Stealth is a Myth

[zixaw]

I think there are 2 points that needs to be addressed.

1. Stealth in terms of blending in and not being noticed. Whether taking a photo or just walking around.

This does not affect the picture being taken, but rather the photographer. If you carry a rangefinder on the streets today, it will get more attention than if you are wearing a 100 carat diamond necklace.

I have had strangers walk across a road just to ask me if I am using a Leica, I have had Australians stopping me to ask if they can look at my M9, I have had Germans in Japan asking why I am using a Leica instead of a Canon, Nikon or Sony and then smacking me on the back congratulating me on my excellent taste and of course, I have had people come up and ask, why I still shoot with film, when I am using a film body? The incidents are too many to list. I might as well have a floating sign over my head that says, please talk to me.

As a result, I now carry my camera in an easily accessible bag and pull it out when I want to take a shot, slower yes, but alot less hassle.

In comparison, how many times have I been approached when I am carrying my DSLR openly via a Black Rapid strap? ZERO!

2. When taking a picture, how does your subject react?

On the flip side, a rangefinder is definitely less threatening than a SLR. You can point it at someone and almost always get away with it. With a SLR, people run, they wave you off and sometimes they get angry.

As mentioned previously, the most important thing is also how the photographer behaves.

 

[ZShutter]

I got few ladies passing me by saying "ooh, that's a Leica".
Suppose it could be a chick magnet..

 

[adamadam]

I love the attention, don't you?

 

[astroboy888]

Was shooting in Tsukiji market last December, the owner of one of the bigger stalls step right in front of me. (For those who have not been there, the people who work in the market can sometimes get irritated with tourist and photographers who disturb their work flow). Sensing that he was not happy as I had been discreetly taking pics of his staff going about their work, I politely raised my hand to say sorry. Instead he looked at my cameras and said, Leica neh! Very good! He then turned to his staff and spoke to them in Japanese and I heard the word Leica being mentioned several times. After that he said that I was free to take as many pics as I wanted in his stall.

 

[sharps]

hahahah, double standards

my fren brought the leica to angkor wat
one of the guards/police saw the camera, says good camera, then started chatting n brought him for a free tour

 

[Dfive]

Try the Leica M9-P (P is professional) for stealth. It's black all over with just some inscriptions on the top. Should be stealthy enough.

Thats what I did...... now I have the skill of a Ninja, the force of Yoda, and deflect radar like an F-117 jet ALL overnight....... !!!!

Wahahaha............

Frankly people don't notice it as much as my Hippo of a D3S

I'm liking the size and quietness

 

[Dfive]

I got few ladies passing me by saying "ooh, that's a Leica".
Suppose it could be a chick magnet..

???? The 5 C's = Credit Card, Cash, Condo, Car, CAMERA........ and a Leica at that

But I did once get a person say "wow it's a Leica"...... at my X100 !!! HAHAHA..... but for 5 minutes I did feel special... hahaha

Leica's Rule - PERIOD

 

[Dfive]

Going in the same grain, black cameras are actually the oddity now.

To quote the ever eloquent Dante Stella:
Some people think tha having a black camera makes it more unobtrusive.
Arguably, this is false; people are least freaked-out by camera phones and silver point-and-shoots.
A black camera signifies professional (or spy). And you lose any element of surprise when you actually try to shoot with anything.
Sometimes you never had an element of surprise.
To put it in a crude and potentially politically incorrect way, a western tourist in Bangkok shooting is still a western tourist- regardless of whether the camera he holds is black or silver.

As the reply above astutely points out, the photographer matters too.
When I was in NS, we had to do regular monitoring sweeps in high-end hotels.
The main thing was to be stealthy and blend in - but yet they made us wear the same suits/outfit over a period of three days.
Walking the same routes at the same time of day.
It wasn't until we pointed out that it was ridiculous that we received an expansion to our 'civilian' wardrobe.

If you're going to dress like a tourist in a foreign land, you'd hard to miss - regardless of what camera you use.
If you're going to dress loudly and exude a body language that is both conspicuous and overt, you'd be noticed no matter where you are.

Could not say it better myself

 

[pikapig]

My friends nvr get bothered with wat camera i used to take them...they ended up snatching my bessa and leica to take pictures None of them know wat a leica and bessa are....and they always say..."cool camera but cant get to see the pictures u just took, chey"

ermm but a side note....do u guys notices that most girls like to appear in color rather than Black and white? The request of every friend gathering is...im okay if you bring a film...just no black and white...

 

[Royale With Cheese]

ermm but a side note....do u guys notices that most girls like to appear in color rather than Black and white? The request of every friend gathering is...im okay if you bring a film...just no black and white...

Color is for mere mortals, black & white is for............

 

[sharps]

yea... i show b n w pix, they look dem disappointed

 

[dacteo]

My friends nvr get bothered with wat camera i used to take them...they ended up snatching my bessa and leica to take pictures None of them know wat a leica and bessa are....and they always say..."cool camera but cant get to see the pictures u just took, chey"

ermm but a side note....do u guys notices that most girls like to appear in color rather than Black and white? The request of every friend gathering is...im okay if you bring a film...just no black and white...

My wife will say waste her smile 

 

[pikapig]

Haha..no bnw for friends!

 

[sanfong]

Just share why I dipped my hand into Ricoh GRD I, II, III and GX100.

I own Canon EOS 50D and set of lenses. I use it mostly for travel photography trip or for competitions only. In most of the time I use Ricoh GRD III presently, as it gives a superb image quality and its low profile design will not make a loud presence. And sometimes it surprise me.. It allows me to go as near as taking a photo of an old man seating right in front of me in a double deck bus.

Using an old film camera such as silver SLRs, RFs, TLRs and toy camera in street will get plenty of attention. Especially many DSLR users in SG now, they can spot you from far when your camera glitters. I had a classmate who brought a fountain pen to class when I was studied in primary school. We were very curious and even teacher wants to take a look too. Its the same effect as carrying an old film camera.

 

[sanfong]

hahahah, double standards

my fren brought the leica to angkor wat
one of the guards/police saw the camera, says good camera, then started chatting n brought him for a free tour

Will shooting in Tsukiji market last December, the owner of one of the bigger stalls step right in front of me. (For those who have not been there, the people who work in the market can sometimes get irritated with tourist and photographers who disturb their work flow). Sensing that he was not happy as I had been discreetly taking pics of his staff going about their work, I politely raised my hand to say sorry. Instead he looked at my cameras and said, Leica neh! Very good! He then turned to his staff and spoke to them in Japanese and I heard the word Leica being mentioned several times. After that he said that I was free to take as many pics as I wanted in his stall.

Leica opens doors...!!

 

[limwhow]

I don't know..
Both my wife and I have always had this impression that the old-style cameras with the silver top half and the black bottom half.. like the Steel Grey M's with chrome lenses exude an OLD look.
Give not so new and modern kind of feeling. Nostalgic to an extent.
But to the locals in a foreign country, they might gravitate more towards a totally black and large DSLR thinking that these are new and modern, and not to pay too much attention to the smaller chrome cameras as they may associate these with being old.

So I have always thought using a silver camera is less attention-grabbing.
What do you all feel? Just my thoughts.

 

[ziengler]

Im running R-D1 so far not much ppl attracted to it, with the dull black body and zhou case seems to cover everything up haha..
the whole world thought it's some film cam...
I would think Bessa will have the same outcome too

 

[ed9119]

stealth maters less in my type of shooting than an understanding and empathy for the subject and the environment

This great discussion is featured in the Clubsnap Photography Community FB page
http://www.facebook.com/#!/ClubSNAP.Community