Do you like the Leica Red Dot?

Do you like the Leica Red Dot?

  • Yes. It adds Style. It's a Leica After all!

    Votes: 158 52.1%

  • No. People see that Red Dot and they get scared.

    Votes: 145 47.9%
  • Total voters
    303
I think that Leica should rollout the a la carte programme for the M8 as well. While they are at it, they could also offer another viewfinder as they do with the other models.
 
Not a fan of the red dot when I am shooting, but it is pretty to look at, which I suppose is part of the problem when trying to be stealthy...
 
It's ostentatious and embarassing. That's why none of my Leicas have one. Oh, except for my M4-P, but I don't use that one. Maybe that's why?

/T
 
The logo either scares or is stylish.

I don't think so. We need a poll on the poll. "How many other options can you think of?"

- It doesn't matter
- I'm color-blind: what Leica Red dot?
- It's a dot?
- Who is this Leica person?
- I like polka dots better.
- Nikon is the Master of the Universe -- all else is fluff
- I'd rather buy Bling, yo.
 
I like the red dot, I mean, I like the concept, the logo and all. But, like all of my cameras, all of the names, etc., are under black tape. I like black tape more (ps, even my Holga has a taped over name.)
 
I think Leica's à-la-carte programme needs an option to customise the red dot. For example, one could replace it by a blue dot (the "I only use Zeiss lenses" option), by a red star (I refer you to Captain Obvious), by a little dollar sign set in gold, or by a tiny little hologram of your loved ones.

Philipp
 
thomasw_ said:
rofl, Roland :D

i dislike the red dot aesthetically. the classic engraving on the top plate is enough for me.
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Unfortunately there is no traditional Leica script on the newer cameras. This is the one change I would make to my M8 and M6TTL.

Gene
 
what happened to subtletly??

what happened to subtletly??

Leicas in the past had a discreet engraving on top and no logos up front that screamed "Leica" . The " In your face" look that started with the Leica M4P is a sign that subtlety has gone down the tubes, substituted by loud, ungaily red dots...... It may be a sign of the times, gaudiness sells--but I will leave that to the professional sociologists and philosophers to dwell on.
Meanwhile, bring back the nice engraving on top and get rid of the red dot!!!!!
 
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no, i prefer to place tape or a sticker over it. my wish would be to return to the M2/3/4 branding style. but i agree that no one seems to notice, so i'm not sure why i care except out of an exaggerated sense of modesty or maybe embarrassment at having such a nice piece of gear.
 
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i actually like one aspect of the m4-2/m4-2 markings: the stamped 'leitz' logotype on the top. as for the front, they should have done what they did with the m6, move the 'm4-2/m4-p' underneath 'leica'. for the m6 and m7, they could have changed the top to read 'leica' and reduced the front engraving to the model number.
 
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"Let's face it: People on the streets don't notice that red dot. It's almost foolish to think they do."
*cough*
on the contrary, I think people DO actually notice it. EVERY time Ive gone out without the tape on my camera (sometimes it gets scummy and needs to be replaced and everytime its off I think, oh sure no ones going to notice it), whether it was a Leica or a Voigtlander Id get some loud mouthed deuche-bag walk up to me and virtually broadcast "HAY MAN IS THAT A LIKA? WHICH ONE IS IT IVE ALWAYS WANTED ONE OF THOSE HERE LOOK I BOUGHT THIS CAMERA THIS IS A..." and so the conversation continues. GRRRR!!!!! I think people out there think that we are ninja grandmasters of photography just because of the hardware.

Now ok I had a black bessa, and I now have a chrome M6 which gets a weekly dose of sharpie SACRELEGE (sp?) I hear you say, well I do it do make it as invisible as I possibly can, people dont like to have their pictures taken around here (Seattle -lots of passive agressive stuff etc), and its almost like you get people banding together too, someone might see you take a picture of someone else and then walk over to you and make a point of giving you **** about it.
In fact, two weeks ago, I had this crummy old ******* walk up to me on the street with his cell phone poked it right in my face and click -like literally in my face, as he had seen me take a shot of a building with a ped crossing and a man in a suit running past me, then he got on the cell phone and "called in" a suspected terrorist RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!!!!!!!! 25 minutes later in a different part of the downtown area, two burly gents cornered me in a photo gallery of all places, and asked me few questions. Sure fine whatever, they are just doing their jobs, but that old fart who called in did it because he saw me with a camera which was (at the time chrome) with a nice big red dot target shooting from waist level in the same block area of a sub letted federal building -this is what the FBI guys told me. They also said they get hundreds of calls like this every day and maybe I "shouldnt be so obvious about taking photographs of people on the street because it makes some people nervous" HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! wow and from a g-man too....

So yes in short, Id really love to rip that thing out of there, sharpie it to death or do as I do and tape it up.
 
I don't mind it, I left it on my M8 but it's covered on my M6.
I don't know why people get so worked up though.
 
NB23 said:
I love the red dot.

Let's face it: People on the streets don't notice that red dot. It's almost foolish to think they do.

As a photographer (someone who supposedly sees everything, according to popular belief), I don't notice if passing-by people have brown or green eyes. I don't even notice if girls have a zit on their face (but they think the whole world notices it). Heck, I wouldn't even tell if someone is missing a whole arm and yet some of you think that Red Dot ruins a photo opportunity? :confused:


I like the Red Dot. It says Leica and that's what it is.
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I've come to realize that not noticing stuff is a Y-chromosome thing. Men have to work hard at it. Women, on the other hand, notice everything.

Case in point: I am walking down the street with my wife and a good looking twentysomething girl walks in the opposite direction. I glance at her non-chalantly (trying not to oggle) and carry on with the Mrs. I begin to take a swig of diet soda when my wife says "I cannot believe that girl that just passed us was not wearing underwear!"

I nearly drowned.
 
I like the red dot when it is printed on the box or on the brochure, ore as an front door sign, it is some what appealing. But I hate it on the camera, I used to compare it with, let's say, the Mercedes star, it look's a 'little' arrogant, " m' as tu vu".
HCB used to put tape on his camera's, but tape on a chrome camera...
 
A story

A story

I got my M6 a month of two ago. A day after I got it I went to take pictures in Tel Aviv. It at night. I was walking in a narrow street in one of the old neighbourhoods. I took a picture of the street and a car drove past me.
Then the care stopped and went toward me in reverse. The driver asked me if I was carrying the new M8 that "he saw in the UK and costs 5000 pounds". I told him I was carrying "Leica, but just an old film camera" and that the actual camera he was talking about costs less.

So, the red dot was big enough to be noticed at night, while driving by and made someone drive in reverse to ask me about it....

First thing I did when I got home was putting black electrician tape on the logo and the "Leica M6" engraving. Now, I have a black, faceless camera that just looks old, and I'm happy with it.

I'm aware that most people in the street (including myself, before knowing what a Leica is) don't really care about these cameras, with or without the red dot.
 
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