take the tape off!

Eh?

p31209374-4.jpg

p407611013-4.jpg
 
I concur. Those that don't know (or don't care) about Leica will scratch their head and wonder "why the hell does he have little bits of tape on his camera? is it some sort of photographers pocket protector"? And the rest of us can tell it's a Leica no matter how many bits of tape are put on.
 
Thats not a particularly attractive tape job. I put tape on because I have a chrome body and use it for both work and street. Also it was an expensive camera, as was my Eos 1DmkII and my $17,500 worth of lenses that I also cover in gaffer tape. It protects and is grippy. I dont give a toss for brand names on my tools, I already paid a ton for them I dont need to advertise the company for free if you want to see it that way.
 
I have a bit of tape on my 30d over the "30d" logo and sometimes over the canon logo but sometimes not. I find when I'm out I get miriads of people coming up to me and going "oh you have a 30d - I have a 350d and it has the same megapixels blah blah blah" or when I'm working at on a real estate job I often get owners scrutinizing me by my equipment - Some of them recognise that I'm using a 30d and make comments about a pro photographer using a "low end" camera which really isn't cool. So I put some black tape over the 30d and hey! No more bitchy comments.

Also, When I'm in the city for uni and carrying something like my nikon f3hp or a leica RF, and I see something worth shooting, when I raise the camera to my eye the big flashy white print on the front of it that says "leica" or "nikon" seems to catch peoples eyes and they know they're being photographed. I find people tend to notice the brand names more than the camera itself. So taped, it just looks more like some crappy home brand camera or something..... It definetly gets less attention.

I see nothing wrong with people doing what they want to do with their cameras. I've seen people use zooms on olympus OM camera, industar lenses on Leica M mount cameras, kit lenses on canon EOS 5d's.... I sure as hell wouldn't do any of that but people do... its their gear that they spent their money on and they can paint it pink and glue it to the bottom of their shoes to make themselves taller if they want.
 
irq506 said:
Thats not a particularly attractive tape job. I put tape on because I have a chrome body and use it for both work and street. Also it was an expensive camera, as was my Eos 1DmkII and my $17,500 worth of lenses that I also cover in gaffer tape. It protects and is grippy. I dont give a toss for brand names on my tools, I already paid a ton for them I dont need to advertise the company for free if you want to see it that way.
Click to expand...

I will go make it look pretty for you.



I actually don't own scissors...which makes it harder.
 
Ok, so I do not own a Leica, but I would if I owned one. I even tape my Bessa! I have also found that a black camera with white lettering catches people's eye, quicker than a silver camera with black lettering. So I do not have any of my silver cameras taped, but all my black camera's including Nikon's, Bessa's, and Canon's are taped.

2007_09_25_002_600.jpg
 
I think the 'Stealth Bomber' has a lot to answer for!

Apparently Youxin receives an average of four Leicas a year for non working rangefinders ... that he only has to remove a piece of tape that some bonehead put in the wrong place! :angel:
 
Keith said:
I think the 'Stealth Bomber' has a lot to answer for!

Apparently Youxin receives an average of four Leicas a year for non working rangefinders ... that he only has to remove a piece of tape that some bonehead put in the wrong place! :angel:
Click to expand...


:p :p

Chuckle
 
dsc3789nw3.jpg


i just like it better. i find the logos distracting to me when i'm shooting and this takes care of it.

i got it to take pictures with, not to flaunt.
 
Is it really that common to have people in the streets walk up and try to start talking about cameras? It's never happened to me (Admittedtly I haven't been toting a Leica for long, but I've carried all sorts of other cameras around over the years).
 
Oscroft - it is happening with high probability at the point of: 1.carrying a very old peculiar looking camera 2. carrying a very fancy new digital wonder with a well visible logo/brand name.
In case 2, tape helps because people indeed recognize the brand and want to show you that they have stg similar so they are also cool.
In case 1, e.g. walking around with a TLR, or an open folder, you can tape whatever you want you will still encounter granddaddys telling you they had "exactly the same" x-hundred years ago, or kids telling you their granddaddy had "exactly the same" x-hundred years ago, or plain simple neohippies telling you "what a cool/funky/funny camera! blah blah".
The latest case can be a positive experience. Some people refer to this case as using a "chick magnet camera". :)
 
I have never been asked what camera I use, be that a Canon SLR, Bessa or Leica. So I never cover them with tape. Only when I use either a monster like a Hassy, which draws more attention by it's sound than the look, or an old Folding camera, maybe then people kinda look funny at me. But I think in their majority people just don't care what camera I use. Actually it's the large lenses that seem to draw more looks than the camera itself. So, when it comes to a portable RF setup - why bother? I'd say I had people ask me why I take a picture of ........... (whatever that may be at a time), as to them it looks ordinary and boring, rather than wondering what camera I use for that.
And on a aestetic note - personally I think cameras look ugly when covered with tape. Maybe a careful and tasteful paint job of the same colour would look better?
Plus I really don't mind if someone wants to comment on my camera - thats how you can learn some interesting stories, or exchange experience, or just plain meet people and enjoy their company. As much as we talk about our cameras and lenses here, I think it would be a positive experience as well. Or when RFFers meet in person they hide cameras from each other, don't talk equipment while they go out to shoot together? Yeah, right!
 
Last edited:
1.carrying a very old peculiar looking camera 2. carrying a very fancy new digital wonder with a well visible logo/brand name.
Click to expand...
Ah, I see - I guess my RFs and SLRs look too normal. (Though are people really approached about their Leicas? Leicas look quite ordinary, I'd have thought)

Some people refer to this case as using a "chick magnet camera".
Click to expand...
It would take a lot more than a fancy camera to achieve the "chick magnet" effect for me these days :D
 
It would take a lot more than a fancy camera to achieve the "chick magnet" effect for me these days :D[/QUOTE]


Well, you can always attach a key with Porsche logo to your camera strap - that might work better than just a Leica itself. hehe ;)
 
The other thing the tape does is makes me FEEL more inconspicuous. While it really does numb down some of the comments generated by the LEICA or CANON name on a black camera, it also makes me feel like i'm blending in better. I don't snoop around and do hip shots or anything - I actually walk up to people and things and snap them, smile, and walk away. Having a plain black camera makes me feel like i'm blending in a lot better
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom