Blacking out camera bodies

joeyk49 · Jul 8, 2004

Blacked out...hmmm

Since I've got a Japanese model, I think I'll do what the kids do to their Hondas around here....and CHROME IT UP!

Yeah, that's it...I'll have the whole camera outfit chromed so that it attracts as much attention as possible. Maybe I'll eve put a some sort of neon lighting around it.

...Nah, that might interfere with the actual picture taking.

Sorry. Got lost in a youthful moment there...

As old as it is, my camera's never out of my sight, when out and about. Even when not on my hands, it (and the lenses) is in a non descript back pack (Not a Low Pro) and it never leaves my sight.

rjs003 · Jul 8, 2004

Last time anybody noticed one of my cameras was two yeas ago At Shelburn Vt., while I was taking pictures of some restored buildings; using a Yashica TLR. The lady asked about the camera and when I explained the camera and it's age and how I obtained it ( E-Bay) and why I wasn't using a digital picture maker, she was mystified as to why anybody would do as I have done. O well whatever makes you happy

John McCallum · Jul 8, 2004

Well since we've kicked this one off again ...

Last night I was out with the wooden LF. Had the 4x4 backed up against a wire fence with the boot open so I could access the gear easily. Our local museum has beautiful old brick buildings with pretty good lighting at night and I thought it was worth a crack at. So with camera on the oversized tripod, on the end of the extension bar with the lens right against the wire fence, I was concentrating on the ground glass under the focussing cloth.
Suddenly there was barking under my feet so loud all the old steam engines came and looked out the museum windows, and I nearly broke my nice new fresnel lens with my nose. The security guard says WHAT ARE YOU DOING! Well, thinking offense was the best form of defense I said TRYING TO TAKE A PHOTO ......... AND YOU'RE IN THE WAY!
He says (quieter) "What of?" .......
I said "That building over there" (where the camera was pointing directly :rolleyes: !
He says "Oh" ... "Sorry"....."I thought you were trying to cut through the fence with some special equipment or something".

Come to think of it noew, some huge big Nikon signage right on the front would have been quite useful

bmac · Jul 8, 2004

Thats one of thos situations when clown makeup would've been the ticket! Just think of the look on his face when you came out from the darkcloth looking like bozo hehe

John McCallum · Jul 8, 2004

LOLLLL - nice one. .......

I might go back just to try it.

Aggie · Jul 8, 2004

or go naked and say you're doing nude photography!

John McCallum · Jul 8, 2004

Aggie said:
or go naked and say you're doing nude photography!

Ha ha ha - call me wimp, but it was less than 40degF last night (which is cold, otherwise I would for sure).

Edit: Hope Dave realises we're resurrecting old posts in his honour(?)

Ed Sukach · Jul 9, 2004

Aggie said:
or go naked and say you're doing nude photography!

Hey!!! WAIT A MINUTE...!!!

I originated that ....

Oh, well. You all have my permission to use that (like you needed my permission in the first place).

Good to see you again, Aggie.

dr bob · Jul 9, 2004

Aggie said:
or go naked and say you're doing nude photography!

Tried that already - got arrested for being ugly in public

benjiboy · Jun 5, 2005

bjorke said:
Inconspicuousness is over-rated

(Pic of my buddy Johnny at the Toronto Beaches Easter parade, scammed from Luke Tymowski)

Persoanally I think black tape over the logo is decorative, rather than the opposite. I've been thing of putting Subaru STi logos on my blank lens caps (already prefer using Nikon caps on my 52mm canon lenses, which occasionally draws stares... but they're better caps!)

In this shot the only black tape that's needed is on whatever the red thing the girl in the foreground is holding.

Max Power · Jun 5, 2005

I think that I really ought to black out the name on my new RF; it's a bright red FED 5V...
I don't understand why, but when I use it people just point and laugh

Kent

TPPhotog · Jun 5, 2005

Max Power said:
I think that I really ought to black out the name on my new RF; it's a bright red FED 5V...
I don't understand why, but when I use it people just point and laugh

Kent

Don't worry Kent, that happens regardless of which camera I use in the street

Go on post a picci here of your red beastie, everyone will love it

Dave Parker · Jun 5, 2005

boy, now this is interesting, I have been shooting for over 20 now and have shot all over the world, and really never even thought about blacking my cameras out?

Some time the simplest things are the hardest to grasp..

Dave

Wally H · Jun 5, 2005

When doing street work with my Leica I used to black out the red logos... It was a relatively small camera and in doing that I thought it might reduce the flack one sometimes gets as a 'professional' shooter... It doesn't fool those who are aware, but any help in being at little less conspicious is worth the effort for me... I also felt it might attract a bit less attention from those thieves that judge the camera's worth by size and/or name...

If one has a large amount of gear, (multiple cameras, motor drives, long lenses, big camera bags, etc.), I don't think covering the logos for the reasons above would help...

It also grates a bit on me that we end up being walking working bill boards for those we buy gear from for free... and many times we can't include any of their gear in our commercial and advertising work without written permission...

Dave Parker · Jun 5, 2005

ceratto said:
It also grates a bit on me that we end up being walking working bill boards for those we buy gear from for free... and many times we can't include any of their gear in our commercial and advertising work without written permission...

I don't know, I just have never thought about it that way, I could care less what is in my hands, I am there to make the shot, and beings I paid for it, I have no desire to promote of demote their equipment, they have a job, that is to make gear I can shoot with, I have a job, that is to make the image, I have never found it to be a benefit or a liability because I shoot certain equipment..

Dave

Whiteymorange · Jun 5, 2005

Least of my problems

I'm over 300 lbs, sport a long white beard and have a wall eye that makes people look over their left sholder when I address them. The name on my equipment (most of which was made in the first half of the last century and has very subtle labeling) is the least of my problems when I want to be inconspicuous. Just hang it out there and shoot. The people around you will get used to it.

Max Power · Jun 5, 2005

Just try and be inconspicuous with this piece of Soviet kit: The fabulous Red FED!!!

Kent

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Jun 5, 2005

Tip the tourists instead...

I always cringe when I see some weekend tourist in Montreal's Old Port carrying around his latest CaNiPeOMino with a huge, broad, labeled strap. I don't know why this irritates me so much, perhaps it's because I find that it's way over a reasonable display of branding than should be.

Their uncertain but willful gaze that seems to ask "I do stand out, do I?" may also be the other reason why I would like to crush their beautiful useless equipement on their faces as well.

gnashings · Jun 5, 2005

Wow... this is almost disturbing:

"Oh no, I am taking pictures, don't bother me! Don't even talk to the photog, mere mortal! I don't even want to take the time to tell you I am busy, you need to know that I can't be bothered just by looking at me! Look, there is clearly a piece of tape where it used to say Nikon that now says 'F*ck Off!'"

WHAT A BUNCH OF POMPOUS SNOBS!!! This is a poor man's version of little starlets whining about the burden of celebrity...

Film photography is in trouble, be it as a hobby, or as a proffession. We should WELCOME the chance to talk to people to raise awareness of what we do, educate, maybe get some new blood!

And no, Nikon or Canon mean nothing to most people - but an F1N with all the appendages or an F6 usually with a lens that costs as much as my car - face it, no one cares what it says on that outfit, it will attract attention no matter what.

Or what, are we ashamed of our photographic inclinations? If you are concerned with theft - leave it in safe locations and non-concspicous bags. Otherwise, just enjoy, and tell as many people as you can what you're doing and why ots so great!

Lee L · Jun 5, 2005

The whole black tape on camera thing was originally done to cut the reflections from chrome so that the camera wasn't so obvious. My reading says this was a way to minimize any photo-Heisenberg type effect, mostly in street shooting; i.e. an observed event is not changed so much when the subject doesn't know you have a camera (regardless of brand). It would also make sense to me for a war correspondent to have a flat finish, non-reflective camera. This black taping was often done on "professional" gear, like Leicas and Nikons, it got noticed, and led eventually to black bodies being considered "professional" by people who think that the name and color of the gear confers some sort of status.

I know some people now tape over names and red dots to help prevent theft of brands that thieves consider desirable. Maybe that helps. I doubt there are enough observations to prove any effect. I don't worry about this either way, and I don't assume someone with a particular brand of camera is necessarily a pro photographer or a professional consumer of status conferring equipment. Nor do I assume that someone with a "low-status" brand is a bad photographer, or that someone with a taped camera is a presumptuous snob or poseur.

I have had a number people approach me because of the brand (many) or type (SLR, TLR, 4x5 field, MF rangefinder, 35mm rangefinder) of camera I was using, often when I didn't want to be interrupted and the scene or light was changing and I was close to losing my shot. If it happened consistently, I'd probably do what I could to prevent it, including taping a camera name. But I've also met some very nice and interesting people this way, and even gotten things like a free place to stay in Paris for a week.

I don't think there's any point in drawing any conclusions about camera tapers or their motivations. It obviously works for some people, and others don't care. Anyone more obsessed with how hardware looks or what name is on it, taped over or not, than with the output is missing the point anyway.

BTW, does anyone know if Hermes makes a good durable flat black tape?

Lee

bjorke · Jun 6, 2005

I ahve two blacked cameras, both digi Canons. The SLR is blacked because they made the $#%^!! stupid thing in silver plastic with broad curves -- it picks up a broad highlight in EVERY direction, like a ball. So I taped it with gaffer tape, and then realized that the GRIP was much better with the gaffer surface, so I taped a lot more, including parts that don't show, just for the better hand surface.

The other camera I taped in an emergency after accidentally tossing it across a parking lot. The tape holds on the front bezel and lens ring, so I decided I may as well do the whole camera in black "band aids"

Oh, and my TLRs are taped, at least the shiny bits. Foorgot about those. Thinking about doing the G2...

thedarkroomstudios · Jun 16, 2005

I was taught early to tape over the name 'cuz a smart thief will follow a Brand rather than a Bobo. (I never did ask what constitutes a smart thief) Made me feel safer anyway. Besides, unlike car insurance, it cost nothing and could prevent accidents! Wasn't until I was doing a little product shoot in a studio and had to wrap the silver legs of my Slik 700Dx (now, if I just said tripod would everyone have been as happy?) that I began to truly appreciate that extra bit of reflection control.
In an age when many folks feel the pressing need to have another guys (Tommy) name plastered to their buttocks, or a big check mark on their chest (Nike) it comes as no surprise that you'll see Canon emblems glued to Quantaray bags and lest ye be not taken seriously, a white Nikon hat should be as good as a press pass (at the local "Y" swim meet maybe?).
Ah, to be around 500 years from now when they unearth these mummified camera bodies and try to figure out what preservative qualities gaffer tape may have had

thedarkroomstudios · Jun 16, 2005

The other camera I taped in an emergency after accidentally tossing it across a parking lot. - bjorke

Lol... I forgot to ask, sounds like it could be a funny story so I'll bite.

How did you come to "Accidentally" toss your camera across the parking lot???

Uncle Bill · Jun 16, 2005

I find the more retro the camera the less trouble

If I was shooting with a Nikon F5 or 6, there would be issues but since the average age of my cameras are the same age as me (36) I don't have that problem, people are then interested in the young guy playing with old cameras.

Bill

bjorke · Jun 16, 2005

thedarkroomstudios said:
How did you come to "Accidentally" toss your camera across the parking lot???

It was under a coat on the front seat, and the strap was entangled. I quickly pulled out the coat and watched the camera go sailing by....

Blacking out camera bodies

joeyk49

rjs003

John McCallum

bmac

John McCallum

Aggie

John McCallum

Ed Sukach

dr bob

benjiboy

Max Power

TPPhotog

Dave Parker

Wally H

Dave Parker

Whiteymorange

Max Power

Attachments

Michel Hardy-Vallée

Membership Council

gnashings

Lee L

bjorke

thedarkroomstudios

thedarkroomstudios

Uncle Bill

bjorke

Blacking out camera bodies

Attachments

Membership Council

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency