Which kind of tape to go stealth?

[LuxBob]

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It's a bit like taping over AK-47 on said item - it disguises nothing.

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[xtoph]

coupla things--

 

i recommend *against* using 'electrical tape' (ie, the stretchy stuff made to isolate current in wires). it will slide around on the surface of the camera, especially when it's hot, and the glue gets all slimey. better to use genuine gaffer's tape, made to stay on and come off, even repeatedly. i use the higher-spec waterproof variety. it has a better grip surface than the m9 does, so i have some on the front finger and rear thumb grip areas of the camera; i've even put some contours under the tape (using cut-down sections of q-tip sticks) that help me to keep a grip and to find the 'home' area where i want to hold it. in addition, this all gives me a repository of tape handy if i need to peel it off for some other use, which i sometimes do (say, a broken lenshood that needs sticking back on. yes, this has happened.). oh, i also have a dot of tape over the remote release hole--no water getting in there--and on the side next to the frame line selector lever, in case i want to tape that in a different position, and yes, over the logos.

 

as to whether or not it 'helps' when doing street photography or whatever... well, i am fairly certain that it doesn't hurt. i know that my various taped cameras have often been dismissed as worthless by would-be thieves, who on one occasion tried to get the little digicam i had but didn't want the slr, which seemed too worn and beat-up to them (they didn't know i could speak their language). i also know that contrasty bits such as the logo do draw people's eyes, which can sometimes be timed exactly wrong for your shot. and there is a phenomenon called the stroop effect which basically means that a literate person cannot help themselves from reading something in their field of view, including model numbers and such. again, i (mostly) don't necessarily care if people 'know' i have a leica, but i'd rather have a conversation with them about it than have them peering at my camera absent-mindedly when i might be looking out for photos. and yes, i know that on a few occasions people's curiosity has been drawn by the tape, but really not very often.

 

overall, it isn't a big deal or a big difference, but it works for me, which is in the end the best reason--i take better pictures with a camera i am more comfortable with. oh, that plus i remove the lables/logos on pretty much everything i own. i mean, unless someone wants to pay me to advertise for them.

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[swamiji]

Chrome lenses... How anti stealth.

[vanhulsenbeek]

Cool combo though

[swamiji]

Cool combo though

 

Agreed. I figure if you are going down the path of chrome, it's a different look... More old school. Also cool, just different.

 

In fact, my M7 is chrome, and when I bring it out most people simply ignore it, as what there grandfathers used. So perhaps it's more hidden, because of people perception.

[zlatkob]

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I find that gaffers tape works well for photo gear and comes off easily. This one for example:

General Brand | Gaffer Tape - Black | B&H Photo Video

Electrical tape is too sticky and can make a mess on a hot day.

[SJP]

I have decided stealth is a POS (excuse the french), NO-ONE knows what a Leica looks like, or even cares. Different planet.

 

Keeping the Red Dot is useful for the very rare occasions we (Leica users) meet each other in the wild so covering it should be discouraged at all cost. HCB did not care - so why should we?

 

If you really want to deface the camera than I guess the answer is black tape or aluminium tape depending on black vs. chrome. Alternatively drag the camera along a dirt track for a few miles. That should make it less desirable for our thieving friends.

[swamiji]

I have decided stealth is a POS (excuse the french), NO-ONE knows what a Leica looks like, or even cares. Different planet.

 

If you really want to deface the camera than I guess the answer is black tape or aluminium tape depending on black vs. chrome. Alternatively drag the camera along a dirt track for a few miles.

 

Congratulation on you decision. It's not an Icon that can be defaced. It's a camera, a tool, something that some of us like to customize and make our own, something personal. For some it's the degree of brassing, I guess that dragging it along a dirt track would help. We all have our tastes. It's all a bit of fun... If it's not give it up.

 

And for NO-ONE knowing what a Leica looks like.... not true, just because it's not known here, does not mean in the rest of the world is as ignorant. I have met people in China, India, Malaysia, Japan, etc. etc. etc. and many are familiar, albeit an M3.

[xtoph]

And for NO-ONE knowing what a Leica looks like.... not true, just because it's not known here, does not mean in the rest of the world is as ignorant. I have met people in China, India, Malaysia, Japan, etc. etc. etc. and many are familiar, albeit an M3.

indeed. i remember 20 years ago, trekking in nepal 2 weeks from the nearest motorized road, and people would estimate my photo prowess by camera brand. nikon was for pros, most other brands were punters, and leica was for wild-card eccentric losers or geniuses--that one you had to wait and see, they said.

 

my olympus gear marked me as second rate, they weren't hesitant to point out.

 

the point is just that there are lots of people out there, all over the world, who have a keen eye for brands and commodities--most of them just curious, and some with more of an instrumental interest.

[rob_x2004]

I wish you guys could be serious for even a minute. These should be soft on baby and not damage the paint.

[barcoder]

Rangefound: Hell, no, we won't logo...

 

Bill has a great point. Removing the white paint for the M9 and changing the logo is only for the benefit of the photographer and does not enable anyone to take stealthier photographs. I dare someone to prove this. It's silly to suggest otherwise.

 

It is ridicules to suggest that people are so obtuse as to not see a camera pointed at them. There is nothing stealthy about such a camera and any modifications to the M9 should only be considered for the photographers aesthetic interests only.

 

I think this also goes further into a black versus grey discussion too. I think it is also silly to suggest that black is in any way more "stealthy" than the gray camera.

 

If you want a "stealthy" camera I suggest you use a camera phone. People hardly notice someone holding out a cell phone even if you are taking pictures with it. I take a lot of candid pictures in the subway of people just a few feet away because they do not think I am using my iPhone to take their picture.

 

Now I also think that adding a bunch of tape and other markings to your camera can be effective in making it look old and cheap and thus less attractive to theft. I am willing to humor such a possibility. But then, I also realize that crime is more about the opportunity than the means.

[xtoph]

B[...] I dare someone to prove this. It's silly to suggest otherwise.

 

It is ridicules to suggest that people are so obtuse as to not see a camera pointed at them. There is nothing stealthy about such a camera and any modifications to the M9 should only be considered for the photographers aesthetic interests only.

 

I think this also goes further into a black versus grey discussion too. I think it is also silly to suggest that black is in any way more "stealthy" than the gray camera.

 

really. well. and what exactly would constitute proof in your opinion?

 

it is "silly" and "ridiculous" to suggest that a camera without reflective and high contrast parts makes no difference in attracting people's attention. (or perhaps you also prefer to go biking at night wearing all black--obviously people are not so obtuse that they will fail to notice a biker, right? good luck with that.) personally, i happen to think that the most important aspect to getting good street photos is behavior; simply photographing in an open, calm, and confident manner makes the biggest difference in people's attitudes about being photographed, or even to whether they notice you and your camera or not. but speaking as someone with a lot of experience doing street and documentary photography, i also know that the camera can make a difference, including whether the camera is highly visible or not. this can be even more important at night, where silver and other high-contrast, reflective parts can draw a lot of attention.

 

if you don't want to tape your camera, fine, but the burden of 'proof' that it makes no difference really falls upon you. and what is it that makes so many people on these forums so adamant about a part of other strangers' working technique which they clearly don't have any knowledge about? it's weird, frankly.

[thegrantgreen]

I use electric tape and I really like it! u have to change it from time to time, but who cares?

I also simply like the look of the camera when it's completely black...

 

kinda looks like a mp, i like it like this!!

 

[swamiji]

 

If you want a "stealthy" camera I suggest you use a camera phone. People hardly notice someone holding out a cell phone even if you are taking pictures with it. I take a lot of candid pictures in the subway of people just a few feet away because they do not think I am using my iPhone to take their picture.

.

 

Are you suggesting that you get the same quality of images from your iPhone? ARGH.

 

The reason I go "stealthy" is I shoot in places where dSLR & P&S people draw very negative reaction. Being I am using a old style camera, w/o logo's or markings, I mostly get the reaction of how quaint, rather than you are invading my privacy. I know this because, I pay attention to my fellow photographers as they shoot how others react. It comes under the category of experience.

[pelagia]

OK, the discussion above is about using a tape to decrease visibility of a camera. I have another question: is there any sense to tape parts of camera for better dust/weather sealing when going to rough environments? For instance, the edge of the top plate, the edges of the screen plate?

Tom.

[scc]

I taped up the white M9 lettering and the red logo with black low-tack masking tape.

I use a smaller piece of tape, sticky surface to sticky surface (kind of like a band-aid), to prevent the tape from removing the lettering / logo details.

 

Personally, I prefer the all black appearance of my M9, and dislike logos / badges / branding in general.

That is the only reason I did it.

 

Despite taping my camera, I have been stopped a couple of times by people asking 'is that a Leica?'.

[mwalker649]

If a thief is smart enough to recognize a red dot or a M9, M8 or whatever, he is smart enough to recognize that the camera is worth money no what you do to it. If you are going to shoot in a "bad area"

 

1. shoot with a buddy

2. always be courteous

3. wear tennis shoes

or

4. pack heat

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[rob_x2004]

Use clear tape, its invisible at any distance.

[barcoder]

Who needs Stealth Tape™ when you can get a Stealth Bag™! Look closely though cause it might be hard to see on the web site but there is a camera there and its an SLR! My advice is to get the Coffee Tree as the Fog & Turquoise bag is not stealthy enough (it's too light).