take the tape off!

[raid]

It makes the cameras look ugly.
Why would you make your camera look ugly?
Enjoy your beautiful cameras. Life is short.

 

[swoop]

I put the tape on because I dislike logos in general. Also, there' the whole white text/ red dot on a black background issue. It just makes it stand out. The black tape makes the camera more subtle.

 

[Burlap Jacket]

It makes the cameras look ugly.
Why would you make your camera look ugly?
Enjoy your beautiful cameras. Life is short.

I had planned to tape up my new (to me) M6 TTL for reasons of stealth. But now that I have the camera in my hands (picked it up from the PO this morn) I'm not sure if I can follow through. It's just so damn pretty! lol

 

[ferider]

Life is short.

Life is too short to worry about other people sticking tape on
their Leicas or not, using UV filters on their lenses,
or not, etc. Wouldn't you say ?

🙂

Roland.

 

[Pico]

No words

 

[J J Kapsberger]

I think the tape is a dumb idea. If someone has an interest in Leica, I doubt the tape would fool them...

You're correct. Of course it wouldn't fool them. They'd still notice the bright reflective horizontal bands on the viewfinder window and, in the case of M4, M6, M7 and perhaps MP, they'd notice the angled rewind knob. Both features are obvious to someone with functioning eyes and both fairly scream "Leica."

 

[Pico]

Pimp Your Leica Vatican Style

 

[Rafael]

Obviously a bit of tape will not fool someone who knows what a Leica looks like. But it might keep the camera safe from a potential thief who knows only the name Leica and equates it with high monetary value. One need only look at the high number of Leica fakes out there to realise that the name itself attracts attention.

 

[nobbylon]

I taped up my bessa r2 but that was to stop the soft paint rubbing off. All I anded up with was a camera covered in tape instead of one with no paint on the edges. Helped with the resale though.
I have taped up my m6's from time to time but it was more because I liked the look of the MP. I don't anymore though. I can't help but wonder if a lot of users tape them up because of how great a plain black MP looks!

 

[bobomoon]

A couple years ago, while shooting a star studded memorial service for a famous author, a gentleman who had his camera taped, was asked to leave. When I asked the PR person what happened ( I actually had credentials ) She said: "Oh that guy, LOL? He was so obvious with his cameras taped up like a dork"

Was it H.S.T. ?

 

[raid]

Life is too short to worry about other people sticking tape on
their Leicas or not, using UV filters on their lenses,
or not, etc. Wouldn't you say ?

🙂

Roland.

Roland,

Das ist es!
I agree with you "hundert prozent". 😀
Why do people worry so much? :bang:

 

[P. Lynn Miller]

This thread is interesting. I have been shooting my Bessa R2 for about 6 months, in that time have had more complete strangers come up to me and ask about my camera than in decades of shooting Nikon SLR's. I can shoot my Nikon F wth complete anonmity, but it seems that the Bessa is an attention grabber. After a few weeks of this non-sense, I taped the Bessa, that seemed to help, but I still had far too many inquisitive bystanders. I really did not stop the attention until I stopped using the LH-1 rectangular shade. Now most people seem to assume I am using some old junky camera instead of a fashionable rangefinder. Evidently rangefinders are the new black.

In general, I do not like logos on my personal property. Clothes, bicycles, cars, etc. While I do not mind having the brand & model of my vehicle neatly labelled on it, I do not like to be a walking, driving, riding, picture taking billboard. That is just me. And yes, cameras are beautiful, so enjoy them taped or untaped.

 

[Photog9001]

"..attractive tape job.."

will we see a beauty contest ,-)

 

[photogdave]

All I can say is that I just couldn't be bothered either way. End of.

 

[DxPhoto]

so no one cares about that the tape itself could damage the cameras? shouldn't it be lead free or some?

 

[raid]

Just make sure that the tape used is Uranium free.
Else, you and your camera will have that Leica Glow!

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

I find that tape on anything renders it less conspicuous:

 

[Bob Michaels]

The only time I have been stopped for conversation was when I was carrying a Mamiya 7 at Daytona Beach.

That individual told me that he and his partner were also doing a photo series there. I politely replied with just "good luck". Then he mentioned they hoped to have an exhibit. I replied "don't we all" and walked away.

A year later, I got an invitation to an exhibit opening at major photo museum. I recognized the theme so attended. Sure enough, same guy but with about 80 16x20 prints of people on the beaches of CA and FL. Most of that work was from 6x7 chrome, just like mine.

And he recognized me at the opening amongst several hundred people. He commented that he remembered me because I was the only other one crazy enough to shoot MF chrome at the beach. And I got to tell him how my work turned out to be a series of 20 photos on display at the local library while I stood in the gallery surrounded by his work.

So I've learned to be more polite to those who notice my camera and offer intelligent commentary.

 

[FrankS]

Whether or not someone else tapes their cameras, seems like a pretty tivial thing to spend time thinking about much less get bothered about, IMO.

 

[Ara Ghajanian]

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).

One day (no bull) three different people asked if I was using a Leica. No one has ever asked before and no one has asked since.