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Concealed Carry Camera

John Bragg

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Nov 29, 2005
Messages
1,039
Location
Cornwall, UK
Format
35mm
What is your favorite pocket camera for having on you at all times ? I usually have one of a small collection of Olympus cameras on me as a just in case camera. Most times an Olympus Mju or Mju ii. I have taken some of my favorite shots with these mini marvels and often it is the camera that you have with you that is the best one for the job, not the one you left at home.

Mju ii in mint condition. by John Bragg, on Flickr
 
I'm constantly amazed at how many great shots I get out of my little Rollei 35. Easy to slip in a (winter) jacket pocket.
 
Well, it used to be an Olympus XA2, then Ricoh GR-1.

This last year I've used a Minox B and IIIs. Totally cool.

Two future candidates: an Olympus XA and my Kodak Retina IIa. I am itching to use the Retina.

I know a lot of people love the mju-II. I'm curious how it rose above the many other compacts to gain cult status.
 
I have two:
Olympus XA2 and an Olympus FT (I have a straight F but the metering on the T is spoiling me)
 
Leica IIIf with ancient collapsible Summarit. Pocket, under jacket, whatever. Or Minox submin in suit jacket.
 
I like my Smena Symbol a lot. After lubricating the film spool rewind axle, it works very smoothly. The lens somehow saturates colours in a very pleasant way.







Middle shot is 2012 expired Fujifilm C200 probably stored in room temperature all the time, two others are Fujifilm Superia Xtra 800.
 
Andrew Kleinfeld said:
Leica IIIf with ancient collapsible Summarit. Pocket, under jacket, whatever. Or Minox submin in suit jacket.
Click to expand...

A IIIf - wow. Very nice.


onre said:
I like my Smena Symbol a lot. After lubricating the film spool rewind axle, it works very smoothly. The lens somehow saturates colours in a very pleasant way.
Click to expand...

Yes - looks good; I like the photos.
 
"Concealed Carry Camera"

These are actually two characteristics:

-) camera one easily can carry around

-) a camera that is veiled
 
My Zeiss Nettar 6x6, folded it fits in my shirt pocket.
 
I always carry a Minox around.
 

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My always go camera is a Minox III. This camera is usually supplemented either by a Minox c or lx or a 35mm Minox, Olympus xa or rollei 35. Sometimes by a Leica IIIa, c or f with a collapsible 50 or compact 35 lens. The Minox III is not only extremely small but seldom recognized as a camera by the general public (including most photographers). Truly a candid camera. Almost forgot, I sometimes carry a Minolta 16. But even when deliberately choosing another camera like a hassy or 4x5, the tiny Minox is always with me.
 
probably a graflex 4x5 series D or a delmar box
they have a handle and can be carried around
and no one has a clue what they are. if it has to be
in a pocket and small, an agfa optima ( or something like that )

minox are nice though
 
this topic is of interest to me. Obviously the portability is key, but unless the subjects are static, they need some degree of speed also. It argues for some form of auto exposure & possibly autofocus. The little retina qualifies well for portability, but falls down on the speed part. I'm slow on rangefinder coincident focusing, but even if fast, its not going to catch the action/people shots.
 
Lately it is a Nikon One Touch Zoom.
Previously it was a Kodak Advantix Preview.
I have a Minox 35 EL with meter issues. It could be next if I can get it fixed.
 

I have number of point and shoots, Nikon, Olympus, Canon, Minolta and Pentax, aside from a high shutter speed and somewhat slow lens, with fast film all work rather well, on several I glued lens adapters can use S V light yellow filters on B&W film. If you get a Canon point and shoot with the 1.9 40mm it has a top shutter speed of 1/300 which will work for action. In terms of the trade off I usually pick a zoom for more reach.
 

It really comes down to a workflow and subject matter issue. What are you shooting, how are the conditions changing, what is going on, etc?

One of my friends does street photography with a medium format TLR with waist level finder, and most people barely notice him using it when he takes shots. The thing isn't what you could call small or really concealable, but by adjusting the straps properly to hold it against his body where he can casually look down into the waist level finder he can hold his phone in one hand near it while adjusting the camera and tripping the shutter with the other hand. He is just another person staring into his phone and not paying attention, so no one pays attention to him...

If he keeps working in one area with the same lighting, and keeps photographing people at the same distance... Well there is no metering or focusing to be done, and he can fire away from the hip using a very manual camera.


Humans often forget that the key to hiding something isn't for it to be unseen, but rather for it to be unnoticed. A point that is a rather small but extremely important distinction.
 

With a MF box-shaped camera with waist-level finder hanging in front of you, it should be quite easy to take photographs unobtrusively at right-angel.
Maybe though one of the cords is in the view.
 
I do not use the Tessina very often but it is stealty.

 
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