silver ZI 😀

 

[Roger Hicks]

The traditional argument was that war photographers preferred black because they gleamed less, i.e. less sniper fire.

The more I think about this, the less convincing it sounds. My own view is that it's a blend of fashion and personal preference. I've always preferred black (MP and M8.2), but I also like my olive drab R2.

As Al says, unobtrusiveness is down to the photographer more than the camera.

Cheers,

R.

 

[sevo]

There are valid points for black cameras in studio stillife photography, where they let you get away with more sloppy baffling. Elsewhere, it is rather irrelevant whether there is a black or sliver lump showing up in reflections, even more so as the camera is quite small compared to the photographer who holds it.

Sevo

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

YOU are what makes the camera obvious. Make it part of you, handle it without fiddling, and nobody pays attention.

As Al says, unobtrusiveness is down to the photographer more than the camera.

Listen to them, this is good solid advice from people who know.

I'm using black right now, but could just as easily use silver, electric blue or hiviz pink.

Don't fiddle, don't play, don't apologize for being there; and do know your camera, your light, and your film.

 

[januaryman]

Certain cameras look better or less noticeable in black or in chrome. My black Canonet looks great and is hardly noticed - different from the cheesey looking chrome I had but sold. Same with the Yashica Electro 35s I had - black was better. My Canon P looks great in chrome, and I've seen black paint versions that I did not like. Same with my M2. I didn't want a black M4, but now that it got here, with old M3 levers, I love the damn thing. Like yellow cars, not good - yellow taxi cabs, good. 😉

 

[stkorn]

it doesn't matter

 

[Al Kaplan]

Ok, you asked. I'm driving a maroon Toyota Tacoma pick-up, it's several years old, has a few minor dents, a rust spot or two, and the clear coat is peeling off. I've never waxed it. It runs great. Maroon is a fairly common color here in the Miami area. I'll probably trade it in a couple of years when it hits ten years old. I'd still be driving a blue Tacoma a couple of years older if some lady hadn't run a stop sign and broadsided me on the passenger side.

 

[rbsinto]

Black. Whenever possible black. Just a personal affectation.
My Nikon SLR's are black, but because of a lack of Disposable Income to dispose of, the bad news is my three Nikon rangefinders are chrome. The good news is they shoot the same as the black ones, so it's not really a big deal.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I'm driving a maroon Toyota Tacoma pick-up, it's several years old, has a few minor dents, a rust spot or two, and the clear coat is peeling off. I've never waxed it.

Maroon and cream Land Rover 88 inch Series III Station Wagon (1972), with galvanized chassis. Anyone who can't see that has (a) a serious eyesight problem and (b) a serious bodywork problem if they drive into me.

I want people to see the Land Rover. I don't want people to see the MP or M8.

What's wax? Or clear coat? I haven't washed the Land Rover since I bought it in 2001.

Cheers,

R.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

A burgundy* and gray two-tone Rover, never been washed, but with excellent motor, transmission, brakes, and tires, and good leather interior.

I use it once or twice a week for a twenty minute journey, for everything else I walk.


*OK it's maroon really, like the others.

 

[Roger Hicks]

A burgundy* and gray two-tone Rover, never been washed, but with excellent motor, transmission, brakes, and tires, and good leather interior.

I use it once or twice a week for a twenty minute journey, for everything else I walk.


*OK it's maroon really, like the others.

Dear Jon,

Rover were always brilliant at two-tone. My last Rover was a 105 in Sage and Forest Green (light and dark green), though the one before that was a 'ministerial blue' (think Maggie Thatcher) 3-litre.

My Land Rover sometimes sits idle for 10 days or a fortnight at a time -- like you, I'll walk whenever possible -- but then I'll do 2000-8000 km once or twice a year. Maybe I'll even get to the Alentejo in '09 or '10...

I did once think of having an M2 refinished in fire engine red, but then I thought: Why?

Cheers,

R.