[Leica] The lure of brass

[Mike Johnston <michaeljohnston@ameritech.net>]

Dr. Blacktape: >>>If one is really so interested in having people think
that one is a hard
working photographer who has dodged bombs and nightsticks, go buy a
camera
in the best condition you can find and rub the finish off...then you'll
have
the best of both worlds - a camera you know is mechanically sound, and a
way
to fool people you want to fool....<<<


Actually, the "titanium" finish on a champagne Olympus OM-4T is paint.
The real titanium is underneath the paint. With a nickel and some
industrious rubbing while, say, sitting in front of the evening news,
you can make a brand-new OM-4T look very much like a very old "brassed
out" camera, that no one would want to steal. Which would be very handy
if you were doing odd p-j jobs in every corner of the city at every hour
of the day and night.

Not that I will confess on the LUG to knowing of this from firsthand
experience. <g>

Similar in principle if not in damage to the hardware: my preferred
"camera bag" was an oily, crumpled old paper grocery bag sitting in
plain view on the front seat. Thieve think: a. no one would ever put
anything valuable in that; b. if they did, they wouldn't leave it right
there on the seat; and c. it can't contain groceries because if it did
it would be new, and it looks too old. (I did get my car broken into for
an actual bag of groceries once...<*sigh*>...you live and learn.)

- --Mike