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What black tape to cover Leica logos?


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Just out of curiosity, why would you want to do that? Is it for a special stealth purpose or what?

 

Also, I often use black electrician's tape to attach a PC wire or keep a battery cover in place on a flash, and I never have a problem gently rubbing off the tiny amounts of residue that are left.

 

If the black enamel is so delicate I wonder why anyone would want a camera with that finish. I'm not being sarcastic; just truthful.

 

Why not try a tiny bit of electricians tape on the bottom of the camera for a few days and see what happens.

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Jack

 

IMHO taping the logo on a camera is a lot of pretentious twaddle, harking back to Henri Cartier Bresson ( ands some others)who thought if he covered the logo on the camera people would not think they were having their picture taken by a serious photographer. He took some very good pictures, but everything he did was not worth emulating holus bolus.

 

Most people I know who do it take no better pictures with it than without it. I HAVE put black tape, electricians tape to boot, over all the rest of the metal parts of the body to protect against scratching. I had it on for 2 years, then when I sold the camera, it took only 1/2 hr with some lighter fluid to clean it up with no damage.

 

Cheers

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I find plastique explosive tape works great. Just before you go out to shoot, stand back about 10 yards, detonate it and viola...you don't have to worry about theft at all. IMO this is such a non-issue...any thief that knows what a Leica is worth quite probably knows what one looks like.
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Richard wrote: "IMHO taping the logo on a camera is a lot of pretentious twaddle"

 

Well, Leica spells expensive camera to muggers in a big city. My twaddley common sense tells me to cover it up. Besides, the camera takes better pictures with it covered. :)

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I STRONGLY recommend the black gaffers tape you can buy in photo shops. It is paper based and does not leave any residue even after many months.

 

I have, by the way, taped over the names on my N---- cameras but for a totally different reason: I don't think I should have to act as an unpaid billboard for some company's products. If N---- (or L----) wants their name paraded around they can darn well pay me for it!

 

I feel the same way about T-shirts, watches, and other "designer" products.

 

Now, if you REALLY want to discourage thieves, do as I did with my F3, sand the black paint off the pentaprism (and anywhere else you feel like it)! Even the dullest-witted thief knows that a shiny camera is worth more than a beat up looking one.

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Cartier-Bresson did not have to tape over logos on the front -there were none. He was trying to cover eye-catching, shiny

chrome, not to prevent theft, but to get as many shots as possible from different angles without being noticed. The

bright white logos on the front of many cameras today are best covered with black photographic masking tape, which

leaves no residue and is usually available at any photo shop that sells darkroom supplies....

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>>Leica spells expensive camera to muggers in a big city<<

 

Camera savvy thieves? Possible but somehow I doubt it. That sort of person would take an Ilford Sportsman if they saw it round your neck. Taping over a red dot is really not going to be a deterent.

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I suspect that a thief savvy enough to know the value of Leicas and know a fence who will pay him big money for one probably won't be fooled by a piece of tape. A Canon Rebel with a 28-200 consumer zoom is a much juicier target for street thieves than a Leica. At the cafe or gallery, people occasionally ask about my Leica; in bars and on the street, they might ask about that funny-looking camera.
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Most electrical tape will leave a layer of black goo that will never come off- especially if it's on there for a while.

 

Leica's are well known to photographers, but I'll bet 95% of the muggers around don't know a Leica from a Holga. And don't care- they'd take either and worrry about it later. I don't think I'd ever heard of a Leica till I started reading camera magazines.

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<<taping the logo on a camera is a lot of pretentious twaddle, harking back to Henri Cartier Bresson >>

 

I think one of the beauty of in the Leica philosophy is the subtle feeling. Covering the logo or the M6 inscription is like smoking a cigar without a label. I don't like people guessing how much did the cigar cost by examining the label which I think is pretentious in nature.

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