Leica, not in Disney World

I work on Wall St by the NY Stock Exchange in NYC, so I get to see a lot of different tourist cameras. Every once in awhile, I see an M. The other day a guy had 3 Ms strapped around his neck. LOL.
 
John Rountree said:
I just returned from a trip to Disney World with the grandchildren. As they say: Priceless! We were were there for three days. I had my M7 w/Rokkor 40. I didn't notice another M Leica the whole time we were there. And mine drew no attention, zero. What I did see were lots of little Lumix P&S cameras. The Digital Rebel out numbered the Nikon DXXX about 10 to 1! Though I love my Leica, just like Disney World, it seems quite dated.
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The last time I visited Disney World, about two years ago, I also brought my M7. One stranger commented to me that he couldn't believe I would bring such an expensive camera to Disney World, to which I replied that there wasn't much much point in having it if I didn't use it.

The next day a guy with a M6 around his neck saw my M7 on the table where my group was eating lunch and commented "nice camera". I came up with another brilliant reply like. "I like your's too." At which point the other photography nut in our group remarked "Do you guys have a secret handshake too?"
 
I remember talking to a photographer carrying four (4) M-8's at the gay pride parade in Orlando several years ago. This was within 12 months of their introduction and he said he had a 5th M-8 he was not carrying. During a break, he said he just liked Leicas but needed the convenience of digital.

He kept hanging with and photographing the Universal Studios group in the parade so I assumed he was employed there. Never asked if he was a designated photographer there or cast member. Actually never knew if he was marching in the parade or just moving with the flow to photograph.

I've seen multiple pro DSLR's carried before but this was the only time I have seen someone with 4 Leica's, film or digital.
 
At the TCM Film Fest in LA last month, I was completely anonymous with my M3, except at one screening, while taking my seat a man in the same row exclaimed, "A man with a Leica!"

I saw no other film cameras there.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Not sure I agree. I drive an old Land Rover so I notice other old Land Rovers. When I had a Scimitar I noticed them more too. I ride a BMW, so I notice other BMWs; Frances used to ride a Guzzi, and notices Guzzis. And yes, I notice Leicas and Nikon Fs.

In fact, I'd suggest that for many people, an essential part of being a photographer is noticing things, especially things that are distinctive, classic or unusual.

Cheers,

R.
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interesting! 🙂
 
When I shot street with a Hasselblad alot of upper class folk noticed. Businessmen outside the Hilton would always tell me how nice it was. With a Kiev some asian girls took notice during the evening, looks like a contax I guess? With press cameras some older european guys enjoyed shouting 'linhof!' With a Leica one guy approached me to tell me he had a couple of M models at home.

I have not seen any interesting cameras on the street though. Though I saw an EP-1 with some older chrome barreled glass mounted which was kind of cool.

Nothing is better than shooting an XA. So tiny and quiet. If anyone notices there is a high chance they will think its a toy.
 
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Since this has turned into an RF spotting thread, at a recent Volkswagen show at Englishtown Raceway Park , I spotted a guy shooting away with an M8 , I nodded my head and continued along shooting with my M4-P. No real time to stop and talk , but definitely cool to see another Leica user.
 
I feel a kind of silly joy when I see people with rangefinders. Happened in Rome last July, a lady had an M4. And in January in Hawaii we pulled over to the shoulder to take a shot of Waimea beach and another car did so. The father of the family had a silver M8. And that's pretty much it, rare to meet fellow RFers.
 
The nice thing is you can instantly strike up a conversation with another film user, even if it is a SLR.

I just got a 6x9 Ikonta. I wonder what people's reaction to that (or my Rollei) would be.
 
When I was in HK, I saw a couple of film cameras in Disney Land.. One with a Rolleiflex, two Bessa's and one M8.. the one with the M8 was sitting beside me in the Lion King show sporting a huge lens.. Im not familiar with the Leica lenses but it maybe a nocti..

Here in the Philippines, I get strange looks when I carry my Konica Auto s2. LOL, some I see laughing at me. and I do get looks from photographers and those dSLR boys with bazooka joes..
 
I took a Leica IIIC and a Canon 7 to Lake Tahoe last year, in July. While I don't recall seeing any other rangefinders, I was amazed at the number of times people stopped me and asked, about both, "Is that a Leica?" That would start a pleasant conversation. I am shocked at the number of people who recognize these old timers and appreciate them. Dave
 
After a day with my family where I brought my M8, we stopped by the supermarket to buy some bread. I was taking photos of my kid playing. After a few minutes, I chimped to just look through the shots I took the whole day when a stranger asked me if what I was holding was the new M9. I replied "I wish." 🙂 When we got home, in the elevator, another guy asked me what camera I was holding. Though this one didn't know about Leica or rangefinders... twice in a day after 6 months since I had mine. Not bad.
 
I walked back from work in London with my M8 last night via Whitehall and Parliament Square, where crowds of people were waiting for the announcement of the new Government, I noticed: 1. I had the wrong lens....50mm Nokton gave no context to why people were there or where they were waiting...not sure I got one picture to keep, I hadn't anticipated the event. 2. EVERYBODY was taking pictures, of the back of a crowd...waiting...but clearly the desire to capture a moment was strong (whether a moment worth capturing we will see!). 3. Huge number of cameraphones, loads of P&S, and plenty of SLRs of both makes!...not an RF to be seen...but I'm sure quite a lot of them got better pictures than me...! Last time I took pictures there was during the Tamil demonstration last year, I had a 50mm on my Hexar and a 15mm on the M8, got some pictures I was really pleased with AND got invited into the middle of the protestors and their hunger strike tents by the organisers...my first real attempt at reportage or "street" for that matter and pretty rewarding, not another RF in sight. Did spot a guy with an M7 in the street near my office a week ago, but that's it. Guy.
 
Double Negative said:
Ha, small world. I used to race my Bug there. In fact, if you look in the weeds next to the track, you might still find pieces of my old transmission. 😉

I went to Atco more often, as well as Manassas, VA.
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I live closer to atco and just recently picked up another aircooled(sold my 69 squareback two years ago). 67 bug with a single port 1500. Atco is more fun than Englishtown, because they let way cooler stuff run down the track.
 
not an M, but LTM, sure!

not an M, but LTM, sure!

Funny thing for me to read this today - I just got back from a week or so at Disney World.

Never saw an M, agreed on the massive collection of DSLRs in everyones hands. I think they even outnumbered point and shoots. Every single one had a kit zoom, many with a hood still on backwards for storage while shooting!

I was thinking MF, but only have the 80mm for my 500c and a Yashica 124G and hey, wide is nice at Disney.

The IIIf, Summitar, Hektor 7.3, and CV 15 only got 2 comments all week - one bag-check person entering the park is a collector and was entertained, and the tour guide for the steam train tour noticed as well.
 
Recently, I saw a younger woman with a Bronica in Central park, a man with an M6 when I picked up my new glasses at Moscot in NYC (he was picking up his), a man with an M9 in Soho (I had my Leica CM and he was oggling it), a woman in the wall street area with an MP, a man in the Wall St area with 3 Leica Ms around his neck (lol), a man walking on the Upper East Side with a screwmount Leica in his hand... no strap, a man in the park on the UES with a screwmount Leica, a group of college kids with older film nikons (metal bodies)... oh yeah, and at the HCB at the MOMA I saw an M3, M9, CL, etc. When the weather is nice in NYC, the camera geeks come out in full force.

All of those aren't counting my meetings with fellow RFF members (gear galore) and going to the Lomography store in NYC (college kids with film cameras galore).
 
"There is no way I will allow it in, it's a professional camera"

"There is no way I will allow it in, it's a professional camera"

A few weeks ago, I took my kids to a concert brought along with my M6 and 50 lux. I was stopped at the entrance. The guy in charge of bag-checking looked my M6 and said "There is no way I will allow it in, it's a professional camera."
 
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