Magic Marker

[Guest ccmsosse]

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At the risk of getting shot, has anyone used a black magic marker to cover up the White M9 and Leica writing - not so much to prevent theft but merely to disguise the M9

I am almost embarrassed to own one and "understatement" would be welcome

Since I don't plan to (ever) sell the M9 - does anyone one have a comment or issue with such "stupidity"

Has anyone done it?

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[Pophoto]

I think their are many who think in similar lines as yourself (including myself), whether it's to with owning something so expensive in such poor economic times, or simply being able to take ownership of something considered exclusive, similar to driving a Rolls Royce or Ferrari.

 

I would like to suggest since you have spent what you have spent on the M9, just simply 'man' up to it. Would someone buy a Ferrari and then debadge it! It is what it is. The rest of your worries... just report back onto the forums what you come up against! I'm sure after some time of shooting, it's no longer something you'll be caught up with. Also, since you don't plan to sell it in the future, you might live to regret defacing it!

Having said that, previous threads have already talked about their other cool ways, such as black tape or black Leica badge etc. Just enjoy it says me

[reynoldsyoung]

Just take a wooden toothpick and push on the white paint. It will come right out. Magic Marker and the like will leave a residue on the black finish. Here's mine:

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[Guest ccmsosse]

Wow - I didn't know you could do that - it also looks like you changed the red for the black dot - I read that you wiggle the red dot with your fingernails for 30 seconds or so until it comes off - how does the black dot apply?

[smb]

Use black electical tape...reversible.

[jaapv]

Wow - I didn't know you could do that - it also looks like you changed the red for the black dot - I read that you wiggle the red dot with your fingernails for 30 seconds or so until it comes off - how does the black dot apply?

Tacky sticky

[Googaliser]

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I thought that using a DRF in social situations would reduce my visibility. Yes and no. The M9 initially can attract more attention than a fully loaded Nikon D3. I would say the majority are just curious about 'what is that ?' in an era of generic looking point and shoots (the '9' means nothing to them thankfully). One or two people 'know' exactly what it is and will either fawn over it or judge. After making the introductions people move on and I can get on with the task in hand. Its a potent weapon once the curiosity dissipates. Not sure sure blacking-out the M9 would help. Most of my enquirers actually take a *very* close look, and my challenge is to try and get them back on the right side of the camera

[Maximus]

At the risk of getting shot, has anyone used a black magic marker to cover up the White M9 and Leica writing - not so much to prevent theft but merely to disguise the M9

I am almost embarrassed to own one and "understatement" would be welcome

Since I don't plan to (ever) sell the M9 - does anyone one have a comment or issue with such "stupidity"

Has anyone done it?

 

You are embarrassed to own an M9 with a bit of white writing on it but not so when the writing is disguised? Sorry but that appears a touch crazy.

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Maximus,

 

A touch maybe, but not as much as I thought a week ago, I frequently run into a guy at the local StarBucks, he is a contractor, artist, photographer etc... a couple of times I have had the M9 on the shoulder (M8 and M6 before that), this week he informed me that he had googled "M9" and was shocked to learn it was not a old camera but cost about what he made last year (not very much in that perspective clearly). He is still a nice guy to chat with a little in the morning, but he stares at the M9 and I would have been just fine had he not seen the number and continued to figure as he always did "that looks like a fine old camera, Im sure you have fun using it".

 

I parking my car in front of the Starbucks probably don't help . Im not into taping the camera totally down, but low key can be good.

 

.

[Jeff S]

Just wait until he Googles Noctilux.

 

Jeff

[haroldp]

Use black electical tape...reversible.

 

Works for me.

 

When walking around in places where the value an M9 (or M8) with MATE or WATE or lux exceeds an average professionals annual salary ( I was recently in Cairo and St. Petersberg ), I use black electrical tape over both 'Leica' and model designations.

 

My associate with a Canon 20D was attracting lots of attention, I was ignored.

 

The only time the M9 was recognized was in a camera shop in Malta.

 

Regards and happy new year ... Harold

[butchhul]

Black masking tape, 1/2 in. from Staples

 

Matt, matches nicely, easily removed or replaced, cheap

[smoody]

I am surprised that no one on the streets of NYC has noticed my Leica in any recognizable way. Either that or no one cares.

 

That said, does anyone know if anyone makes a replacement for the red dot that is simply a black button without the Leica label over the top of it?

 

I ask because it would make my black M9 body look even cooler (in my eyes anyway).

 

I like the de-whited "M9," but I am stuck in the "will that lower my resale value in the future?" trap.

[LondonM]

I am surprised that no one on the streets of NYC has noticed my Leica in any recognizable way. Either that or no one cares.

 

Just read in yesterday's paper that the average Manhattan condo is just over $847,000. I think the answer is "no one there cares". I'm sure and M9 costs more than a lot of real estate in other places though...

[Leicaiste]

 

The only time the M9 was recognized was in a camera shop in Malta.

 

Mine, with black tape on M9 and Red Dot, was detected as such by Vietnamese people passing by in both Hanoi and Saigon last month.

 

 

I have been there sixteen times since 2000 , always with an M6 or M8, and it never happen before.

 

Maybe the 9/9/9 marketing thing was not such a bad idea, or is it the full frame ??

 

 

[barcoder]

I like the de-whited "M9," but I am stuck in the "will that lower my resale value in the future?" trap.

 

Though I think these changes are an improvement, I think any decent Leica dealer would notice reynoldsyoung's changes. I assume that they would use that information to lower the price they are willing to purchase it from you.

 

I wish David Farkas or someone from B&H would state their opinion though.

[Guest ccmsosse]

I did the wooden toothpick thing and pushed out the White M9 Paint.Now the cam looks more "generic" - just black. I will leave the red Leica dot for now - It somehow doesn't stand out as much anymore, without the white M9.

We'll see - should a M10 come out in the future, I might just have a M9 backup camera rather than selling it...

[noah_addis]

If you're embarrassed maybe it's not the camera that needs changes. For me it's a working tool. Yes, it's expensive, but over time the cost of ownership of Leica Lenses can actually be quite low since they last for a very long time and have very strong resale value, in some cases they actually appreciate. The same is not true of digital cameras of course, however if I use the camera for five years (or even three years) and can re-sell for $2500 or so it's still a reasonable cost for a tool I use every day for my livelihood. I know the rationalization is different for amateurs, but compared to some other hobbies, it may not be as expensive when compared on a per-month basis.

 

Having said that, I think the white lettering looks bad aesthetically. I removed it on both of my cameras. I don't care about resale since I plan to use the cameras for quite some time and they're bound to be badly worn anyway. Removing the paint didn't seem to affect the resale value of my M8s when I sold them, in fact people seemed to like it.

 

All of you who cover the lettering with tape may be in for a surprise. On my second body I put some black gaffers tape over the lettering--figuring I wouldn't remove it entirely until I tested to make sure the camera was working properly. But after a week or so I removed the tape and half of the white paint came off too. No big deal since I wanted it off anyway, but I guess it's a warning to those who think tape is reversible. Gaffers tape may not be. For the record only the white came off, the black finish was perfectly unharmed.

 

I kind of like the red dot though, no plans to change that. I actually prefer the MP look with no dot, but the black dot just looks somehow wrong to me.

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[cheewai_m6]

i don't really get what the issue is? if you're worried about damaging the camera, then do as SO many people have suggested and put some black tape over the spots you want to cover. why would you go around scratching paint off when tape is so much simpler? choose the easy option.

[sgilder]

Unless a thief is specifically looking for an M9, your probably safe. The only people who will notice that it's even a Leica are other photographers (ex: I was the only person at my wedding who noticed the wedding photog's Hasselblad) That being said, I have been in situations with a DSLR where I wished for something less noticeable. After one particular afternoon shooting skateboarders at a local park (including my son) I felt lucky to not have been mugged. One individual in particular took a little too much interest in my camera for my comfort. I wasn't in a bad part of town, I wasn't flaunting my gear, but it's hard to be inconspicuous and blend in with something that just screams "I cost a lot of money!" around your neck, whether it does or not. In my case, it was a pretty old EOS 20D that wasn't worth all that much, but a potential thief doesn't know that. A 20D looks just like a 1DmkIII to someone who doesn't know the difference. I can definitely understanding wanting to attract the least amount of attention possible to your very expensive whatever you may have (M9, rolex, breitling, Les paul, whatever). Ironically that's part of the reason I started looking at Leica's.