Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/02/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] R and M 6 Prices
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 20:15:48 -0800
References: <20020222031306.94563.qmail@web20508.mail.yahoo.com>

Bill Clough wrote:
>>>    Society, as a whole, is so camera conscious these days,
> that some professionals have concluded that someone seeing
> a photographer with a black body is instantly on guard,
> because, if he or she is using a black body, he MUST be a
> member of the media. Therefore, the subject is immediately
> on guard.
>
>    But, a person shooting with a chrome camera COULDN'T be
> a professional, therefore he or she must be an amateur
> photographer, which means he doesn't know what he or she is
> doing, therefore not worthy of attention.<<<<<

Hi Bill,
An excellent observation and one I, and I bet a bunch here hadn't addressed
in this manner.

Yep black usually denotes a pro, of course not always, as many point and
shoots are black. But then they look like little black boxes and can appear
just as suspicious as an M6 or whatever.

And without question, society on the whole, certainly in North America, are
far more suspicious of a camera being pointed in their direction than they
were 20-30 years ago. Which of course can make life very miserable for those
of us earning our keep as photojournalists these days.

Maybe the answer would be, buy a new chrome what's it and be blatantly
obvious in a stumbling manner in handling and making it look like we're
learning and dismissed as a learning amateur, therefore no threat
whatsoever.

It may well be worth trying some day with a new M7! ;-) Be a hell of a
baptism for the camera used only because it "looks like a mickey mouse
amateur toy all bright and shiny!" ;-)

Still an interesting thought on your part, as I've always worked black
Leicas simply because they were unobtrusive but never thought that would
give me away as a professional.
ted

Ted Grant Photography Limited
www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant


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Replies: Reply from Jim Brick <jim@brick.org> ([Leica] Re: Professional vs. Amateur look (was R vs M6 Prices))
Reply from "Will" <wlarsen@ocsnet.net> ([Leica] Professional vs. Amateur look (was R vs M6 Prices))