What's the goofiest thing someone has said about your film M (or about film)?

[Messsucherkamera]

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Seeing a person making photographs with a film Leica M always seems to elicit comments from other people when they realize that the photographer is actually using a film camera.

 

This realization usually results in comments, not all of which are well thought out - let alone cognizant or anywhere near intelligent. This situation can result in some rather comical and sometimes absurd proclamations being issued by the observer.

 

I thought that we could all have a good laugh by sharing some of the comments we have heard from those who are amazed/befuddled/mystified by the fact that film indeed still lives on and that we haven't chucked our film M cameras into the nearest dumpster.

 

Here's my most recent incident: A guy with a gaggle of wandering kids at the farmer's market saw me loading a roll of Tri-X into my M4-P. He sang out to his pack of yard rats

"Heeeeeey, kids! Looooooooooooook!! He's got filllllllllllllllllllllllm!!

 

It was no mean feat for me to keep a straight face but somehow I pulled it off.

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[too old to care]

Right after we moved to our current home (2004) I was in a large camera store with my M6 over my shoulder. Another customer told me that I had a nice old camera. He went on to tell me that his grandfather used to own one like that. I told him it was not very old, that I bought it new in 1998 and I was in to buy film. He just looked at me.

[jneilt]

I got the "old camera" comment re an MP a couple times in the two months I have had it.

 

I also got the "where can you buy film" question...from camera store staff as well.

[M9reno]

A security supervisor in Heathrow Terminal 4 seemed to regard my carrying film (and asking for a hand-check) with positive hostility. Her powerless subaltern was far nicer, just appearing curious about the continuing use of this backwards technology. (BTW: Hand check denied). On several occasions the solidity of my (empty) IIIg on the X-ray monitors surprised staff and the camera was pulled out (or put through the machine again) for further inspection. Again, the question (or just the look I got) was "why in the world?"

 

My little children constantly, almost reflexively, attempt to chimp. Where's the preview screen? Constantly I disappoint them.

 

Using film Leicas has a way of making me feel simultaneously like the luckiest person and a complete freak.

[LucisPictor]

Not with a Leica but with a Yashica Electro 35GS:

 

"Oh, beautiful! Does it still work? Really?"

 

and from a salesperson in a camera store (!):

 

"Why do you still shoot on film? You should buy a digital cam. They are not expensive any more!"

 

(I was about to tell him that I own more than 20 digital cams, but I left him alone and just went out. )

 

 

 

...BTW: Hand check denied...

 

Incredible!! You should have demanded to see their superior. We all should - even if that makes a real mess!!

 

Seriously, that kind of behaviour makes me really angry. When those guys think that they can do whatever they want. Airport security often is a real PITA. One of the reasons why I only fly when I definitely have to and why I haven't been in the States for years!

[kokoshawnuff]

Like others, I almost always get the rhetorical "can you even buy film anymore?"

 

This is just as often from quite smart and worldly people that obviously know I can still buy film, or I wouldn't be using a film camera. But it's a time when people are somewhat dumbstruck by the analog niche in a global world, and those are the first conversational words they can muster to deliver. Then the conversation typically gets a little more rational, asking if I develop at home, recently, about Kodak and their troubles, etc

[pico]

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About the Super Ikonta 6x9 I had at work - a student asked, "can you still get batteries for it?" When I explained that did not use batteries, "It is like a clock-work mechanism." and he looked at his digital LED watch, still puzzled.

[too old to care]

About the Super Ikonta 6x9 I had at work - a student asked, "can you still get batteries for it?" When I explained that did not use batteries, "It is like a clock-work mechanism." and he looked at his digital LED watch, still puzzled.

 

Small hijack here:

 

Now that is funny. A friend told me about a friend of his daughter when he saw a rotary dial phone from the 40s. My friend installed it because he likes old things. The younger girl did not know how to use it, she kept pushing in the holes trying to make a call.

 

End of hijack:

[earleygallery]

You should see the looks I get when using one of my Box cameras. People stare, point, and look concerned for me, probably thinking that the men in White coats will be along at any moment.

 

With the Leica Ive had "fashion cam!", "can you still get film?" and "have you got a proper camera as well?".

[M9reno]

"have you got a proper camera as well?".

 

:D:D:D

[01af]

When meeting his friends on his birthday, a little boy said: "Look what a wonderful watch my grandpa gave me—it doesn't need no batteries anymore; you just wind it!"

[CalArts 99]

If you're in a big modern city with a young urban hipster population, you'll get an affirmative nod when using a film camera and a look of disdain if you're using digital.

 

The paradigm is shifting once again.

[Jeff S]

Lots of people in big modern cities think my M8.2 is a film camera. Depends how much the person knows about cameras.

 

The most attention I ever got with film was, not surprisingly, using wooden view cameras. Almost always led to interesting discussions, especially if they were interested to see the inverted image....lots of funny questions about that. And lots of compliments, usually from women, about the camera aesthetics; almost as much of a magnet as walking a dog.

 

Jeff

[jip]

I don't have a film Leica but a Leica M8 and multiple people have said to me, wow do you still use film?! Then I flip the M8 and they see the screen.

 

It's funny how people do notice the Leica camera's in a certain way.

[philipus]

Today someone said, pointing to the camera I had just used to take his picture, "It's so nice, Philip, that you're using film". He had seen my M6 at some earlier point in time but on this occasion I used my D2(!)

[Messsucherkamera]

Using film Leicas has a way of making me feel simultaneously like the luckiest person and a complete freak.

I know the feeling - and I like it.

 

The bottom line is this: Silver halide photography just flat works. There's no two ways about it.

 

I'll take a well crafted B&W sliverprint or Ilfochrome over an inkjet print any day.

[NB23]

Yesterday, in a Miami Beach Liquor Store:

 

Him: Nice camera (about my beautiful

BP S3 2000 with 5cm f1.1 external mount). I got the same.

Me: Niiice! do you use it?

Him: No, it's in my country (meaning Cuba).

 

He was, of course, talking about a russian el-cheapo camera.

[stack62]

One day while shooting in the mountains with my 4x5 Crown Graphic on a tripod, a Woman tourist came up to me and asked: "Is that a Leica?"

 

....and she was German.

 

I thought that was kind of funny.

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[azzo]

'' You're not going to get much with that old thing! '' ...

 

 

 

.............

[nggalai]

Regarding the M3: “Ah, so this is this retro-style camera I read about, isn’t it? Don’t you feel like a tool pretending to use an old camera?”

 

Regarding the TLR: “So, err, you’re shooting a movie?”

 

Regarding the Holga: “Ah, a Polaroid. Look luv, after he pushes the button the image will come out the back, almost like with a real camera”. (I guess he was talking about rear LCD.)