crossing paths with leicaphiles

[Biber]

My black M4 has only been noticed twice, unfortunately the second time was by a Scottish police officer who brought me in to the station for questioning on why I had a camera and what I was photographing while letting me understand how evil photography is when there are terrorists loose on the streets... 😀

 

[cp_ste.croix]

I have noticed a few folks in my neck of the woods shoting RF's, some of them Leica's, but always feel a bit weird trying to stalk closer to them to see their camera up close 🙂 I'm too shy to go right up to them and inquire directly...

 

[Roman]

In Barcelona, some cute young thing commented on my Rolleicord 'Me gusta tu camera.' - since Nicole was by my side, I guess that was not a pick-up line...

BTW, saw Will Oldham ('Bonnie Prince Billy') live on Friday, and while I only brought the Oly XA, there was some guy shooting a Hexar RF with some kind of Leica 90mm lens (not the Konica Hexanon, which I would have recoginised, being one of my dream lenses) in the front row.

Roman

 

[JonasYip]

In Barcelona, some cute young thing commented on my Rolleicord 'Me gust tu camera.' - since Nicole was by my side, I guess that was not a pick-up line...

Actually, I've noticed that when I carry a Leica/RF or Hasselblad if I get any attention it's from, well, a gearhead guy like me. But when I carry my Yashica TLR I often get young artsy girls asking about the camera. Which seems to suggest I ought to be carrying the TLR more, or always for that matter...

 

[Kin Lau]

Actually, I've noticed that when I carry a Leica/RF or Hasselblad if I get any attention it's from, well, a gearhead guy like me. But when I carry my Yashica TLR I often get young artsy girls asking about the camera. Which seems to suggest I ought to be carrying the TLR more, or always for that matter...

A TLR was the one camera my sister wanted, and when I did the "Taste of the Danforth" a street/food festival here in Toronto, I also saw a young woman with a TLR, the only girl/woman/lady with a camera that wasn't a digicam.

 

[back alley]

well this is excellent information!!

did i mention that i just won a mat 124g...')

joe

 

[Scarpia]

Actually, I've noticed that when I carry a Leica/RF or Hasselblad if I get any attention it's from, well, a gearhead guy like me. But when I carry my Yashica TLR I often get young artsy girls asking about the camera. Which seems to suggest I ought to be carrying the TLR more, or always for that matter...

You don't need to load it with film, just carry it!
Kurt M.

 

[keithslater]

I took my Fed 5 into the mall to Ritz today to try filters (I did not know the size, but I do now). While at the clearance table, a old guy walked over about 4 feet away stared for a minute and walked away. Then, when the camera was on the counter, another guy walked over, looked at it, then asked the clerk if she knew of anyone dying to get a Yashica Electro because all he shoots is digital now. (I assume he was baiting me). As my photography budget is pretty low, I told him he would regret getting rid of it someday. My Yashica A TLR gets alot of comments. We also get alot of tourist busses in my village (Watkins Glen, NY) I think the last time I walked past a bus of Russians or Ukranians and a couple people laughed at my Kiev 35 which by the way lasted a whole roll before biting the dust.

 

[Ben Z]

I've travelled around the globe for several years using Leicas, never encountered anyone else using one (except at LHSA events), and never had anyone take notice of it other than in the last year, a few people noticed me holding it up close to my face instead of out at arm's length, and asked why didn't I like using the little monitor better than the little peephole.

A couple times I made the mistake of saying "it's not digital", only to get an "oh." in a tone that as much as said"what a loser".

 

[egpj]

Was walking through the Japanese Gardens in Portland, Oregon today and saw a guy using a Leica Digilux 1. I said "great camera the Digilux 1" he complained about how big it was and I pointed out that the Digilux 2 was much bigger and that the Digilux 1 fit in the hand so much better. I think he ran away after that. Oh well.

 

[zpuskas]

I was walking around the Terminal in San Francisco when an elderly gentleman came up to me and asked me if I was a member of the "LUG". I said no the people we just too intense for me. He said it was great to see people using those old great cameras. Me and my M3 agreed.

 

[ray_g]

"Daddy, your camera is beautiful". Kids, name em Nikki and they go for the Leica.

My daughter is the same. Out of all my cameras, the M3 is her favorite. "Daddy, can I have your Leica when I grow up?"

Of course, my son complained, "But what about me?"

That was the perfect cue to get an M2.🙂

 

[vha]

The camera that really draws comment is a Rolleiflex - some people will ask what it is, not even recognizing it as a camera. On a trip to Rome once, middle-aged and elderly German tourists more than once gave approving nods and encouraging comments when they sae me shooting with the Rollei 3.5F.

Yup, Rolleis are nice that way, still miss mine, but you should try walking around a day filming with a Beaulieu R16 w/Angenieux 12mm-120mm/2,2 and a matebox.
The film loonies spots you at 50 meters distance and starts pointing immediately, and before you know it you are surrounded by geeks . . .

but as it says : "Freaks unite . ."

vha 😀

 

[Uncle Bill]

Nobody notices in Toronto unless I am in the downtown Henry's getting film. I had my Contax IIIa with me once all the gearheads on staff went ga-ga over it. I plan to take my KievIII or ContaxIIIa to the Word on the Park (formerly Word on the Street). The Ultimo in shooting opportunities.

Bill