Engraving your camera?

[ChristopherCoy]

Have you ever had a camera engraved? I've been thinking about having my signature or name engraved on at least my two F2's. Not for anything serious like theft prevention, because that wouldn't prevent anyone from taking it anyway, but simply for the fact that I can say I have and "this is mine." Advantages, disadvantages, thoughts?

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Act of vandalism, IMO. I printed my email on sticky tape and attached it on inner parts.

 

[voceumana]

It greatly reduces resale value.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

It greatly reduces resale value.

That could be a good thing, especially for me. It would prevent those "I could get X amount for this and buy that" thoughts.

 

[removedacct1]

I’ve encountered several Retinas with engraved top covers, and people sending them to me for servicing often ask if I can replace the cover with one that has not been “defaced”. Engraved cameras are practically impossible to sell. Engraving has zero value to anyone except the person doing it.

Don’t.

 

[John Salim]

Unless you're famous, don't do it !
John S

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Unless you're famous, don't do it !
John S

I am famous. My momma says so.

 

[summicron1]

It's your camera, do what you want. Beyond personal satisfaction/pleasure there's no real advantage to it -- as to collector value, unless your F2 is really pristine, engraving won't hurt its value much because F2s are pretty common and low value anyway. As a user its value will be about the same, maybe a little lower but not much.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

It greatly reduces resale value.

+1

 

[Kino]

You could get a brass plate engraved with your name and attach it with some easily reversed adhesive.

Best of both Worlds...

 

[MattKing]

Seems similar to getting a tatoo.
If you have multiple copies of the same camera, it could help you tell them apart.
Sort of like dressing identical triplets in different outfits

 

[Chan Tran]

Have you ever had a camera engraved? I've been thinking about having my signature or name engraved on at least my two F2's. Not for anything serious like theft prevention, because that wouldn't prevent anyone from taking it anyway, but simply for the fact that I can say I have and "this is mine." Advantages, disadvantages, thoughts?

I would never do that. I have a number of cameras bought used with previous owner's name on them and they are worth less to me because of the engraving. Even with my tools at work when there is a great chance that someone would pick them up by mistakes I wouldn't put my name on them either.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Seems similar to getting a tattoo.

Kinda have to be committed huh?

You could get a brass plate engraved with your name and attach it with some easily reversed adhesive.

Best of both Worlds...

This is a good idea that I hadn't thought of. Thanks!

 

[pbromaghin]

How about this answer? If you're a photographer, yes; if you're a collector, no.

 

[AnselMortensen]

I wouldn't do it to my cameras.
I consider myself a caretaker of them for the next generations of photographers.

 

[Sirius Glass]

No, the cameras will out live me. I am not arrogant.

 

[benjiboy]

It's the sort of thing Donald. J. Trump would do.

 

[Kino]

I once found an Ikoflex that was engraved by a platoon of Infantry to their Captain from WWII. That did, in my mind, elevate the value of that camera, but seller thought so too; way too much! Passed on it...

 

[Kino]

It's the sort of thing Donald. J. Trump would do.

That's a bit much. If you paid the equivalent of two or three months wages for a Retina in the 1950's, I see no problem engraving your name on the top, if done professionally.

 

[Vaughn]

Cameras as sacred objects. Yep...an APUG thing to be sure!

If someone had engraved my 110 year old camera with their name (or named the camera), it would be as good of a tool as it is now...and I would have paid the same for it, engraved or not.

 

[removedacct1]

I wouldn't do it to my cameras.
I consider myself a caretaker of them for the next generations of photographers.

Engraving your name on a camera suggests that the owner presumes they are the final owner of the camera. Rarely is that true. The odds are extremely high that there will be other owners after you, and so engraving it is going to diminish the ownership experience for anyone after you. Its just a vanity exercise.

 

[Kino]

"Engraved" means nicely carved by an engraving machine in a neat script.

"Boogered-up" means one of those wretched vibrating engravers that skip and weave all over the metal, like a drunk with DTs.

Know the difference.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Engraving your name on a camera suggests that the owner presumes they are the final owner of the camera. Rarely is that true. The odds are extremely high that there will be other owners after you, and so engraving it is going to diminish the ownership experience for anyone after you. Its just a vanity exercise.

Kinda like a bumper sticker?

 

[ChristopherCoy]

"Engraved" means nicely carved by an engraving machine in a neat script.

"Boogered-up" means one of those wretched vibrating engravers that skip and weave all over the metal, like a drunk with DTs.

Know the difference.

Yeah, I'd take it to the pro guys with the laser machine.

 

[Vaughn]

Well, I sign (permanent as in 'engrave') my name on the front of the matboard of my framed images. Such vanity!!!!!!! A lot of ego, anyway...

I suppose the opposite would be the 35mm camera donated to the university...someone's grandfather's camera...all covered in duct tape (I thought)...a stealth camera. Fortunately it was gaffer's tape and all came off cleanly to reveal a nice Canon.