I see you have a real camera?

Sorry for not entering into the spirit of the thread - but are we under the impression that the friendly, well-meaning amatuer photog or working pro.- with a digital Eos-whatever, would secretly like a 'real' Speed Graphic, Leica,or Nikon F, or to be in our shoes?....I doubt it! 🙄
 
My brother and I were downtown one day, and a mom (probably of the soccer variety) looked at the ETRS slung across my chest and the Yashica TLR across his and said, "That's SO VINTAGE!"
Gah.
 
I was shooting pictures at the Tour of California bike race one year, and two to the magazine guys came up to me and said they admired my Contax IIIa/35 Nikkor 2.5. They both had the giant Canon DSLRs, and told me they didn't really know anything about photography, that their editors just showed them how to get their settings back when the cams crashed. Of course that's an understatement, but they were genuinely interested in the whole business of shooting film. Seems such a short time ago that Kodak's DC40 made its debut at the magazine I was working for. We had to make the decision about whether or not we could afford the hit in picture quality. We went for it and closed the darkroom and never looked back. The mag still uses P&S digi cams to this day.
Vic
 
Great story. Whenever I go out w/ a "real camera' I often have some good conservations w/ people, but never w/ DSLR wanna be pros. They seem to live in a different world. I'm sure they look down on the poor Luddite that hasn't joined the faith. Like you though, whenever I meet a "real" photographer (please place whatever criteria you have for that here) we have a lot of fun. TLR's and Leicas are wonderful conversation starters. My folders seem to elicit "do you actually print photos from that ?" remarks. If they only knew that my best folder takes better photos than any camera I've ever used 🙂
 
bwcolor said:
I recently spent three days in Disneyland, Anaheim, Ca. I alternated between three real cameras and the best I could tell...and I was looking...those were the only real cameras in the whole park.
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One day last year during my visit there I saw one other, held up my M6 and asked the guy if he would be in for a trade as he passed by. I think he had an M8 with a Leica 28, but it was dusk and hard to see. He laughed and commented to his wife about the offer.

A friend also thought my M8 images I posted recently were film (he was present while I was shooting), I didn't have the heart to correct him
 
bad_stereo said:
only 8x10 view cameras are "real." Everything else is a toy.

Just kiddin.
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You like small formats, then?

What's wrong with 11x14 or 12x15?

At least you get a decent sized contact print.

Actually I quite like 5x7 inch/13x18 cm. But given that you have to enlarge 4x5 inch, I prefer Linhof 6x7cm (56x72mm) 'three up' at whole-plate (168 x 216mm).

Cheers,

R.
 
I often wonder how radiographers, who use 48 by 35 inches format film, look at us with our tiny little cameras. And then there's printers with process cameras. Nothing like full format!

Seriously, a real camera is as good as a dog when it comes to people coming over and chatting.

Regards, David
 
Used my friend's EOS at his house to photograph a brass rubbing he'd done, me standing over a tripod standing on his dining table. Four or five shots to be stitched together by his daughter. We inspected the results on the LCD and agreed that we'd got good set. I went off home with the only thing I needed to bring, the tripod. A week later we're on the phone and he asks me how did the photographs turn out.....
 
A corollary to this: I have had people ask of my M8, "that's a classic old camera isn't it? . . . who makes it?" If I've got a bag with more gear in it, it's fun to pull out an M2 and respond, "no, but this one is." And, "by the way, they use the same lenses."
 
Happened to me twice over the last year. Once at a camera show where the Leica dealer voiced his dejected sentiments in this manner: "Finally someone with a real camera". Stupid me had to confirm that he knew it was no Leica, which lost me any good will that may have come my way. He knew very well what sort of creature the R-D1 is.
 
Perhaps we should be thinking that only real photographers use real cameras. By real photographers I mean those of us who know our apertures from our elbows, as the saying goes...

Regards, David
 
Guys, most people don't give a rat's ass about the cameras we carry. They simply make a comment to be nice or to show off. Whenever I get them, I smile and keep on shooting. Those who know about cameras probably see us, and come to their opinions on their own.

Have fun shooting! 🙂
 
SolaresLarrave said:
Guys, most people don't give a rat's ass about the cameras we carry. They simply make a comment to be nice or to show off. Whenever I get them, I smile and keep on shooting. Those who know about cameras probably see us, and come to their opinions on their own.
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....I know! - but we like that feeling of superiority 😛 😉
 
SolaresLarrave said:
Guys, most people don't give a rat's ass about the cameras we carry. They simply make a comment to be nice or to show off. Whenever I get them, I smile and keep on shooting. Those who know about cameras probably see us, and come to their opinions on their own.
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Well, yes, this is the nature of phatic speech. It's social interaction without any great meaning, much like 'Good morning!' or 'Hot enough for you?' I'd suggest that it's those who don't make such comments are the ones who are socially maladjusted. And where's the showing off?

Cheers,

R.
 
Funny enough, a pretty cute girl stopped and asked me about my M7 the other day when I was doing candids in the street, she didn't look like she knew much about photography, she said sthg like it's a nice camera, i've never seen this one before, you still shoot film etc.
First time that ever happened to me, usually people shy away or they don't even notice it. Though I have to agree you have to know cameras to look at other people's cameras in the street, it doesn't have to do with "real" photography, just like if you like cars you'd be spotting nice cars down the street

A friend's friend had their wedding shot entirely in 6x6, sure they had fewer shots but the few i saw were outstanding. I think I'd do the same with my own wedding, but that'll take some convincing 🙂
 
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I find my IIIf gets the most comments. Other photographers recognize it. Older people vaugly remember that it was an expensive camera. Younger people just tend to say "Cool camera!" I usually just say that "it's just an old Leica" and leave it at that unless someone wants to talk photography.

Nobody around here says much about "real" or anything, though I occasionally get asked about film.

William
 
I had someone run up to me once...
"is that a (unintelligable)?"
no, it's a Leica, I replied.

he instantly lost interest.😀


it does confuse me when people ask if my M2 still works though...
 
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