A while back I went for a late fall walk with my Flexaret VI at a local meeting/shopping/touristy place. People were mostly ignoring me (a lot of people take pictures there), but a young Asian lady politely waited for me to finish framing and taking my shot, and then asked me in broken English about the camera, how to take a picture, etc. I let her look through the ground glass, and would have talked some more, but her friend was ushering her away quickly.
Last night I was walking through the neighborhood with my speed graphic and some old guy on his porch yelled "what's that, your purse?" I told him that it was a camera and he laughed. I don't think he believed me.
Last night I was walking through the neighborhood with my speed graphic and some old guy on his porch yelled "what's that, your purse?" I told him that it was a camera and he laughed. I don't think he believed me.
So far people have ignored me with my Yashica Mat 124. I find I can shoot candid street shots and the vast majority of people have no clue I'm taking their picture. They may not even know it's a camera. I find this very cool.
I had one person, a professional photographer stop me yesterday and ask about my YashicaMat. Other than that the only other comment I received was from a kid who was convinced it was some sort of 'ray gun video game thing'.
I'm a TLR shooter and I generally get positive comments about my gear. I do a fair bit of street shooting here in Philly, and find as others have, that people don't seem to mind being photographed with a TLR. It's a novelty to have some guy staring down at his waist as opposed to being approached by someone holding both arms out extended in front of him or her while staring into the back of one these digi point 'n shoots. Much less obtrusive!
People always think my cameras are video cameras. This applies to my Rolleiflex, my Mamiya RB67, and my 4x5. I was shooting a 10 minute exposure with my Mamiya last night and a guy asked if I was doing time-lapse footage.
Another time with my 4x5, during a snow storm, there were some kids (I say kids...I'm 22 and they were probably older than me) doing donuts and stuff in their Audi in the middle of the street. They pull up next to me all pumped up because they have come to the conclusion that I am video taping them being ever so cool and awesome (/sarcasm).
This thread makes me really want to get my Rollei fixed. Shutter linkage is damaged
I get the best response from my TLRs from the members of my photo club. They are mostly all digital now, but a fair percentage of them used to shoot film - but almost exclusively 35mm. I think they are revisiting their old "larger format" longings.
I was photographing at the Cenotaph in Ottawa, on Remembrance Day. A local pro, who I have known for years, came up to me and said, "Twin Rolleis! You're a good man, Terry!"