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Does your M grab people's attention?


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I've been in my home town of Edinburgh at the Fringe Festival over the past few days and it always seems

someone will approach me and comment on the M240 or my M7. There has been a number of other Leica users ,

including two with SL, and it always ends up with a conversation on the good and bad points. Never happened with other cameras I owned. Great owner community spirit.

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People usually say nothing, unless I am using a vintage M from the 1950s or an LTM. Generally, older guys (women never ask), who remember such cameras when they were new, ask the questions. Red dots are irrelevant to such conversations as the cameras in question don't have them and the enquirers don't need to see one in order to recognise a Leica.  I believe that nowadays Leica are putting red dots on Panasonic cameras and selling them as Leicas. Nearly as confusing as the FSU LTM copies!

 

As for people who tape up red dots, I suggest that they either go to see a doctor or get a 'real' pre-dot Leica.

 

William

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3 observations on My 240 in the last 2 weeks (hiking on Mountains) 2 recognized it correctly (1 italian 1 german)with comments in the "Great camera " mood... The 3rd one (aged in the sixties i'd day)commented that "film is Always the best on Mountains" and i let him think that so was For me...

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I've been in my home town of Edinburgh at the Fringe Festival over the past few days and it always seems

someone will approach me and comment on the M240 or my M7. There has been a number of other Leica users ,

including two with SL, and it always ends up with a conversation on the good and bad points. Never happened with other cameras I owned. Great owner community spirit.

Role reversal: I was out at Edinburgh Festival last night when I saw a guy with an M. I talked to him and discovered he was visiting from France. He had an M-P (240), very nicely brassed, with a 50mm APO Summicron. We had a very pleasant chat about Leicas for 5 mins or so...

 

Ernst

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In a cafe on Monday when a working photographer noticed my T - he was intrigued by it being a Leica (and was clearly unaware of its existence). I showed him my rather battered M9 too. He was surprised when he saw the screen on the back.......

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No the Leicas do not draw attention. The only odd comment I've received is,

"Why the hell are you even taking pictures ... of what?"

 

I'll post one from this soon.

 

(One old-timer did note that he had never seen an orange camera

with an orange strap. Ugh.)

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Over the weekend an old friend from the village we lived in (2miles, 3km away) 25 years ago met me at the local beer festival. I'd taken my M-P 240 over my shoulder and he asked if it was a film camera. I showed him the back and he said, "Ah, a digital film camera!"

 

When I was trying to take a shot of a dog (canine partner for a disabled friend) he asked if I had installed image stabilisation. I started giggling at that stage and said it was manual focus, just like a real camera should be, and you had to hold it steady or use a high speed. He look perplexed and wandered off for another pint.

 

:D

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 "Ah, a digital film camera!"

 

I do get comments on my blackdot black M9 every once in a while. Quite a few people think it's film, sometimes even Leica owners think it's an MP or M4 .. 

 

I do hear the whole "digital film camera" quite often though. Sometimes I am surprised when people have not even heard of Leica, despite shooting very expensive CaNikon equipment. 

 

Anyhow, my favorite comment was probably on my silver M8 (silver dot ..) "nice, a film DSLR, way to go.."      

 

I suppose with all the auto features today one does not have to know any camera history .. or any specifics in order to take good pictures. Some people are talented and you wouldn't even know that they don't know s**t about how a camera works let alone any history on cameras, brands, film and so on. 

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Interestingly it's usually young people who say "nice camera" when they see my M.

 

Older people are probably too cynical, reserved or competitive. Or unobservant. Or just not interested.

 

I did have an old gent once say in a sneering tone "there he is snapping away with his Leica" as though he'd caught me out doing something shameful. I assumed he thought I was showing off by using a Leica, an attitude not uncommon on photo forums.

Edited by Peter H
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I paused, standing, on the road to change the film on my M6 and a guy with a rather heavy looking DSLR couldn't stop staring at my camera throughout whilst I changed the film.

 

I know tis not a M240/262 but what the hell :)

 

I gave him a big smile and he seem very confused.

 

Its moments like this that make it all worth whilst ...

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Interestingly it's usually young people who say "nice camera" when they see my M.

 

Older people are probably too cynical, reserved or competitive. Or unobservant. Or just not interested.

 

I did have an old gent once say in a sneering tone "there he is snapping away with his Leica" as though he'd caught me out doing something shameful. I assumed he thought I was showing off by using a Leica, an attitude not uncommon on photo forums.

Sadly, this is quite common among certain camera folk. In the camera club I've been a member of for a year, I avoided any mention of the equipment I use for photos I've shown or posted on their forums. When asked, my response has always led to comments about cost and the characteristics of Leica owners.

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Got stopped at security at Manchester airport today as I had an old camera that was digital and it was suspicious...

 

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

I was in Zurich last week and the security people did that again. They had me to dismount my Konica Dual lens from the body and took my another lens, my Konica limited 50/1,2 and looked through the un-mounted lenses, then had me to mount both lenses one by one on my M9 and looked through the viewfinder. Lol

I do not understand the purpose of this manipulation with my gear. Even then they were not satisfied and sent my gear for radioactively testing.

 

It was my second time, when the Zurich security people made the full check of my Leica stuff. Maybe I just Look like a bad guy...

 

During the trip I encountered a group of Chinese tourists in a small Swiss town and they had among themselves two M240, one SL and one S007. One of them noticed my Konica Dual and gave me a compliment . They also had a lot of other cameras , N and C, but the only old little lady surprised me when she showed me her Leica X-U 113 with an optical viewfinder in the cold shoe. It's the first time, besides the Leica workshops, I saw so many Leica users in one place. They were not timid to ask all sort of questions.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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I was in Zurich last week and the security people did that again. They had me to dismount my Konica Dual lens from the body and took my another lens, my Konica limited 50/1,2 and looked through the un-mounted lenses, then had me to mount both lenses one by one on my M9 and looked through the viewfinder. Lol

I do not understand the purpose of this manipulation with my gear. Even then they were not satisfied and sent my gear for radioactively testing.

It was my second time, when the Zurich security people made the full check of my Leica stuff. Maybe I just Look like a bad guy...

During the trip I encountered a group of Chinese tourists in a small Swiss town and they had among themselves two M240, one SL and one S007. One of them noticed my Konica Dual and gave me a compliment . They also had a lot of other cameras , N and C, but the only old little lady surprised me when she showed me her Leica X-U 113 with an optical viewfinder in the cold shoe. It's the first time, besides the Leica workshops, I saw so many Leica users in one place. They were not timid to ask all sort of questions.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

In a battle of wits the security forces are only half there.

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