Taping - do you do it? Show us!

Im with the Original Poster on this one...

Taping the logos, for whatever reason , is just plain imbecil.

I'm sorry, you may think otherwise but right to expression is here and that is what I think.

Honestly, to make the camera more stealthy ? Yeah, perhaps, from other photographers that know vaguely what a Leica camera is - and that is a SMALL crowd already.

The majority of wanna-be-photographers-with-their-cheap-DSLRS-and-kit-lens-that-were-bought-month-ago dont even know the Leica brand, more over what a M camera is.

I usually spend more time , what is the rangefinder and most of the comments that I have about my M8, when I'm using it is "whooaaaa, is it digital ? no way ! " , just because it looks like an old film camera to 99% of the world - photographers or not.

Having a red, grey or black dot is absolutely meaningless... to thieves, to the general population and to be honest, to the majority of todays photographers.

I do "pimp up" my Leica - removed the red dot and installed a black dot, wiped of the M8 white lettering and re-leathered the thing.

Just because I like it more this way - more visually appealing to me.

On the other hand, my MP is like she left the factory - pristine beauty in anthracite.

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My MP Anthracite, no logo but then again, never had it

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My M8 custom - new leather, new logo, white of the M8 off - just because its more pretty like this to me.

Now, I fail to understand that covering a logo with tape makes it more visually appealing unless the logo is a pink Japanese doll. Otherwise just fails me.
 
proenca said:
Having a red, grey or black dot is absolutely meaningless... to thieves, to the general population and to be honest, to the majority of todays photographers.

I do "pimp up" my Leica - removed the red dot and installed a black dot, wiped of the M8 white lettering and re-leathered the thing.

Just because I like it more this way - more visually appealing to me.

On the other hand, my MP is like she left the factory - pristine beauty in anthracite.

My M8 custom - new leather, new logo, white of the M8 off - just because its more pretty like this to me.

Now, I fail to understand that covering a logo with tape makes it more visually appealing unless the logo is a pink Japanese doll. Otherwise just fails me.
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I agree completely. If you think the camera looks prettier after (for example) the things you've done to your M8, that's one thing. I may even remove the paint from the engraving on my M8. But taping 'for stealth' or 'to deter thieves' does not seem to me to be a compelling argument.

Cheers,

R.
 
The only taping I do is when I use the 24 Lux on the M8; I simply cut a small piece of electrical tape small enough to fit over the bright line illumination window. This gets rid of all of the frame lines and provides a less cluttered viewfinder - besides, the whole frame equates to the 24 anyways.
 
I have been requested to tape camera logos when doing stills for TV shows (where presumably every possible logo that might end up on display has to be paid for or hidden) - and similar rules will be in place wherever sponsors and "advertising partners" roam.
 
Roger Hicks said:
I agree completely. If you think the camera looks prettier after (for example) the things you've done to your M8, that's one thing. I may even remove the paint from the engraving on my M8. But taping 'for stealth' or 'to deter thieves' does not seem to me to be a compelling argument.

Cheers,

R.
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I have taped cameras for stealth and I assure you it was both needed and it worked.
 
emraphoto said:
I have taped cameras for stealth and I assure you it was both needed and it worked.
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I am intrigued. Could you give a bit more detail? I can't quite see how you can prove that it worked, but I'd like to know the evidence. You might even change my mind, as with pulling the paint out of the M8 engraving.

Cheers,

R.
 
one of the few things that are uglier than that red dot in front of a camera... is black tape on a camera.

😀

I'm happy not to have these problems.
but don't get me wrong, I will still accept free M6-M9 bodies.
 
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Roger Hicks said:
How's your Portuguese, Fred? 'Cos that's how it's spelled in Portuguese (Proenca is in Lisbon), and when you're typing in a second language and the word is almost identical, it's quite easy to make a tiny mistake.

Cheers,

R.
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That's correct. "Imbecil" is Portuguese, "imbecille" is Italian (and in Spanish it's "imbécil".
 
I think I would only tape my camera if I think that looks better.

But allmost anyone knowing what a Leica is will see that its one with or without the dot.

Seeying all these blue and red Leica's makes me want to buy a zorki or fed to give a nice colour just for looking at it!
 
I imagine that everyone is looking at the red dot if I walk with it through the city and I don't like this feeling. Of course this is not the case, you may find this stupid and the camera does not look better with the tape, but I just feel more comfortable if it is taped.
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proenca said:
Taping the logos, for whatever reason , is just plain imbecil.
: : :
I do "pimp up" my Leica - removed the red dot and installed a black dot, wiped of the M8 white lettering and re-leathered the thing.
Click to expand...

Hmm. Just not sure why taping is more "Schwachkopf" than wiping the logo off.
 
IMHO, taping not only suffers from all the evils so well expresed in Bill's blog, but also has become quite vice-but-now-versa: the thug who sees a taped camera will run for it, asuming you are a dumb rich RFFer. And he will be right two times out of three ;-)
 
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