What Leica Forum Visitors Buy: Black Dots (and more)

[LUF Admin]

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You may have noticed that the Leica Forum sometimes links to Amazon. This helps us to fund the forum – and gives us interesting insights what you Leica Forum visitors are interested in. I took a closer look at what products where bought from Amazon in recent months after having visited our forum.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Most of the popular articles are obvious:

• Cameras (Leica Q2, Leica M11)
• Lenses (Voigtlander for example)
• Memory cards (see list below – Leica users apparently LOVE Sandisk)
• Batteries
• Flashes (SF 40 and SF 60) and
• Accessories – you'll find some of them below

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About some popular articles I was first puzzled, but then found the appropriate tips in the forum.

Top Article: Black Dots

The most purchased (by far) item is this one:

Self-Adhesive Screw Hole Stickers, 12mm Black

Sorry what? I searched the Leica Forum and found this thread:

Leica logo cover (Hide the red dot)

I checked my access logs and found out that we get quite some Google traffic from people searching for „leica logo cover“ or „leica black dot sticker“.

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Following up is …

Everything around the Leica Q2

I was quite surprised how many Leica Q2 (Standard, Black, Reporter-Edition and Monochrome) were sold via Amazon!

Here are some more popular accessories – especially the manufacturer Haoge seems to have interesting accessories

• Thumb Up Rest (currently not available in black, but here is the red version)
• Metal Lens Hood Shade
• Metal Front Lens Cap Cover

 

Also often bought:

• Glass Screen Protector for Leica Q2
• Leather Camera Half Case with Metal Grip and Dovetail Plate

 

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SD-Cards: You love Sandisk…

Theses are the most popular memory cards:

• SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I
• SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II
• SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I
• SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB SDHC UHS-I
• SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I
• SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I
• Lexar Professional 1667x 128GB SDXC UHS-II (250MB/s Read)
• Lexar Professional 1667x 256GB SDXC UHS-II (250MB/s Read)
• Lexar Professional 2000x 128GB SDXC UHS-II Card (300MB/s Read)

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Do you have other recommendations for Leica photographers?

Feel free to share them here!

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Disclaimer: The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links, which allow me to get a small share if you buy from Amazon.

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

[Jeff S]

The generic black dots became more popular after DAG (Don Goldberg) stopped repainting Leica red dots black and offering for sale. There are many related threads.

Jeff

[algrove]

So how is the best way to remove the red dot on an M and an SL? Then which black dots are the best to purchase?

[fotografr]

3 hours ago, algrove said:

So how is the best way to remove the red dot on an M and an SL? Then which black dots are the best to purchase?

First, make sure your fingernails are in good shape. Using your nails, catch on to the lettering and try to rotate the dot. When it has rotated about 90 degrees, it should start to be easy to lift off. What you're doing is breaking the adhesive seal.around the edge of the dot. Finally, just remove it and replace it with the new one.

I have one of the black dots from Don Goldberg on my M10-R, and examining it very closely, I can't tell if it was hand painted over the red or if it came from the factory. Either way, it looks pretty good to me.

 

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[250swb]

If I saw a 'black dot' Leica for sale (other than genuine production) I'd run a mile because of the intrinsic implication it had been fiddled with, and who knows what else.  

[erl]

Why the apparent move against Red Dots?

Do the same reactionaries remove/disguise the emblem on their expensive cars?

[liggy]

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1 hour ago, erl said:

Why the apparent move against Red Dots?

Do the same reactionaries remove/disguise the emblem on their expensive cars?

Debadging is indeed an option on some high end cars.  

It's been a thing for decades in the car world.  

Edited October 24, 2023 by liggy

[Jeff S]

9 hours ago, fotografr said:

I have one of the black dots from Don Goldberg on my M10-R, and examining it very closely, I can't tell if it was hand painted over the red or if it came from the factory. Either way, it looks pretty good to me.

 

 

Don has painted them.  No way the factory would issue them, especially after the black M8.2 black dot was released without proper approvals from Leica Microsystems, which owns rights to the logo.

Jeff

Edited October 24, 2023 by Jeff S

[algrove]

2 hours ago, erl said:

Why the apparent move against Red Dots?

Do the same reactionaries remove/disguise the emblem on their expensive cars?

If you hav ever had someone t ry to steal your Leica on the street you will understand better.

2 hours ago, erl said:

Why the apparent move against Red Dots?

Do the same reactionaries remove/disguise the emblem on their expensive cars?

Cameras are easier to lift off people than cars.

[Jeff S]

I changed the red dot on my silver M8.2 to a black one (from DAG) for purely aesthetic reasons; nothing to do with discretion or theft, which I find silly.  People are conspicuous by their actions, not cameras in my experience (large format view cameras, and such, being obvious exceptions).

Jeff

[fotografr]

Like Jeff, I changed my dot to black because I think it fits the camera aesthetics better. The side benefit is that most people who comment on my camera assume it's an old film body, hence not real desirable. 

[fotografr]

4 hours ago, 250swb said:

If I saw a 'black dot' Leica for sale (other than genuine production) I'd run a mile because of the intrinsic implication it had been fiddled with, and who knows what else.  

If and when I sell my black dot M10-R, the red dot will go back on. Incidentally, beneath that dot is the vertical alignment adjustment for the rangefinder so it's not that uncommon to have it "fiddled" with. 

[erl]

4 hours ago, algrove said:

If you hav ever had someone t ry to steal your Leica on the street you will understand better.

Cameras are easier to lift off people than cars.

I have on more than one occasion been confronted with robbery and I am sure the would be robber never saw the Red Dot anyway. I swung my M6 from the wriststrap and threatened to smash his head in with it. He took off very rapidly. Robbers pick up on fear, just like dogs do. Show aggression instead and they pick up on that too and leave.

[algrove]

8 hours ago, erl said:

I have on more than one occasion been confronted with robbery and I am sure the would be robber never saw the Red Dot anyway. I swung my M6 from the wriststrap and threatened to smash his head in with it. He took off very rapidly. Robbers pick up on fear, just like dogs do. Show aggression instead and they pick up on that too and leave.

Perhaps the Red dot did not encourage the attempted thief but the body is well known by many who want cameras to take off people on the street since they have been on the street for 100 years now. It is distinctive body shape.

[Qwertynm]

vor 16 Stunden schrieb erl:

Why the apparent move against Red Dots?

Personally, I think the Leica Q2 monochrom is one of the most beautiful cameras. If my Q3 could look like that or if Leica ever releases a Q3 looking like that, I'd instantly trade my vanilla Q3 in for the stealth one. The black dot or the the cover up sticker is the closest thing that's available right now. I don't think taping the red dot protects you from theft. Thiefs targeting people with cameras usually can tell which one is the 300$ vs several thousand dollar camera.

[erl]

7 hours ago, algrove said:

Perhaps the Red dot did not encourage the attempted thief but the body is well known by many who want cameras to take off people on the street since they have been on the street for 100 years now. It is distinctive body shape.

As such, that negates the point of covering/removing the Red Dot. As for the body shape, even I have trouble separating Leica bodies from the plethora of mirrorless cameras or whatever.

That said, the risk is out there whatever one does, so just live, shoot pictures, and enjoy what works for you.

[erl]

7 hours ago, Qwertynm said:

Personally, I think the Leica Q2 monochrom is one of the most beautiful cameras. If my Q3 could look like that or if Leica ever releases a Q3 looking like that, I'd instantly trade my vanilla Q3 in for the stealth one. The black dot or the the cover up sticker is the closest thing that's available right now. I don't think taping the red dot protects you from theft. Thiefs targeting people with cameras usually can tell which one is the 300$ vs several thousand dollar camera.

To further refine the point, thieves are there to steal (anything). I suspect their monetary return would be very similar for whatever camera they stole. Always a mere fraction of the real worth. If you have a camera, you are a target. At that point its worth is immaterial.

[algrove]

OK, but in some cities in the country where I live they shot you for $10. In SFO 4 armed thieves robbed the Leica Store in broad daylight. No one raised a camera to scare them off since they knew if they did that they would be shot.

Edited October 24, 2023 by algrove

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[erl]

I get that. There is a line that you can't cross. Armed robbery is another ball game. At that point a Red Dot is useless. 

[newtoleica]

I have a black dot M7. I was particularly keen to buy that used one as the dot had been replaced with a black one at service. The black dot is much less distracting than a red one. Leica should get Leica Microsystems to license a black version and then charge a small premium for a black dot, like BMW do to have a car without '320i' on the back of it (what me?)