People still recognize Leicas

<p>I just returned from two weeks at Lake Tahoe. I took a Leica IIIC. I was amazed at how many people recognized the camera -- stopped me in the street, stopped me in a store, stopped on a trail, all saying something like "Is that an old Leica?" I am 67 and most of these people were far younger. Only one was a "camera" person, and that was the owner of a camera shop in Tahoe City. It fascinated me.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

<p>It is interesting. Of all the cameras I shoot with, the Leica is the one people look at and ask me about the most. I'd rather they didn't recognize it most of the time.</p>

<p>and who said the Leica is the unobtrusive camera? lol <br>

while I'm in HK, I think most people here are accustomed to DSLR, when you use something not made by Nikon or Canon, peoples on the streets would give you a strange look ~ what peice of crap you are using? ~ well that actually help me shoot easier on the street since the only SLR system I use is Pentax. <br>

I have a Black M4-2, which is even less noticeable, I found most of the people don't really care when I raise my camera, but I still run into some that would just flee when I try to shoot.<br>

The few funniest experience when my cameras got notice was<br>

a 12 years old kids with his mom gazing and drooling at my Rolleiflex in a Park,<br>

and once I was stopped by 2 ladies in a mall and said - with a camera like this you must be a good photographer, could you please help take a picture for me and my friend? that was my Rolleiflex again<br>

and everytime when I have my Polaroid SX70 or Automatic 330 with me, everybody else on the street just can't stop looking at me lol</p>

<p>I met a nice couple while doing personal business last Saturday - see Sunday's pic-of-the-week thread. I had my M4 and they said "that looks like a Leica". And a small grocery proprietor in Buenos Aires ignored me until he saw my M6, then explained he had an M3. You can meet interesting folks with your Leica. </p>

<p>I sold my twin-lens Rollei several years ago. But it was a real attention getter; people assumed I was a professional photographer.</p>

<p>That's funny. I've only had one person in the last 4 years stop and comment about my Leica. I must smell or something.</p>

<p>haha: the funniest thing that's happened to me, lately, is this: a chap in a pub thought my olympus trip 35 was an old leica : B</p>

<p>Funniest I've heard or experienced: Asking if a IIIa was digital. Or at the airport asking to "switch" on an M4. </p>

<p>Funniest I've heard or experienced: Asking if a IIIa was digital. Or at the airport asking to "switch" on an M4. </p>

<p>Yes, I also notice that.<br>

Once shooting on the street, Leica is no longer that little uncuspicious camera... people know leica, and stare.<br>

That's not good :\<br>

Rui</p>

<p>My chrome m4 is almost exclusively recognized as Zenit:) And it's supposed to be a compliment...</p>

<p>Having used two Leicas since 1990 (M6 and an M8) I have had one person recognize I was using a Leica. In that case, I had stopped to change lenses using a low wall as a work surface for my camera case. I was next to a person sitting on the wall who noticed me changing the lens and asked what kind of camera I was using; and then noticed the Leica logo on the camera...in 19 years...that's it.</p>

<p>I have had maybe 10 people in 25 years of Leica comment on it - about the same as I have had with Canon stuff.</p>

<p>I was on vacation in Japan last year and an older gentleman came up to me and said, ahhhhh, Leica!<br>

And when I was shooting in Tokyo 11 years ago with my Hasselblad a man said, ahhhhh, nice camera!<br>

But this only seems to happen to me in Japan. The Nihonjin do love their cameras.</p>

<p>I've had people recognize my old Leicas in India, Kenya, and Mexico. In Mexico city one old street photographer said "Allemaner". I replied "German" before I remembered that Alleman was their word for German.</p>

<p>I travel a fair bit, and people ask me about my Leicas quite frequently. Interestingly, I've been asked about the RD-1s a lot ... usually remarking on its retro look, but also expressing surprise that it is digital. Also, I have had people mistake my Bessas for Leicas.</p>

<p>I was in Vienna shooting with an M2 one day, just in front of the Hoffberg. A gentleman came up to me and started up a conversation. Turned out he was a Leica engineer on vacation.</p>

<p>I am happy for Lieca enthusiats as they derive joy from their cameras. It is a curious phenomenon these kind of threads expose however. You see, no one comments on my cameras. They do comment on my photos. But then, I don't shoot Liecas, I shoot photos. For me the camera brand is the incidental part, not what the camera brand makes.</p>

<p>John H, I never shot a camera, and I don't remember shooting a photo, but I have shot plenty of pheasants (and once Tweety Bird). Nobody ever commented on my pheasants, but then I always ate them and never showed them.</p>

<p>I hope your as confused on this post as I am as the point you didn't make on yours. But whatever, I'm not spelling anal, but you could have seen from the red line in your post, or from the forum title, you could have spelled the brand name correctly. It means nothing, unless details matter in time, programming, math and a plethora of real world skills, almost like communications, but hell, what do I know?</p>

<p>So my dear John, we are enthusiasts. We like Leica. We like it when another Leica enthusiast says cool camera, or I have an M3 or M(x). We take the cameras that we do and travel where we go.</p>

<p>Back on topic. I was carrying my MP when I was working as a flag man on an asphalt crew. A guy asked me if that was an old Leica. Nah I replied it was probably made in 04. Another guy (Chinese?) asked me if I took his photo to report his travels outside of permitted area. That was pretty weird, I just said no but I did take a photo of a flower growing out of a rock. This was in Los Alamos, a most strange place.</p>

<p>I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone took the time to state "the camera doesn't matter", or "the camera is only a tool", or some other slightly smirkish, silly comment like that. </p>

<p>I've just sold my Leica R system after 25 years use. I always valued the anonymity that the name provided, as most people had no idea what it was - the kudos lay with Nikons and Canons. However, occasionally someone would say something like 'Nice Camera', and I was happy with that. One guy said to his girlfriend 'That's camera I want to have'. Some people expressed surprise that Leica was still making cameras.<br>

I've just bought a Canon 5DII with 24-105 lens and it has attracted more attention in the few months I've had it that the Leica would attract in 5 years! I'm going to get another camera strap that doesn't broadcast its identity, and try keep the camera 'hidden' when I'm carrying it.<br>

Although I don't regret selling the Leica system, its IQ still exceeds that of the 5DII - even shooting RAW. However, taking good photos is now much easier with the 5DII, especially if the subject is moving! Overall, I think I'm in front.<br>

Ian</p>

<p>I've been to every continent save Antarctica, and on virtually every trip, people recognise my Leicas and come up to comment. In Singapore, a fellow spotted my M6 and started talking to me in German. Turns out he was a design engineer from Solms and had some very <em>uncomplimentary</em> things to say about the R line. I was once at a wedding in the UK and an elderly lady with an M3 came over to chat when she my M5. People seem to notice the Leica more now than thy did a few decades ago.</p>

<p>Similar story, but with the roles reversed somewhat. I was recently doing a bit of street photography with my Mamiya C220 and a guy with a Leica M6 stopped to comment on my choice of gear. Heck, I was just out fooling around with the thing</p>

<p><em>I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone took the time to state "the camera doesn't matter", or "the camera is only a tool", or some other slightly smirkish, silly comment like that. </em></p>

<p>The great unwashed may drive a Toyota instead of a Ferrari, but it gets them there nevertheless. Putting down others for telling people that a more frugal purchase will meet their needs, projects a perception of snobbery. An unfair perception of most 'Lie-ca' owners. A fair one, perhaps, for others.</p>

 

 

<p>John, this is a camera forum. It's not improper to discuss cameras here. There is plenty of places on internet for us to talk about photographs, too.</p>