How often do you see other RF users around?

[jano]

Last year, while riding the trolley up to J.P. Getty Museum, there was a guy sitting across from me with an m7 and a camera bag. The m7 had a viewfinder on it. He had a second m (unrecognized) in the bag when he started fiddling with it. I tried talking to him, but he was not very willing to talk and disappeared soon as the doors opened. *shrug* This was, of course, before I got into rangefinders.

 

[PaulN]

I've had a few funny experiences. While I have never seen another RF user, I bumped into a Large Format photographer. When I asked him what kind of camera, the first response was "it's a film camera". I showed him my Leica and said "yeah, I shoot film too." He warmed up and talked about it. It was an old Speed Graphic (graflex?) camera.

Last spring while walking through Harvard Square, I had my R-D1 slung around my neck, and a fellow had noticed it from across the street. As soon as the cross walk light went on, he came over and we talked for about 30 minutes. At first I think he thought it was a Bessa and commenting on how he liked RFs in general. I then flipped the screen and his eyes almost popped out of his head. He used to shoot Leica's, but then switched over to a Canon 10D with a fixed 50mm. He liked the immediate feedback, but overall missed the feel of the RF. He loved the R-D1 though. We ended up talking about the benefits of film and he was partly the catalyst for me picking up a Leica and shooting/souping film.

Since then, I've been stopped randomly and people have commented on the Leica or R-D1. Still haven't seen another RF shooter though.

Not to derail this topic, but what are peoples experiences in camera shops? In certain stores, I've noticed extra attitude if I have an RF slung around my shoulder and I inquire on some film or dev products. Usually it is from college kids; do they feel intimidated by film or something?

-Paul

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Nobody. Besides, here in Minne-so-tah people don't talk to strangers. It's something they're oddly proud of.

 

[sbug]

Can't think of a time that I've seen someone (non-RFF) using a rangefinder. I did have a newspaper photog come up to me while I was shooting once. She had noticed mine and we chatted for a couple of minutes. She had many thousands of top-end Canon dslr gear around her neck.

 

[scorpius73]

i live in washington dc and i have never seen a rf in use.

 

[pesphoto]

Im getting married in July this year and our photographer is a newspaper photojournalist who also shoots weddings. Being film users ourselves, she is going to be shooting our wedding with only film and Leicas!

 

[egpj]

Never come across anyone else using an RF. I have had some people comment about my camera though. Mostly photo students or the occasional waitress that has a brother that is really into photography (whatever). People in the camera shops usually do not recognize a Leica. Although they do recognize the higher quality of the images and ask what type of camera I use. A very small percentage will comment "nice glass".

 

[blakley]

I see them pretty often here in Austin (of course, a few of us know each other, so that's easy, but I also see people I don't know using RFs). But more often people see me; I get stopped a LOT by people who ask me about my Ms, and don't wonder if they're digital 🙂. It's a surprisingly diverse crowd, too - everything from High School students to artists displaced from New Orleans.

I guess the theory that using an RF makes you invisible doesn't work in my case.

 

[furcafe]

Where do you hang out? We do exist! 😉

i live in washington dc and i have never seen a rf in use.

 

[pesphoto]

I visited DC last summer to see the Kertesz exhibit. Great city! Went to eat, twice, at the Waffle Hut, ever been?

 

[Talisker]

I was in Stockholm in November taking shots with the Bronica 645 with the 45mm finder atached and became aware of someone watching me - he didn't stop to talk, but he had a black M series Leica round his neck...

 

[jaapv]

Not too long ago. Tall old chap with a beard, type scoutleader. He wouldn't speak to me, as I was only using modern stuff (M6TTL+Tri-Elmar). He was shooting a Leica III? with collapsible Something ,I couldn't see what.

 

[furcafe]

Cool. Yes, our town does have its amenities, the Nat'l Gallery being 1 of them. Are you referring to the Waffle Shop on 10th St., across from Ford's Theatre & the Hard Rock Cafe? Yeah, it's an interesting greasy spoon. I'm not aware of any Waffle Huts in the city.

I visited DC last summer to see the Kertesz exhibit. Great city! Went to eat, twice, at the Waffle Hut, ever been?

 

[pesphoto]

um, ooops, sorry. Yes I meant The Waffle Shop. I have to go back. I was there during the NBA playoffs and got to sit in a brewhouse next to the stadium eating dinner and cheering with the rest of the Wizards fans as Washington won the game. A great time.

 

[Steve George]

Wow - interesting replies. As for attitude I've had...I'm (fortunate!) to be a young looking (I guess, anyway) 30 - I've had absolute snobbery in a Leica dealer when I went to buy an M6 where he just wouldn't give me the time of day until I mentioned some nonsense that showed I have a vague idea what I'm talking about - I then didn't buy from them because of his attitude, and I've been given great a deal on a lens in another shop because the guy was over-the-moon that "someone of your age" was "making photographs with film not just 'taking pictures' with digital" (his words and snobbery, not mine).

As for non-Leica shops...I went to get a roll of XP2 at lunchtime and had to clarify that it was film (my nearest Jessops) but for equipment I get varying reactions - as it's fairly obviously neither an SLR and it's not digital I've been asked what it is quite a few times before. My favourite reaction was a restaurant - I managed to leave a camera behind and realised a while later in the evening. I ran back, and asked if anyone had handed it in - it was a place that has "old time" decorations on the walls and shelves - the guy behind the bar said that someone had handed it in as an "antique" that they thought had fallen off one of the shelves!

 

[Stanton]

Let me ask, responding to the comments of others, how often you see anyone with a film camera? As to rangefinders, essentially none as far as I can remember, even doing the large amount of traveling which I do.

 

[pesphoto]

Let me ask, responding to the comments of others, how often you see anyone with a film camera? As to rangefinders, essentially none as far as I can remember, even doing the large amount of traveling which I do.

good point! Its getting very rare to see film shooters anymore.

 

[GeneW]

Aside from our RFF get-togethers, I've never seen anyone else shooting an RF. Nor has anyone ever asked me about any of the RF's I was carrying. Good thing we have this forum or we'd be a lonely, endangered species ...

Gene

 

[Steve George]

I reckon, aside from film disposable cameras, I see very few film shooters around. Except, that is at weddings - I went to maybe a dozen weddings in the last 9 months of last year and all the pro's were film users...Nikon out-numbering Canon 3 to 1 in 35mm.

Although that said, I've noticed that as I've got my Christmas rolls developed at the local places there are always other people putting film in.

 

[Solinar]

Yep, we are vanishing breed. It is rare when shooting in an auditorium or live music venue that I don't see a predominance of LCD screens

I have had two folks passing by refer to my IIIf as an antique. On the whole most folks ignore the IIIf.

My a Minolta Autocord on the other always attracts interest. I believe there is some primordial collective memory regarding TLR's amongst a certain age group and younger folks seem charmed by them enough to strike a pose or two.