Getting ready to do something embarrasing

EricO · Aug 22, 2011

One of my photographer friends wants to take a look at my RZ67 because he's crazy about old equipment so I'm going to take it out to a restaurant. It's going to have a few extras attached like a Metz handle mount flash and a winder. Maybe I'll put it all on a dolly. Which is more embarrasing? Having a dolly in a restaurant or having the RZ out in public? Should I call the whole thing off? This is just insane right?

hpulley · Aug 22, 2011

I take my RB67 out in public all the time. I don't need a dolly to move it as the left handed flash bracket is enough for me to hand hold it. I was going to make a joke about guys and dolls but then thought better of it...

pbromaghin · Aug 22, 2011

What's embarrassing about that? The bigger the camera, the cooler you look.

Rick A · Aug 22, 2011

Why would you be embarrassed by your camera gear? I carry my gear proudly where ever I go in public, Mamiya C-330 or C-220. I even carry a funky gear bag over my shoulder. There is something terribly wrong if you are embarrassed by your camera, harumph.

JohnMeadows · Aug 22, 2011

Like others have said, why be embarrassed? Be proud of your analog gear; it shows to the world that you're not just another "spray and pray" digital photographer

Christopher Walrath · Aug 22, 2011

Carry around a 4x5 press camera and watch the jaws hit the floor.

tomalophicon · Aug 22, 2011

you'll prolly pick up heaps of chicks with it.

tkamiya · Aug 22, 2011

Those big old cameras are embarrassing enough to just own it! Send it to me and I'll keep it for you and save you from eternal shame.

Ken Nadvornick · Aug 22, 2011

Christopher Walrath said:
Carry around a 4x5 press camera and watch the jaws hit the floor.

I do... So much so that sometimes it's hard to actually use the thing between the impromtu public seminars. But that negative makes it worthwhile. You know that old saying "Nothing beats cubic inches?" Well, just remove one dimension.

tomalophicon said:
you'll prolly pick up heaps of chicks with it.

Hmm... "Chicks" by units of volume. Still waiting for that part to happen...

Ken

Pumalite · Aug 22, 2011

I not only take that to the restaurant; I take the model too.

zsas · Aug 22, 2011

Sounds like a fun dinner!

CGW · Aug 22, 2011

Just look purposeful and self-absorbed. Beats the Jedi mind trick any day.

AlexCave · Aug 22, 2011

Try shooting an import model with an RZ. most models know nothing about cameras, so the cooler and bigger your camera looks, the more interest you'll get out of models. not just models but women in general always love an old camera. I've brought my hasselblad just to get coffee before!

tomalophicon · Aug 22, 2011

AlexCave said:
Try shooting an import model with an RZ. most models know nothing about cameras, so the cooler and bigger your camera looks, the more interest you'll get out of models. not just models but women in general always love an old camera. I've brought my hasselblad just to get coffee before!

My girlfriend HATES all my old cameras. I think she's jealous.

bdial · Aug 22, 2011

Just do it.
I'd avoid the dolly, but if you think it's necessary use it.

I'm fairly shy, but showing a camera to a friend over dinner woudn't bother me. No different, really, than showing off your new smart phone/watch/laptop/whatever.

removed account4 · Aug 22, 2011

nothing to be embarrassed about,
unless you have to bring the pack-mule inside

Roger Cole · Aug 22, 2011

tomalophicon said:
My girlfriend HATES all my old cameras. I think she's jealous.

That's sad.

My fiance LOVES my old cameras. It was her interest in art that rekindled my interest in photography, and she nearly flipped (in a good way) when she saw my Technika III. Many of her artistic friends seem to ooh and aaah over it too, as well as my Yashica Mat 124.

Sometimes I get tired of it, but for the most part I enjoy it. I like those who appreciate old cameras and think they're cool. I'm less enthused by those asking bone headed stupid questions. A guy this weekend asked about my Yashica, "so what's the deal with it?" "Huh? What do you mean?" "Why does it have two lenses, and look like that?" "Well it looks like that partly because it has two lenses, and also because things looked cooler back when it was designed. It has two lenses because one forms the image on the film and the other is for viewing..." Another friend I was showing it to really thought the ground glass image was electronically generated. After I explained the viewing lens, mirror and ground glass she thought it was extremely cool.

Just take the camera and bask in the attention.

marcmarc · Aug 22, 2011

I shoot with my RZ in public all the time. It sure does get a lot of attention. First people are surprised that film is still being made. Then they think it's a turn-of-the-century kind of camera. Still, it also gets a ton of respect from other photographers. Once in Santa Monica CA a stranger came up to me and wanted to hire me on the spot to take some scenic shots of the ocean for him. His logic was if I were usising such a camera, then I must be good!

EdSawyer · Aug 22, 2011

Do it!

I shoot my RZ handheld in public all the time. It gets plenty of notice and attention. Most people are inquisitive and somewhat impressed, I think. They are definitely appreciative, usually. At an airshow recently, it got tons of notice since I had the 500/6 APO mounted up and was shooting it handheld. That was a heavy rig.

Toffle · Aug 22, 2011

What's embarrassing is taking my 8x10 out for a walk in my two-child bike trailer. Neighbour thought we'd had grandkids without telling them.

M.A.Longmore · Aug 22, 2011

marcmarc said:
Once in Santa Monica CA a stranger came up to me and wanted to hire me on the spot to take some scenic shots of the ocean for him. His logic was if I were usising such a camera, then I must be good!

.
When I'm out with The Oldies, people always seem to ask if I am a photographer.
I usually tell them that, I want to be a photographer, when I grow up ...

Ron
.

tomalophicon · Aug 23, 2011

Toffle said:
What's embarrassing is taking my 8x10 out for a walk in my two-child bike trailer. Neighbour thought we'd had grandkids without telling them.

Hilarious. You must look a right tool taking it all out.

Roger Cole · Aug 23, 2011

M.A.Longmore said:
.
When I'm out with The Oldies, people always seem to ask if I am a photographer.
I usually tell them that, I want to be a photographer, when I grow up ...

Ron
.

What a bizarre question. "No, I'm a fisherman." Huh?

It's like people asking, "can you still get film for that?" while I'm shooting. I'm tempted to say, "no, I just like pretending."

MattKing · Aug 23, 2011

EricO said:
One of my photographer friends wants to take a look at my RZ67 because he's crazy about old equipment so I'm going to take it out to a restaurant. It's going to have a few extras attached like a Metz handle mount flash and a winder. Maybe I'll put it all on a dolly. Which is more embarrasing? Having a dolly in a restaurant or having the RZ out in public? Should I call the whole thing off? This is just insane right?

Somehow I don't think the OP has ever worked as a wedding photographer.

Tell them it is your new portable computer .

Just take it along with a largish bag and most people will understand it is a camera.

It certainly isn't much bigger than a Canon 7D with a flash and expensive zoom lens.

You should be fine as long as it isn't one of those silly places where the tables are so small there is barely room for the plates!

Toffle · Aug 23, 2011

tomalophicon said:
Hilarious. You must look a right tool taking it all out.

Thank you??? :confused:
I've never actually measured or weighed my 8x10 case, but I'm sure when I lug it around I look like someone trying to dispose of a body. (only slightly less embarrassing) It was only after getting my Grover that I realized that Brett Weston was right. This is a camera that was never meant to be taken out of the studio. Now at least I can get my gear out to virtually any place you can cart a pair of three year-old twins.

Getting ready to do something embarrasing

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