Why do some people black out branding on their gear

[emraphoto]

"You are giving too much intelligence and taste to criminals"

whilst working in the downtown eastside of vancouver... drug problem ground zero, i met former lawyers, doctors, engineers etc. who were now junkies. i met a fella who designed the electrical systems for large locomotives... certainly all reasonably intelligent folk. the "taping" issue aside, do not underestimate what the average junkie or whatnot knows. that would be truly foolish.

 

[back alley]

You are giving too much intelligence and taste to criminals. As far as I'm concerned, a criminal will break intoa car for a 1$ bill on the dashboard. Even a Holga Camera can cause a thief to break into a car. No need to be a Oh-So-Great-Leica camera on a seat or around your wrist to be stolen.

You really think Criminals will discriminate the brands they are stealing? LOL!

years ago, i used to teach a basic photography course for a local community college. every now and then, we would put on a course at the jail (er, correctional institute).
many of the guys came into the course specifically to learn about the cameras, which were the best ones and which ones were the best to steal.
i kid you not.

joe

 

[Ororaro]

i'm curious as to how this is proven? at no point is anyone saying it gives you special powers... but all the folks with pj experience or working pj's seem to think the "blackout" is beneficial?!?! i'm not sure how that stacks up. it's not just covering up leica's. as was mentioned nachteway has "covered up" his canon and many of the folks here covered up their nikon's etc.
i realize it's a bit of a mute point as sans an extensive study (which i'm sure nobody has any interest in conducting) it reamins an unsolved mystery. i will certainly be tapig up the camera's for my next voyage and if it's all in vain... great!

"Among all the folks with PJ experience", do you count me in? If not, then please do. And Among allt he folks with PJ experience I know, no one thinks it's a good thing to cover. They just don't care. Now who's right and wrong?

How is it proven? Easily: I look at my shots and I see none that has been missed because of a red logo.

Thieves? Thieves, as far as I'm concerned, will steal any camera they can. Those unintelligent loser scums aren't sophisticated enough to discriminate brands. They go after the easy stuff. So if you're a wimp you are likely to get robbed and vice-versa. No Leica Versus taped-Leica will save you from that.

As a side note: we've visited approximately the same places. I was in Sofia about 10 years ago, right when the Iron curtain fell. When one could get killed for nothing. As a matter of facts, my friends took a Cab from Sofia to the Black sea for not more then 20$ (10 hours ride) and they also drove the cab. It was Chaos and we had the fun of our lives. we ate and drank like Kings, til we dropped, for 5$. When people saw my camera they thought I was press and they didn't touch me an inch. I felt even more respected because of that big MINOLTA logo and that BIG lens on it. Unbelievable, heh? Well, it's all true.

 

[BillBingham2]

Sitemistic,

No CCL in Chicago, only the bad guys and cops can!

Joe,

Ain't education wonderful!

All,

Emra's right, never underestimate the bad folks, when you do, you loose. I've never taped up my cameras, but I have to say I did not carry my M6 in alphabet land years ago, I took the M4-P and a 35/3.5 lens, nothing else.

B2 (;->

 

[back alley]

...People who know don't need to ask because it's plain as a goat's ass what brand any camera is....

i'm sure there is a funny retort here but i just can't think of one...damn!

 

[Ororaro]

years ago, i used to teach a basic photography course for a local community college. every now and then, we would put on a course at the jail (er, correctional institute).
many of the guys came into the course specifically to learn about the cameras, which were the best ones and which ones were the best to steal.
i kid you not.

joe

I believe you. But honestly, do you really think they'd skip a Nikon (or 100 Nikons) and 200 Canons until the right photographer would come along with an elusive Leica Camera? I'm just not sure it's the way a Junkie thinks. The crooks just take all they can, right on the spot. That's why I personally recommend a strong neck strap or a strong wrist strap with a very good hold on the camera. The usual basic stuff.

But it's funny to notice the supply and demand chain is at work in every aspect of our lives, even in jailhouses. There's always someone at work.

 

[back alley]

I believe you. But honestly, do you really think they'd skip a Nikon (or 100 Nikons) and 200 Canons until the right photographer would come along with an elusive Leica Camera? I'm just not sure it's the way a Junkie thinks. The crooks just take all they can, right on the spot. That's why I personally recommend a strong neck strap or a strong wrist strap with a very good hold on the camera. The usual basic stuff.

actually, i think you're 100% right, especially if you're talking about a druggie.
when i was younger my attitude was that i would rather break the camera over a mugger's head rather than give it to him (grew up in n.y.) but these days i doubt i could get away with that any more.

joe

 

[gavinlg]

I think I should make a thread titled "Why DON'T people tape their cameras to avoid theft/attention/irritating gawkers?"

I mean seriously, I can't think of how you could get worked up over the fact that some people prefer to cover the brand and model in certain situations. It's their camera, their money that bought that camera, and if they maintain that it does something that helps them get better pictures/work better/concentrate more, what's the problem?

In my experience, as I stated in a post before in this thread, it works extremely well for taking peoples attention away from the gear I use. Therefor I do it when the need be.

 

[back alley]

Well Back Alley, you've got to admit that nothing's plainer than a goat's ass. Hope I'm not violating some terms by typing that here. It's an old family expression, probably picked up from Max Shulman who could really write.

i had to laugh when i read it...kinda wondering about how one might be/get that familar with a goat's butt?

🙂

 

[aizan]

it's like putting on a pair of air jordans, except for camera dorks.

 

[BillBingham2]

....But honestly, do you really think they'd skip a Nikon (or 100 Nikons) and 200 Canons until the right photographer would come along with an elusive Leica Camera? I'm just not sure it's the way a Junkie thinks. The crooks just take all they can, right on the spot.....

Junkies are a large population of the problem, but there are others who are looking for the most return for their effort. Junkies go for anything they can turn into cash, which quickly turns into drugs. Others are a bit more particular, the more career approach. Not afraid of doing the crime, but want to get as much as they can for thier effort. If given the choice of a bag of Leicas or a bag of Minoltas.....sounds like an test question for building a better thug out of Jollet!

A friend on a list told recently of a wheel chair bound kid being ripped off of a beater camera a week ago. It happens all over. Blacking out the name may not stop it, but it might reduce your radar profile. In some cases that might just be enough to have them look elsewhere.

B2 (;->

 

[amateriat]

I never quite got the idea of taping over cameras' insignia, no more than I could bother covering up my bicycles' names on the tubing with electrical tape (or, to be more hip, old, cut-up innertubes). It won't likely deter people intent on jackrolling me, and certainly won't matter to anyone else. I have better things to do with my cameras in the moment, than to second-guess others' reactions to a name on the top cover.


- Barrett

 

[Disaster_Area]

ok I guess it's time for the guy who started the thread to say something. wow.. see.. this is why I love photography 🙂 I guess I should have seen it coming but I really didnt think that an inocuous question like this would provoke such a heated debate. But it ALWAYS does and I think it's brilliant!!! Not because I like to see people fight, but because it proves time and time again that photographers are completely unique I think in the hobby/proffession comunity. No where else can you find a group of people that are willing to draw swords or walk ten paces with a pistol over a question like "To tape or not to tape", while also being the most freindly and supportive clique out there. I've had people invite me to stay with them oversees for a photo vacation after buying a lens off them... two photographers meet during a nature walk and can shoot together for hours like they where life long freinds... I once left my secondary camera lying on a picnic table and half an hour and a couple miles later a guy comes running down the path with my camera and says he saw me from across the ravine with a camera bag so he ran over to see if it was mine... most people would have saw my camera and the invisible "Free Camera" sign beside it, but this guy had a nikon SLR around his neck ....

I think it's absolutely fantastic that we can squabble on a forum about truly trivial nonsense because it shows that as a group I think we have more passion for our art than any other group of people, and that passion really comes out when photographers can be brought together instantly over a common joy.

 

[Bryce]

Disaster Area-
Welcome to the wild and wacky world of RFF. There are few dull moments here!

 

[MikeL]

If you put black tape over a goats butt, will people stop talking about it in this thread?

 

[pingle]

This topic has been talked to death here... but here's an anecdote: I used to tape my M4-2, largely because I don't like branding (I don't wear shirts that say "GAP" or "American Eagle" etiher). Then, just for a change I peeled the tape off one day, and went shooting. Within half an hour someone stopped me on the street to talk about my Leica, because he has a Leica P&S and he recognized the name... and it WAS the lettering that he noticed.

You're not protecting yourselves from thieves or whatever scary boogiemen with the tape... but you are protecting yourself from that sort interaction (which I don't mind). These days I leave mine untaped because, really... who cares? Despite the response this question gets of RFF, it just possibly might not be the most important question in photography today.

 

[kevin m]

When I shot weddings with Leica's, I'd invariably get some chatty guy cornering me at the reception wanting to yak about cameras. I love to chat, but it was distracting. Blacking out the logo seemed to curb that.

Plus, that big red dot just looks retarded. 😀

 

[nickdando]

James Ravilious covered his silver M3 with black tape to make it look inconspicuous and to reduce the distraction of sunlight glinting off the body work when he was trying to catch people without being noticed.
I've always thought that it was done for either of two reasons; 1 to make the camera less noticeable; 2 to fool the buyer of the previously taped-up camera that it hadn't been hammered by a pro, as shown by the immaculate body work.

Nick

 

[BJ Bignell]

I don't understand the question. Could you please re-phrase it as a multiple-choice poll? 😀

I've blacked-out my Bessa and it's simply because I think it looks better. I have no idea if it's more/less fashionable or implies a higher/lower status, but I like it that way.