Re: [Leica] Disguising my M6

["Joseph Codispoti" <joecodi@thegrid.net>]

Sam,

My answer may seems as dumb to you as the question by the originator of the
threads  was naïve to me.  It was not meant to demean the owner of the new
M6, rather it was intended as a wakeup call to those who, like lemmings,
follow dumb advise.

Perhaps to many the act of painting, disguising, masking, uglifying or
employing other means of hiding the brand or color of the camera for the
purpose of fooling a thief, can bring a measure of relative security (false
as it is).  To me however it seems only a futile effort and cannot remain
passive when I see one more individual swayed by the powerful influence of
the LUG on the inexperienced, the fearful and the naïve.

Ted Grant just lost his R8 and related equipment. It is sad and I feel for
him. Do you believe that obliterating the logo would have spared his camera?
Do you believe that a thief cares a rats’ tail if a camera is a Leica or
anything else? Besides, an experienced thief would not be fooled by any
attempt at deception.
I agree that my response was sarcastic. It was meant to awaken not just the
inquiring individual but others who might be persuaded to castrate their
camera in order to keep it from straying.

Over the past two years I helped an elderly friend dispose of his camera
collection. It was pathetic. Every piece (80 in all) were either heavily
masked, mutilated, modified, and nearly worthless. All because dear old
Herb, over the years had followed his own and other’s theory of how a camera
should look in order to make it safe, or "better".

Over the months I have read of many who have bought a Noctilux just because
it is "awesome", or has "incredible bokeh" or is "King of the Night" only to
discover that it is heavy, it blocks the viewfinder and requires a neutral
density filter unless it is used by count Dracula. One individual bought his
to use it for beach photography of all things.

So people continue to spend incredible sums of money and do (or feel that
they must do) outlandish things in order to attain Leica nirvana, only
because the LUG gurus have it.

Yes it may have been a dumb response. I hope it made the point clearly.
Joseph Codispoti

- -----Original Message-----
From: sam alexander <salex@IDT.NET>
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Date: Sunday, September 13, 1998 3:30 PM
Subject: [Leica] Disguising my M6


>Joseph Codispoti wrote:
>Trade it for a Minolta, you might still receive attention but you will not
>be paranoid.
>JC
>
>IMO, a sincere question on the LUG, however trying or repetitious to
>some, does not warrant a dumb response like the one given to GG by JC.
>
>
>