[Leica] Re: Leica Stigma

[Deniz Saylan <Photojournalist@gmx.net>]

> There are a few of us, like you, who are not ashamed of the equipment we use.
>
> LUGgers (even me) have been talking about traveling and not seeing many, if
> any, Leicas. Could it be that everybody out there is ashamed and taping
> over their Logo's?
>
> Aaah, the heretic few. No shame. No tape.
>
> Jim

Oh oh,

it´s not that I am ashamed of what gear I am using. It´s not at all.
When I began to take photos, I had (and I still have) the M3 of my gandpa. Then I entered the business of photojournalism and worked for actualities and sports,
so I got my Nikon equipment, which I used for quite a time until I recognised, that I do not want to carry all that big, noisy stuff with me. I took only pictures
on assignment. So I made the dessission and I was in that fortune that I could do that and sold all my Nikon stuff to buy me a M4-P with a 3,4/35mm and a 50 mm
for my old M3.
There have been two good things, why I liked the way people *respond* on Leica.
1. There are the people they do not know Leica, nearly every stupid Hollywood Movie where a photographer appears has a Nikon or a Canon, so the people saw my
Nikon and thought: oh, that might be a photojournalist! Not with my Leica.
2. I had a shooting i.e. with Peter Ustinov, a quite famous actor. There were 15 other photographers with me. After the fife minutes the manager of Ustinov
thanked us for takig pictures and asked to stop. Time is over. So Peter Ustinov came to me, said: "oh what a nice old Leica. Not everybody shoots with a
Leica....How about to take some more pics?" OK. I´m a nice guy, too, I agree. But I was a nice situation.
Why I tape the red dot and the nameplate is, because in the last time, the Leica became famous in the public. In nearly every silly newspaper they are writing
about the great photographers of the century like Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Deniz Saylan (nice joke?! ;-))), Salgado....ect.ect. and that  they are using
Leica. So I am on the street and looking for some snaps of the day and people appear look on my gear and start talking camera. I like talking camera. But not when
my editor is waiting for me to have some nice pics, and (excuse me please), when those people just guess because of the red dot and the nameplate that this is one
of the *famous* Leicas, they´ve seen so often behind thick panzer-glass windows, but now in action and not behind a window.
95% of those people do not even know how to write the word photography, nor understand anything of it, but they want to explain me (after asking me "Is THAT a
Leica??" "Yes it is" "What does it cost?" "A lot") That the camera they have at home (but never used since they bought it) is also very good, telling me the names
of noname products or even Canon or Nikon (of course, they´ve only one model), so I have to know it! ("I have a Canon. Is it good?")
Like I´ve said, I like talking camera, or what else do you thing takes me to LUG? But I like to talk to and discuss with  people and also provide my knowlege to
others, but not let steal my time on that low niveau.


Cheers,
Deniz
Taping red dots and nameplates without being ashamed!